Customer Reviews

ER: The Complete Eighth Season

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm quite surprised by some of the other reviews I have read for this 8th season of ER. I found it to be refreshing and surprising. We received a very well-rounded view of many characters we had come to know, both inside and outside of the hospital. I very much enjoyed the story lines that took place on both levels. Between Dr. Benton and his family situation, Abby and her neighbor troubles, and the deteriorating home life on Doctors Greene and Corday, the hospital wasn't the only place with action. One character that really stands out in this season is Dr. Weaver. She begins the season angry and vengeful, but suddenly heroic on a dark and stormy night inside a crashed ambulance. And it's on that night where we see her take a true turn, finally towards love, and we find her emerging onto a more personable level. And while every season has been like that to a point with its characters, I thought season 8 really shined with this balance. Not only that, but we also got to see sides of doctors that we had never really been aware of before. Season 8 showed us that Dr. Chen actually knew how to stand up for herself. It showed us that Dr. Carter had successfully overcome his demons and was ready to step up as a true leader, admist family problems of his own. And perhaps most surprising of all was the softer side of the loud and proud Dr. Romano, who not only quietly counseled Dr. Corday as she dealt with the news that Dr. Greene's tumor had returned, but he also showed an emotional moment during surgery as he referred to Greene's death.
I'd go as far as to say the majority of the episodes during season 8 were remarkable, and I'm thrilled they are now available to us on DVD.

We can, of course, argue endlessly over which seasons are 'best' and which episodes are 'best', and there is no right or wrong answer, since we all have different tastes. IMO, Season 8 wasn't one of the better of the 'middle' seasons. I found most of the Dr. Greene/Elizabeth/Rachel stuff to be tiresome in the extreme, Kerry's 'outing' very badly handled, the Nicole story pointless, and Benton's paternity story-line utterly tedious. On the other hand, the return of Dr. Lewis and the storylines with Carter's mom were very enjoyable. Still, I generally preferred Seasons 6,7 and 9.

Be that as it may -- the DVDs. It seems that as the series goes on the DVDs become more and more bare-bones, while the price remains about the same. The extras include the usual deleted scenes (some of which were not actually deleted ...), and a very short gag reel, (which took some hunting down -- it was on a different disc than the box claimed) about a quarter of which consists of scenes of Tony Edwards surfing in Hawaii. That's it. No commentary tracks. While the box claims to have French language subtitles, the discs only offer English.

After a dismissal seventh season, ER did bounce back some with Season 8. One of the best surprises early on was the return of Sherry Stringfield as Dr.Susan Lewis, whose character was strong and compelling for the first two and a half years of the series before she left. Unfortunately, the writers didn't do all that much with her when they brought her back. We also see the exit of Dr.Peter Benton, which the writers handled very well as they made the circumstances feel real for the character plus it allowed the thankful exit of Dr.Cleo, who seemed to be nothing more than Peter's girlfriend, but the writers did a terrible job with the exit of Anthony Edwards as Dr.Greene. He deserved a much better farewell than that beach episode, which was so flawed that much of it is barely memorable. What does stick in my memory is his spoiled brat, teenage daughter coming off like she must be miserable with the world for having had such a terrible life so far, which wasn't the case if you watch episodes from the previous seasons. The scene where she releases the ballons after his funeral also felt pseudo-like, but the fact that a different girl played his daughter with this season might be the reason. Personally, despite Dr.Greene having had a tumor in a previous storyline, the producers should have allowed him to be written out of the show rather than be killed off. The worst episode though was when Weaver mandates the staff to take a class on sexual misconducts/harassment in the workplace, which features Carter and Luka fencing(yes, give us viewers a break, please!)but what helped make ER a good enough season this time around was getting rid of Dr.Dave while getting to know and love Abby a lot more as she transformed from the once medical student to the new Carol Hathaway. Dr.Kerry Weaver and Dr.Chen also have workplace conflicts, and this storyline proved to be one of the show's best throughout the season as the writers created a realistic portrayl of what happens when mishandled patient care leads to devastating consequences. Best episode of the season: "Beyond Repair."

The ER DVD's....what can I say?? This excellent, excellent series seems to keep getting better every year, despite the loss of prominent characters. Thanks, Amazon, for putting these out as soon as they're available and for the fast shipping you always handle so well!

Yes, this season is full of the medical drama we've come to expect. But the main story line is around Dr. Greene-- his new family with Elizabeth, his teen daughter, his relationships at the hospital, and his losing battle with the brain tumor diagnosed in Season 7.

The episode in which Greene and his family go to stay in a tranquil house in Hawaii is without a doubt one of the very best in the entire series. I don't think anyone can see it without tears. Greene is the good father and good man we've come to care about, Elizabeth the strong woman we respect, and Greene's daughter gives a fine performance. It's moving, life-affirming, and honors the characters in a way that fans of the show will appreciate.

A strong season.

Any fan of ER will know that season 8 was a season for change. We said our goodbyes to Benton and Greene. To me this was the beginning of the end of ER. While the Carter character has always been my favorite (We have watched him grow through the series), others leaving did hurt the show.
It always seemed like they were trying to find some new character to fill the void, they those were always just shadows of the original cast. I found this to be one of more favorite seasons though, touching and honest....good stories, and the return of one old character.
If you follow the show I would definitely say this is one season to own. You will find many defining moments throughout and a season finally that will leaving you wanting more.

This season was great, only one more to watch before a long wait for season 10.

I purchased the 8th season for Doc Greene's last appearences, which include the soulful rendering of "Over the Rainbow" at his deathbed with daughter, Rachel ~ try and not shed a tear when you watch this one.

I like ordering from Amazon as it is within my budget and I get my order in a timely matter. As for ER. I am a fan. And so far seasons 1 thru 8 are great.

ER season 8 was great .I loved that susan lewis retured .The only part I dont like is dr. greene dies its so sad. He was a great doctor and will be missed sadly.
I will be gettting season nine when it comes out also.