The Last One

Season 6, Episode 22, Aired
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Episode Summary

The Craigs' reconciliation faces its first test; Drs. Auschlander and Gideon struggle together to save St. Eligius when Weigert decides to get out; Novino pushes Morrison to decide between her and Joanne; Griffin places his future in God's hands; Ehrlich returns from his odyssey; and Fiscus' last E.R. patient is a lady from the opera... ''''

But is it really over? The jaw-dropping climax culminates in a blue-collared dad placing his young autistic son Tommy Westphall's miniature St. Eligius snow globe on the living room TV set, having summoned him to dinner. "St. Elsewhere's" entire six-year saga had all been a figment of little Tommy's imagination!moreless

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Fan Episode Reviews (5)

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  • WTF?!

    7.5
    "Good"
    By peterg14, Jan 21, 2011 Report Abuse
    When I saw this ending, it was just stupid! I wasted 2 weeks watching this whole series on like a billion video tapes, and it's all in the mind of an autistic boy(sorry, if I didn't spell that right)?! If that's the case, that kid has talent! I mean the emotion, the lighting, the comercials and the people? That kid needs an agent, who will mooch of that autistic boy's talent. If that kid want's to go make up series, go invent The Facts Of Life or at least Full House. I hate the "It was all a dream or it's in an autistic boys mind" endings, they did it for Dallas, and the show still went down hill!moreless

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  • What an ending!

    10
    "Perfect"
    By tvqueen1969, Nov 30, 2006 Report Abuse
    I loved this show. The final episode was bittersweet. I was happy to see Dr. Westphal again and that the Craigs were reconciling. Victor and Lucy Ehrlich were expecting a baby. Yet, I was sad to see Dr. Auschlander succumb to liver cancer. They ended it weird. It was all in the mind of Tommy the autistic son of Donald Westphal. That kid has a wild imagination. I hated to see the show come to an end. In my opinion, there hasn't been a decent medical show on TV since St. Elsewhere went off the air. I'm glad that it is being released on DVD so that I can watch it again.moreless

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    2 0

  • St. Eligius existed in the mind of an autistic boy? Here's proof the show should have ended a season earlier.

    5.4
    "Mediocre"
    By Bichlmaier, May 08, 2006 Report Abuse
    It seemed to me that many of the actors were just "phoning it in" in this episode. Loose ends were tied up, a little (very little) mystery was left for the viewers, and it turned out to be nonsense: the imagination of a little autistic boy. OK, not so little, but autistic nonetheless. I think this episode did not do credit to all the fine writers, actors and directors who had helped shape the show in the years prior. The show had been limping along for quite some time, running out of steam, but this was the pits. What a disappointment!moreless

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    2 3

  • Shakin' that globe......

    10
    "Perfect"
    By Speckman, Mar 16, 2006 Report Abuse
    God, I don't remember the whole episode, and the ending is hazy in my mind. I know that the ending is one of the best, but one of the weirdest and non- sensical in the history of TV.
    Still, it spawned other tv shows and their surprise endings, too. Hopefully someone can return that @#@$&*! videotape of the last episode including the "After Life" episode. I've seen the other three videotapes of the best of the show. Hopefully sometime in my life there will be DVD releases of every season. I'm praying, dudes! I'm out!moreless

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  • It was just my imagination

    10
    "Perfect"
    By chet1210, Feb 03, 2006 Report Abuse
    Who would have thought? TV that formed a generation, just a wonderful show like many I grew up on. I was sad to see it go. I miss the old shows of yesteryear (something I wish I video taped and can remember). But the memories of my mind and watching them are still there

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • Although St. Elsewhere is famous for its cast turnover, a large number of characters appeared on the first episode and right through to the last. They are Dr. Daniel Auschlander (Norman Lloyd), Dr. Mark Craig (William Daniels), Dr. Victor Ehrlich (Ed Begley Jr.), Dr. Wayne Fiscus (Howie Mandel), Luther Hawkins (Eric Laneuville), Dr. Jack Morrison (David Morse), Nurse Lucy Papandrao (Jennifer Savidge) and Nurse Helen Rosenthal (Christina Pickles). Dr. Donald Westphall (Ed Flanders) also appeared in the first and last episodes, but he was not a regular cast member in the sixth season. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • Among the patients admitted to the Emergency Room this episode is a hefty opera singer who has lost her voice. Wayne Fiscus's career at St. Eligius comes to an end when the fat lady sings. Edit
    • During the end credits, you can see Mimsie the MTM Cat hooked up to life support. During the MTM logo sequence, she goes flatline and dies. This is also due to Mimsie's old-age demise the same year. Edit
    • Fiscus briefly references the long-gone Drs. Ben Samuels, Hugh Beale and Annie Cavanero. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Mark: why didn't you ask me to go along? Ellen: Well,I just assumed you wouldn't go. Mark: Yes, well for the record I would leave Boston, St. Eligus. Move to Cleveland. I mean I have done some more checking. They have a lot of culture there, fine symphony orchestra, the Great Lakes Shakespeare festival. Ellen: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Mark: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Edit
    • Helen: Oh, by the way, congratulations on Ellen's job opportunity. The way she's blossomed this past year, becoming her own person with her own career. You must be very proud. Mark: Why don't you slide back to the valley of the dolls? Edit
    • Fiscus: Dr. Fiscus. Viking: Neil Duban. Fiscus: If your going to dress like a viking, make it Frank Tarkenton. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Valley of the Dolls During a conversation between Mark & Helen discussing how she had just come out of treatment for her dependency on drugs, a Reference is made to the Valley of the Dolls, a book which was later made into a movie. Edit
    • Inside jokes to other TV series finales --and episodes where characters are written out-- abound, including The Fugitive (chasing a one armed-man who is a patient of "Dr. Kimble"), M*A*S*H (Novino is performing an autopsy the man whose plane crashed into St. Eligius, one "Henry Blake"), and a reenactment of the group hug scene in the finale of The Mary Tyler Show, complete with the group shuffling over to get a tissue. Edit

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