ER – The Complete Ninth Season (Warner DVD)
Picture:
B- Sound: B- Extras: C Episodes: B-
The staff
of Chicago County General Hospital returns once again in the Ninth Season of ER to give it their all. The
series just recently ended its 14th
Season and will return for a final farewell with Season 15, which will run through February of 2009. ER
is the second longest running drama series to ever appear on NBC and the
longest running medical drama to ever appear on television to date. In many ways ER is a television regular that everyone just expects to ‘be
around’ (like all of the Law and Orders). The problem with a series feeling too
comfortable is that it becomes drab and monotonous, containing very little
life. This reviewer has always enjoyed
the series, but over the years it definitely has begun to drag to the point
where just as quick as the episode was viewed, it was forgotten. The uneventful nature that the series began
to propagate dug the series into a hole that it just never climbed out of. Where as it is still solid television, ER can be called strained and slipping
at best.
Throughout
the season it is definitely noticeable that it is the beginning of the end for
many characters. Kovac is partying a
little too much. Carter and Kovac both
head to Africa and are seen in episodes less and less. Romano replaces Weaver after she gets a new
job. There are mishaps and accidents and love affairs and tears; and the beat
goes on. This reviewer still likes the
characters, but feels less connected to them than ever and many characters
story arches seem super trivial. Good
series gone wrong for sure.
The
technical features on this long running medical drama are on par with last
season’s release, sliding by as solid but not outstanding. The picture is once again presented in 1.66 X
1 Widescreen that has nice colors (for the most part) and a clear image
presentation, but still at time remains a tad heavy on the darkness. The sound is once again presented in a simple
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo that is not thrilling in any way, but gets the job
done. As the series has gone on through
the years, fans may have noticed that the story arches have gotten a lot larger
and in turn have infused more action sequences; it would be nice if Warner
could upgrade the sound to follow suit with the growing action found on the
series.
The
extras on this Ninth Season set are
once again weak, only offering fans a few unaired scenes and a not so funny gag
reel. The extras are nothing more than
forgettable. All in all the extras are
slightly there, but overly disappointing.
As this
reviewer has stated in previous reviews about ER, the series at this point is just coasting along. The scripts are well written, the medical
language is solid and realistic, the acting is very nice, there is no lack of
studio funding, and in the end is still an entertaining hour of
television. Between Seasons 9 and 11 there
is a big transition in the cast with very little of the founding cast members
being left on the series. The cast that
slowly steps into the roles of head medical staff do an excellent job, but
today’s ER does not demonstrate the
same charisma it did when George Clooney and crew was on staff. The series more and more steps out of the ER
and into the staffs’ lives, causing a challenging overlap where separating
personal life from professional seems impossible. The Ninth Season takes many risks and is
definitely worth a watch, though this reviewer is not sure if the DVD set is
worth a follow-up appointment.
- Michael
P. Dougherty II
