ER - The Complete 11th Season

ER is one of the longest running, highest rated, critically praised television shows ever from best-selling author Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park). Focusing on the comings and goings of county general hospital and its overburdened emergency room, nothing is certain and nothing is taken for granted but it’s a place where its entire staff is determined to save lives - often during split-second decisions.

With so many patients and so little time the series opens in a fast-paced manner and never lets up, cue gunshot victims, cardiac cases, abused victims, and unforeseen accidents – each patient adding character to every set-piece.

All staff regulars are present and accounted for with Corday (Alex Kingston) and Chen (Ming-Na) balancing home life with hospital life; Abby (Maura Tierney) adjusting to life now a doctor and Ray Barnett (Shane West) needs to decide whether music or medicine will be his chosen career path. The biggest thing to have an impact on the ER this series, though, is Carter (Noah Wyle) who finally decides to leave after 10 years, for non-fans Carter has lead the charge since the exit of George Clooney and Anthony Edwards, a student-turned-teacher and very much a pillar of this medical show society.

This show has great drama, writing and it’s as funny as it is moving. At times what’s on screen can be chaotic but that’s the whole point as that’s exactly what an emergency room would feel like in real life. Each character is given good interesting story arcs and, given that the cast is quite a large ensemble, each individual has their own fair share of screen time.

Episodes of note are Fear – a very distressing but well acted episode, You Are Here - where Ray makes a very hard but important decision and of course the season finale The Show Must Go On - where Carter finally leaves the place he has known in some way to call home.

An engaging, rewarding dramatic television show that continues to go from strength to strength.