ER (season 9)

ER (season 9)
DVD Boxset
Starring	Noah Wyle Laura Innes Mekhi Phifer Alex Kingston Goran Visnjic Maura Tierney Sherry Stringfield Ming-Na Sharif Atkins Paul McCrane
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	22
Release
Original network	NBC
Original release	September 26, 2002 – May 15, 2003

The ninth season of the American fictional drama television series ER first aired on September 26, 2002 and concluded on May 15, 2003. The ninth season consists of 22 episodes.

Plot

For the first time John Carter becomes the central character and Noah Wyle receives star billing. The death of Mark Greene continues to affect his colleagues while a grieving Corday has left Chicago for England. Elsewhere Romano suffers a horrific injury which has consequences throughout the season, Weaver finds herself promoted, Abby’s family troubles resurface, Pratt continues to get on the wrong side of his colleagues, and Kovac and Carter join a relief mission in Africa, setting up a continuing story thread for following seasons.

Cast

Main cast

• Noah Wyle as Dr. John Carter - Chief Resident
• Laura Innes as Dr. Kerry Weaver - Chief of Emergency Medicine, later Chief of Staff
• Mekhi Phifer as Dr. Greg Pratt - ER Intern
• Alex Kingston as Dr. Elizabeth Corday - Associate Chief of Surgery
• Goran Visnjic as Dr. Luka Kovač - Attending Physician
• Maura Tierney as Nurse Manager Abby Lockhart
• Sherry Stringfield as Dr. Susan Lewis - Attending Physician
• Ming-Na as Dr. Jing-Mei Chen - Attending Physician
• Sharif Atkins as Michael Gallant - Fourth Year Medical Student
• Paul McCrane as Dr. Robert Romano - Chief of Staff and Chief of Surgery, later Chief of Emergency Medicine

Supporting cast

Doctors and Medical students

• Sam Anderson as Dr. Jack Kayson - Chief of Cardiology
• John Aylward as Dr. Donald Anspaugh - Surgical Attending Physician and Hospital Board Member
• Don Cheadle as Paul Nathan - Medical Student
• Leslie Bibb as Erin Harkins - Medical Student ^[1]
• John Doman as Dr. Carl DeRaad - Chief of Psychiatry ^[2]
• Bruno Campos as Dr. Eddie Dorset - Vascular Surgeon
• Megan Cole as Dr. Alice Upton - Pathologist

Nurses

• Ellen Crawford as Nurse Lydia Wright
• Conni Marie Brazelton as Nurse Conni Oligario
• Deezer D as Nurse Malik McGrath
• Laura Cerón as Nurse Chuny Marquez
• Yvette Freeman as Nurse Haleh Adams
• Lily Mariye as Nurse Lily Jarvik
• Gedde Watanabe as Nurse Yosh Takata
• Donal Logue as Flight Nurse Chuck Martin
• Dinah Lenney as Nurse Shirley
• Nadia Shazana as Nurse Jacy
• Bellina Logan as Nurse Kit
• Gina Philips as Nurse Kathy ^[1]

Staff and Paramedics

• Abraham Benrubi as Desk Clerk Jerry Markovic ^[3]
• Troy Evans as Desk Clerk Frank Martin ^[4]
• Kristin Minter as Desk Clerk Miranda "Randi" Fronczak ^[3]
• Erica Gimpel as Social Worker Adele Newman
• Pamela Sinha as Desk Clerk Amira
• Emily Wagner as Paramedic Doris Pickman
• Monté Russell as Paramedic Zadro White
• Lynn A. Henderson as Paramedic Pamela Olbes
• Demetrius Navarro as Paramedic Morales
• Brian Lester as Paramedic Brian Dumar
• Michelle Bonilla as Paramedic Harms

Family

• Sally Field as Maggie Wyczenski
• Tom Everett Scott as Eric Wyczenski ^[1]
• Paul Freeman as Dr. Charles Corday ^[5]
• Judy Parfitt as Isabelle Corday ^[5]
• Frances Sternhagen as Millicent Carter
• Lisa Vidal as Sandy Lopez
• Marcello Thedford as Leon Pratt ^[1]

Notable guest stars

• Chris Pine as Levine in 'A Thousand Cranes'.^[6]
• Paul Hipp as Craig Turner ^[7]
• Josh Radnor as Keith
• Crispin Bonham Carter as Passenger ^[5]
• Simone-Elise Girard as Nurse Gillian (Kisangani)
• Pragna Desai as Dr. Angelique Chatta (Kisangani)
• Bruce Weitz as John Bright
• Edward Asner and Liz Torres as patients (episode 11)
• Patrick Fugit as Sean Simmons

Production

Original executive producers John Wells and Michael Crichton reprised their roles. Long-time crew member Jack Orman returned as executive producer and show runner. Previous executive producer Christopher Chulack remained a consulting producer while working on Wells' Third Watch. R. Scott Gemmill and Dee Johnson continued to act as co-executive producers. Medical expert Joe Sachs remained a supervising producer. Richard Thorpe, Joe Sachs, and Wendy Spence Rosato returned as producers. They were joined by new producer Bruce Miller. Eighth season executive story editor David Zabel and unit production manager Tommy Burns joined the production team as co-producers for the ninth season. New crew member Julie Hébert began the season as a co-producer. Zabel and Hebert were promoted to producers mid-season. Hebert left the crew with the close of the season. Teresa Salamunovich returned to the crew as an associate producer for the ninth season. She was joined by new associate producers Erin Mitchell (for the entire season) and Shelagh O'Brien (after the mid-season break).

Wells wrote a further episode for the season. Gemmill was the season's most prolific writer with five episodes. Johnson and Orman each wrote four episodes. Zabel and Hebert each wrote three episodes. Sachs and Miller each wrote two episodes. Yahlin Chang joined the writing staff as a story editor in 2002 and contributed to four episodes as a writer and twelve episodes as an executive story editor and one episode as a co-producer between 2002 and 2005. Wells was promoted to executive story editor mid-season but left the staff with the close of the season. New writer Arthur Albert wrote a single episode.

Producers Kaplan and Thorpe served as the season's regular directors. Kaplan helmed five episodes while Thorpe directed four. Chulack directed a further episode. Show runner Orman helmed a further two episodes. New producer Hebert directed a single episode. Returning director Charles Haid directed two episodes. Cast members Laura Innes and Paul McCrane each directed an episode, McCrane making his series debut. Returning directors were Félix Enríquez Alcalá, David Nutter, Nelson McCormick, TR Babu Subramaniam, and Alan J. Levi. Peggy Rajski was the season's only new director.

Episodes

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Production code	U.S. viewers (millions)
180	1	"Chaos Theory"	Jonathan Kaplan	Jack Orman & R. Scott Gemmill	September 26, 2002	175151	26.72[8]
As the smallpox crisis continues the CDC orders the entire evacuation of the hospital and Carter, Abby, Chen, and Pratt are placed under quarantine. As the evacuation goes awry Romano and Kovac argue over the use of the last helicopter and Romano's arm is severed when he backs into the chopper's tail rotor. As Kovac battles to keep him alive in a deserted ER, Lewis is left stuck on the roof with a dying patient. Meanwhile, a grieving Corday has returned to London where her Americanized ways raise eyebrows among her British colleagues.
181	2	"Dead Again"	Richard Thorpe	Dee Johnson	October 3, 2002	175152	25.13[9]
Local ER closings wreak havoc at County, as Carter tries to keep the peace. Weaver steps on a still-grieving Corday's toes, and a med student awaits her overdue orientation. Meanwhile, Pratt's inability to follow orders results in tragedy for a family when he resuscitates a brain dead father. Gallant drives everyone crazy during his psych rotation.
182	3	"Insurrection"	Charles Haid	Yahlin Chang & Jack Orman	October 10, 2002	175153	24.74[10]
Carter takes drastic steps to improve security conditions at County after a frustrated patient takes matters into his own hands - violently. Meanwhile, Gallant tends to a hypochondriac who refuses to leave any symptom unchecked; Pratt is keeping a secret about his home situation but takes time to console a badly shaken Chen; and Kovač has an unhappy ex-lover to contend with. Kerry agrees to permit installing new security measures but announces major service cuts and layoffs in order to pay for it giving Carter the choice of who gets fired.
183	4	"Walk Like A Man"	Félix Enríquez Alcalá	David Zabel	October 17, 2002	175154	25.65[11]
Tensions between meek med student Gallant and arrogant intern Pratt reach a fever pitch as they battle over two troubled patients, the hypochondriac from the week before and a troubled Army veteran. Abby tries to set the record straight with Carter about her drinking and Weaver makes a disastrous television appearance before revealing the reason behind her muddled behavior. Kerry makes Abby nurse manager, despite Abby being unwilling to take the job.
184	5	"A Hopeless Wound"	Laura Innes	Julie Hébert & Joe Sachs	October 31, 2002	175155	23.53[12]
A suspicious fire on Halloween floods the ER with many bizarrely costumed victims. Marquez threatens to file a grievance against an increasingly gross Kovač as he offends Abby and treats a single mom whose newborn baby is very ill, Romano's rehab lags behind his expectations as he begins to doubt that his role in surgery is still an option, and the staff greets an older but wiser surgical intern, Paul Nathan, who tries to overcome a daunting physical handicap and Corday's disapproval but impresses the staff by diagnosing a case of flesh-eating bacteria.
185	6	"One Can Only Hope"	Jonathan Kaplan	Bruce Miller	November 7, 2002	175156	24.39[13]
Corday clashes with the new surgical resident, Paul Nathan, over his intervention in the treatment of a sickly young woman who signs a "Do Not Resuscitate" agreement. Abby's brother Eric returns with some all-too-familiar manic tendencies, Chen gives in to Pratt's sort-of-tender loving care after a violent patient gets under her skin, and tensions between the nurses and doctors hit a fever pitch as a petition against Kovač leaves the ER short-staffed.
186	7	"Tell Me Where It Hurts"	Richard Thorpe	R. Scott Gemmill	November 14, 2002	175157	24.28[14]
Kovač hits a new low in his search for a sexual high, Corday and Nathan reach an impasse regarding his future in medicine, Chen helps Carter treat a Chinese immigrant being exploited by her employer, and Abby fears the worst when her brother Eric disappears.
187	8	"First Snowfall"	Jack Orman	Jack Orman	November 21, 2002	175158	25.85[15]
Abby's family nightmare continues when she and her mother, Maggie, go in search of her AWOL brother, Eric and find him locked up on a military base in Nebraska. Meanwhile, back in Chicago, a blizzard entangles the city and Nathan and Corday desperately attempt to save a family torn apart by a drunk driver.
188	9	"Next of Kin"	Paul McCrane	Dee Johnson	December 5, 2002	175159	23.92[16]
Abby races to stop Maggie from taking manic-depressive Eric out of treatment, and Kovač hits a new low when he accepts a $10,000 tip from an elderly woman for his medical services. Meanwhile, an abandoned baby dredges up painful memories for Chen, Pratt goes to bat for Leon after he is fired for allegedly stealing from his job, a father's death leads to a revelation about his son, and Lewis helps a woman who's being beaten up by her son.
189	10	"Hindsight"	David Nutter	David Zabel	December 12, 2002	175160	22.75[17]
After a late-night car accident involving the increasingly self-destructive Kovač and med student Harkins, the hour unfolds backwards to recount the troubling events leading up to the crash. A boozy holiday party, rumors of an illicit tryst and a run-in with his ex, Abby, all plague Kovač, but it is his tragic misdiagnosis of a patient that ultimately sends him racing off on a reckless ride. Meanwhile, the ER is awash in Christmas casualties.
190	11	"A Little Help From My Friends"	Alan J. Levi	Julie Hébert	January 9, 2003	175161	21.52[18]
Kovač pays the price for his misdiagnosis that left a patient with brain damage. Pratt is caught bringing a gun into the emergency room and Carter realizes he is protecting Leon, Weaver hopes to keep her pregnancy a secret, but physical complications might compromise her plans, and Lewis keeps a wary eye on a self-destructive patient who admits to wanting to molest young boys.
191	12	"A Saint in the City"	Peggy Rajski	Bruce Miller	January 16, 2003	175162	21.80[19]
Ethical crises abound after Weaver agrees to hide a politician's sexually transmitted disease. Kovač plays God to get a critical patient into surgery and Pratt ignores a dying mother's wishes in hopes of keeping her kids out of foster care. Meanwhile, Carter's family fortunes fail to pay off for an ailing doctor running a local clinic.
192	13	"No Good Deed Goes Unpunished"	Nelson McCormick	R. Scott Gemmill	January 30, 2003	175163	21.90[20]
Carter's plan to help an ailing doctor leads to a dead-end — and a decision about his own career path. Pratt intervenes after a burglary lands Leon's pal in the ER, along with the cop his so-called friends shot. Weaver's ethics are tested even further while setting up a photo-op for a politician hiding a severe condition, and she sees Kovač go AWOL from his job after she is unsympathetic to his depressive spiral. Corday is caught off guard by hot-shot new surgeon, Dr. Dorset, and Romano risks his standing at County by overseeing an operation he is incapable of completing. Abby's brother Eric, now on his bipolar meds, visits and reconciles with her.
193	14	"No Strings Attached"	Jonathan Kaplan	Dee Johnson	February 6, 2003	175164	20.91[21]
A downed plane over the Great Lakes sends Abby's world into a tailspin. Romano's surgical career is altered forever, Weaver gets a promotion from a grateful alderman, and a terminal patient helps Lewis weigh the pros and cons of a blind date while she handles a case where an unpopular student either mistakenly or deliberately ran down her classmates. Meanwhile, Pratt has an unexpected reaction to Chen's revelation about her baby, while Chen disgusts Abby with her hardline response to a case where a single mother is supporting her kids through prostitution.
194	15	"A Boy Falling Out of the Sky"	Charles Haid	R. Scott Gemmill & Yahlin Chang	February 13, 2003	175165	20.59[22]
Carter comes to the rescue when the stalled search for Abby's brother, Eric — and the arrival of her mother, Maggie — pushes the nurse to her limit. Meanwhile, Kovač comes back to work just before Weaver's final deadline and saves an overdose case from frying his own brain. Pratt digs himself into a deeper hole with Chen during his stint with the EMTs and Lewis is also flattered by her teenaged admirer but gets an earful from his protective mother.
195	16	"A Thousand Cranes"	Jonathan Kaplan	David Zabel	February 20, 2003	175166	22.37[23]
Three persons are murdered during a holdup at Doc Magoo's, and Chen's partial description of one of the perps leads to an unpleasant morning for Pratt and Gallant. Kovač works hard to avoid attending mandatory Psych counseling. Lewis befriends a teenage cancer patient, despite his mother's disapproval, and Carter decides to propose to Abby, who is having difficulty finding someone to give her mother a ride to the bus station for her trip back to Wisconsin.
196	17	"The Advocate"	Julie Hébert	Joe Sachs	March 13, 2003	175167	20.92[24]
A favor for a popular but closeted politician has dire results for Weaver — and a patient (Josh Radnor). Carter and Abby come to terms with their ailing romance. Kovač finds an unusual outlet for his inner demons and Romano's days as Chief of Staff end abruptly when Anspaugh assigns Weaver to replace him.
197	18	"Finders Keepers"	T.R. Babu Subramaniam	Dee Johnson	April 3, 2003	175168	18.93[25]
Heads roll and hearts break after Romano is demoted to the ER, where a mom-to-be hears grim news about her own health. Pratt's faux pas spoils Chen's birthday and Kovač implores Weaver and Corday to help him arrange a pro-bono operation for a dying Croatian child. Meanwhile, a patient's broken wrist leads to tragic complications — and a change of perspective for a County newlywed.
198	19	"Things Change"	Richard Thorpe	R. Scott Gemmill	April 24, 2003	175169	20.88[26]
Lewis works with a mentally ill man who took too much of his anti-psychotic medication, Kovač welcomes an old friend - a fellow Croatian doctor - to observe the chaos of an American inner-city hospital, Romano discusses grave options about his arm with Corday, and Carter receives some emotional news from home.
199	20	"Foreign Affairs"	Jonathan Kaplan	David Zabel	May 1, 2003	175170	19.55[27]
Kovač breaks every rule in the book to get a dying Croatian boy to Chicago in a race to save his life. Lewis waffles on whether she wants to end things with her "husband" Chuck, Carter's sad family gathering is interrupted by Abby's mentally troubled brother Eric. A minor league baseball player with a serious heart ailment is treated on the eve of his pitching debut with the Chicago Cubs, and Romano makes a dramatic decision about his mangled arm. Also, Kovač departs for the Congo after saying goodbye to Abby.
200	21	"When Night Meets Day"	Jack Orman	Jack Orman	May 8, 2003	175171	21.90[28]
As a solar eclipse approaches, the early shift sees a weary Carter fielding a slew of casualties from a cult's suicide pact. Intercut with that chaos are scenes of Pratt, whose skills are tested on the final night of his residency. Meanwhile, Corday offers support as Romano undergoes surgery to amputate his arm, and Kovač calls from Africa for backup... and it comes from an unlikely source.
201	22	"Kisangani"	Christopher Chulack	John Wells	May 15, 2003	175172	21.61[29]
After weeks of professional and personal setbacks, Carter leaves the ER — and Abby — behind to join the equally troubled Kovač on a relief mission in the war-torn Congo. But upon arrival, the hellish conditions, lack of supplies, and rampant disease soon have him clamoring for the comforts (and even the chaos) of Chicago. In time, these unlikely allies realize they are exactly where they are needed most, especially after a skirmish between local rebels and the government Army triggers the docs' bloody battle to save a child caught in the crossfire. Features music by Youssou N'Dour, Willie Nelson, the Tin Hat Trio and Jamshied Sharifi. Note: Nielsen Ratings: 21.6 million viewers

References

1. Episode 3.
2. Episode 11.
3. Episode 4.
4. Episodes 1, 3.
5. Episode 1.
6. Episode 16.
7. Episode 1. Also, Season 8.
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17. Fitzgerald, Toni (December 18, 2002). "Ho-hum, another 'Survivor' finale". Media Life Magazine. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
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External links

• Event data as RDF