ER (season 3)

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ER: The Complete Third Season
Series ER
Country of origin Flag of the United States United States
Network NBC
Original run September 26, 1996 – May 15, 1997
No. of episodes 22
DVD release date April 26, 2005 (Widescreen, Boxset)
Previous season ER: Season 2
Next season ER: Season 4
For more details on this topic, see List of ER episodes.

This article contains a summary of the third season of the American fictional drama television series ER.

The season first aired on September 26, 1996 and concluded on May 15, 1997. The third season has 22 episodes.

Contents

[edit] Plot

The third season sees the depature of Susan Lewis, who leaves for Phoenix to live with her sister and niece. Before she leaves, Greene realises his feelings for her and races against time to declare his feelings. He makes it to Union Station just as she is boarding the train. He stops her and declares his love, beggin her to stay. Susan leaves anyway, but not before kissing Mark and declaring, as the train pulls out of the station, that she loves him too (This declaration was later called into question by Susan in the Season Eight episode "Secrets and Lies"). In the aftermath of her departure, Mark falls into depression and starts sleeping with County General nurse Chuny Marquez, but they soon break up. Later in the season, he is the victim of a violent attack in the hospital bathroom, after which he becomes increasingly paranoid about his personal safety and distances himself from friends and family.

Meanwhile, Doug and Carol draw closer, culminating in a kiss at the end of the season. Doug is said to be attending therapy throughout the season, although this is never shown on-screen (Clooney was filming Batman and Robin at the same time, so his storylines were often abbreviated). Carol considers going to medical school, but eventually decides that she loves her work as a nurse too much to change (This decision was in part motivated by Julianna Margulies's opposition to the idea of Carol becoming a doctor; the ER writers eventually used Maura Tierney's Abby Lockhart for this storyline).

Carter continues to lock horns with Benton, especially over Benton's treatment of surgical intern Dennis Gant. After Gant commits suicide by jumping in front of the L-train (after which he is taken to County for treatment by Carter and Benton in the ER), Carter blames Peter and himself for not doing more to prevent the action. Benton also starts dating Carla Reese, apparently a former flame, who becomes pregnant and gives birth prematurely at the end of the season. Laura Innes joins the full-time cast as Dr. Kerry Weaver. Her character is supportive of Jeanie, who is forced to reveal her HIV-status early in the season, when Mark gains unauthorized access to her medical records. While Jeanie struggles with her condition, she becomes involved with a doctor from the Infectious Diseases department, before ultimately getting back together with her ex-husband, Al, in the season finale.

[edit] Production

[edit] Cast

[edit] Starring cast

[edit] Supporting cast

Doctors:

Nurses:

Other Staff:

  • Abraham Benrubi as Desk clerk Jerry Markovic
  • Kristin Minter as Desk clerk Miranda "Randi" Fronczak
  • Omar Epps as Medical Student Dennis Gant
  • Monté Russell as Paramedic Zadro White
  • Emily Wagner as Paramedic Doris Pickman
  • Lyn Alicia Henderson as Paramedic Pamela Obles
  • Brian Lester as Paramedic Brian Dumar
  • J.P. Hubbell as Paramedic Lars Audia
  • Mike Genovese as Officer Al Grabarsky
  • Erica Gimpel as social worker Adele Neuman

Other:

[edit] Episodes

See also: List of ER episodes

"Series #" refers to the episode's number in the overall series, whereas "Season #" refers to the episode's number in this particular season.

Season # Series # Title Writer(s) Director Original airdate
1 48 "Dr. Carter, I Presume"  John Wells Christopher Chulack September 26, 1996
Dr Carter starts his first day as a surgical intern. Nurse Hathaway goes back to working in the ER. Boulet and Dr Benton receive news about their test. Nielsen Ratings: 34.9 million viewers 
2 49 "Let the Games Begins"  Lydia Woodward Tom Moore October 03, 1996
The Southside hospital gets shut down and its employees merges with County General hospital. Nurse Hathaway considers selling her house. Boulet keeps her HIV status a secret. 
3 50 "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"  Paul Manning & Jason Cahill (story), Jason Cahill (teleplay) Perry Lang October 10, 1996
Dr Benton has trouble dealing working with Boulet and starts to work as a pediatric surgeon. 
4 51 "Last Call"  Samantha Howard Corbin & Carol Flint (story), Samantha Howard Corbin (teleplay) Rod Holcomb October 17, 1996
Dr Benton doesn't seem to have the compassion needed for being a pediatric surgeon, while Dr Carter does. Dr Ross fights his inner demons as well as the stares from the ER staff. 
5 52 "Ghosts"  Neal Baer Richard Thorpe October 31, 1996
Dr Lewis comes back from vacation. Nurse Hathaway and Dr Ross take their turn in the mobile health van. Intern Gant learns that Dr Benton is harder on him than he is with Dr Carter. 
6 53 "Fear of Flying"  Lance Gentile Christopher Chulack November 07, 1996
Dr Lewis and Greene rush to a car accident in a helicopter. Dr Benton makes a mistake during surgery. 
7 54 "No Brain, No Gain"  Paul Manning David Nutter November 14, 1996
Dr Lewis makes an announcement. Dr Benton feels guilty about his involvement in a babys critical condition and tries to save another brian dead child. Nielsen Ratings: 37.4 million viewers (highest rated of season three) 
8 55 "Union Station"  Carol Flint Tom Moore November 21, 1996
Time and Cupid wait for no man. A wedding in the waiting room contrasts with Greene's inability to express feelings to Lewis, even though it is her last day in the ER. 
9 56 "Ask Me No Questions, I'll Tell You No Lies"  Neal Baer & Lydia Woodward (story), Barbara Hall (teleplay) Paris Barclay December 12, 1996
Jeanie's confidential medical files aren't confidential when Greene checks them and confirms his suspicions that she has HIV. Keton levels with Carter about their relationship. 
10 57 "Homeless for the Holidays"  Samantha Howard Corbin Davis Guggenheim December 19, 1996
What child is this? Street kid Charlie brings a drug-addled women's baby to Ross for Treatment. Jeanie comes clean about her HIV. Carol observes Ukrainian Christmas with familyand two unexpected guests. 
11 58 "Night Shift"  Paul Manning Jonathan Kaplan January 16, 1997
A night that begins slowly soon ignites: Greene risks his career to save a life. Benton discovers Carter's secret. Charlie suffers a beating and the ER suffers the shocking loss of one of its own. 
12 59 "Post Mortem"  Carol Flint Jacque Elaine Toberen January 23, 1997
Gant's death weighs heavily on Carter, and his anger grows over how Benton treated the intern. Carol copes with a makeshift RN staff during a labor sickout and takes the blame for a fatal trauma-room error. 
13 60 "Fortune's Fools"  Jason Cahill Michael Katleman January 30, 1997
A good day for Greene: he and Marquez end their romance amicably, and his mentoring of prospective interns earns praise. A lousy day for Hathaway: she's suspended from the staff. 
14 61 "Whose Appy Now?"  Neal Baer Félix Enríquez Alcalá February 06, 1997
Carter is the delighted surgeon when Benton needs an appendectomy. Ross grapples with a teen's DNR request. Greene proves that the only thing worse than a two-timing cad is a three-timer. 
15 62 "The Long Way Around"  Lydia Woodward Christopher Chulack February 13, 1997
Carol is caught in a hostage situation in a neighbourhood store and helps the victims while the hostages are still there. 
16 63 "Faith"  John Wells Jonathan Kaplan February 20, 1997
Benton is recovering from his surgery, but not from the death of Gant. Greene places a downs-syndrome patient on a heart transplant list and Ross has to pull the plug on an 18-year-old male that no longer wants to live. 
17 64 "Tribes"  Lance Gentile Richard Thorpe April 10, 1997
Do assumptions about race cloud Greene's judgement? Incidents involving two gunshot victims - one white, one black - and a black woman with an undetected heart ailment cause him to reassess his thinking. 
18 65 "You Bet Your Life"  Paul Manning Christopher Chulack April 17, 1997
Carter puts his career in jeopardy when he circumvents channels to arrange surgery for a racetrack gambler. And Jeanie reconsiders her plight when she cares for an AIDS victim loathed by her unforgiving husband. 
19 66 "Calling Dr. Hathaway"  Neal Baer (story), Jason Cahill & Samantha Howard Corbin (teleplay) Paris Barclay April 24, 1997
A mouse in the house - and perhaps a new doctor-in-training, too. A genetically engineered lab mouse escapes into the ER. Hathaway weighs her career options after she scores high on the MCAT. 
20 67 "Random Acts"  Carol Flint Jonathan Kaplan May 01, 1997
A brother donates a kidney to his sister, a stroke victim receives life-saving treatment, and Jeanie's ex is accepted into a new AIDS-drug study. But violence involving Greene casts a pall over the acts of healing and compassion. 
21 68 "Make A Wish"  Joe Sachs (story), Lydia Woodward (teleplay) Richard Thorpe May 08, 1997
It's Hathaway's birthday, but she doesn't want to hear about it. And it's the birth day of Carla and Peter's son when she goes into early labor. Greene returns to the ER, but settling in proves difficult. 
22 69 "One More for the Road"  John Wells Christopher Chulack May 15, 1997
Ross is increasingly drawn to Hathaway, Charlie reappears at the ER, Greene refuses to admit that he needs help and Carter and Anspaugh are still at leggerheads. Meanwhile, the Boulets find strength in their renewed relationship, and Benton draws strength from his tiny newborn son. Nielsen Ratings: 34.9 million viewers 


[edit] Reception

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