Ladies and gents, as I struggle to see the screen through my swollen tear riddled eyelids, I come to you a little humbled. I was planning on writing an article about NBC‘s ER, and it was going to start a little something like this:
“ Wait, hold on a second…the show is still on the air?! Season 15!!! For the love of all that is decent LET MY PEOPLE GO! Let it die! How many unfortunate staff accidents and illnesses can we consider plausible and continue to watch!!!…” Bla bla bla,ad nauseam infinitum.
I am an Ass, which should surprise non of you but I’m glad I at least had the good sense to try and prove how much of an Ass I am only to humiliate myself further to tell you that ER is still a great fracking show. Let me clarify that a significant tear quotient is by no means the gauge for the quality of a television show, but for a girl that hasn’t watched in…5-7ish years (I honestly can’t remember) I strapped in to watch the first episode of this season chocked full of actors and characters that I had yet to have an opinion about, and 4 episodes in, I have to take a break to let the swelling go down.
Mekhi Phifer‘s character I did remember and they killed him in the first episode, so that was a tough way to begin, and then Maura Tierney left and now with the exception of Frank and a few beloved nurses, everyone is new to me and for the most part, I care. I was expecting John Stamos to give me plenty of negative things to say, being John Stamos and all, but I am pleasantly surprised to report that he doesn’t suck! He’s the always happy guy which works for him, and when it’s time to be sad…he’s still kinda just the “oh darn” guy, which was a little off putting, but I guess it would be boring if everyone was all booo hooing and snotty faced. His character is gaining some depth as the season progresses and it’s nice to see. Angela Bassett joined the cast this season and she’s doing a beautiful job (to no-ones surprise). Loves it!
I know that this show is very carefully scrutinized by actual ER doctors on staff for accuracy (and bravo to that) but my medical inexperience makes me wonder why almost EVERY patient manages to make it to the ER, rolls in talking and making jokes and then the next moment they are critical and bleeding all over the place. Not to mention that every doctor has a sad story of something bad that’s happened to them, baggage GA-lore or a freak life threatening episode once every season and a half at LEAST. I mean REALLY like this is all probable…………oh…………..wait…
It’s TV!
As one of my hero’s says regularly “Real life if boring, nobody wants to watch that”, and he’s right. I’m not saying that the life of an Emergency Room Doctor is by any means boring but we do need a reason to tune in EVERY week for FIFTEEN YEARS so frankly I give them credit for making me give a rats ass without offering me money and mailing me free booze. Now for those of you that don’t want to spend the night in hysterics, by episodes 8 and 9ish of this season I was able to put the snotty old t-shirts in the wash (why should the trees suffer tissues because I like drama?).
Not exactly my usual format, but I’ll throw in some bullet points for ya if it will help you decide whether to join me in the SnotFest:
BASIC PREMISE: After 15 years on the air…are you kidding me?
CAST: Great, all of them!
WHAT I DIG: The characters, the stories, the heart.
WHAT I DON’T: Being made to cry so damned much, I look terrible and I’ve eaten nothing but cereal for days. Someone bring me a salad or something!
WILL IT LAST: Last season and poetic that the creator, Michael Crichton passes away during the last season. Say goodbye to a great show.
P.S.- Oh crap! I just got to the end of episode 9…I need another t-shirt!
If you’re a fan or not, he did give us Jurassic Park, the beloved book and film franchise and EVERYBODY read that book including people who usually don’t read. The Dino craze may never have become such a craze sparking an important scientific peak had it not been for Crichton. Among other film projects such as The 13th Warrior (based on Eaters Of The Dead) and Twister, he was also the creator of ER for those of you living under the who’s who rock. Going into it’s 14th season, I think it’s safe to say that he wrote a great premise and the story took off. Emmys, Oscars, PGSs, WGAs, Razzies, most any award for writing Sci-Fi one can receive, one of People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People and he even had a dinosaur named after him. Well loved, and continually inspired by the human condition.
Props as well to both Bernie Mac and Heath Ledger both of whom were taken too early. Though Mac said he was retiring, I can’t help but believe that his influence in the industry would still continue to bring us great entertainment. Heath showed us all what he was really capable of in The Dark Night and it’s heartbreaking to see such a talent go unexplored. Hopefully he will inspire future actors that struggle with their demons…to seek help.
