Samantha Taggart
Encyclopedia
Samantha "Sam" Taggart is a fictional character
on the NBC
prime time
drama
ER
. She is played by actress Linda Cardellini
. Linda Cardellini's addition into the main cast opening credits was in the 5th episode of season 10.
and single mother; she has a son, Alex (played first by Oliver Davis
, later by Dominic Janes
). Alex was born when she was fifteen; she has had to raise him mostly on her own. She comes from a family of losers and alcoholics; her anger towards Abby Lockhart
in Season 14 when Abby tells the staff she had a relapse while working is explained when she tells Abby that she came from a long line of drunks who never tried to stop drinking.
's unknowing part in her son Alex's diabetic fit while he befriends the boy. She replaces Abby Lockhart
who was head nurse, but decided to become a doctor instead. Her no nonsense attitude had gotten her in trouble early on. In the episode "Death and Taxes", she hid Dr. Robert Romano
's mechanical hand after accusing the ER Chief of touching her inappropriately with the device. In addition, in the episode "Impulse Control", she punches an assault victim's abusive boyfriend in the face when he threatens her as she tries to call the police, but overcomes Dr. Kerry Weaver
's knee-jerk lack of support and helps the abuse victim follow through on pressing charges.
Sam soon notices a bond between Alex and Luka. Though initially uncomfortable with Luka's involvement with Alex, Sam eventually accepts it and becomes good friends with Luka. Later, a romantic relationship develops. Unexpectedly, Alex's father, Steve (played by Cole Hauser
), returns and attempts to push Luka out of their lives. When she discovers Steve might stay permanently, Sam panics, packs up, and runs away. Before doing so, however, Luka runs to her, trying to get information from her as to why was she is doing this. Ignoring him and his slams on the car, fighting tears, she drives away. Sam has had a history of picking up and moving around the country to escape Steve. She worries that he will ruin her and Alex's life and that they cannot coexist with Steve.
She does come back thanks to Luka who finds her at a motel
and brings her back. They move in together. Throughout season 11, Sam and Luka lived together, and Luka was a surrogate father for Alex, even going and meeting with a school official after Alex got caught with an issue of MAXIM magazine
. At the end of season 11, Alex runs away to find Steve (now played by Garret Dillahunt), by hitchhiking after a confrontation with Sam. He is out to find Steve in Colorado
, even though Sam has hidden the fact Steve is there because he is in jail on robbery charges. Luka and Sam are frantically searching for him in the opener of season 12. Sam is desperately worried about Alex because of his diabetes, and his lack of insulin
could have resulted in a coma or even death. Sam immediately gets in the car and drives non-stop to Colorado. Luka worries about Sam because they have been driving non-stop, and even hit a deer which completely destroys the windshield. Sam and Luka finally find an exhausted but stable Alex at a Canon City hospital, where he claims he's okay and that he knows how to take care of himself.
She met and immediately befriended Dr. John Carter upon his return from Africa, happy to "put a face to the name".
Later in season 12, a very wealthy patient named Richard Elliot (played by Armand Assante
) enters the ER. He suffers from a debilitating disease in where he needs an in-home nurse. He takes a liking to Sam and offers her the position of head nurse. He reassures her that she would still be able to keep her job in the ER while being his in-home nurse. Since the offer was being an in-home nurse, he invited her and Luke to live in a section of his mansion for convenience. She denied at first, but later on, she finds out that Alex cannot be in the tutoring program because of the lack of funds. She arrives at the man's house, and asks if the offer still stands.
In the 12th season finale, "21 Guns", Steve, an EMT Student named Mary and another prisoner named Rafe hatch an escape plot: Steve and Rafe injuring themselves and then escaping from the hospital. They stab Luka with a syringe as Sam looks on in horror. Because the syringe contained a paralyzing drug that would have led to his death, Sam steps in and treats him in spite of the prisoners' threats, saying she is going to make sure he doesn't die regardless of what they say; Steve makes his partners back off long enough for Sam to intubate Luka. They proceed to start shooting throughout the hospital once police catch on, using Sam as a hostage. Jerry Markovic is hurt in the shooting. Steve drags Sam outside, towards the getaway van. She begs him, "Think about Alex!" but as it turns out, he already had, and Alex is tied up inside the van. Sam immediately gets in the van after seeing Alex, and later, Steve tells her that God spoke to him, and told him he had to get his family back together. With Sam and Alex as hostages, the three attempt to make an escape to Canada
.
However, in the 13th season premiere, "Bloodline," the escape hits a few obstacles; Sam attempts to get help, and a police officer chases after the group, ending with the officer's (presumed) death. As the three argue about the escape plan, Steve shoots and kills Rafe and Mary, leaving only Steve, Sam and Alex. Steve tells Sam that he would rather have himself, Sam and Alex dead than apart, and then proceeds to rape
Sam. Some time after, Sam, lying next to a sleeping Steve, proceeds to make her getaway with Alex. As she is about to escape, however, she returns to the still sleeping Steve, grabs his gun and kills him.
The next morning, she and Alex drive back to Chicago. Tired and panicked from her ordeal, she contacts Richard Elliot, who gets her an attorney, and instructs Sam to tell everyone she was raped by Steve and later killed him in self-defense
. Despite an assistant District Attorney
's suspicions that Sam is lying, Elliot, through his close friendship with highly-placed city officials, manages to get Steve's death listed as a justifiable homicide
, thus ending Sam's legal troubles. In "Somebody To Love", Alex tells Sam he saw her shoot Steve to death.
In the remaining episodes of Season 13, Alex results in telling his friend that his dad will die, relating to the trauma of his own dad's death. He also steals a credit card
from Archie Morris
, and (accidentally) sets their apartment on fire by playing with alcohol. Sam reluctantly sends Alex to a school for at-risk youth, and reports to her ER colleagues that he is doing better every day. Professionally, Sam has started training as a nurse anesthetist.
At the end of "The Chicago Way," either Samantha or Dr. Greg Pratt entered a booby-trapped ambulance. The subsequent explosion resulted in a season-ending cliffhanger
. The Season 15 opener, "Life after Death", revealed that Dr. Greg Pratt was in the ambulance and later died from injuries sustained in the blast.
Towards the end of Season 14, Sam begins a relationship with Dr. Tony Gates
. Their relationship progresses and they end up moving in together in Season 15. After Alex was seriously injured in a car accident after Tony overruled Sam by allowing Alex to go out, their relationship deteriorates and Sam eventually decides to move out, thus ending the relationship, despite Tony's multiple apologies. Things are frosty between them as Sam cannot forgive Tony, however she admits to Chuny that she still loves him but forbids her from telling anyone.
In "A Long, Strange Trip", Sam was reunited with younger sister Kelly (played by Shannon Woodward), now a successful fashion designer, for the first time since their mother kicked Sam out when she was a pregnant 15 year old. Kelly tells Sam how their mother is dying of emphysema
, and after reminiscing about their childhood, Sam relents and agrees to allow Kelly to move their mother to a Chicago nursing home. Sam sees her mother for the first time in 15 years in the episode "T Minus 6", but Mary Taggart does not recognise her daughter. In the next episode, Sam is shown visiting her mother in the nursing home, where they argue about why Sam lost contact with her family, before Mary asks Sam about her son.
In the Season 15 episode "Old Times", Sam accompanies Neela to Seattle to pick up a heart for a transplant in Chicago. She briefly met Carol Hathaway
and Dr. Doug Ross
who revealed how they used to work at County.
In the series finale "And in the End
," the staff celebrates her birthday and Alex delivers her present: a bright red vintage Ford Mustang
convertible, which Tony Gates bought and fixed up with Alex's help. When she and Tony witness a husband losing his wife, they begin to hold hands, hinting that they might rekindle their relationship.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
on the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
ER
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
. She is played by actress Linda Cardellini
Linda Cardellini
Linda Edna Cardellini is an American television and film actress. She is best known for her roles as high school student Lindsay Weir on Freaks and Geeks, as Velma Dinkley in the live-action Scooby-Doo films, and as Samantha Taggart on ER.- Early life :Cardellini was born in Redwood City,...
. Linda Cardellini's addition into the main cast opening credits was in the 5th episode of season 10.
Precursor
Sam is a nurseRegistered nurse
A registered nurse is a nurse who has graduated from a nursing program at a university or college and has passed a national licensing exam. A registered nurse helps individuals, families, and groups to achieve health and prevent disease...
and single mother; she has a son, Alex (played first by Oliver Davis
Oliver Davis
Oliver James Davis is an American child actor. He is perhaps best known for originating the role of Alex, the son of Nurse Samantha Taggart, on ER. More recently, Davis portrayed the older son on Rodney....
, later by Dominic Janes
Dominic Janes
Dominic Janes is an American actor....
). Alex was born when she was fifteen; she has had to raise him mostly on her own. She comes from a family of losers and alcoholics; her anger towards Abby Lockhart
Abby Lockhart
Dr. Abby Lockhart is a fictional medical doctor on the television series ER. She is portrayed by Maura Tierney...
in Season 14 when Abby tells the staff she had a relapse while working is explained when she tells Abby that she came from a long line of drunks who never tried to stop drinking.
Life at County and career
Viewers first meet Sam in the Season 10 episode "Out of Africa," where she distinguishes herself by quickly and effectively giving an intravenous sedative to an unruly patient, even impressing the usually stubborn Dr. Romano. Sam shows herself to be an assertive, experienced, and talented nurse throughout the episode, though she loses her professionalism a bit when she discovers Dr. Luka KovačLuka Kovac
Dr. Luka Kovač is a fictional character on the television series ER portrayed by Goran Visnjic. Visnjic's character was added to the cast at the beginning of Season 6 following the mid-season 5 departure of leading character Dr. Doug Ross, played by George Clooney.Luka Kovač is an emergency room...
's unknowing part in her son Alex's diabetic fit while he befriends the boy. She replaces Abby Lockhart
Abby Lockhart
Dr. Abby Lockhart is a fictional medical doctor on the television series ER. She is portrayed by Maura Tierney...
who was head nurse, but decided to become a doctor instead. Her no nonsense attitude had gotten her in trouble early on. In the episode "Death and Taxes", she hid Dr. Robert Romano
Robert Romano (ER)
Dr. Robert 'Rocket' Romano is a fictional character on the TV series ER. He was portrayed by Emmy-winning actor Paul McCrane. Paul McCrane's removal from the main cast opening credits was in the 9th episode of season 10....
's mechanical hand after accusing the ER Chief of touching her inappropriately with the device. In addition, in the episode "Impulse Control", she punches an assault victim's abusive boyfriend in the face when he threatens her as she tries to call the police, but overcomes Dr. Kerry Weaver
Kerry Weaver
Dr. Kerry Weaver, portrayed by Laura Innes, was an fictional character on the NBC television series ER; she first appeared as a recurring character actor in season 2, and became a regular cast member in season 3. In January 2007, Innes left the show after 12 years and Kerry Weaver moved to...
's knee-jerk lack of support and helps the abuse victim follow through on pressing charges.
Sam soon notices a bond between Alex and Luka. Though initially uncomfortable with Luka's involvement with Alex, Sam eventually accepts it and becomes good friends with Luka. Later, a romantic relationship develops. Unexpectedly, Alex's father, Steve (played by Cole Hauser
Cole Hauser
Cole Kenneth Hauser is an American film and television actor.-Family background:Hauser was born in Santa Barbara, California, son of Cass Warner, who founded the film production company Warner Sisters, and actor Wings Hauser. His paternal grandfather was Academy Award-winning screenwriter Dwight...
), returns and attempts to push Luka out of their lives. When she discovers Steve might stay permanently, Sam panics, packs up, and runs away. Before doing so, however, Luka runs to her, trying to get information from her as to why was she is doing this. Ignoring him and his slams on the car, fighting tears, she drives away. Sam has had a history of picking up and moving around the country to escape Steve. She worries that he will ruin her and Alex's life and that they cannot coexist with Steve.
She does come back thanks to Luka who finds her at a motel
Motel
A motor hotel, or motel for short, is a hotel designed for motorists, and usually has a parking area for motor vehicles...
and brings her back. They move in together. Throughout season 11, Sam and Luka lived together, and Luka was a surrogate father for Alex, even going and meeting with a school official after Alex got caught with an issue of MAXIM magazine
Maxim (magazine)
Maxim is an international men's magazine based in the United Kingdom and known for its pictorials featuring popular actresses, singers, and female models, sometimes pictured dressed, often pictured scantily dressed but not fully nude....
. At the end of season 11, Alex runs away to find Steve (now played by Garret Dillahunt), by hitchhiking after a confrontation with Sam. He is out to find Steve in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, even though Sam has hidden the fact Steve is there because he is in jail on robbery charges. Luka and Sam are frantically searching for him in the opener of season 12. Sam is desperately worried about Alex because of his diabetes, and his lack of insulin
Insulin
Insulin is a hormone central to regulating carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body. Insulin causes cells in the liver, muscle, and fat tissue to take up glucose from the blood, storing it as glycogen in the liver and muscle....
could have resulted in a coma or even death. Sam immediately gets in the car and drives non-stop to Colorado. Luka worries about Sam because they have been driving non-stop, and even hit a deer which completely destroys the windshield. Sam and Luka finally find an exhausted but stable Alex at a Canon City hospital, where he claims he's okay and that he knows how to take care of himself.
She met and immediately befriended Dr. John Carter upon his return from Africa, happy to "put a face to the name".
Later in season 12, a very wealthy patient named Richard Elliot (played by Armand Assante
Armand Assante
-Personal life:Assante was born in New York City and raised in Cornwall, New York, the son of Katherine , a music teacher and poet, and Armand Anthony Assante, Sr., a painter and artist. His father was Italian and his mother was Irish, and was raised in a devoutly Roman Catholic family...
) enters the ER. He suffers from a debilitating disease in where he needs an in-home nurse. He takes a liking to Sam and offers her the position of head nurse. He reassures her that she would still be able to keep her job in the ER while being his in-home nurse. Since the offer was being an in-home nurse, he invited her and Luke to live in a section of his mansion for convenience. She denied at first, but later on, she finds out that Alex cannot be in the tutoring program because of the lack of funds. She arrives at the man's house, and asks if the offer still stands.
In the 12th season finale, "21 Guns", Steve, an EMT Student named Mary and another prisoner named Rafe hatch an escape plot: Steve and Rafe injuring themselves and then escaping from the hospital. They stab Luka with a syringe as Sam looks on in horror. Because the syringe contained a paralyzing drug that would have led to his death, Sam steps in and treats him in spite of the prisoners' threats, saying she is going to make sure he doesn't die regardless of what they say; Steve makes his partners back off long enough for Sam to intubate Luka. They proceed to start shooting throughout the hospital once police catch on, using Sam as a hostage. Jerry Markovic is hurt in the shooting. Steve drags Sam outside, towards the getaway van. She begs him, "Think about Alex!" but as it turns out, he already had, and Alex is tied up inside the van. Sam immediately gets in the van after seeing Alex, and later, Steve tells her that God spoke to him, and told him he had to get his family back together. With Sam and Alex as hostages, the three attempt to make an escape to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
However, in the 13th season premiere, "Bloodline," the escape hits a few obstacles; Sam attempts to get help, and a police officer chases after the group, ending with the officer's (presumed) death. As the three argue about the escape plan, Steve shoots and kills Rafe and Mary, leaving only Steve, Sam and Alex. Steve tells Sam that he would rather have himself, Sam and Alex dead than apart, and then proceeds to rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
Sam. Some time after, Sam, lying next to a sleeping Steve, proceeds to make her getaway with Alex. As she is about to escape, however, she returns to the still sleeping Steve, grabs his gun and kills him.
The next morning, she and Alex drive back to Chicago. Tired and panicked from her ordeal, she contacts Richard Elliot, who gets her an attorney, and instructs Sam to tell everyone she was raped by Steve and later killed him in self-defense
Self-defense
Self-defense, self-defence or private defense is a countermeasure that involves defending oneself, one's property or the well-being of another from physical harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in times of danger is available in many...
. Despite an assistant District Attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
's suspicions that Sam is lying, Elliot, through his close friendship with highly-placed city officials, manages to get Steve's death listed as a justifiable homicide
Justifiable homicide
The United States' concept of justifiable homicide in criminal law stands on the dividing line between an excuse, justification and an exculpation. It is different from other forms of homicide in that due to certain circumstances the homicide is justified as preventing greater harm to innocents...
, thus ending Sam's legal troubles. In "Somebody To Love", Alex tells Sam he saw her shoot Steve to death.
In the remaining episodes of Season 13, Alex results in telling his friend that his dad will die, relating to the trauma of his own dad's death. He also steals a credit card
Credit card
A credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...
from Archie Morris
Archie Morris
Dr. Archibald "Archie" Morris is a fictional character portrayed by Scott Grimes on the television show ER.-Early career:The character of Dr. Morris debuted in late 2003, in the drama's 10th season, and was notable for providing comic relief. Morris was an inept second-year resident who avoided...
, and (accidentally) sets their apartment on fire by playing with alcohol. Sam reluctantly sends Alex to a school for at-risk youth, and reports to her ER colleagues that he is doing better every day. Professionally, Sam has started training as a nurse anesthetist.
At the end of "The Chicago Way," either Samantha or Dr. Greg Pratt entered a booby-trapped ambulance. The subsequent explosion resulted in a season-ending cliffhanger
Cliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction...
. The Season 15 opener, "Life after Death", revealed that Dr. Greg Pratt was in the ambulance and later died from injuries sustained in the blast.
Towards the end of Season 14, Sam begins a relationship with Dr. Tony Gates
Tony Gates
Dr. Anthony "Tony" Gates is a fictional character on the television series ER. He is portrayed by John Stamos.-Paramedic appearances:Tony Gates was introduced as a paramedic during Season 12 . In Gates' first appearance in the series, he was fired at while trying to assist a young kidnapping victim...
. Their relationship progresses and they end up moving in together in Season 15. After Alex was seriously injured in a car accident after Tony overruled Sam by allowing Alex to go out, their relationship deteriorates and Sam eventually decides to move out, thus ending the relationship, despite Tony's multiple apologies. Things are frosty between them as Sam cannot forgive Tony, however she admits to Chuny that she still loves him but forbids her from telling anyone.
In "A Long, Strange Trip", Sam was reunited with younger sister Kelly (played by Shannon Woodward), now a successful fashion designer, for the first time since their mother kicked Sam out when she was a pregnant 15 year old. Kelly tells Sam how their mother is dying of emphysema
Emphysema
Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath. In people with emphysema, the tissues necessary to support the physical shape and function of the lungs are destroyed. It is included in a group of diseases called chronic obstructive pulmonary...
, and after reminiscing about their childhood, Sam relents and agrees to allow Kelly to move their mother to a Chicago nursing home. Sam sees her mother for the first time in 15 years in the episode "T Minus 6", but Mary Taggart does not recognise her daughter. In the next episode, Sam is shown visiting her mother in the nursing home, where they argue about why Sam lost contact with her family, before Mary asks Sam about her son.
In the Season 15 episode "Old Times", Sam accompanies Neela to Seattle to pick up a heart for a transplant in Chicago. She briefly met Carol Hathaway
Carol Hathaway
Nurse Carol Ross is a fictional character on the popular television show ER, portrayed by Julianna Margulies from 1994 to 2000. Julianna Margulies' removal from the main cast opening credits was in the final episode of season 6....
and Dr. Doug Ross
Doug Ross
Dr. Douglas "Doug" Ross is a fictional character from the television series ER, portrayed by George Clooney. George Clooney's removal from the main cast opening credits was in the 16th episode of season 5.-Plot details:...
who revealed how they used to work at County.
In the series finale "And in the End
And in the End
"And in the End..." is the 331st and final episode of the American television series ER. The two-hour episode aired on April 2, 2009 and was preceded by a one-hour retrospective special.-Production:...
," the staff celebrates her birthday and Alex delivers her present: a bright red vintage Ford Mustang
Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was initially based on the second generation North American Ford Falcon, a compact car. Introduced early on April 17, 1964, as a "1964½" model, the 1965 Mustang was the automaker's most successful launch since the Model A...
convertible, which Tony Gates bought and fixed up with Alex's help. When she and Tony witness a husband losing his wife, they begin to hold hands, hinting that they might rekindle their relationship.