ParminderNagra

(S13E08) Greetings, all you ER-heads! Just a quick note of clarification. Last week's review was mislabeled as episode six. It was actually number seven of the 13th season of ER. We are now back on track with the numbering.

Now that business is out of the way, let's bound ahead with this week's review. I would label this as a standard episode. Nothing earth-shattering occurred, no huge character developments. Just another episode to move the season along. Not to say it wasn't good, because it was. I guess you could say it was a placeholder episode, taking a breath before something bigger occurs.

Let's highlight a few important points, shall we? First, the plot with the homeless boy who comes in with rabies. Maybe I'm wrong, but it felt very mythical. Almost Lord of the Rings-like. There was the 'Blue Lady' with the secret name who was the heroine, and the 'Blood-Face Lady' who was the villain. Heck, with all of his curly hair the boy named Teller looked like a young Frodo Baggins. I wonder if we'll see those kids again in a future episode.

Good lord, the producers of ER love to kill off their doctors so they won't come back again in highly paid guest-star roles! First, it was Lucy Knight (Kellie Martin) who died after being stabbed by a patient (David Krumholtz of Numb3rs). Next it was Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards) who died of a brain tumor. Then Robert Romano (Paul McCrane) got his ticket punched after a helicopter fell on him (this is after a helicopter blade cut off his arm in an earlier episode).

Now, they have knocked off Doctor Michael Gallant (Sharif Atkins). In Thursday's episode, Gallant (who appeared as a regular from 2001-2004) died after his convoy truck struck a roadside bomb. Gallant, who left the confines of County General to go to Iraq as an Army doctor, had a recurring role this season as he returned home, married Dr. Neela Rasgotra (Parminder Nagra of Bend it Like Beckham) then decided to return to Iraq once again.

And now, as the season comes to an end next Thursday, there may be more death and destruction for the emergency room staff, as two prisoners start shooting up the hospital and the people, taking hostages in the meantime.

Gosh, I miss the good old days when Doctor Ross (George Clooney) would flirt with Nurse Hathaway (Julianna Margulies) or Doctor Carter (Noah Wyle) would bow under Doctor Benton's (Eriq La Salle) stare. Maybe we can have an episode where Dr. Greene returns from the dead and slaps some sense into all of them.