"County General"--- An ER Prequel Series

[TV DVD Fan]

"County General"
Starring Anthony Edwards
George Clooney
Sherry Stringfield
Julianna Margulies
Noah Wyle (pilot only)
and Eriq La Salle

Guest Starring
John Amos as Dr. Reed
Sam Anderson as Dr. Kayson
Amy Aquino as Dr. Coburn
John Terry as Dr. Cvetic
and William H. Macy as Dr. David Morgenstern

Special Guest Stars
Christine Harnos as Jen Greene
Michael Gross as Jack Carter
Mary McDonnell as Eleanor Carter
Frances Sternhagen as Millicent "Gamma" Carter
Ving Rhames as Walt Robbins
Khandi Alexander as Jackie Robbins
Lisa Nicole Carson as Carla Reese
Valerie Perrine as Cookie Lewis
Kathleen Wilhoite as Chloe Lewis
Paul Freeman as Charles Corday
Judy Parfitt as Isabelle Corday
John Cullum as David Greene
Bonnie Bartlett as Ruth Greene
and Sally Field as Maggie Wyczenski

The following takes place five years before the pilot.

1- "In the Beginning..."- Mark Greene begins his residency at Cook County General under Dr. David Morgenstern; his first case involves a gang shooting in which one of the gang members' five year old sister is shot in the chest. Surgical resident Peter Benton, one of Mark's acquaintances from med school, is called down to assist cocky attending trauma surgeon Dr. Charles Reed (John Amos). Junior Nurse Carol Hathaway juggles two complicated cases: an elderly priest with end-stage liver cancer and a ten year old with antisocial personality disorder who tried killing a schoolmate. Pedes resident Ross attempts to revive the schoolmate, who suffered three stab wounds to his neck, to no avail. He later comes under fire for attempting the procedure without an attending present. Susan Lewis, just entering med school, visits the ER to observe what life in the ER is like. Young millionaire John Carter is still coping with the death of his brother Bobby without much help from his parents (Michael Gross and Mary McDonnell) and makes what will become a life-altering decision regarding his future. At the end of the episode, we flash forward five years to Carter's graduation from college and essentially, the beginnings of his medical career.

2- "You Can't Go Home Again."- A shut-in who has just suffered a heart attack is brought in by paramedics, and it's up to Greene to convince the man he needs to undergo a bypass surgery. Ross and Carol begin a casual fling outside of the workplace which quickly complicates both of their lives. Benton clashes with his superior, Dr. Reed, on a course of treatment for a comatose patient.

3- "My Kind of Town."- Jen's new clerking career proves as time-consuming as Mark's, prompting a discussion about whether or not they should consider having a child. Doug and Carol are both distracted at work following Doug's suggestion to Carol that they should take their relationship to the next level and her subsequent rejection of him. A fight breaks out at a football game between Bears and Packers fans, turning the ER into a loud and obnoxious work environment. Susan continues her observation at the ER and befriends Mark Greene.

4- "Friendship."- Susan's burgeoning relationship with Mark makes Jen jealous despite Mark's insistence that they are just friends; Doug and Carol come to the mutual decision that they should just be friends; Peter is disgusted by treating a patient who has AIDS, to Dr. Reed's dismay, for shocking reasons.

5- "Love and Learn."- Jen announces her pregnancy to Mark, but doesn't get the excited response she was hoping for. Doug decides friendship isn't enough for him, and makes another move for Hathaway, in the middle of a trauma! Benton and Reed treat Doug and Hathaway's patient, a sixteen year old drunk driver who Hathaway suspects crashed the car on purpose. Later, when his BAL is revealed, it comes to light that the boy had no alcohol in his system. Chloe Lewis drops in to surprise her sister Susan, but later reveals the real reason for her visit: she needs a "loan" from her sister. Jackie and Walt try to set up Peter with a waitress friend of Jackie's, Carla Reese, with comedic results.

[TV DVD Fan]

6- "Ceasefire."- Psychopath Harry Matthews (special guest star Woody Harrelson) is admitted to County after getting shot by Officer Grabarsky (Mike Genovese) who successfully foiled Matthews' attempts to kill his hostages at a bank he was robbing. Greene is forced to treat him like any other patient, which he does not like, bringing it to Morgenstern's attention. After his release from County, Mark assumes Matthews will go to jail, but he is determined to be insane and is instead sent to an asylum. Mark once against voices his moral objections, and in doing so learns his first lesson in hospital bureaucracy.

7- "Love Story."- Ross resents Carol's objections to them getting together, which causes tension in the workplace. Ross makes a fatal error in the treatment of a ten year old with leukemia. Susan fails a med school practical and questions if she is making the right decision for her career; she confides in Hathaway about what being a nurse is like.

8- "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"- Peter's sister Jackie confronts him about his tendency to care more about his career than his family when he misses his nephew's first birthday party. Mark admits to Doug that he is unsure if he is ready for a baby in his life. Carol talks to her overbearing mother (Rose Gregorio) about her blossoming feelings for Ross.

[TV DVD Fan]

9- "Epidemic."- A flu epidemic in the dead of December has Ross, Greene, Benton, and Hathaway with their hands full; in the midst of a trauma, Mark puts Susan to work to do palpitations on a dying old woman. Morgenstern lashes out on Greene for letting an unexperienced med student in the middle of a trauma, to which Greene carefully counters by saying "How else is she going to learn?".

10- "Do the Right Thing."- Jen lashes out at Mark when he suggests that they are not ready to raise a child; he says they should consider giving the baby up for adoption. Hathaway suspects her patient, a disoriented old woman, is on the verge of Alzheimer's disease and is scared to allow her to return home where she lives with her drunken, irresponsible son. Benton and Carla take their relationship to the next level and decide to live together, but Peter's initial excitement quickly turns into disappointment when he finds out Carla's manipulative ex-boyfriend still wants her back.

[TV DVD Fan]

11- "Observe and Report."- Lewis is asked by her med school advisor Dr. James Hallahan (Michael Gaston) to spy on rival Dr. Morgenstern due to a long-standing grudge between the two over Morgenstern being appointed chief of emergency medicine. He wants her to watch him and note every mistake he makes so he can bring it to the attention of hospital benefactors. Susan confides in Mark about it.

12- "Silver Bells."- An intoxicated Santa is brought into the ER at the same time as a multi-car pile-up due to a massive snowstorm which has crippled the city. Greene proves himself to Morgenstern as he effectively manages the ER during a time of crisis. Benton breaks it off with Carla, jealous of her ex-boyfriend unexpectedly dropping in to see her all the time.

[TV DVD Fan]

13- "Custody Battle."- Ross treats a kid who has been abused by his dad, who is in a custody battle for the boy with his ex-wife; Carol feels the boy is in a severe depression and calls for a Psych consult against Doug's wishes. Millicent Carter meets with David Morgenstern to discuss her grandson's plan to become a doctor and makes an interesting business proposition to him if he agrees to keep an eye out for John Carter.

14- "Meanwhile, Outside the ER."- This episode focuses on introducing the lives of several people who will later become additions to the ER. Abby Lockhart (Maura Tierney) attempts to commit Maggie (Sally Field) following a near suicidal episode where she almost veered off the road on her way home from work. In Croatia, Luka Kovac meets his future wife in a college biology class. In London, Elizabeth Corday passes her MCAT and celebrates with her parents, who encourage her to pursue a career in America, where opportunities abound. Kerry Weaver, just promoted to an Attending at another Chicago hospital, asserts her power by alienating nearly everyone on the staff, learning an initial lesson in what happens when you assert your power too strongly. First year Resident Dr. Robert Romano assists on an ex-lap where he makes a near fatal mistake which makes his supervisor (Jeff Fahey) anxious over whether he possesses the skills to be a surgeon. Romano calls in a favor to med school acquaintance Benton to see if he can get Morgenstern to consider hiring him to County General.

This episode is credited as follows:
Starring Anthony Edwards (credit only), George Clooney (credit only), Sherry Stringfield (credit only), Julianna Margulies (credit only), Laura Innes, Alex Kingston, Maura Tierney, Goran Visnijic, Paul McCrane, and Eriq La Salle.

15- "If At First..."- Romano sits down with David Morgenstern to discuss a career at County thanks to Benton's help; unfortunately, he blows his chances by insulting Morgenstern's medical knowledge at dinner (at least for now!). Romano passes through the ER following the dinner to comment on how ineffectively the place is run and ends up helping Ross and Greene revive a woman nearly frozen to death after getting trapped under an avalanche while skiing.
This episode is credited as follows:
Starring Anthony Edwards, George Clooney, Sherry Stringfield (credit only), Julianna Margulies, Paul McCrane, and Eriq La Salle.

[TV DVD Fan]

16- "Already Gone."- A sixteen-year-old diabetic falls into a coma after a night of drinking at his junior prom; his mother refuses to believe her son is already gone and lashes out at Morgenstern when he tells Greene to call the death. Guest Starring Michelle Pfeiffer as the boy's mother.

17- "Glass Ceiling."- Benton is offered a lucrative fellowship by Dr. Reed at an elite pharmaceutical company; it soon becomes clear to him that the firm just wants a black person on the "team" so as to seem ethical and fair.

18- "Man Behind the Curtain."- A twenty year old male rape victim tests positive for HIV; he confides in Greene that he is afraid to tell his parents that he is gay and has had thoughts of suicide feeling like he would not be accepted for his lifestyle choice.

19- "Mothers and Daughters."- Susan's mother calls to ask her to spend the weekend with her when Henry decides to go fishing; Carol's mother, on the other hand, decides to meet with her daughter to persuade her to stay away from Ross when she learns of his womanizing ways.

[TV DVD Fan]

20- "Be Careful What You Wish For."- Carol finally sucumbs to Doug's attempts to get her to go out with him, but later regrets it when she catches him in a lie about another date he has the same night. A pregnant woman involved in a car crash finds out she has end-stage lung cancer and Susan encourages her to consider her options.

21- "Can't Go Home."- A scared teenage boy comes into the ER claiming his girlfriend beat him up; Div Cvetic is called down for a consult and tells Mark that the story was made up. Reed decides Benton is too cocky and decides to send him down to Pedes for the day to give him a chance to put his life in perspective.

[TV DVD Fan]

Season Two

Starring
Anthony Edwards
George Clooney
Sherry Stringfield
Julianna Margulies
and Eriq La Salle

Guest Starring
John Amos as Dr. Reed
Sam Anderson as Dr. Kayson
Amy Aquino as Dr. Coburn
Mark Valley as Richard Lockhart
and William H. Macy as Dr. Morgenstern

Special Guest Stars
Christine Harnos as Jen Greene
Khandi Alexander as Jackie Robbins
Ving Rhames as Walt Robbins
Lisa Nicole Carson as Carla Reese
John Terry as Dr. Div Cvetic
Rose Gregorio as Helen Hathaway
Kathleen Wilhoite as Chloe Lewis
Piper Laurie as Sarah Ross
Yvonne Zima as Rachel Greene
Valerie Perrine as Cookie Lewis
Tom Everett Scott as Eric Wyczenski
and Sally Field as Maggie Wyczenski

1- "Brawl in the Family."- After getting into a fight with his estranged father over his abandonment of his family, Doug's mother (Piper Laurie) comes to the ER to check on her son and urges Doug to stay away from Ray for good.

2- "Break Away."- A sick and stressed out college student OD's on an over-the-counter medicine, nearly killing himself in the process. Morgenstern clashes with Lewis over a patient's course of treatment; Lewis gets Benton to stick up for her.

3- "Perks of the Job."- Ross makes a date with a thankful patient much to Hathaway's dismay; Peter clashes with Reed over his demand for less strenuous work hours.

[TV DVD Fan]

4- "Thrill of the Chase."- A speed demon gets into a massive three car accident which instantly kills two and severely injures several others, including a three year old boy. The man survives, is barely injured, and fearing serious charges, takes off before the police arrive. What he didn't count on was Mark Greene following him.

5- "How the Other Half Lives."- An elderly, rich businessman (Donald Sutherland) makes Carol's life a living hell as he expects better treatment than the rest of the patients; meanwhile, Lewis treats a homeless woman who has signs of physical and emotional abuse who has lost touch with reality.

6- "Commitment."- Carol confronts Doug about how she doesn't like being treated like she's just one of his many options; he finally confides in her that he has serious commitment issues based on his family's history in the relationship department. Carol eventually decides that Doug is a good enough guy to go out on a limb for and they make their relationship official.

[TV DVD Fan]

7- "Out of Touch."- A newlywed couple on their way to the airport end up at County when their driver has a massive MI en route; Greene and Lewis tend to the severely injured couple while Benton tries in vain to save the driver.

8- "College Days."- Chloe brings in her college boyfriend to the ER after he OD's on acid; Ross cares for a girl who nearly drowned after she fell through the ice on an outdoor skating rink.

[TV DVD Fan]

9- "Love Always."- A ninety year old woman suffering from Alzheimer's disease unwittingly escapes from her retirement home and goes to the ER searching for her husband. Carol finds out the woman's identity, then comes to the heartbreaking conclusion that the man died in a house fire forty years ago and the wife is reliving her final moments with her husband in the hospital before he passed away. Ross plays the part of the husband and allows the woman to find some closure with an event that has traumatized her for most of her adult life.

10- "Stick to Your Guns."- Benton goes to bat for a sixteen year old boy tricked into joining a gang by his older cousin by going to a gang meeting and scaring the members by telling them a story about a gang shooting he worked on with Reed earlier in the week. Benton learns that Reed's son was killed by friendly fire in a gang war ten years ago.

[TV DVD Fan]

11- "Early Retirement."- A workaholic painter gives himself a heart attack and is urged by Greene and Hathaway to slow down and consider his family before he works himself into an early grave; Reed asks Benton's advice on how to cope with the ten year anniversary of his son's death.

12- "End of the Road (1)."- An inexperienced driver crashes into a ditch on a road undergoing construction, in the middle of an ice storm. It's up to Ross, Lewis, and Hathaway to fix the girl up, but they underestimate the severity of her injuries.

13- "End of the Road (2)."- Ross, Lewis, and Hathaway struggle to keep a comatose Megan Cartwright alive until her parents arrive to say their goodbyes; Cartwright's mother, a lawyer, files a class action lawsuit against County General for her daughter's death.

[TV DVD Fan]

14- "Family Dinner."- Ross has a romantic weekend planned for him and Carol in celebration of Valentine's Day; those plans are foiled by Carol's intruding mother who brings along Carol's obsessive ex-boyfriend, trying to cause tension between Doug and Carol. Benton's ex girlfriend Carla shows up at Peter's house on Valentine's Day informing him that her boyfriend is out of town for the week.

15- "R and R."- Mark's stress level hits an all-time high as Jen nears the end of her pregnancy, Morgenstern is after him about his tendency to not write up his cases the way he is supposed to, and having to keep Ross, Hathaway, and Lewis in check. Doug suggests an impromptu trip to Vegas with him, which quickly turns into a disastrous situation when Jen finds out about the plans. Carla calls up Peter to tell him to lay low and that her boyfriend has found out about her affair.

16- "Struggle."- A homeless woman discovers she has terminal cancer, and worries about who will take care of her mentally challenged brother she cares for. Doug struggles to find a kidney donor for a dying twelve-year-old boy. Susan confronts Chloe about her using, resulting in a fight that sends Chloe into a fit of lunacy.

[TV DVD Fan]

17- "Better Days."- Chloe calls Susan from a payphone in Tulsa saying that she has decided to stay with her college roommate for a while; Jen gives birth in County on a day when Mark is being slammed with difficult cases; Ross faces a difficult case of his own when a bullied kid with self-inflicted wounds ends up at County.

18- "The Rules of the Game."- During a fight with Carol, Doug hastily sleeps with the mother of the bullied kid he has been treating in conjunction with Div Cvetic. When Morgenstern finds out, he is livid. When Carol finds out, she is consumed with hatred and vindictiveness.

19- "Paternity Leave."- Mark is denied paternity leave by Morgenstern, and begins worrying about Jen's emotional state post-pregnancy. Coburn suggests she may be suffering from postpartum depression.

20- "The Outside World (1)."- Abby Lockhart has recently married her first husband and experiences marital difficulties, including his cheating and excessive drinking. To fit in with his friends better and to cope with her marital and family difficulties, Abby begins drinking excessively as well.

This episode is credited as follows:

Starring Anthony Edwards (credit only), George Clooney (credit only), Sherry Stringfield (credit only), Julianna Margulies (credit only), Maura Tierney, and Eriq La Salle (credit only).

21- "The Outside World (2)."- Abby's brother Eric confronts her about her alcoholism but she is in complete denial; as Abby's life unravels, we transition to some background on Weaver--- Kerry's husband, a surgical resident, feels neglected by his workaholic wife while she is forced to cope with her foster father's death. The episode ends with Kerry filing for divorce and Abby in rehab.

This episode is credited as follows:

Starring Anthony Edwards (credit only), George Clooney (credit only), Sherry Stringfield (credit only), Julianna Margulies (credit only), Laura Innes, Maura Tierney, and Eriq La Salle (credit only).

22- "Chicago Hope."- Benton operates on an unlikeable Senator with appendicitis, then discovers a startling ailment that will change the Senator's life forever. Jen resents Mark's insistence that Jen see a psychologist for her postpartum depression. Doug has another falling out with Carol regarding his infidelity which ends with Carol breaking down in tears. When he tries to find her later in the evening, he finds a note saying that she has gone away for a while to clear her head, telling Doug to inform Morgenstern that she will be out of touch for a while.

End of Season Two.

[TV DVD Fan]

Season Three
Starring Anthony Edwards
George Clooney
Sherry Stringfield
Julianna Margulies
and Eriq La Salle

With William H. Macy as Dr. David Morgenstern
and Frances Sternhagen as Millicent Carter

Special Guest Stars
John Terry as Dr. Div Cvetic
Christine Harnos as Jen Greene
Khandi Alexander as Jackie Robbins
Ving Rhames as Walt Robbins
Lisa Nicole Carson as Carla Reese
Rose Gregorio as Helen Hathaway
John Cullum as David Greene
Bonnie Bartlett as Ruth Greene
Piper Laurie as Sarah Ross

Guest Starring
Sam Anderson as Dr. Jack Kayson
Amy Aquino as Dr. Janet Coburn
Rose Gregorio as Helen Hathaway
and John Amos as Dr. Reed

1- "On the Road."- As Doug worries about Carol and prepares his apology for when she finally returns, Helen Hathaway pesters Doug at work telling him how her disappearance is all his fault. Jen finally enters treatment for her postpartum depression. Mark's dad calls him to ask him and Jen if they could use some help with Rachel. Carol discovers her inner spirit while on her solo road trip, leading to an interesting encounter with a group of hippies.

2- "Back to Reality."- Carol decides it's time to return home; having found inner peace while on the road, she forgives Doug but tells him she doesn't have the heart to deal with his antics anymore and they can only be friends. Millicent Carter fears that the family business is beginning to go downhill and goes to the hospital to put a down payment on John's medical career.