10 ‘ER’ Episodes to Watch, 10 Years Later (PHOTOS)
“24 Hours” (Season 1, Episode 1)
The two-hour pilot episode — and the only installment written by creator and Jurassic Park novelist Michael Crichton — drops viewers into the frenetic emergency room of County General, introduces our hero team of doctors, and shows off the series’ hallmark Steadicam camerawork.
“Blizzard” (Season 1, Episode 10)
A quiet, understaffed night at County General turns chaotic when Chicago’s wintry weather causes a massive freeway pile-up. And desk clerk Bogdana “Bob” Liwecki (Małgorzata Gebel) saves the day with surgical skills she learned back in Poland.
“Love’s Labor Lost” (Season 1, Episode 19)
This Emmy-winning episode features Dr. Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards) failing to properly treat a woman in labor, with guest star Bradley Whitford giving an unforgettable performance as the baby’s frantic father.
“Hell and High Water” (Season 2, Episode 7)
George Clooney practically cemented his leading man status with this episode, which saw his Dr. Doug Ross saving a young boy from a flooded storm drain as 42 million viewers watched on the edges of their seats.
“Ambush” (Season 4, Episode 1)
Season 4 kicked off with a live episode, an ambitious feat for a multi-camera sitcom, let alone a hospital drama riddled with medical jargon and surgical operations. And as a bonus, this episode also introduces Dr. Elizabeth Corday (Alex Kingston).
“Exodus” (Season 4, Episode 15)
A benzene spill injures dozens of chemical plant employees and also endangers the life of Dr. Kerry Weaver (Laura Innes), leaving it up to then-med student John Carter (Noah Wyle) to save the day.
“All in the Family” (Season 6, Episode 14)
In one of the most gut-wrenching moments in television history, a mentally ill law student (guest star David Krumholtz) stabs Carter, who falls to the ground only to find med student Lucy Knight (Kellie Martin) bleeding out from her own stab wound.
“Such Sweet Sorrow” (Season 6, Episode 21)
Nurse Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies) leaves County Gen and moves to Seattle to reunite with Ross, with George Clooney making a surprise cameo on ER following his Season 5 departure.
“Chaos Theory” (Season 9, Episode 1)
This episode will forever live on in TV history as the episode in which Dr. Robert Romano (Paul McCrane) loses an arm in a freak run-in with a helicopter rotor. That shocking turn of events only sets up what’s perhaps the show’s most twisted twist…
“Freefall” (Season 10, Episode 8)
Romano, who had been outfitted with a robotic arm after his accident, takes an ill-timed breather in County General’s ambulance bay and is crushed to death when a helicopter tumbles down from the hospital roof. Television, folks!
Believe it or not, it’s been a decade since we last checked into County General Hospital, since ER wrapped its then-record run on NBC on April 2, 2009.
If you’re jonesing for a return to the fast-paced medical drama, all 15 seasons are yours for the streaming on Hulu. And if you want a more condensed binge watch, we’re prescribing 10 pivotal episodes from the series in the gallery above.
