Post by toddsmitts on Feb 6, 2009 18:36:02 GMT -5
I was really excited about this week's "ER", mainly because William H. Macy was back as Dr. Morgenstern after being gone for 11 years.
It was a great episode. A confused old man is brought with no identification. When they finally identify him, Morgenstern shows up. He acts as proxy for the old man, who was a mentor and father figure to Morgenstern, and explains that he was once a famous doctor who worked at County and who revolutionized the concept of emergency medicine. He developed the 911 system, ambulances and paramedics, and the emergency room on the first floor, rather than subject patients to a risky trip upstairs to surgery before they were stabalized. The man's mind is almost gone and his body isn't far behind (he has vision of the hospital in the 60's with the regulars in period clothes and hair!).
Still, even in the final hours his life, he makes a difference by noticing that a woman supposedly with end-stage cancer actually has TB (which is still serious, but treatable).
Macy was great as usual, and the 60's-looking hospital (complete with "station wagon" ambulances and sexy nurse attire!) was a hoot. It make me think with shows like "Mad Men" and "Life on Mars" on, maybe a show about a hospital in the 60's or 70's would be interesting to see.
I also noticed quite a few "Cold Case" connections. First, there were a few overlapping guest stars: Rance Howard (Ron Howard's dad, and Buddie from "Factory Girls") was the old man, Sylva Kelegian (Pam, the victim's sister from "Lotto Fever") played the woman who turned out to not have cancer, and Shannon Woodward (Raquel from "Detention") showed up as Sam's little sister. On top of that, Justina Machado (Amelia Flores from "The Good Death"), while not appearing in the episode per se, was mentioned and seen in the "previously on ER" clips at the start as a cop who flirts with Morris.
On top of the actors, we had some real "Cold Case" style flashbacks to County's earlier days and even an actor player the younger version of the old doc!
All in all, a good ep.
It was a great episode. A confused old man is brought with no identification. When they finally identify him, Morgenstern shows up. He acts as proxy for the old man, who was a mentor and father figure to Morgenstern, and explains that he was once a famous doctor who worked at County and who revolutionized the concept of emergency medicine. He developed the 911 system, ambulances and paramedics, and the emergency room on the first floor, rather than subject patients to a risky trip upstairs to surgery before they were stabalized. The man's mind is almost gone and his body isn't far behind (he has vision of the hospital in the 60's with the regulars in period clothes and hair!).
Still, even in the final hours his life, he makes a difference by noticing that a woman supposedly with end-stage cancer actually has TB (which is still serious, but treatable).
Macy was great as usual, and the 60's-looking hospital (complete with "station wagon" ambulances and sexy nurse attire!) was a hoot. It make me think with shows like "Mad Men" and "Life on Mars" on, maybe a show about a hospital in the 60's or 70's would be interesting to see.
I also noticed quite a few "Cold Case" connections. First, there were a few overlapping guest stars: Rance Howard (Ron Howard's dad, and Buddie from "Factory Girls") was the old man, Sylva Kelegian (Pam, the victim's sister from "Lotto Fever") played the woman who turned out to not have cancer, and Shannon Woodward (Raquel from "Detention") showed up as Sam's little sister. On top of that, Justina Machado (Amelia Flores from "The Good Death"), while not appearing in the episode per se, was mentioned and seen in the "previously on ER" clips at the start as a cop who flirts with Morris.
On top of the actors, we had some real "Cold Case" style flashbacks to County's earlier days and even an actor player the younger version of the old doc!
All in all, a good ep.