ER (season 3)

ER: The Complete Third Season
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	22
Broadcast
Original channel	NBC
Original run	September 26, 1996 – May 15, 1997
Home video release
DVD release date	April 26, 2005
Season chronology
← Previous ER season 2 Next → ER season 4

For more details on this topic, see List of ER episodes.

The third season of the American fictional drama television series ER first aired on September 26, 1996 and concluded on May 15, 1997. The third season consists of 22 episodes.

Plot

Early in Season Three, Susan Lewis leaves for Phoenix to live with her sister and niece. Before she leaves, Greene realizes his feelings for her and races against time to declare them. He makes it to Union Station just as she is boarding the train. He stops her and declares his love, begging her to stay. Susan leaves anyway, but not before kissing Mark and declaring, as the train pulls out of the station, that she loves him too. In the aftermath of her departure, Mark falls into depression, develops a more mean attitude, and starts sleeping with County General nurse Chuny Marquez, but they soon break up. Towards the end of the season, he is attacked in the ER bathroom, and the thug is never caught. Although some suspicions arise over former patients and families, it's revealed that his beating was no more than a random act of violence. He becomes increasingly paranoid about his personal safety and distances himself from friends and family.

Meanwhile, Doug and Carol draw closer, culminating in a kiss at the end of the season. Doug is said to be attending therapy throughout the season, although this is never shown on-screen, this is possibly due to one of his one night stands dying in the hospital just after they were together, and Doug questioning his actions. Carol considers going to medical school, but eventually decides that she loves her work as a nurse too much to change.

Carter now an intern continues to lock horns with Benton, especially over Benton's treatment of surgical intern Dennis Gant. After Gant is killed by an elevated train, Carter blames Peter and himself for not doing more to prevent what he believes was Gant's suicide. Benton also starts dating Carla Reese, who becomes pregnant and gives premature birth to his son at the end of the season. Weaver supports Jeanie, who is forced to reveal her HIV-status early in the season, when Mark gains unauthorized access to her medical records. While Jeanie struggles with her condition, she becomes involved with a doctor from the Infectious Diseases department, before reuniting with her ex-husband, Al.

Production

Cast

Main cast

• Anthony Edwards as Dr. Mark Greene - Attending Physician
• George Clooney as Dr. Doug Ross - Pediatric Fellow
• Sherry Stringfield as Dr. Susan Lewis - Fourth Year Resident
• Noah Wyle as Dr. John Carter - Surgical Intern
• Julianna Margulies as Nurse Carol Hathaway - Nurse Manager
• Gloria Reuben as Jeanie Boulet - Physician Assistant
• Laura Innes as Dr. Kerry Weaver - Attending Physician
• Eriq La Salle as Dr. Peter Benton - Fourth Year Surgical Resident

Supporting cast

Doctors and Medical students

• William H. Macy as Dr. David Morgenstern - Chief of Surgery and Chief of Emergency Medicine
• Sam Anderson as Dr. Jack Kayson - Chief of Cardiology
• Amy Aquino as Dr. Janet Coburn - Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology
• John Aylward as Dr. Donald Anspaugh - Chief of Staff
• CCH Pounder as Dr. Angela Hicks - Surgical Attending Physician
• Glenne Headly as Dr. Abby Keaton - Pediatric Surgeon
• Maria Bello as Dr. Anna Del Amico - ER Intern
• Jorja Fox as Dr. Maggie Doyle - ER Intern
• Omar Epps as Dennis Gant - Surgical Intern
• Michael Buchman Silver as Dr. Paul Meyers - Psychiatric Resident
• Matthew Glave as Dr. Dale Edson - Surgical Intern
• Iqbal Theba as Dr. Zagerby - Ophthalmologist
• Don Perry as Dr. Sam Breedlove - Surgeon
• Ted Rooney as Dr. Tabash - Neonatologist
• Jami Gertz as Dr. Nina Pomerantz - Psychiatrist

Nurses

• Ellen Crawford as Nurse Lydia Wright
• Conni Marie Brazelton as Nurse Conni Oligario
• Deezer D as Nurse Malik McGrath
• Laura Cerón as Nurse Chuny Marquez
• Yvette Freeman as Nurse Haleh Adams
• Lily Mariye as Nurse Lily Jarvik
• Vanessa Marquez as Nurse Wendy Goldman
• Jenny O'Hara as Temp Nurse Rhonda Sterling
• Dinah Lenney as Nurse Shirley
• Bellina Logan as Nurse Kit
• Lucy Rodriguez as Nurse Bjerke

Staff and Paramedics

• Abraham Benrubi as Desk Clerk Jerry Markovic
• Deborah May as Director of Nursing Mary Cain
• Charles Noland as Desk Clerk E-Ray Bozman
• Kristin Minter as Desk Clerk Miranda "Randi" Fronczak
• Erica Gimpel as Social Worker Adele Newman
• Mike Genovese as Officer Al Grabarsky
• Emily Wagner as Paramedic Doris Pickman
• Monté Russell as Paramedic Dwight Zadro
• Lyn Alicia Henderson as Paramedic Pamela Olbes
• Brian Lester as Paramedic Brian Dumar
• J.P. Hubbell as Paramedic Lars Audia

Family

• Christine Harnos as Jennifer "Jenn" Greene
• Yvonne Zima as Rachel Greene
• Michael Beach as Al Boulet
• Khandi Alexander as Jackie Robbins
• Lisa Nicole Carson as Carla Reese

Guest stars

• Joe Torry as Chris Law
• Kirsten Dunst as Charlie Chiemingo
• Joe Lisi as Mr. Gunther

Crew

Original executive producers John Wells and Michael Crichton reprised their roles. Lydia Woodward joined them as a third executive producer having previously served as a co-executive producer since the first season. Mimi Leder did not return as a co-executive producer having moved into directing feature films. Carol Flint returned as a co-executive producer. Christopher Chulack returned to his role as director and producer and was promoted mid-season to fill Leder's position as director and co-executive producer. Paul Manning returned to his supervising producer post. Long-term crew member Wendy Spence Rosato returned as a co-producer. Neal Baer and Lance Gentile were promoted from their second season positions as executive story editors to co-producers for the third season. Gentile continued to act as the series medical consultant. Penny Adams joined the series as a co-producer mid-season. Finally Michael Hissrich joined the production team in the junior role of associate producer.

Wells, Woodward, Flint, and Manning continued to regularly write episodes, with each contributing to 10 or more episodes this season. Baer and Gentile also continued to regularly write episodes contributing to 8 and 4 episodes respectively. Joe Sachs returned as technical adviser and wrote a further episode. Regular writer Tracey Stern also returned and contributed a further two episodes. Second season writer Belinda Casas Wells also returned and wrote a further two episodes. They were joined on the writing staff by Samantha Howard Corbin and Jason Cahill with three episodes each. Anne Kenney contributed to the story for a single episode. Barbara Hall wrote the teleplay for a single episode.

Chulack continued to regularly direct episodes and helmed a further four episodes in the third season. Richard Thorpe, Félix Enríquez Alcalá, and Rod Holcomb were all returning directors for the third season. Thorpe continued to act as a cinematographer on some episodes in addition to directing. Jonathan Kaplan joined the directing team as a regular and contributed three episodes to the season. Tom Moore and Paris Barclay also made their series debuts and directed two episodes each. The other new single episode directors were David Nutter, series editor Jacque Elaine Toberen, Perry Lang, Davis Guggenheim, and Michael Katleman.

Episodes

See also: List of ER episodes

"Series #" refers to the episode's number in the overall series, whereas "Season #" refers to the episode's number in this particular season.

Season #	Series #	Title	Writer(s)	Director	Original airdate
1	48	"Dr. Carter, I Presume"	John Wells	Christopher Chulack	September 26, 1996 (1996-09-26)
Carter starts his first day as a surgical intern. Hathaway goes back to working in the ER. Boulet and Benton receive news about their test.
2	49	"Let the Games Begin"	Lydia Woodward	Tom Moore	October 3, 1996 (1996-10-03)
The Southside hospital gets shut down and its employees merges with County General hospital. Hathaway considers selling her house. Boulet keeps her HIV status a secret.
3	50	"Don't Ask, Don't Tell"	Paul Manning & Jason Cahill (story), Jason Cahill (teleplay)	Perry Lang	October 10, 1996 (1996-10-10)
Benton has trouble dealing working with Boulet and starts to work as a pediatric surgeon.
4	51	"Last Call"	Samantha Howard Corbin & Carol Flint (story), Samantha Howard Corbin (teleplay)	Rod Holcomb	October 17, 1996 (1996-10-17)
Benton does not seem to have the compassion needed for being a pediatric surgeon, while Carter does. Ross fights his inner demons as well as the stares from the ER staff.
5	52	"Ghosts"	Neal Baer	Richard Thorpe	October 31, 1996 (1996-10-31)
Lewis comes back from vacation. Hathaway and Ross take their turn in the mobile health van. Gant learns that Benton is harder on him than he is with Carter.
6	53	"Fear of Flying"	Lance Gentile	Christopher Chulack	November 7, 1996 (1996-11-07)
Lewis and Greene rush to a car accident in a helicopter. Benton makes a mistake during surgery.
7	54	"No Brain, No Gain"	Paul Manning	David Nutter	November 14, 1996 (1996-11-14)
Lewis makes an announcement. Benton feels guilty about his involvement in a baby's critical condition and tries to save another brain dead child.
8	55	"Union Station"	Carol Flint	Tom Moore	November 21, 1996 (1996-11-21)
Time and Cupid wait for no man. A wedding in the waiting room contrasts with Greene's inability to express his feelings to Lewis, even though it is her last day in the ER. Dr. Susan Lewis exits the show for five years.
9	56	"Ask Me No Questions, I'll Tell You No Lies"	Neal Baer & Lydia Woodward (story), Barbara Hall (teleplay)	Paris Barclay	December 12, 1996 (1996-12-12)
Jeanie's confidential medical files are not confidential when Greene checks them and confirms his suspicions that she has HIV. Keaton levels with Carter about their relationship.
10	57	"Homeless for the Holidays"	Samantha Howard Corbin	Davis Guggenheim	December 19, 1996 (1996-12-19)
What child is this? Street kid Charlie brings a drug-addled women's baby to Ross for treatment. Jeanie comes clean about her HIV. Carol observes Ukrainian Christmas with family and two unexpected guests.
11	58	"Night Shift"	Paul Manning	Jonathan Kaplan	January 16, 1997 (1997-01-16)
A night that begins slowly soon ignites: Greene risks his career to save a life. Benton discovers Carter's secret. Charlie suffers a beating, and the ER suffers the shocking loss of one of its own.
12	59	"Post Mortem"	Carol Flint	Jacque Elaine Toberen	January 23, 1997 (1997-01-23)
Gant's death weighs heavily on Carter, and his anger grows over how Benton treated the intern. Carol copes with a makeshift RN staff during a labor sickout and takes the blame for a fatal trauma room error.
13	60	"Fortune's Fools"	Jason Cahill	Michael Katleman	January 30, 1997 (1997-01-30)
A good day for Greene: he and Marquez end their romance amicably, and his mentoring of prospective interns earns praise. A lousy day for Hathaway: she is suspended from the staff.
14	61	"Whose Appy Now?"	Neal Baer	Félix Enríquez Alcalá	February 6, 1997 (1997-02-06)
Carter is the delighted surgeon when Benton needs an appendectomy. Ross grapples with a teen's DNR request. Greene proves that the only thing worse than a two-timing cad is a three-timer.
15	62	"The Long Way Around"	Lydia Woodward	Christopher Chulack	February 13, 1997 (1997-02-13)
Guest starring Ewan McGregor. Carol is caught in a hostage situation in a neighborhood store and helps the victims while the hostages are still there.
16	63	"Faith"	John Wells	Jonathan Kaplan	February 20, 1997 (1997-02-20)
Benton is recovering from his surgery, but not from the death of Gant. Greene places a Downs syndrome patient on a heart transplant list and Ross has to pull the plug on an 18-year-old male that no longer wants to live. Carter treats a woman with a serious condition but he seems to be the only one who sees it.
17	64	"Tribes"	Lance Gentile	Richard Thorpe	April 10, 1997 (1997-04-10)
Race relations become an issue in the ER when Greene treats two injured teenagers, one black and the other white, and assumes the black kid is a drug dealer. It turns out the white kid is a drug dealer and the black kid is innocent. When the black student's older brother confronts Greene, he begins to question his own impartiality. Carol helps a young woman who was drugged with Rohipnol and raped. Benton gets an interesting offer from Hicks. He also learns that Carla Reece has been admitted to the hospital. Greene's daughter ends up spending the day in the ER when her mom has to rush to Florida to deal with a family emergency.
18	65	"You Bet Your Life"	Paul Manning	Christopher Chulack	April 17, 1997 (1997-04-17)
Carter puts his career in jeopardy when he circumvents channels to arrange surgery for a racetrack gambler. Jeanie reconsiders her plight when she cares for an AIDS victim loathed by her unforgiving husband.
19	66	"Calling Dr. Hathaway"	Neal Baer (story), Jason Cahill & Samantha Howard Corbin (teleplay)	Paris Barclay	April 24, 1997 (1997-04-24)
A mouse in the house - and perhaps a new doctor-in-training, too. A genetically engineered lab mouse escapes into the ER. Hathaway weighs her career options after she scores high on the MCAT.
20	67	"Random Acts"	Carol Flint	Jonathan Kaplan	May 1, 1997 (1997-05-01)
A brother donates a kidney to his sister, a stroke victim receives life-saving treatment, and Jeanie's ex is accepted into a new AIDS-drug study. But violence involving Greene casts a pall over the acts of healing and compassion. First Appearance of Dr. Anna Del Amico.
21	68	"Make A Wish"	Joe Sachs (story), Lydia Woodward (teleplay)	Richard Thorpe	May 8, 1997 (1997-05-08)
It is Hathaway's birthday, but she does not want to hear about it. And it is the birth day of Carla and Peter's son when she goes into early labor. Greene returns to the ER, but settling in proves difficult.
22	69	"One More for the Road"	John Wells	Christopher Chulack	May 15, 1997 (1997-05-15)
Ross is increasingly drawn to Hathaway, Charlie reappears at the ER, Greene refuses to admit that he needs help, and Carter and Anspaugh are still at loggerheads. Meanwhile, the Boulets find strength in their renewed relationship, and Benton draws strength from his tiny newborn son.

External links

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