ER's 300th Episode

Oops, I haven't been able to keep up with the blog work as often as I'd like (thus the grand total of...::drumroll::...one entry since the blog got started!

"ER" just aired its 300th episode tonight, so it's as good an opportunity to add to my blog as any. At the risk of sounding overly dramatic, "ER" was the show that opened my eyes to the wonderful world of american scripted TV. Sure, "The X-Files", "NYPD Blue" and a myriad other shows probably paved the way, but "ER" really was the show that threw the door open for me. It was the first show that I fell in love with on the very first episode I watched, and followed faithfully thereafter. I haven't been following it as closely in its latter years, as inevitably for a show that's been on for as long as it has been (14 years long), storylines start getting repetitive, and lags in quality start appearing. But I thought last season (its 13th) was consistently watchable and workmanlike in its consistency. But it's nice to see that the old warhorse has got some legs left.

So...the 300th episode. The NBC promos made it seem like it's going to be another disaster-based episode, but it turned out (in a nice welcome surprise) to be quite understated. I like the main Abby-Luka storyline. Goodness, is Abby messed up right now. Her using Neela's apartment for her drinking was bound to be found out sooner or later, and it led to a compelling confrontation between Neela and Abby. Neela's offer of friendship and support to Abby was met with (expectedly) Abby evading the fact that she needed help, and Abby saying those horrible things to Neela. I love that even though Julia didn't know Abby well (and Abby practically trying to wave her off), she persisted in trying to help her, and Julia's efforts (plus Abby seeing Luka's pain in her earlier refusal to tell him what was wrong with her) probably nudged Abby towards confiding in Luka that she had fallen off the wagon.

The 300-patients subplot, which turned out to be played for comic effect in the form of a bet between Morris and Frank/Gates/Pratt that the ER would get 300 patients for the day. It felt a bit too staged with Morris 1 patient away from winning the bet and then having him hit Frank on the hand with the book just to get the final 300th patient. Still, seeing that this could easily have been an "event-scale" storyline, I'll take this approach anytime.

I really liked the main patient storyline (with Peter Fonda)...it's been done on "ER" before, but still very powerful to watch, and probably made more effective because of the quiet way in which it was told. It also provided some nice moments for Morris and Pratt. I love that the episode ended with the memorial ceremony in the lounge (after it had been interrupted once by an incoming trauma). It was an understated and affecting way of showing the patients affect the lives of the ER staff who made it their life's work to be healers.

So, all in all, a very nice episode for "ER" to celebrate its 300 milestone. It's likely the show will end within the next two seasons, and I will miss it when it's gone. Thanks for all the memories, "ER".