Best 'ER' Episodes and Memorable Moments

Time to pull the plug.

After 15 seasons, 'ER' calls a code blue for the last time in its series finale tonight (Thu., April 2, 9PM ET on NBC).

Over its run, the show racked up 123 Emmy nominations (the most in TV history), engaged millions of viewers and made stars (ever heard of a guy named George Clooney?). Doctors and patients came and went, lives were saved and lost and hearts healed and broken.

As County General closes its doors for good, here's a look back at our favorite 'ER' episodes and memorable moments.


Time to pull the plug.

After 15 seasons, 'ER' calls a code blue for the last time in its series finale tonight (Thu., April 2, 9PM ET on NBC).

Over its run, the show racked up 123 Emmy nominations (the most in TV history), engaged millions of viewers and made stars (ever heard of a guy named George Clooney?). Doctors and patients came and went, lives were saved and lost and hearts healed and broken.

As County General closes its doors for good, here's a look back at our favorite 'ER' episodes and memorable moments.


1. 'Love's Labour Lost'
(Season 1, Episode 19; aired March 9, 1995)
Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards) was, hands down, my favorite doctor in all 15 season of 'ER.' And in this episode, the good doc turned out to be heartbreakingly human. The seamless combination of medical and emotional drama was what put 'ER' at the top for so long.

2. '24 Hours (Pilot)'
(Season 1, Episode 1; aired Sept. 19, 1994)
Pilots can often be overwhelming -- getting to know all the characters, their histories and relationships. But this one dropped us right into the middle of the action. And Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies) being brought in for attempted suicide was an indelible OMG moment.




3. 'The Letter'/'On the Beach'
(Season 8, Episodes 20 and 21; aired May 2 and 9, 2002)
OK, maybe it's cheating to mush these two episodes together, but they really go hand in hand as both revolved around the death of Mark Greene. In the first, the staff finds out Mark has died and reads a final letter from him. In the latter, we see the doc's last days. To this day, whenever I hear Israel Kamakawiwo`ole's version of 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow,' I think of Mark Greene and tear up a little.

4. 'Be Still My Heart'
(Season 6, Episode 13; aired Feb. 10, 2000)
There have been few images on television as haunting as the one of Lucy Knight (Kellie Martin), lying in a pool of her own blood.

5. 'Hell and High Water'
(Season 2, Episode 7; aired Nov. 9, 1995)
Super Doug Ross (Clooney) saves the day. And 42 million people tuned in to watch.

6. 'Secrets and Lies'
(Season 8, Episode 16; aired March 7, 2002)
'ER' pays homage to 'The Breakfast Club,' and Luka Kovac (Goran Visnjic) recites 'Hamlet' in Croatian.


7. 'May Day'
(Season 6, Episode 22; aired May 18, 2000)
After John Carter (Noah Wyle) is caught shooting up, the staff stages an intervention -- and it's Peter Benton (Eriq La Salle) who takes him to rehab.

8. 'Fathers and Sons'
(Season 4, Episode 7; aired Nov. 13, 1997)
Mark and Doug go road trippin' and deal with their fathers, alive and dead.

9. 'The Book of Abby'
(Season 15, Episode 3; aired Oct. 16, 2008)
Abby Lockhart (Maura Tierney) bids farewell to County General by waltzing with Frank, and we find out there's a wall bearing all the names of doctors past.

10. 'Alone in a Crowd'
(Season 11, Episode 15; aired Feb. 17, 2005)
'ER' has featured some incredible guest stars over the years. I could make a top 10 list of just guest stars, but Cynthia Nixon stood out in this episode as a soccer mom who suffers a stroke.

Seven memorable moments:
1. Carol reunites with Doug in Seattle
2. Kerry Weaver (Laura Innes) comes out to Robert Romano (Paul Crane) and threatens to quit
3. Benton and Carter realize their dying patient is their surgical intern, Dennis Gant (Omar Epps)
4. Romano's arm is severed by a helicopter blade
5. Mark and Susan Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) finally kiss before she leaves for Phoenix
6, Jeannie Boulet (Gloria Reuben) discovers she has HIV
7. Abby and Luka get married