Emily Wagner Movies
A blizzard has left Chicago blanketed in two feet of snow -- and the ER is completely bereft of patient activity. But no sooner does the staff try to take advantage of their unexpected "layoff" than disaster strikes in the form of a horrendous 32-car pileup. In the midst of the ensuing chaos, Dr. Angela Hicks (CCH Pounder) makes her first appearance. Meanwhile, Carol (Julianna Margulies) has a surprise in store for her colleagues. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A malfunctioning air conditioner and an overload of patients bedevils the ER during a stifling heat wave. In other developments, Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) is thrown off balance by a visit from her young, irresponsible sister, Chloe (Kathleen Wilhoite). Carol (Julianna Margulies) is upset by Doug's (George Clooney) girl friend du jour. And when Greene (Anthony Edwards) brings his daughter, Rachel (Yvonne Zima), to work, she realizes with startling suddenness that her dad is far from omnipotent. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Greene (Anthony Edwards) tries to find a heart transplant for a seriously ill business contractor (Alan Rosenberg) who has already resigned himself to his impending death. Ross (George Clooney) comes to the aid of an asthmatic teenager whose parents can't afford the necessary medication. Greene's wife, Jenn (Christine Harnos), moves out of their home. And Carter (Noah Wyle) worries that his fling with Liz (Liz Vassey) may have exposed him to a sexually transmitted disease. This episode was originally slated to air on October 6, 1994. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Michael Ironside makes his first appearance as new ER chief Dr. William Swift, who immediately sets the staff on its ear with his bizarre management style and intense perfectionism. Meanwhile, the rivalry between med student Carter (Noah Wyle) and Deb (Ming-Na) reaches a new height of absurdity. Greene (Anthony Edwards) has a lot of trouble shaking his guilty feelings after the death of his pregnant patient Jodi O'Brien. And Benton (Eriq La Salle) must face the realization that his mother's days are numbered. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
New ER boss Dr. Swift (Michael Ironside) requests (read: "demands") that Greene discuss the OR death of Jodi O'Brien death before a hospital conference. Deb's (Ming-Na) rush to pile up more procedures than Carter (Noah Wyle) results in serious error. Ross (George Clooney) grows ever closer to Diane (Lisa Zane). And Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) is unpleasantly surprised by her sister Chloe's (Kathleen Wilhoite) sudden return. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Amidst a heavy caseload including alleged parental abuse, suicide, and a teenage prostitute with aids, Ross (George Clooney) makes the acquaintance of Diane Leeds (Lisa Zane) from Risk Management. Meanwhile, Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) defends herself against the charges leveled by Kayson (Sam Anderson), with an unexpected payoff. And Benton (Eriq La Salle) argues with Jackie (Khandi Alexander) over how best to care for their ailing mother. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Morganstern (William H. Macy) offers Greene (Anthony Edwards) a permanent position as attending physician -- prompting an unexpected response from Greene's wife, Jenn (Christine Harnos). Elsewhere, a woman with breast cancer demands that she be given a painless death in the ER, while Carol (Julianna Margulies) struggles to convince another patient (Bobcat Goldthwait) that he hasn't already died. Carter (Noah Wyle) doesn't like being outperformed by fellow student Deb (Ming-Na). And a poisonous snake is somehow let loose in the ER. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Carol (Julianna Margulies) takes a more than professional interest in Tatiana (Milana Vayntrub), a six-year-old Russian girl with AIDS who has been adopted -- and then abandoned -- by an American family. Overachiever Deb (Ming-Na) accidentally ingests some candy-coated LSD. And despite their volatile professional differences, Kayson (Sam Anderson) asks Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) out for a special Valentine's Day dinner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Hicks (CCH Pounder) warns Benton (Eriq La Salle) that he's spending too much time worrying over his ailing mother and not enough time concentrating on his job. Ross (George Clooney) has a violent showdown with an abusive father. The rivalry between Carter (Noah Wyle) and Deb (Ming-Na) intensifies. And Carol (Julianna Margulies) and Taglieri (Rick Rossovich) consider adopting six-year-old AIDS victim Tatiana (Milana Vayntrub). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Rule-bound Dr. Kayson (Sam Anderson) again incurs the wrath of Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) when he orders the early release of a heart patient named Vennerback (Michael Monks). But when Vennerback is brought back to the ER in critical condition, it is Lewis who is held responsible for the tragedy that follows. Elsewhere, Benton (Eriq La Salle) adopts a somewhat nasty method to stem the constant complaints of his student, Carter (Noah Wyle); and Lewis' pregnant sister, Chloe (Kathleen Wilhoite), announces her intention to move to Texas. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) feels she is under attack from all sides when Kayson (Sam Anderson) draws up charges against her vis-à-vis the Vennerbeck death, and ER chief Morganstern (William H. Macy) reprimands her for her lack of self-confidence. Elsewhere, Greene (Anthony Edwards) tends to a human "mule" who has secreted a half-kilo of cocaine in his stomach. Benton (Eriq La Salle) conducts a desperate search for his missing mother. And Carter (Noah Wyle) offers to help fellow med student Deb (Ming-Na) as she deals with an emotionally disturbed patient. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Rushing to Milwaukee after his wife, Jenn (Christine Harnos), and daughter, Rachel (Yvonne Zima), are injured in a car accident, Greene (Anthony Edwards) is relieved to learn that they're all right -- but none too happy with the news that Jenn has been withholding from him. Back in Chicago, Carol (Julianna Margulies) is given advice about her new house by Josh Shern (Adam Goldberg), a paranoid schizophrenic with an innate talent for architecture. And Dr. Morganstern (William H. Macy) and Susan Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) clash when he suggests that her personal problems vis-à-vis little Suzy are negatively affecting her job performance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Christmas and Hanukkah are simultaneously acknowledged during the holiday season at the ER. The faith of Holocaust survivor Hannah Steiner (Joan Copeland) is sorely tested when she is injured in a carjacking and her baby granddaughter is apparently kidnapped; and a priest (Tony Plana) who has been mortally wounded in a shooting at his own church prays that this tragedy will not result in wholesale gang war. As for the staffers, Greene (Anthony Edwards) sullenly prepares to spend his first Christmas without his wife; and Shep (Ron Eldard) finally expresses his true feelings toward Carol (Julianna Margulies). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Greene's (Anthony Edwards) miserable personal life continues to spill over into his professional one. Ultimately, he risks dismissal by admitting a patient (Michael Galeota) for observation against the orders of Pediatrics chief Dr. Neil Bernstein (David Spielberg). Meanwhile, Ross (George Clooney) faces a violation-of-ethics charge for spending the night with med student Harper (Christine Elise), and Jeanie Boulet (Gloria Reuben, now joining the series' regular cast) is surprised by the aloofness of her former lover Benton (Eriq La Salle) during her first day as the ER's new physician's assistant. And Carol (Julianna Margulies) encounters innumerable distractions while filling out the necessary papers to purchase her own house. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Though Ross (George Clooney) has been redeemed in the eyes of his superiors thanks to his heroic rescue of a 12-year-old trapped in a flooded culvert, he still gets into a violent argument with Greene (Anthony Edwards), who, it is learned, is suffering from problems above and beyond professional pressures. Elsewhere, Carol Hathaway (Julianna Marguiles), who the previous year had attempted suicide, forms a close bond with a 17-year-girl (Miriam Reichmeister) who has likewise tried to end her life -- and in the process, a serious wedge is driven between Carol and Shep (Ron Eldard). Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) discovers that the woman (Angela Paton) she is considering as Suzy's babysitter is suffering from a terminal blood disease. And Benton (Eriq La Salle) finds out that Jeanie (Gloria Reuben) has not quite divorced her husband, Al. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In the opening episode of ER's second season, Carter (Noah Wyle) gets off to a bad start on his first day as new surgical sub-intern by showing up extremely late and woefully unprepared. Also on hand is new third-year student Harper Tracy (Christine Elise), who endures an ordeal by fire thanks to a psychotic patient -- and who catches the eye of the still-unattached Carter. Elsewhere, Greene (Anthony Edwards) ruffles more than a few feathers with his choice of new chief resident: the contentious and highly irritating Kerry Weaver (Laura Innes). With this episode, William H. Macy returns in the role of ER chief Dr. David Morganstern. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Carol (Julianna Marguiles) goes on a fascinating and frightening ride-along with paramedics Shep (Ron Eldard) and Raul (Carlos Gomez). Back at the ER, Weaver (Laura Innes) continues to rub everyone (except the equally contentious Benton [Eriq La Salle]) the wrong way; Ross (George Clooney) treats Byron (Jameson Baltes), a nine-year-old fledgling pyromaniac; and Carter (Noah Wyle) goes to ridiculous lengths to impress Harper Tracy (Christine Elise). And on the domestic front, Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) has her hands full caring for her sister Chloe's baby daughter, Suzy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
When Benton (Eriq La Salle) breaks his hand in a parking-lot fracas, Carter (Noah Wyle) must replace him in surgery. Greene (Anthony Edwards) is forced to mediate in the ongoing battle of wills between Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) and Weaver (Laura Innes), and also tends to the needs of an elderly, abandoned woman (Celia Kushner). And outside the walls of the ER, paramedic Shep (Ron Eldard) again puts his life on the line. This ER episode originally aired on the same evening that the heavily promoted ABC series Murder One debuted, leading observers to wonder which series would pull the biggest audience (guess who won). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In wake of the ongoing crisis involving his ailing mother, the customarily brusque and arrogant Benton (Eriq La Salle) astonishes everyone with his courtesy, consideration, and compassion. Meanwhile, Ross (George Clooney) is ordered to see a psychiatrist after punching a patient, and also agrees to coach the Little League team in which Diane's (Lisa Zane) son is a player. And Greene (Anthony Edwards) angers Swift (Michael Ironside) by heading to Milwaukee in hopes of reconciling with Jenn. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Oscar-winning filmmaker Quentin Tarantino directed this episode, which contains all manner of characteristic black comedy touches, not to mention Tarantino's trademarked use of a popular 1960s songs to comment upon the action. The story occurs on Mother's Day, when the long-suffering Lewis (Sherry Stringfield), who is having enough trouble coping with sister Chloe's (Kathleen Wilhoite) pregnancy, is visited by her zany, irresponsible mother, Cookie (Valerie Perrine). Elsewhere, Benton (Eriq La Salle) is told that his mother is dead; Diane (Lisa Zane) is surprised by Ross' (George Clooney) reaction when she asks him to move in with her; and Carter (Noah Wyle) makes a life-altering professional decision. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The wedding of Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies) and John Taglieri (Rick Rossovich) is complicated by the fact that bridesmaid Susan Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) is called away to care for the baby of her missing sister, Chloe (Kathleen Wilhoite). This minor crisis, however, is supplanted by a major one when Taglieri seemingly disappears from the face of the earth. And back at the ER, Carter (Noah Wyle) celebrates his last day at County General with some harsh words aimed at Benton (Eriq La Salle) -- words that Carter is forced to eat after a sudden change in the scheme of things. This was the final episode of ER's first season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Fresh from the recently closed South Side hospital, new ER chief of staff Anspaugh (John Aylward) imperiously asserts his authority by imposing patient quotas on each doctor. Though they resent Anspaugh, the staff is more politely inclined to the other South Side expatriates, doctors Abby Keaton (Glenne Headly) and Maggie Doyle (Jorja Fox). Elsewhere, Jeanie (Gloria Reuben) has trouble keeping her HIV-positive status a secret from Weaver (Laura Innes), while Benton (Eriq La Salle) is uncertain that Jeanie should even continue working; and Greene (Anthony Edwards) is taken aback when Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) suggests that they both take a vacation to Hawaii. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
While on helicopter-flight rotation, Greene (Anthony Edwards) and Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) try to help a family of four, seriously injured in a van-and-truck accident. But upon arriving at County with the victims, the two doctors are stymied by the incompetence and obstreperous behavior of "floater" nurse Rhonda Sterling (Jill O'Hara). Elsewhere, Keaton (Glenne Headly) confronts Benton (Eriq La Salle) over his rampant egomania. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Halloween apparently brings out the worst in Benton (Eriq La Salle), who has a heated confrontation with Gant (Omar Epps). Elsewhere in the ER, the staff treats an eight-year-old trick or treater and her father, both of whom had been mowed down by a hit-and-run driver; and Greene (Anthony Edwards) pines for the vacationing Lewis (Sherry Stringfield). And on the street, Ross (George Clooney) and Carol (Julianna Margulies) are in for quite a few shocks and surprises as they ride along on the roving Health Mobile, which provides emergency treatment to the homeless. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Having completed medical school, Carter (Noah Wyle) invites Benton (Eriq La Salle) to his graduation -- only to miss the festivities himself because he's too busy comforting his patient TC (Gabrielle Boni). Meanwhile, Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies), fed up with the bureaucracy and backstabbing of hospital politics, quits her job; and Greene (Anthony Edwards) is forced to back Weaver (Laura Innes) for the job of attending physician if he wants to appoint Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) as chief resident. This final episode of ER's second season includes an unresolved plot strand involving Benton, his erstwhile lover, Jeanie (Gloria Reuben), and an HIV examination. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide








