Entertainment, Weekly: The Small Screen

ER: Emergency Room? Or Exasperating Ruin?

Last night I tuned into the ER episode T-6. I haven't watched this season of ER, because, as everyone knows, it has been awful for the last few seasons. 

I did watch this episode because John Carter continues in his second episode back at County. He, (spoiler alert) was on dialysis at the end of the last episode, so basically I want to figure out what happens to him. 

First. This episode, and the one before it, have had some...slighty clever double meanings. 

Last week it was..."The Beginning of the End," perhaps illustrating that this is the beginning of the final plots of the show, and the beginning of the end of John Carter's life. This week it was, "T-6," that signifying that there are only six episodes left in the show, and Sam mentions that her horrendous day will end in "T-6." 

Second. The episode was ok....not great. John Stamos is a truly pathetic actor. The directing and camera movement is a lot different from the middle seasons of the show, which really could be motion pictures with the quality of the acting and directing and writing (More on that in a second). The characters just aren't very strong anymore, and I simply don't care about them.

Third. ER used to be a great, great show. I think the early to middle seasons of the show were truly fantastic. (Granted, I haven't seen seasons 3 or 4) 

But, in my opinion, Seasons 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, constitute a group of five seasons that could compete for the best in TV history. Only the first four seasons of the West Wing, or "The Wire," could compete with the compelling story lines of ER. These seasons had Dr. Carter getting stabbed, addicted to drugs, and finally stepping into the breach. Dr. Greene continuing his leadership and then dying. Dr. Corday being..brilliant. Dr. Benton pissing off Romano, fighting for his son, and leaving. Dr. Lewis returning. Dr. Kovac arriving. Hathaway and Ross leaving. Abby Lockhart arriving, with her sass. 

Anyway, finally...I'm going to watch these last few episodes of ER simply because I want to see the old cast reunited. I do wish Greene had only been written out, and not killed. That was yes, a great plot, and well done, but it was terribly sad...and I wish he could return. 

But, if they kill Carter, and complete his journey into "the new Greene," they will be completely stupid. Let the viewer walk away happy. My favorite character is either John Carter or Mark Greene, and you can absolutely not kill both of them. You let Kovac walk away, do the same for Carter.