ER Needs to E.N.D

Many moons ago, NBC and Michael Crichton, a man best known for his dinosaur books, began the saga of a bunch of ER doctors in a fictional public Chicago hospital. That series, with the economic little title, ER. and the gory realistic trauma room visuals, quickly became the most talked-about series of the year.

For almost a decade, ER was the number one drama on network TV. Even when most of it's original cast members left, the show went on, keeping fans interest with new characters and storylines that continue to keep the pulses pounding. But now, sadly, even those second-shift players are not enough to keep the show from being overkill, redundant, and old. It's time to say goodbye to ER.

ER first won fans with it's frenetic energy. The incoming wounded, the unexpected trauma, the blood and guts. It also won fans with it's likable cast. Anthony Edwards as beleaguered but stalwart Mark Greene led playboy doc Doug Ross (George Clooney) his star-crossed girlfriend nurse Hathaway (Julianna Margulies), tough and intense Peter Benton (Eriq LaSalle), competent Susan Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) who had ongoing family problems, and of course, med student John Carter (Noah Wyle).

The cast, and a fleet of supporting, recurring players like William H Macy and CCH Pounder hit the ground running. It may be hard for fans to remember when the big unfulfilled romance was Greene's love for Lewis, but that's where the show started.

In the next years, ER cast changes have often given us characters as good as the original set. New editions like Kerry Weaver (Laura Innes), Robert Romano (Paul McCrane) and Elizabeth Corday (Alex Kingston) were among the new faces that fit right in. As Clooney left, Goran Visnjic showed up as Luka Kovac, whose good to bad to good arc was as interesting as Ross'. Hathaway left, but not before Maura Tierney joined the cast as Abby Lockhart, maybe the truest female lead character the show has had.

Abby's journey from screwed up nurse to doctor is maybe one of the show's best character arcs. Carter's transition from med student to missionary doc is certainly a great one, too. But both show why ER has gone on too long- to keep the series going, their stories were carried on past their natural and awesome denouements. Abby's story should have ended the first time she told a patient call her doctor.

Carter's trip to Africa, where he really became a an adult should have ended there. But to perpetuate the series and, I guess, to keep some viewers happy, self-fulfillment and that amazing moment when you realize you've become who you weren't sure you could weren't enough. Instead, in both cases, we had to have romance and kids, like this was a romantic comedy.

Worse still, not only have we seen Abby do the romance thing before, but we've seen her do the romance thing before with Luka - who three months ago was in love with another woman.

So, now, Abby (and Luka's story) keeps going, and going, and instead of electric medical scenes we have scenes about shopping for baby clothes, which is cute, but not ER. The show has finally lost its center. And instead of being cutting edge, ER has become just another drama that's not about anything more than couples (Luka-Abby, Neela-Gallant) coming together and apart, weddings and babies and medical stuff we've seen a million times before.

Plus, characters, notably Greg Pratt are doing things they've already done. How many times has he secretly helped out an old friend from back in the day? Come on? His storyline with his dad pointless. Mekhi Phifer deserves a role with some direction. Where's Pratt even headed? Once you have nothing more to say, it's time to stop talking. ER was a great show. Great shows can end great or stay too long and be embarassing. ER is at a crossroads right now and could go either way. Let's hope it dies with dignity.