ER

10 Best Episodes of ER - Season 1

ER explores the inner workings of an urban teaching hospital and the critical issues faced by the dedicated physicians and staff of its overburdened emergency room.

Written by Sophie and last updated on feb 04, 2023.

PS: The following content contains spoilers!

PPS: I will admit that parts of this page was written with the help of AI - it makes my work so much easier to not start from a blank page!

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ER - S1E18

#15 - Sleepless in Chicago (Season 1 - Episode 18)

Benton runs on no sleep for 48 hours. A con man works the floor. A mental patient poses as a hospital efficiency expert. Greene's wife wants a divorce. Hathaway's past comes back to haunt her.

The episode was rated 7.72 from 158 votes.

ER - S1E5

#14 - Into That Good Night (Season 1 - Episode 5)

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Greene mulls a decision to move to Milwaukee so his wife, Jennifer, can pursue her law career. He and the rest of the ER staff tend to a dying heart transplant candidate. Ross counsels a woman who cannot afford medication for her asthmatic daughter. Carter may have made a mistake with a former patient. Lewis has to juggle dealing with an alcohol-poisoned fraternity brother and calls from her mother to get her prodigal sister, Chloe, a job.

The episode was rated 7.72 from 198 votes.

ER - S1E4

#13 - Hit and Run (Season 1 - Episode 4)

Ross attempts to reconcile his lingering feelings for Hathaway while dealing with a single mother and her young son after it is found that she hears voices. Benton clashes with another surgeon over a hit-and-run patient. Carter mixes up patients when he tries to notify a family of a lost patient. A married man comes in suffering a mild heart attack while handcuffed to his mistress.

The episode was rated 7.75 from 242 votes.

ER - S1E8

#12 - 9½ Hours (Season 1 - Episode 8)

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Greene calls in sick so he and Jennifer can spend the day together, leaving Ross in charge of the ER. Carter works on a high school wrestler that starved himself to make weight. Hathaway counsels a young rape victim. Benton is dealing with his senile mother, and butts heads with Ross. Lewis is worried about Cvetic's growing temper problem.

The episode was rated 7.75 from 184 votes.

ER - S1E14

#11 - Long Day's Journey (Season 1 - Episode 14)

The nonstop parade of crises and stricken young innocents weighs heavily on Ross. Meanwhile, the heart attack victim under Lewis' care is the doctor who nearly wrecked her career. Benton hires a physical therapist, Jeanie Boulet, to take care of his mother.

The episode was rated 7.78 from 150 votes.

ER - S1E22

#10 - Men Plan, God Laughs (Season 1 - Episode 22)

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Benton compensates his inability in helping his mother by going beyond the call to help his patients. Meanwhile, Greene attempts to save his marriage - but that means less time at work and more disfavor with the new ER chief.

The episode was rated 7.78 from 137 votes.

ER - S1E7

#9 - Another Perfect Day (Season 1 - Episode 7)

Ross and Hathaway save a young boating accident victim. They give in to their feelings briefly, making Hathaway reconsider moving in with Tag. Chloe disrupts a date between Lewis and Cvetic. Benton is competing for a prestigious fellowship. Greene observes Carter in the ER, giving Carter some confidence.

The episode was rated 7.81 from 214 votes.

ER - S1E9

#8 - ER Confidential (Season 1 - Episode 9)

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Lewis is caught in the middle as both Cvetic and Chloe have problems. Carter tries to help a suicidal transsexual. The ER tries to save two boys who killed a girl in a car accident. Benton invites Carter to Thanksgiving with his family. Hathaway confesses her feelings about Ross to Tag after Ross begins a new affair.

The episode was rated 7.82 from 170 votes.

ER - S1E20

#7 - Full Moon, Saturday Night (Season 1 - Episode 20)

The moon is full and so is the ER - filled with popsicle pledges, a would-be werewolf, and others affected by "lunar lunacy" - and Lewis is the only resident available. Coping with emotional problems, Greene's not making a good impression on the new ER chief.

The episode was rated 7.83 from 155 votes.

ER - S1E10

#6 - Blizzard (Season 1 - Episode 10)

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It's a December blizzard, and the day starts out quiet. Hathaway announces her engagement with Tag. Suddenly, County General goes into crisis mode when a 32-car pileup on an expressway inundates them with patients. Among the patients are a young male that Benton knows that lost his leg, a patient of Ross' that dies suddenly while waiting for treatment, and a man who is snowed in at home and calls Greene when his wife refuses to go to the hospital to have her baby. Lewis tries to save a man that suddenly develops an aneurysm, and the patient is saved by the most unlikely person.

The episode was rated 7.85 from 200 votes.

ER - S1E21

#5 - House of Cards (Season 1 - Episode 21)

Greene must lead seminar on the ill-fated pre-eclampsia case he recently misdiagnosed. The rivalry between Carter and Chen causes Chen to make a disastrous mistake. Lewis' pregnant sister Chloe returns from Texas.

The episode was rated 7.85 from 150 votes.

ER - S1E23

#4 - Love Among the Ruins (Season 1 - Episode 23)

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Carter's family background is discovered. Benton starts falling for a married woman. Hathaway has trouble writing her wedding vows. Greene is living with his wife in Milwaukee, but their marriage is still broken. Lewis treats a suicidal patient.

The episode was rated 7.85 from 151 votes.

ER - S1E25

#3 - Everything Old Is New Again (Season 1 - Episode 25)

Both Greene and Carter get some surprising news. At Hathaway's wedding, not everything goes as planned.

The episode was rated 7.87 from 146 votes.

ER - S1E1

#2 - 24 Hours (Season 1 - Episode 1)

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John Carter, a third-year medical student, begins the first day of his rotation in the ER at County General Hospital. Dr. Mark Greene, an ER resident physician, is mulling an offer to go into private practice. Dr. Susan Lewis, another ER resident, deals with a myriad of patients, including a patient with advanced cancer . Dr. Doug Ross, the ER pediatrician, confronts a woman over potential abuse of her son. The head nurse, Carol Hathaway, returns several hours after her shift as a patient, overdosing in an apparent suicide attempt.

The episode was rated 7.90 from 428 votes.

ER - S1E19

#1 - Love's Labor Lost (Season 1 - Episode 19)

Greene misdiagnoses a pregnant patient, leading to a long and arduous surgery.

The episode was rated 8.00 from 156 votes.

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