The essential episodes of ER
Watch these 25 in order and you've got ER — each pick states its reason.
- 01
A typical day filled with traumas packs the ER. Under pressure from his wife, Chief Resident Dr. Mark Greene considers leaving County to join a private practice that would give him a much higher salary. When a building collapses, multiple casualties are brought in. New medical students start their ER rotation, among them John Carter, an inexperienced third year student. As the day continues, Dr. Peter Benton operates on a patient with an aortic aneurysm, a procedure normally performed by senior staff; and charge nurse Carol Hathaway is brought into the ER after a suicide attempt.
- 02
A case of apparent spousal abuse is not what it seems. Deb outshines Carter after he is up all night preparing for a presentation. Benton informs Jackie he's hired a helper for his mother. After Kayson's reprimand against Susan is denied, she has a chance to prove herself when he is brought in as a patient after suffering a heart attack. Doug meets Diane Leeds, who works in the hospital's Risk Management division, and her son, Jake.
- 03
A routine day filled with ordinary traumas becomes nightmarish when a distracted Mark critically misdiagnoses a pregnant woman's delivery complication. A teenager is brought in after being accidentally poisoned. Benton grapples with his own demons in the wake of his mother's collapse.
- 04
The ER treats victims of a gang shootout. Carter arrives late and unprepared for his new position. Mark learns all about being an attending, including senior staff's habit of bad mouthing the residents, particularly Doug Ross. Mark hires a new Chief Resident, Kerry Weaver. Third year med students arrive to complete their ER rotation
- 05
Luka's carefully arranged formal dinner for the ER staff gives Abby the surprise of a lifetime when she discovers the real reason for the evening. Luka finds himself dealing with Abby's reaction, but love prevails, and in the end, events come off as planned. As the celebration continues, Pratt plays an important role with a bit of panache, Morris and Hope find themselves with an opportunity they can't resist, and Neela finds herself the center of all manner of unexpected attention.
- 06
Moretti's first day is challenging as the ER is inundated with casualties from the peace rally - including Neela. Dubenko faces a crisis in surgery. Abby, Pratt and Morris conspire about how to deal with a shared problem. A new intern arrives unexpectedly, and Gates is reassigned.
- 07
ER's 300th episode finds Luka and Abby hurriedly preparing to travel to Croatia after Luka's father passes away. Luka confronts Abby about the estrangement between them, and she eventually reaches out and asks for his help. A man rushes to the ER when his wife is seriously injured in a car accident, and finds someone very unexpected there with her. Julia holds a service to bless the ER and remember the patients that have been lost through the years.
- 08
There's been a jewelry robbery in town, and Neela finds out that one of her patients might have had something to do with it. Pratt makes an effort to save his relationship with Bettina, and Abby worries about her marriage, sensing that Luka may have given up on it.
- 09
Neela's aortic rupture patient is in need of yet another follow up surgery, and they are starting to take a toll on her. Morris talks with a shrink about his experience with the jewelery thieves. Abby needs to make a tough decision when a new opportunity is presented to her.
- 10
Abby awakens after the ambulance explosion and rushes to check on Pratt; Sam and Gates rush to the scene; Morris and Neela struggle to keep up with Pratt's injuries; Abby treats a young girl injured during the blast.
- 11
When a gunshot wound victim arrives, the new chief and Abby butt heads on how to treat the patient. Abby comes to Sam's defense when she goes before a nurses disciplinary board.
- 12
While out for a mind clearing run, Banfield encounters a desperate situation and finds herself trying to rescue a young girl from drowning in a nearby lake. Painful memories of her son in mortal danger and Dr. Greene's heroic attempts to save him are triggered during the experience. Meanwhile, Gates attempts to pull some strings to help out a homeless war veteran, and the interns continue to struggle in the ER.
- 13
As a snowstorm hits Chicago, Sam's son Alex crashes a car and ends up in critical condition in the ER. Neela gives a deposition in the malpractice suit against her. Dr. Morris and Dr. Banfield are both at a medical conference in Omaha, and when the snow cancels all flights out they share a memorable and surprising evening.
- 14
When a drug deal goes bad, two brothers sustain serious injuries and are brought to the ER. Tensions continue between Gates and Sam, coming to a head when Tony is the last to know Alex is about to be released from the hospital. Neela has to tell a young girl with sickle cell anemia that she must have an operation, and the case leads her to consider specializing in pediatric surgery. A feisty patient takes Morris into her confidence. Banfield ponders her choices about expanding her family.
- 15
Neela has recurring dreams about trying to save a girl with sickle cell anemia. In them she also goes to an attending interview and sees an old colleague, has conversations with Ray, welcomes Brenner back from Australia, and assists Gates and Banfield in trying to save a "dream runner" who jumped out of a window during his sleep.
- 16
Morris faces a complicated case involving a young girl hit while riding her bicycle. Gates finds it very difficult to let go of his feelings for Sam. Neela becomes quite flustered when Brenner returns from Australia. Dr. Banfield and her husband are at the fertilization clinic hoping for their one in a million chance. And an older woman is brought in assisted by her on-again, off-again husband.
- 17
An elderly man is brought into the ER after being mugged, and sees things as if it were the 1960s. Sam's sister shows up unexpectedly. Brenner and Dubenko clash while treating a mother thought to have late stage cancer. Dr. Morgenstern returns to the ER to assist a former mentor who is seriously ill.
- 18
A car accident in the ambulance bay injures a woman with a young child and leaves the mother in need of surgery with a significant recovery time. Brenner has difficulty finding a family member to care for the daughter. Gates treats an elderly patient who refuses treatment because he's afraid his condition will prolong an inevitable death. Morris impresses Claudia and her family. Neela tells Brenner about her job offer from North Carolina.
- 19
Valentine's Day in the ER finds Neela spellbound by Brenner. Determined to have a baby, Banfield comes up with a plan but has difficulty getting her husband on board. Neela performs surgery on a young girl's mother. Dr. Carter surprises the staff with a visit to the ER. Gates treats a strange patient who may have ingested a toxin while hunting for mushrooms.
- 20
The Banfields explore their options with an adoption agency. Carter holds his own in spite of the procedural and technological advances made to emergency medicine since he's been gone. Brenner has concerns about Lucy's foster family. Morris treats a couple who takes his advice a little too far. Sam gets quite the shock when her mother comes into the ER. Neela makes a decision about her future. Banfield discovers Carter's secret.
- 21
A camera crew shooting footage for a documentary interviews members of the ER staff. Detective Claudia Diaz is brought in, critically injured with gunshot wounds. Neela laments the lack of communication between her and Brenner. Sam struggles to reconcile with her mother. Carter's condition worsens quite suddenly.
- 22
A girl drops off a sick baby at the ER and then leaves; Carter may get a kidney transplant; Gates and Daria care for an elderly woman with multiple sclerosis; Neela and Sam are in Seattle to transport a heart for Joanie Moore, while Doug and Carol are concerned that the donor's grandmother might not consent.
- 23
It's Neela's last day and everyone in the ER seems to have forgotten that she is leaving. Neela proves she is ready to be an attending when she and Dr. Dubenko argue about the treatment of two surgical cases. Meanwhile, Brenner has an epiphany about his troubled past.
- 24
Many of the ER doctors and nurses help out at Camp Del Corazon, a camp for kids who have had open heart surgery. Working along side the camp counselor, Morris and Brenner make a huge impact on several kids at the camp. Meanwhile, Dr. Banfield and her husband feel their adoption dreams slipping away when a young mother comes back for the child she abandoned in the ER.
- 25
Gates works on a young teen brought in with alcohol poisoning after playing a deadly drinking game with friends. Dr. Carter opens a new medical facility for the underprivileged in Chicago and some old friends from County General all come to show their support. It's Sam's birthday and Alex and Gates surprise her with a special gift. Meanwhile, Carter works with an intern to save a mother in labor with twins.
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