| "The Beginning of the End" | |
| Season 15, Episode 16 | |
 | |
| Air date | February 19, 2009 |
| US viewers | 7.44 M |
| Written by | David Zabel & Lisa Zwerling |
| Directed by | Jonathan Kaplan |
| Episode Guide | |
| ← Previous The Family Man |
Next → T-Minus-6 |
The Beginning of the End is the sixteenth episode of the fifteenth season of the NBC medical drama series ER. It premiered on February 19, 2009.
Synopsis[]
Valentine's Day in the ER finds Neela spellbound by Brenner . Determined to have a baby, Banfield comes up with a plan but has difficulty getting her husband on board. Neela performs surgery on a young girl's mother. Dr. Carter surprises the staff with a visit to the ER. Gates treats a strange patient who may have ingested a toxin while hunting for mushrooms.
Cast and Characters[]
Main[]
- Parminder Nagra as Dr. Neela Rasgotra
- John Stamos as Dr. Tony Gates
- Linda Cardellini as Nurse Sam Taggart
- Scott Grimes as Dr. Archie Morris
- David Lyons as Dr. Simon Brenner
- Angela Bassett as Dr. Cate Banfield
- Noah Wyle as Dr. John Carter
Supporting/Recurring[]
- Gil McKinney as Dr. Paul Grady
- Emily Rose as Dr. Tracy Martin
- Courtney B. Vance as Russell Banfield
- Abraham Benrubi as Jerry Markovic
- Montae Russell as Zadro
- Dominic Janes as Alex Taggart
- Angel Laketa Moore as Nurse Dawn Archer
- Ariel Winter as Lucy Moore
- Justina Machado as Detective Claudia Diaz
- Brian Lester as Dumar
- Emily Wagner as Pickman
Guest[]
- David Eigenberg as Detective Trent Mallory
- Wallace Shawn as Teddy Lempell
- Eileen Barnett as Dr. Robbins
- Kristolyn Lloyd as Laura Banfield
Gallery[]
Trivia/Notes[]
- There's an irony of Carter returning on Valentine's Day, given that we find out is his primary reason (a kidney transplant) - it was the same day nine years prior that Carter was stabbed that led to this moment (in the sixth season episodes "Be Still My Heart " and "All in the Family " where Lucy Knight also died).
- This marks the begining for the 4-episode end.
- The following is a reference to a conversation Carter and Morris had in the Season 11 episode "The Show Must Go On":
Carter: Looks like you followed my advice, Archie.
Morris: How's that?
Carter: You set the tone.
- Music: "Crystal Village," Pete Yorn; "Town Where You Belong," Earlimart
- In this episode, Noah Wyle reprises his role as Dr. John Carter. He left the series as a regular in the Season 11 episode "The Show Must Go On ." Like Anthony Edwards earlier this season, he is listed first in the opening credits rather than being billed as a special guest or making a guest appearance. He was credited as a special guest star for his four appearances during Season 12, the last of which was in the episode "There Are No Angels Here ."
References[]
- Seidman, Robert (February 20, 2009). "Thursday Ratings: Grey's Anatomy still the demo king, Survivor stays strong ". TV by the Numbers. (May 24, 2015).