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ER

Day One

Season 1, Episode 1, Aired Sep 22, 1994

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8.7

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Series Premiere: Susan treats a baby in respiratory arrest. She later lobbies various departments, unsuccessfully, to admit an elderly patient suffering from dementia. The ER is inundated with a tour group and a wedding party with food poisoning from eating at the same Hofbrauhaus. Carter acts quickly to save a man whose heart has stopped. He also treats a flirtatious patient's rash. A family is critically injured when their car is hit by a habitual drunk driver. Benton's diagnosis of a patient is overridden by the man's personal physician, with dire results. Mark and Jenn celebrate her passing the bar exam. Doug finally visits a recovering Carol.moreless

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Cast & Crew

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GUEST STAR
Tobin Bell

Hospital Administrator
GUEST STAR
John Randolph

Mr. Franks
GUEST STAR
Ed Cambridge

Victor

Anthony Edwards

Dr. Mark Greene
George Clooney

Dr. Doug Ross
Sherry Stringfield

Dr. Susan Lewis
Noah Wyle

John Carter
Julianna Margulies

Nurse Carol Hathaway
Eriq La Salle

Dr. Peter Benton

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Fan Episode Reviews (6)

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Carter first day...

8.5

"Great"

By Parricida, Nov 30, 2007

Carter has it's first full day and it goes as it goes - not very bad to be honest. Susan on the same time is having harder time with her patience. She wants her to be committed to psychiatry but the man there does not want him. So Susan has no choice but when the man is brought back wondering around naked, she takes the liberty and commits him herself and makes the psychiatrist mad.

Greene has some problem with his wife as she discovers that Mark is not leaving hospital. Doug feels guilty about Carol and does not know how to overcome that. Mark sends him to visit Carol... he takes the courage and goes...moreless
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Old people are cute

9.2

"Superb"

By SleepTight, Aug 11, 2007

An excellent first step into the season. Although it lacks of character-interactions, it manages to pass in the 'writing' section.

Like I said, the characters were a bit bland. John Carter did have a few great moments which makes him my favorite character of the episode. Again. Mark Green's love story and his Wife doesn't do much for me. Although them getting caught in the bathroom was definitely chuckle-worthy.

Susan Lewis is still a neat character, she got to save a baby. I do not like her boyfriend however, he's a plain jackass. Ross' love for Carol doesn't work that well yet. It's too early to start a love storyline anyway. Still, nice to see Carol alive and well... alive. Nice episode, the old guy crying over his terminal wife was definitely the most memorable part of the episode.moreless
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Great episode, from beginning to the end!!!

8.9

"Great"

By saxa246, May 23, 2007

Opening in Exam 8, Dr. Susan Lewis is sleeping. Wendy goes there to wake her up because there is a baby brought to the ER, who swallowed her mother`s earring...
Wendy: Susan, Susan, you have to get up!
Susan: What time is it?
Wendy: It's a baby!
Susan: A baby?
Wendy: In respiratory arrest!
On the other hand, the newbie Carter is not called in to the trauma...
Carter: You had an infant in respiratory distress and you didn't wake me up?
Lydia: You got an extra hour's sleep. You should be thanking me.
Carter: I know, but...
Lydia: We didn't need you for the baby. Now, we need you.
Greene and Benton cracks me up in this episode:D
Benton: (as Carter gives him an H&P on a patient) Mother's maiden name?(Carter looks at notes with a confused look.)
Haleh: He's kidding.
Poor Carter, nothing is enough to make Peter Benton satisfied...
Benton: (to Carter) Congratulations. You just cost this hospital a two million dollar malpractice lawsuit!
Doug is feeling guilty for Carol`s suicide attempt and not visiting her, still. Mark is trying to convince him to do so. Oh, and the quote of the episode, Doug`s comment on Mark being caught with Jenn in the restroom...
Ross: I thought you were some kind of saint. I was going to start calling you Mahatma.
Excellent episode!!moreless
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A continued view of how ER was originally written. TRAUMA in the ER. John Carter's classic first life save and Dr Benton's diagnosis proves to be correct, even though the patient's own physician thinks otherwise.moreless

10

"Perfect"

By RubyRebedoux, Dec 18, 2006

Its 3AM and this time its Susan Lewis awoken by the night nurse. A baby is in arrest. Lewis gets up and proceeds to pull an earing out of the babies airway. When Dr Carter is monitoring a patient awaiting cardiac enzymes, the patient flatlines. Unable to find anyone to assist him, Carter grabs a crash cart in the hallway and shocks the patient back to life. Carter's face is priceless when he realizes he saved the man's life. THis is what ER is all about, the music, the trauma, and the work ER doctors do.moreless
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With open with Doctor Lewis saving the life of a baby who has swallowed their mother's earring.

10

"Perfect"

By Loswellias, Apr 03, 2006

Doug tells Mark he hasn't seen Carol since she tried to kill herself, Mark urges him to go see her.

A drunk driver hits a family of 3 killing the mother and causing the daughter to require surgery.

Doctor Lewis can't find a floor to admit an elderly patient of hers suffering from dementia.

Mark's wife passes the bar exam.
Half the ER walks him on his wife being intimate in the bathroom when they accidentally hit the emergency button.

A wedding reception sends 60 people to the ER with food poisoning.

An elderly man doesn't want his wife to die, and asks for her to be put on a respirator, she wakes up and declines the respirator.

Doug goes to see Carol.

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (4)
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- This episode occurs two months after the pilot; its mentioned in relation to how long Nurse Hathaway has been recovering from her suicide attempt.
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- Notice in this episode the beginning of one marriage and the ending of another; look to the right of the screen in the scene where the old husband and wife are crying about her impending death, and you can see the newlyweds sitting on one of the beds.
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- Helicopter N365UC, seen in this and subsequent episodes, is registered to and operated by University of Chicago Helicopters.
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- This episode, as well as "24 Hours" and "Hit and Run," all begin the same way, with one of the main cast members being awakened in Exam 8 at the end of the hallway. In this case, Susan Lewis is woken up by Wendy.
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QUOTES (8)
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- Ivan Gregor: Fifteen years I am selling liquor out of the same store. Robbed seven times, never hurt. Nothing! Now I get shot by a sixth grader with a baby gun.
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- (Susan gently prompts Carter while he assists her with a patient presenting with chest pain) Susan: Radiation. Carter: Ah! (to the patient) Uh... does the pain move anywhere? Neck? Back? Mr. Zumbano: No. ((to Susan) What is he, a beginner? Susan: This is a teaching hospital, Mr. Zumbano.
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- Carter: You had an infant in respiratory arrest and you didn't wake me up? Lydia: You got an extra hour's sleep! You should be thanking me. Carter: I know, but... Lydia: We didn't need you for the baby. Now, we need you. Carter: For what? Lydia: German tourists. They got food poisoning at some Hofbräuhaus on 46th.
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- Wendy: Susan! Susan! Susan! You have to get up! Susan: What time is it? Wendy: It's a baby! Susan: A baby? Wendy: In respiratory arrest! (Susan ilifts her head, is still for a split second, then quickly gets up)
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- (after Carter gives him a thorough and well-presented H&P on a patient) Benton: Mother's maiden name? (Carter stares at him blankly for a moment, the quickly starts shuffling though his notes; Benton looks at Haleh, grins, then walks away) Haleh: (to Carter) He's joking!
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- Benton: (to Carter, after Carter gives his opinion on a course of treatment for a patient with stomach pain) Congratulations. You just cost this hospital a two million dollar malpractice settlement.
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- (about Carol's suicide attempt) Mark: It's not your fault, Doug. You've got to forgive yourself sooner or later.
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- Ross: I thought you were some kind of saint. I was going to start calling you Mahatma.
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NOTES (6)
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- This episode aired on a Thursday at 10pm, the day and time slot the series would keep for its entire run of fifteen seasons.
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- In this episode, Deezer D portrays a nurse named Malik. The character's name was spelled Malek in the pilot episode ("24 Hours").
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- In this episode, Ellen Crawford portrays a nurse named Lydia Wright. The character's name was originally Lydia Woodward in the pilot episode ("24 Hours").
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- The opening credits sequence is edited in a different way than in the rest of the season. It is the only episode in which the names and faces do not match up.
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- Julianna Margulies becomes a series regular with this episode. Her character, Nurse Carol Hathaway, was scripted to commit suicide in the pilot episode, but test audiences responded so favorably to her that the producers asked her to stay on. As a result, Carol Hathaway survived her suicide attempt and was written into the series, and Margulies remained a regular cast member for six seasons.
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- Music: "That Old Black Magic," music by Harold Arlen, lyrics by Johnny Mercer (sung by Mr. Franks)
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ALLUSIONS (0)
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