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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The ER welcomes the "Rock Doc" and emmy winner Ray Liotta!, March 20, 2009
This review is from: ER: The Complete Eleventh Season (DVD)
Finally, Warner Bros. seems to have sped up their release of ER seasons on DVD!
Season 11 includes Ray Liotta's emmy winning tour de force in "Time of Death", a real time episode following the final 43 minutes of his character's life. Alex Kingston, Ming Na and Noah Wyle exit County General. Other guest stars include Red Buttons, Danny Glover, Cynthia Nixon, Francis Fisher and Sharif Atkins.
Season 11 of ER includes some of the series' most memorable patient storylines. New doc Ray Barnett (Shane West) juggles medicine and music,
Sam and Luka continue their turbulent relationship, and Corday is punished for performing an illegal operation. There is much to like about season 11, so why only four stars?
While season 11 is very good, certain episodes leave something to be desired. Having Sharif Atkins return as Dr. Gallant was a good idea, but
actually having an episode take place in Iraq made the show wander too far from County General. I liked the Gallant-Neela-Iraq storyline, but
if I wanted to watched Baghdad ER, I would. Also, Carter unfortunately ends up with Kem. Some people like her, others don't. I think she's O.K., but nothing more. And the so-called cliffhanger with Sam's son at the end of the season didn't have me on the edge of my seat, and only led to a dull season 12 premiere.
Now that I got all that outta the way, I can say that the rest of the stories, performances and medical cases are top notch ER. I'm looking forward to July 14th!
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8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Better that you check out of the ER for a year rather than checking out ER season eleven., July 27, 2009
This review is from: ER: The Complete Eleventh Season (DVD)
ER: Season Eleven
On July fourteenth Warner Home Video released season eleven of this immensely popular series ER, and though season eleven marks the last for popular regulars Ming Na as Dr. Jing Mei "Deb" Chen, Alex Kingston as Dr. Elizabeth Corday, Sherry Stringfield as Dr. Susan Lewis, and Noah Wylie as Dr. John Carter, their respective exits were anticlimactic at best, if even acknowledged at all. This season certainly represented a changing of the guard, unfortunately, with writing that took a step down from season ten, and one dimensional performances, said guard changing came a season too late.
Season Eleven was one of conflict. Some in the relationships within the show, but more so in the factions that existed within the cast and writers. Attempts to write stories for the cast members that had been with the show longer yielded poor results, and simply not enough storylines were given to burgeoning stars such as Shane West as Dr. Ray Barnett and Scott Grimes as Dr. Archie Morris. The performance of Grimes on ER would prove to be under appreciated throughout his tenure on the show, as he brought a comedic element to the show worthy of The Office, long before it was a hit.
In season twelve, the writers would set things right as more storylines are dedicated to the people the fans want to see, and storylines such as the relationship between Luka (Goran Visnjic) and Sam (Linda Cardellini) are done away with in favor of those less annoying such as Luka and Abby (Maura Tierney). Nonetheless, much awkwardness is endured throughout season eleven.
Quality guest appearances are also few and far between in season eleven, and though Ray Liotta garnered an Emmy for his performance in Episode six "Time of Death", it was the writing and directing worthy of awards more than the limited performance of Liotta. Legendary actor Red Buttons gives a superior performance as Jules "Ruby" Rubadoux the husband of a former patient of a young Dr. Carter, who is now in the ER as a patient and wants nothing to do with the Doctor that he believes killed his wife. Cynthia Nixon gives a fine performance as a stroke victim in episode fifteen "Alone in a Crowd". The writing in "Alone in a Crowd" is reminiscent and as innovative as an episode of MASH. We are also introduced to Charlie Pratt (Danny Glover), father of ER Doc Greg Pratt. Like much of the cast, Glover would have more opportunities to truly display his acting chops in season twelve.
Not much to be said of the performances of the regular cast member in season eleven, though Maura Tierney gives a credible performance when she is kidnapped in episode ten "Skin" which would have made a far superior season finale than that of "The Show Must Go On" in which we are left wondering what will become of Sam's runaway son Alex (Oliver Davis).
Where as previous releases have included Gag reels as part of the bonus material, season eleven only provides outpatient outtakes and unaired scenes, the majority of which were justifiably left on the cutting room floor.
Recommendation: Season eleven simply as not as good as season nine or twelve. There is probably enough here for the true fan, but little for those not truly hooked. Better that you check out of the ER for a year rather than checking out ER season eleven.
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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, April 2, 2009
This review is from: ER: The Complete Eleventh Season (DVD)
I have been waiting for this season to be released for so long! Dr. Ray Barnett is up there with some of the great in ER history as one of the most memorable characters. I would describe him as a young Doug Ross almost. I have waited so long for the Dr. Ray seasons to be released and am so glad that they seem to be releasing the seasons a LOT faster now. There for a while they were getting released as entirely too slow of a pace.
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