Unfortunately not all the stories are golden. Dr. Romano (Paul McCrane) now only has one arm, and though this situation creates some reasonably enjoyable moments as in “Dear Abby,” the character is no longer as much fun as he used to be. The writers have fixed something that was oh so far from broken, and it just does not work. The final appearance of Dr. Romano in “Freefall” marks some of the worst writing of the season, and the loss of the best antagonist ever to hit the ER before or after. McCrane deserves much praise for his performance, as the likes of the Rocket will not be seen again on television anytime soon.
There is great chemistry in the cast, but simply not enough for everyone to do. They would be thinned in coming years, and though some members will be missed, it is for the best. Though the tenth season marks the introduction of some fine new characters including Scott Grimes as Dr. Archie Morris and Parminder Nagra as Neela Rasgotra, both of which play key roles in the success of the show beyond this season, Linda Cardellini takes a bit longer to settle into her shoes as youthful take-charge nurse Sam Taggert. Her storylines are simply too contrived during this season, and the performance is inconsistent.
As in previous releases there is not a lot of bonus material. For the most part the deleted scenes entitled “Outpatient Outtakes” have been deservedly deleted. The exception may be the clips from “Blood Relations” where the scenes are actually enjoyable to watch after viewing the episode. The one gag reel is cute at best.
Recommendation: The tenth season is for both the true fan of the show or someone new to ER. This is simply quality television to be enjoyed by all.
Article comments
1 - Kim
I'd have to disagree that Abby ripped Carter's heart out. He left her - after promising to always stick around and be there for her - to go to Africa, and if she hadn't bumped into him on his way out the door, he hadn't even planned on telling her he was going. So, I think her asking for her key back was pretty mild compared to what he did to her.