DVD Reviews

ER: The Complete Fourteenth Season – DVD Review

By June L. Feb 8, 2011, 17:31 GMT

At an "ER" party, Nurse Chuny Marquez recalls, "I still remember when Mark Green and Doug Ross were running the place." "Who?" asks a newcomer. So much has happened in 14 seasons, so many people have come and gone, but the chaos of saving lives and the dedication of the people who make County General run remain. In this penultimate season of the powerful, award-winning series, personal tragedies threaten - ...more

ER was a staple in American television viewing for many seasons.

The doctors and nurses of the series were characters that viewers cared about, and looked forward to watching in episodes that explored both medicine and human nature.

The fourteenth season is now available on DVD so that fans can relive favorite moments or episodes as the emergency healthcare staff of County General work to save lives.

This was a season of change for ER interesting to watch, whether viewers were fans from the beginning, or had adopted the show later in its run. The stories maintained the quality for which they were famous, delivering drama and humor (sometimes in lightening succession) and carrying viewers from pathos to uplifting and hopeful outcomes, or showing the very human face of loss and grief.

Wherever ER took them, viewers followed the series, even in a season that was cut short by a writer’s strike. There was much to enjoy.

Personal problems hit the staff hard during season fourteen. Dr. Kevin Moretti (Stanley Tucci) as new Chief of Emergency Medicine, confounded his staff with his ideas for changes in the way the department is run. Dr. Abby Lockheart (Maura Tierney) battled with herself as loneliness for Luka (still in Croatia) and the burdens of single parenthood drove her back to old habits.

Dr. Neela Rasgotra (Parminder Nagra) could perform miracles in surgery, but thought that she was missing out on something important in life. Dr. Greg Pratt (Mekhi Phifer) was all set for a promotion, but the position was given to another.

Whatever the problem, personal or professional, viewers were privy to the lives of the ER staff, and had favorites to cheer on, and others for whom a “comeuppance” was avidly anticipated.

As with every season of ER there were storylines that stayed in the memory long after the episode had finished. Chaplain Julia Dupree (Reiko Aylesworth) was called to counsel a prison doctor whose work with lethal injections for executions was driving him to despair.

ER: The Complete Fourteenth Season DVD is presented on five discs with a variety of extras. An insert brochure is included illustrated with color stills from the program. This insert has production notes and a synopsis of the plots for each of the 19 episodes. There are “Outpatient Outtakes” for many of the episodes that offer alternate readings of the scenes, deleted bits, and interesting looks at filming.

“ER at 300” is a featurette celebrating the series milestone the filming of the 300th episode. Also in the specials are a Tribute at the Paley Center for Media with both cast and crew members from the show. Finally there is a gag reel.

Fans should be delighted with the look and arrangement of this DVD set, which will be a welcome addition to ER collections.