ER (season 15)

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ER: The Complete Fifteenth Season
DVD Season 15 Cover.jpg
Country of origin United States
No. of episodes 22
Broadcast
Original channel NBC
Original run September 25, 2008 – April 2, 2009
Season chronology
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The fifteenth season of the American fictional drama television series ER premiered on September 25, 2008 and concluded on April 2, 2009, in a two-hour episode preceded by a one-hour retrospective special. The final season consists of 22 episodes.

Contents

[edit] Plot

The final season introduces Dr Cate Banfield as new ER chief, a woman with a seemingly mysterious past with County General. Pratt is revealed to be the victim of the ambulance explosion, Abby and Kovac leave for a new life in Boston, Brenner must deal with issues surrounding his childhood, Sam and Gates relationship suffers a setback while Neela is forced to make some tough decisions, both personal and professional.

To mark the end of the series and draw closure, several former cast members make a return to the show. Greene appears in a flashback episode that explores Banfield's history while Carter returns to work at County although unbeknowst to his colleagues he is in desperate need of a kidney transplant while the likes of Benton, Ross, Lewis, Hathaway, Corday, Weaver and Barnett all make surprise returns.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Main cast

[edit] Special appearances

The final season included special appearances by departed regular and recurring cast members:

Returning recurring characters

[edit] Supporting cast

Doctors and Medical Students
Nurses
Staff and Paramedics


[edit] Notable guest stars

[edit] Production

[edit] Crew

  • Mimi Leder, a frequent director during ER's first two seasons, returned as a director for the episode "A Long, Strange Trip".
  • Rod Holcomb, the director of the 1994 pilot episode as well as several other early episodes, returned to direct two episodes in this season, among them the series finale.

[edit] 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
1 310 "Life After Death" Joe Sachs Christopher Misiano September 25, 2008 (2008-09-25)

Gates hurries to the scene of the ambulance explosion after learning it was Pratt, not Sam, in the ambulance. Pratt is rushed back to County suffering from blast injuries, where the ER staff work to stabilize him. Eventually, a carotid tear develops, and he dies. Meanwhile, Abby misdiagnoses a patient, and talks about her plans to leave Chicago with Kovač, while Morris must pick up the pieces after Pratt's death.

Final Appearance of Dr. Greg Pratt.

Note: Nielsen Ratings: 7.92 million viewers 
2 311 "Another Thursday at County" Lisa Zwerling Paul McCrane October 9, 2008 (2008-10-09)

A new batch of interns as well as the new head of the ER arrive for their first day at County, while adjusting a bio-terrorist with a bag full of Ricin is admitted with a broken leg.

First Appearance of Dr. Cate Banfield. 
3 312 "The Book of Abby" David Zabel Christopher Chulack October 16, 2008 (2008-10-16)

Abby gets a job in Boston and tries to leave County General quietly, but the staff makes it known how much they will miss her. Abby says goodbye and leaves for Boston with Kovač and her son.

Final Appearances of Dr. Luka Kovac and Dr. Abby Lockhart. 
4 313 "Parental Guidance" Janine Sherman Barrois John Gallagher October 23, 2008 (2008-10-23)
Dissatisfied with the interns' performance, Banfield decides to start a new system. Each intern gets a mentor with daily two-way crits: Daria is paired with Gates, Ryan with Morris, and Tracy with Brenner. Brenner tells Tracy how he wants to proceed, but she insists on doing things her way. A girl comes in with a broken leg which may be caused by a severely mentally ill family member. 
5 314 "Haunted" Karen Maser Christopher Chulack October 30, 2008 (2008-10-30)
Sam's time is taken up by her studies for a pharmacology exam, leaving Gates feeling neglected. A school fight results in a stabbing, with Brenner treating the victim and trying to uncover the truth behind the story. Morris has a surprise for Neela. Gates gets locked in a stairwell with a quiet young boy on Halloween night. 
6 315 "Oh, Brother" Virgil Williams Stephen Cragg November 6, 2008 (2008-11-06)
Banfield is upset when her husband Russell insists on a visit with his parents; Morris favors Chaz over senior interns, resulting in trouble; Gates asks Sam and Alex to move in with him. 
7 316 "Heal Thyself" David Zabel David Zabel November 13, 2008 (2008-11-13)
Banfield must deal with the ghosts of her past when a critically ill child arrives in the ER. A past encounter with Mark Greene helps her diagnose and confront her own problems. Neela's intern loses his first patient, and struggles to cope. 
8 317 "Age of Innocence" Janine Sherman Barrois Paul McCrane November 20, 2008 (2008-11-20)
A man acquitted of child molestation comes into the ER with his wife, who was injured when their house was set on fire, drawing Brenner's hostility. Later, the man's interest in a young girl leads his brother-in-law to beat him, nearly blinding him. When Brenner becomes emotional while the man is treated, Morris confronts him, leading to an emotional revelation about Brenner's past. Neela's frustration with her intern reaches the boiling point, and Dubenko teaches her a lesson in the importance of teaching and mentorship. Gates continues his search for the missing veteran. 
9 318 "Let it Snow" Joe Sachs Charles Haid December 4, 2008 (2008-12-04)
While snow strands Banfield and Morris at a doctors' conference in Omaha, Gates is left in charge of the kids. He allows Sam's son Alex and Sarah to walk through the blizzard to a nearby party. Driving a friend's car after the party, Alex is gravely injured as he crashes in the storm. Sam goes ballistic. 
10 319 "The High Holiday" Shannon Goss Lesli Linka Glatter December 11, 2008 (2008-12-11)
Morris receives an unwanted package from his father at the ER doorstep. Sam is anxious about getting Alex off of the ventilator after his accident. Meanwhile, a pregnant woman with a high-risk pregnancy is in danger of getting deported. Sam tells Gates that she and Alex are moving out. 
11 320 "Separation Anxiety" Virgil Williams Terence Nightingall January 8, 2009 (2009-01-08)
The ER treats two brothers who are shot during a drug deal. Banfield and her husband continue their quest to restart their family. Sam and Gates argue while treating patients. 
12 321 "Dream Runner" Lisa Zwerling Andrew Bernstein January 15, 2009 (2009-01-15)
Neela has a series of three dreams where the outcome of the lives of two patients depend on her decisions. In the first two dreams, she makes either of two choices, but each one kills the patients. The third dream, she makes a new choice, saving the lives of two patients as well as sleeping with Brenner. In the end, it is revealed they were all dreams. 
13 322 "Love Is a Battlefield" Karen Maser Richard Thorpe January 22, 2009 (2009-01-22)
Morris treats a youngster who was hit while riding her bike. Meanwhile, Gates has trouble distancing himself from Sam; and Neela's nerves take over when she learns Brenner has returned from Australia. 
14 323 "A Long, Strange Trip" Joe Sachs Mimi Leder February 5, 2009 (2009-02-05)
Dr. Morgenstern visits County General upon learning a former mentor is seriously ill. Meanwhile, Sam's sister (Shannon Woodward) drops by unexpectedly; Gates and Morris treat an elderly man who was assaulted on the street; and Brenner is shocked by a patient's diagnosis. 
15 324 "The Family Man" Andrew Fash Eriq La Salle February 12, 2009 (2009-02-12)
A mother is severely injured by a car accident in the ambulance bay; an insurance company frustrates Morris; Neela tells Brenner about her offer in North Carolina. 
16 325 "The Beginning of the End" David Zabel and Lisa Zwerling Jonathan Kaplan February 19, 2009 (2009-02-19)
Valentine's Day in the ER sees Neela and Brenner growing closer. Banfield tries to convince her husband to go along with her new plan to have a baby. Gates treats a patient who may have ingested a toxin while "mushroom hunting" while Neela performs surgery on a young girl's mother. Morris and his girlfriend clash when he suspects her fellow officers physically assaulted a badly injured patient. Carter returns to the ER for a visit, gets the OK from Banfield to do some shift work at County, and is seen on hemo-dialysis in the final scene. 
17 326 "T-Minus-6" David Zabel and Lisa Zwerling Rod Holcomb February 26, 2009 (2009-02-26)
The Banfields explore their options with an adoption agency. Carter struggles with the new procedural and technological advances made to emergency medicine since he has been gone. Brenner confronts Lucy's foster family about his concerns. Morris treats a couple who takes his advice too far. Sam is shocked when her mother is brought into the ER. Neela makes a decision about her future at County. Banfield discovers Carter's medical condition. 
18 327 "What We Do" David Zabel David Zabel March 5, 2009 (2009-03-05)
A camera crew shooting footage for a documentary descends upon the ER. Detective Claudia Diaz is brought in with life-threatening gunshot wounds. Neela is perplexed by the lack of communication between her and Brenner. Sam struggles to reconcile with her mother. Carter's condition suddenly worsens. 
19 328 "Old Times" John Wells John Wells March 12, 2009 (2009-03-12)
As Carter awaits his kidney transplant, he gets a surprise visit from Benton. Meanwhile, Ross and Hathaway must receive consent for organ donation from a woman who is grief-stricken over the sudden death of her grandson, but Sam and Neela are stuck at the airport with the transplant organs in hand. Banfield bonds with an abandoned baby. Brenner continues to care for a little girl whose mother is awaiting a heart transplant. 
20 329 "Shifting Equilibrium" Lisa Zwerling Andrew Bernstein March 19, 2009 (2009-03-19)
Neela clashes with Dubenko on two surgical cases and looks to prove her worth as attending material before she leaves County for good. Brenner looks to gain some insight into his abusive childhood. 
21 330 "I Feel Good"[2] Joe Sachs Stephen Cragg March 26, 2009 (2009-03-26)
A woman returns to County to claim the baby she had abandoned there. The ER doctors and nurses assist at a camp for children recovering from open heart surgeries where Morris pre-proposes to Claudia and Brenner befriends a kid who does not want to join in with the activities. 
22 331 "And in the End..."[3] John Wells Rod Holcomb April 2, 2009 (2009-04-02)

Series finale. A new medical facility for the underprivileged funded by Carter is opened and old colleagues return to show their support. Gates treats a teenager with alcohol poisoning after she and her friends play a drinking game. Sam is surprised when she receives a special gift for her birthday. This two-hour episode was preceded by a one-hour retrospective special.

Note: According to an April 3, 2009 report on Entertainment Tonight, the episode attracted 16.4 million viewers, the highest rating of any drama series finale since Murder, She Wrote in 1996. 


[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.nbc.com/ER/cast/
  2. ^ James Brown's song "I Feel Good" is performed during the episode.
  3. ^ Cf. the lyric "And in the end ..." from the Beatles' song "The End", the last song on their last recorded album, Abbey Road.

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