ER has run for 14 years and earned numerous honors, so the fanfare surrounding its final season is pretty justified.  Some of its most celebrated cast members throughout the years are returning as guest stars in the remaining episodes to mark the occasion.  The first to do the honors is Anthony Edwards, who will appear as a guest star on tonight's episode, entitled “Heal Thyself”.

Tonight, Dr. Catherine Banfield (Angela Bassett) finds herself trying to rescue a three-year-old girl who almost drowns in a lake, just when she tries to give herself a break from the hustle and bustle of her profession.  That's where Edwards comes in—his character, Dr. Mark Greene, may have died of a brain tumor in the eighth season, but today he comes in as part of Dr. Banfield's many flashbacks, remembering how the two took care of her son.

Greene left the program in order to pursue other opportunities, but returning to the ER set brought back many memories for the actor who was considered to have held the main role in the drama's first years.  “It was very nostalgic,” he said.  “A lot of the biggest things in my life happened to me while I was on that set.”

“I thought, ‘How can we tie her into the origins of the show (and) make it feel like we've come full circle?'” David Zabel, the show's executive producer, explained.  “[He was] the heart and soul of the show.”

Edwards' experience returning to ER has so far been more than satisfying.  “It was as if I walked away and came right back,” he said.

“It was kind of like a reunion party,” Zabel added.  “This was a big one because it was Tony, and because it was the first one we did where it was, ‘Wow! All the history is coming back!'  We're going to do a few episodes later this season where we'll have that feeling, I think, again.”

Many more are set to return to the show: previously confirmed are Noah Wyle, who reprises his Dr. John Carter character for four episodes, and Eriq La Salle, who will direct an episode.  Zabel added that the homecomings will not end there.  “It's almost definite that there will be some other major characters coming back on the show,” he said.

Tonight's episode of ER also features Courtney B. Vance as a guest star.  Catch it tonight from 10pm on NBC.


-Henrik Batallones, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: NBC, USA Today
(Image courtesy of NBC)