Reviewing Movies

After fifteen Seasons this show finally wrapped last year. Although I have had only passing acquaintance it was fascinating to watch the pilot episode and see all the rookie actors whose careers this show launched before they became famous; were any of us ever that young? As Dr. Mark Greene, Anthony Edwards, who still has hair here, is the rock that holds everything together. A man who never calls in sick, he is quietly efficient making his job look easy until someone else attempts to do it. Noah Wyle arrives looking like a stray puppy dog, he at least has an excuse for looking lost as he begins his first hospital rotation as a med student. To a large extent it is through his eyes we get introduced to a large hospital emergency department.

In the same way that I question why anyone would want to be assigned to a military combat unit given my reading of War or the watching of Stop-Loss and Hurt Locker, I would wonder that anyone would want to subject themselves to the stress and constant human tragedy encountered in an ER in a major city like Chicago. The kinds of people who flourish in these situations must share similar characteristics as adrenalin junkies. The challenge is presenting oneself to the patients as a caring individual without letting this constant birage of human woe tear one apart. To empathize while maintaining objectivity; to keep one’s reserve without appearing coldly analytical; in a word to present a good bedside manner.

Of particular note is the day of the blizzard in which bored staff resort to childish games just before they get deluged with hundreds of casualties from a multi-car pile-up. The day a barely teenaged gangbanger threatens the ward with a gun until he learns that his target is already dead. Through the eyes of a newly arrived intern we confront staff member’s acceptance of the everyday occurance of man’s inhumanity to man. Produced back in the day when there were still 24 episodes in a season this package contains 4 DVD’s with 3 episodes per side.

First off I resent being manipulated into buying Sesaon 3 in two instalments just to line the studio pockets. Ironic as this is happening at the same time that I’m losing interest in the series. Whatever this says about me it also indicates that script-writers are failing in their task of keeping the series fresh and falling down on the job of capturing my continued interest. Somehow their plot-lines are growing stale and losing that impetus that would draw the audience back next week to see what happens next. As Sherif of Eureka Jack Carter’s job is not so much about fighting crime as protecting the town and its mad scientists from themselves. His ability to remain calm amid each succeeding end of the world scenario is remarkable but then knowing that somehow the hero of the piece is likely to survive removes some of the suspense. The series of disasters become increasingly preposterous. Season 4 is running this summer but somehow it’s unlikely that I’ll be buying. I’d not be surprised to learn that there won’t be a season 5.

Despite my admiration for Damian Lewis in the mini-series Band of Brothers which led me to watch his TV Series Life the second season of that show tanked badly and it wasn’t renewed. I have the same feeling about this show.

Save for a few lapses in continuity where scenes shift between summer and winter snow I have no complaints about the series.