ER – Reunion: Class of 1994

We made it! After weeks and months and hype we’ve finally arrived at the ‘Reunion’ episode of ER featuring four actors from the show’s first generation of medical folk. We had Noah Wyle’s John Carter, who has been back for a few episodes now; Eriq LaSalle’s Peter Benton;  and Julianna Margulies’ Carol Hathaway. Also appearing was this George Clooney dude who I faintly remember as Dr. Doug Ross and am trying to picture where I’ve seem him since.

There were many theories as to how all these characters would mesh in this episode. Many of us (yours truly included) believed that Carol and Doug would not meet up with John and Peter. That proved to be true. It didn’t mean that their story didn’t mesh with what was going on in the Windy City. In fact, Carol and Doug’s story line was very important to the rest of the plot.

In the end it all worked out and made this an enjoyable walk down memory lane. And, I admit it, I cried a little.

Come on! How could you not get a bit misty-eyed when Benton walked into Carter’s room? The student and teacher now equals. Benton’s compassionate ribbing of his former pupil. The way Peter said, “Carter,” which brought back memories of, for some, better days at County General. Their relationship was a bromance before the word ‘bromance’ was even devised. While it may have laid low while Peter went about his life and Carter served a good cause in Africa, their connection was still there.

This was evident in the transplant scene where Benton reviewed and sort of managed Carter’s surgery like a mother hen. It was then that we got to see the Benton of old: a pain-in-the-ass because he makes sure that things get done right the first time. I sort of felt bad for Christian Clemenson, who was moonlighting as a transplant surgeon from his day job at Crane, Poole and Schmidt. I guess he was never on the other side of a classic Peter Benton rant before. But, this was Carter he was operating on. So, he pretty much deserved it in the end.

Meanwhile, on the Left Coast, the appearance of Dr. Ross beside his wife was a nice treat since many people assumed that Clooney’s appearance would be a 10 second cameo at the end of the episode (like he had back in season 6). In fact, he had a meatier role than Margulies had (well, he is George Clooney). Even after 10 years he got right back into character, which meant he mumbled and could barely be understood at some moments. Nevertheless, he still had all the charm that viewers, particularly the ladies, loved when he stalked the halls of County.

The best, and most frustrating, part of Doug’s and Carol’s appearances is when they interacted with Generation Three of the County General ER staff: Sam and Neela, in this case. At some point in their conversation about who was still at County and who wasn’t I wanted to scream, “Mention Carter! Mention Carter!” When his name didn’t come up I was a little angry. As I thought about later, it probably would have felt forced if Ross mentioned Carter and either Neela or Sam responded, “Oh, yeah, he’s still there. But he needs a kidney transplant.” The whole scene could have fallen apart at that moment.

That, in turn, would have made the final scene between Carol and Doug unworkable. The anonymous kidney dontation made everything the couple did earlier in the day more satisfying then if they knew that Carter was the receipient. Then, it could have been a moment of selfishness for the two as they realized one of their former colleagues was in trouble. Instead, it was just another bittersweet triumph (the organs came from a dead teenager, after all) for one of the most famous couples in ER history.

Clacked by Richard Keller
on Mar 14, 2009 @ 13:00 EST5EDT