Viable Options (6 Apr. 2000)

A previous case for Carter comes back to bite his butt. Weaver goes against instructions from above to help a severely disabled girl. Green clashes with his father over his care and ...

Director:

Marita Grabiak

Writers:

Michael Crichton (creator), Patrick Harbinson

Stars:

Anthony Edwards, Noah Wyle, Julianna Margulies

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Anthony Edwards	...	Dr. Mark Greene
Noah Wyle	...	Dr. John Carter
Julianna Margulies	...	Nurse Carol Hathaway
Laura Innes	...	Dr. Kerry Weaver
Alex Kingston	...	Dr. Elizabeth Corday
Paul McCrane	...	Dr. Robert Romano
Goran Visnjic	...	Dr. Luka Kovac
Maura Tierney	...	Nurse Abby Lockhart
Michael Michele	...	Dr. Cleo Finch
Erik Palladino	...	Dr. Dave Malucci
Ming-Na Wen	...	Dr. Jing-Mei Chen (as Ming-Na)
Eriq La Salle	...	Dr. Peter Benton
Ellen Crawford	...	Nurse Lydia Wright
Patty McCormack	...	Mrs. Dwyer
Leslie Silva	...	Sonya Bassett

Storyline

A previous case for Carter comes back to bite his butt. Weaver goes against instructions from above to help a severely disabled girl. Green clashes with his father over his care and treatment.

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 April 2000 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Stage 1, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Did You Know?

Quotes

[a patient was stabbed in the cheek with Dr. Romano's pen]
Dr. Dave Malucci: Should I just, you know, maybe yank it out?
Dr. Robert Romano: No, we gotta check for damage to the facial nerve. Not to mention the damage to my pen.
Randall James: I've been stabbed, and you're worried about your pen?
Dr. Robert Romano: Oh, shut up.

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Connections

References Sesame Street (1969)

User Reviews

Well done, Paul Mccrane

For me, the standout performance of this episode is from Paul Mccrane. He creates a truly believable and sometimes terrifying character in Robert Romano. He does this at the best of times but this episode in particular is telling of the talent he has and devotion he has to the character. His talent shines in every scene he is in and whilst stealing the show almost every time, the other actors seem to flourish when they are around him.

Other notable performances include the ever improving romance and chemistry between two different sets of characters, firstly, Benton and Finch. Between them, the first troubling aspect that actually makes their relationship stronger is seen as it is shown how their work in the hospital can affect their personal lives, something which is a recurring theme in ER. The other pairing is Kovac and Hathaway, even though they only share one short scene at the end, the building tension between them is really shown for the first time, the two actors, Visnjic and Margulies seem at home with one another, almost as much as what Margulies did with George Clooney.

The storyline involving the donated kidney and the growing number of candidates who fail to meet the standards allows Kovac's character to shine once again as the frustration of the situation gets to him. It shows another popular ER theme that things don't always turn out how the doctors plan in its essence. The story itself helps progress Kovac's relationship with Hathaway as they joke about it in the final scene.

All in all, a good episode with some regular ER themes involved and the progression of some promising relationships but no one stands out more than Paul Mccrane.