TV.com

ER Season 3 Episode 20

Random Acts

Favorite

Watched It I've Watched This 0

Next
Episode Previous
Episode

8.7

User Rating

85 votes

Your Rating: 10
Your Rating: 9.5
Your Rating: 9
Your Rating: 8.5
Your Rating: 8
Your Rating: 7.5
Your Rating: 7
Your Rating: 6.5
Your Rating: 6
Your Rating: 5.5
Your Rating: 5
Your Rating: 4.5
Your Rating: 4
Your Rating: 3.5
Your Rating: 3
Your Rating: 2.5
Your Rating: 2
Your Rating: 1.5
Your Rating: 1

Rate Now

EPISODE REVIEWS
By TV.com Users

Write A Review

Episode Summary

EDIT

AIRED: 5/1/97

The staff springs into action when Mark is violently beaten by an unknown assailant. Doug treats the son of a wealthy man, leading Carol to suspect him of giving the child special treatment. Greg demands that Jeanie choose between him and Al. Speculation runs rampant when a torrid novella, author unknown, is found at the admit desk. A new pediatrician arrives from Philadelphia. Olbes shows up out of uniform for a change, bringing in her grandfather, who has suffered a stroke. Carla is admitted to the hospital after she goes into premature labor; the contractions are stopped for now.moreless

Fan Episode Reviews (5)

Greene ends up in ER. Not unusual, but he ends up as a patience.

9.2

By Parricida, Sep 16, 2007

This is defenetly very unique and special episode - first - first time a doctor in ER ends up in the table and everyone else struggle to save his life. And as we learn later, the identity of the attacker is never found out and on the next episode, the police tells Greene that he was victim of random violence.

But that is defenetly not the only random thing in this episode. Somehow, for me the golf thing was quite random too. But also we could say that there is some kind of book found in the beginning of the episode, and staff are eager to find out who wrote it.

The other main storylines expect the Greene's one - Jeanie is again on the focus as she learn that her ex have some problems with the drags described for him and she asks help from Greg to get him into the testing program and he learns more and more that Jeanie is not so over of his ex yet.

Also Carla is brought in to hospital, but it is too early for birthmoreless
DO YOU AGREE?
1 0

Flag
Share Hide
In light of his recent problems, Dr. Greene takes a turn for the worse when he is senselessly beaten for no reason at all. In turn changing him for the worse.moreless

9.5

By DaVulture, Jun 10, 2007

The episode is one of the hardest episodes of ER to watch because of the way Greene gets beaten up. The episode continues off from the previous couple of episodes where Greene goes to apologize to the brother of the basketball student who tells Greene that he might harm him. In this episode after Greene goes to the bathroom and is washing his hands a random assailant starts to physically beat the living daylights out of him leaving him in very bad shape. The only thing that saves him is Doug Ross entering the bathroom finding his bloody mess. After Mark gets treated by Doug and Carol things become more clear and semi-cheerful. But the episode ends up changing Greene into a more vicious and aggressive character as the next two seasons go on. Still though very hard to watch especially seeing Greene get beat. It gives me shivers.moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
2 0

Flag
Share Hide
One busy day in the ER.

9.5

By Loswellias, Apr 06, 2006

Carol feels that Doug is giving special treatment to a child because his parents are rich. She later finds out that Doug caught a serious problem with the child and apologizes.

Jeanie helps Al get into a better medical program to manage his HIV. Jeanie and Al kiss, and decide to become intimate again.

It is the first day in ER for Dr. Del Amico.

An EMT's Grandfather suffers a stroke.

A romance novel is left at the front desk and everyone wonders who wrote it.

Mark is attacked in the bathroom.

Carla goes into premature labor and is to be in bed for the next 8 weeks.

moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
1 0

Flag
Share Hide
A cheesy romance novel involving the staff of the ER is found at admit, leaving everyone wondering who's the author. Dr. Del Amico arrives. Mark Greene is attacked in the men's room. Paramedic Olbes's grandfather suffers a stroke. Carla goes into premmoreless

9.2

By ClumsyGuy, Apr 03, 2006

Two of ER's greatest mysteries in the same episode!

The first is the cheesy romance novel. It was great comedic relief. I loved how Carol got so into it, and everyone at the ER was talking about it!

The second is... Who attacked Mark Greene? In one of the most painful to watch scenes on any TV show, Mark Greene is attacked in the bathroom,by a mysetrious man dressed in all black. He thinks he is safe, gets up, and then is once again attacked, because the man was hiding. No one realizes where he is, and no one makes an attempt to look for him, simply saying "Where's Mark? Huh." Finally, Doug opens the bathroom door, and, in a part that always makes me cry, Mark collapses from the door. They staff ralleys together to help Mark, who, besides from a few broken bones and bruises, will be fine.

Carla Reece goes into premature labor. Benton obsesses over it, and worries about every little thing, and it gets on your nerves a bit, but is entirely understandable.

Olbes's grandpa comes in with a stroke, and Mark and Kerry disagree on a course of action; Mark wants to give him TPA, Kerry does not. TPA is eventually given, and Olbes's grandpa will be okay.

Sad, episode, makes me well up everytime.moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
1 0

Flag
Share Hide
ER's greatest mystery

8.5

By DanLC03, Dec 15, 2005

For most of the episode, it was a good episode, but when Dr Greene is attacked the surprise ending makes it a great episode. I can still remember the first time I watched it like it was yesterday, even though it's been almost 9 years. The show goes in a totally different direction after that and changes Dr Greene forever. Of course, the identity of his attacker is never revealed and is the greatest mystery on ER. That is far from the only thing that happens in this episode. I found the storyline about the mysterious book to be fun, I personally think Randi wrote it. There's more comic relief with Doug's golf game. The other two serious storylines are outstanding also with Paramedic Olbes' grandfather and his stroke and how Dr Greene saves his life, and also Carter and Benton assisting on the kidney transplant. We are also introduced to a new character, Dr Del Amico. This is a great episode with lots of great storylines.moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
3 0

Flag
Share Hide

See All Fan Reviews

Cast & Crew: STARS

EDIT

Anthony Edwards	Dr. Mark Greene
Eriq La Salle	Dr. Peter Benton
George Clooney	Dr. Doug Ross
Gloria Reuben	P.A. Jeanie Boulet
Julianna Margulies	Nurse Carol Hathaway
Laura Innes	Dr. Kerry Weaver

See All Cast & Crew

Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

EDIT

Stanley Kamel	Dr. "Fin" Leosch	Guest Star
Joe Lisi	Mr. Gunther	Guest Star
Maria Bello	Dr. Anna Del Amico	Guest Star
Abraham Benrubi	Jerry	Recurring Role
Jorja Fox	Dr. Maggie Doyle	Recurring Role
Harry J. Lennix	Dr. Greg Fischer	Recurring Role

See All Cast & Crew

Watch Online

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

FILTER BY TYPE

TRIVIA (2)
ADD TRIVIA
- Goof: When Carla is lying on her bed while Benton visits her, her watch keeps changing positions between shots.
  EDIT SHARE
- The identity of Dr. Greene's attacker is never discovered, and is one of the greatest mysteries ever on ER.
  EDIT SHARE
QUOTES (1)
ADD QUOTES
- (on the golf course)
  Mark: I think a car full of screaming 8 year-olds arguing over who's got shotgun is less aggravating than this.
  EDIT SHARE
NOTES (2)
ADD NOTES
- In this episode Maria Bello makes her first appearance as Dr. Anna Del Amico.
  EDIT SHARE
- Music: Better Than Ezra, "Desperately Wanting"
  EDIT SHARE
ALLUSIONS (1)
ADD ALLUSIONS
- Chuny: (to Mark) Hey, that LOL in curtain 1 is still waiting.
  Chuny is using a term popularized by The House of God, a Samuel Shem (pseudonym of the psychiatrist Stephen Bergman) novel published in 1978 that chronicles the lives of six interns at a busy urban hospital. "LOL" is an acronym for Little Old Lady. In Shem's novel it was usually followed by another acronym: "in NAD," in No Apparent Distress.
  EDIT SHARE