Must See TV...

OK, I admit it. I've been a fan of ER since it came on the air in 1995 or so. And this is the last season, so they've been winding down things.

We've already said goodbye to Abby and Luka, and they killed off Greg Pratt, and Ray Pruitt made a reappearance last week. We've also said hello to a few new characters to keep things at County running just fine after the last episode, right?...

Sadly, Michael Crighton passed away last week, and ironically, this week was a Night of the Living Dead episode. Or at least gone.

Halfway thru the episode, none other than Mark Greene, Carrie Weaver, Robert Romano and Jerry the Desk Clerk appeared in a flashback scene that wasn't really a flashback, but new footage. Why new footage? Well, considering Mark died of cancer, Romano died being crushed by a helicopter several seasons ago, and Carrie quit medicine to become a TV host, they really had no easy way to bring them back for the final season. So, the producers came up with a flashback tying the new character Dr. Banfield to Mark Greene. Classy, actually.

So, don't be surprised when John Carter, Doug Ross and Carol Hathaway, Peter Benton, and Susan Lewis walk thru the doors at some point.

The episode also started with Eriq LaSalle (Peter Benton in the series) saying goodbye to Michael Crighton. Again, classy. I've always enjoyed Crighton's writing, starting with The Andromeda Strain when I was in junior high. He will be missed.