The Letter

Never mind that the reading of Greene's letter--and then Corday's--is tribute to the classic Henry Fonda/Jack Lemmon film, "Mister Roberts" in which Ensign Pulver (Lemmon) reads a letter from the beloved Mister Roberts (Fonda) before reading the notification that Roberts was killed in the line of duty. We get something similar with Greene's letter followed by Corday's.

And yet, as powerful as the first five minutes of the episode was, it's the last five that transcends even that one. We come full circle as Carter clearly remembers one of the most important pieces of advice that he received on his first day; advice from Dr. Greene himself as he repeats it nearly verbatim to a shaken Gallant after a particularly gruesome trauma.

A farewell letter is powerful but taking something---a lesson--and applying it, is an even greater tribute because you're telling that person, "You taught me something valuable."

I also found it clever that, despite their constant battling, Weaver still valued Mark and considered him a friend as we see her visibly shaken after learning of his passing. As we find from the classic film, "It's a Wonderful Life"...one life touches so many. And sometimes, we are unaware of the hole that an absence leaves until it's brought to reality.

As good as John Carter is, Mark Greene was always the heart and soul of ER, and that was a void that was never able to be filled after he left. In short, ER was never the same again, which only tells you how valuable and beloved the character of Mark Greene was.

Anthony Edwards was the heart and soul and flesh and blood of this show. I love how they wrote him out in Hawaii. I cry every single time I watch it.

Carter and Abby became the characters to carry the show forward. For a while.

Carrie never made us really care about her, and Romano's exit is insane.

Also isn't the medical examiner the same one on SVU? With the bad hatched up haircut?

Why do you have to do a 300 word count review to be able to post?

This is old school technology.

Sheesh.... What an emotional opening scene, throw out classic dramatic structure, the first 5 minutes was brutal. The rest of the episode was members of the ER remembering Mark, coping and recovering from the news in the letter. It's Carters ER...