Always In my Television Heart: ER: 10 Years Later After Series Finale

It's one of those days I can't forget that changed my television world forever.

I remember it like yesterday, April 2, 2009, as the day it would change my life in the future television world forever. I've been through other series finales that made me cry, mad, and even laugh, but this one show meant more to me than anything else in the television universe. That specific date is the day that ER ended its 15-season run.

The morning of Thursday, April 2, 2009, was one gloomy day to start, as I had an early class downtown. It was cloudy with showers. I had stopped to pick up newspapers like the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune as I would think they would have put something in there for the series finale of ER. I've gone through each section and found several pages about the show and some with poster ads.

After my only class for that day, I headed back home while listening to the ER soundtrack on my MP3 player. As I get home, I go through the VHS tape of the Today Show when Noah Wyle was on to promote the series finale. I kept myself busy with the usual stuff from watching ESPN until 5 p.m. of the news that the Chicago Bears had made a trade for Jay Cutler (how great that turned out to be ten years later). My grandmother and I ordered Chinese food for dinner, and as time flew by, the world learned that Guiding Light was also ending.

At 7 pm, the special retrospective of ER begins as well, as the waterworks started as the doors opened at County General. As you're going through the hospital doors and into the ER, you hear the voices of all the characters that had worked on the show, from Anthony Edwards' Dr. Greene in the pilot to Noah Wyle's stepping up during an outbreak in Season 4; to George Clooney's Dr. Ross talks about how he tries to help kids who suffer from pain to even William H. Macy's character telling Edward's character that "you set the tone."

The special was an hour-long celebration of the show's origins and how the show has changed network television in medical drama and drama. Two parts restarted the waterworks, reliving the events of Dr. Greene's last episode to even acknowledging the creator of the series, Michael Crichton, who had passed away in Nov. 2008.

The series finale was one that I believe was written for the fans but also paid tribute to the pilot. The two-hour pilot was like a documentary-style episode with bits and pieces of moments that took you back from the past 15 years of the show's history.

There were many moments of laughter, but moments that brought you to tears, from a husband losing his wife to a mother dying after giving birth to twins. Not to mention, a homosexual HIV patient learns that he's got terminal cancer and accepts it without fear as he feels he lived long enough.
I can't forget the significant moments of former cast members returning. Susan Lewis, Elizabeth Corday, Kerry Weaver, Peter Benton, and Rachael Greene, Dr. Greene's daughter, try to get in as medical students at County General, where her father worked.

As the finale ends, we get a moment when residents, doctors, nurses, and Rachael discuss their med-student experience. Sam got a call from EMTs about a mass casualty at a chemical plant explosion and was on the way. As everyone gets ready, all the doctors and nurses come out together, awaiting, and Carter gets prepared, too. As the ambulance rolls in, everyone takes each patient. Carter takes a burn victim. As he rolls them in, he turns to Rachael and asks, "Dr. Greene, are you coming?" and she comes along.

As the episode closes, the doctors and nurses check on other ambulances outside the hospital. As the camera moves back, we see for the first time the building that is County General Hospital with the theme music playing in the background.

"And In The End" was a series finale that was a remembrance of the 15 seasons of the show, with its powerful and emotional stories to the humorist side of the show too. Now, it only shows the strong character growth of the doctors and nurses, but the patients who come in and out may or may not live in the hospital. Still to this day, ten years later, I am still overwhelmed by rewatching the finale of ER.

Watching the series finale of ER was the first time I would lose a television show that I had watched since I was five years old. I'd always thought that ER could live forever, but I know that it will live forever, not only on DVD and digital but in my heart as well.  And on every April 2 since I do indeed rewatch the series finale, and not only do I still get emotional watching it. But I felt so lucky to have watched a show that ran for 15 seasons.

Love and Looks: A.P. Bio "Toledo's Top 100"

Who made it as Toledo, Ohio's top 100 sexiest male bachelor's list?  Here's a recap!

When Jack announced to the staff that his name is on a list of top 100 sexiest male bachelors in Toledo, Ohio; he's not the only one as well as Ralph's name is on the list. After everyone is excited for Ralph, Jack learns that Ralph made it to the top 10 sitting at #8; while Jack is at in the top 90. Jack not only gets some help from the class but gets Ralph to speak up about him at the cover shoot that ended both of them off the list. Jack, feeling bad, helps gets Ralph's name back on the list and exchange to be at the party as a bartender.

Meanwhile, Victor and another classmate try to ask a girl out. But it's Victor's girl-crush that got really comes into questions when he goes telling Stef, the teacher, about how he feels about her and gives her a gift, a purse. Being shocked by the gift and trying to keeps it; she later gives it back to Victor and the two fist pump as friends.

"Toledo's Top 100" was hilarious but also cringle worthy of an episode. The Jack and Ralph storyline was as good as it could be in this episode; with such memorable moments coming from Helen and Heather. But it's Victor and Stef that really had me laughing but in a weird and worried way. Overall, I give this episode an 8/10.

You can catch A.P. Bio Thursdays at 8:30/7:30c on NBC.

Fly Away Love: Superstore "Lovebirds"

Love is in the air at Cloud 9 in any way possible! Thursday's episode of the  Superstore "Lovebirds" was another brilliant half-hour comedy that delivered so well, even though it took place during Valentine's Day. Here's a recap!

With everyone excited for Valentine's Day, not everyone was too pleased when Dina brought all her birds to work. But when Garrett saw that in the cage was a bag of his favorite chips, he tried to get it. The birds escaped and flew away.

Dina was so upset that she tried to call her birds back to her. With Garrett feeling horrible, with the help from Jonah and Amy, he tries to help Dina, getting her hopes that they could return to her home, but they don't. Dina decided to take her mind off of her birds by having sex with Garrett, which he didn't know how to handle in the situation.

Meanwhile, Amy and Jonah, while dealing with Dina and Garrett, decide to tell each other they love them. Somehow, their saying "I love you" was underplayed while being mad at each other for handling the Dina-Garrett situation. But they made it up and headed out for their Valentine's Day date with Dina somewhere no one goes to a tofu restaurant.

After last week's episode-ending moment, Sandra started to get memorable Valentine's Day gifts. Everyone starts to think that she's pretending to have a boyfriend again. But after getting a teddy bear and a quartet sings to her, it turns out that her secret Valentine's Day happens to be Jerry.

Cheyenne helps Marcus give him a tattoo of his mother on his back as a Valentine's Day gift for his mother. But let's say that it didn't turn out that well. As for Glenn, he tries to make a video for his daughter because he doesn't see her all that much. From reading books to giving a toast to her wedding day, Glenn soon realizes that he doesn't need to manage anymore and walks off during taping.

"Lovebirds" was another hit episode for Superstore; not only did I love the situation that Dina and Garrett were put in. But I was stunned to see how the episode ended with Glenn deciding to leave his job. Also, Amy and Jonah said they love one another; it was so clever in how they said it. Lauren Ash and Colton Dunn deserve top performances of the episode. They loved the writing of the attack that it just had strong character development.  Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch Superstore Thursdays at 8/7c on NBC!

Everything in 30: A.P. Bio "Wednesday Morning, 8 AM"

Sometimes its that last 30 minutes before school starts that's hectic. Here's a recap!

"Wednesday Morning, 8 AM" was one of the series brilliant episodes from the beginning to the end. Within the 30 minutes before classes start things become really hectic from Ralph getting the announcements correct to the janitor trying to find his peace but loses it when he has to battle bad pumping and even Jack getting his chair back from Lynette, who had taken it.

Each story from the episode was so brilliantly hilarious. I couldn't get enough of Ralph and Helen even more with Helen's scenes that were just hilarious even when the band members came in and she announced them as the hornies.

But it was the story between Jack and Lynette that really stole the episode to moments of great chemistry between Elizabeth Alderfer and Glenn Howerton. The two characters played off to one another great as he tries to get his chair and she plays him off with mind-blowing philosophy. After making his brilliant plan, she does return his chair but that was after he took something priceless of her off her desk. Which made an awkward moment for Jack.

I loved the episode. It was so beautifully written and had so much great character development. It's really an episode that you should put it on your list to watch. Overall, I give this episode a 9.5/10.

You can catch A.P. Bio Thursdays at 8:30/7:30c on NBC.

Relationship Status: This Is Us "R&B"

Could this be the end of Beth and Randall's relationship? Here's a recap!

Last night's episode was not only another memorable one; it was a strong written one of showing the developments between Beth and Randall. We see not only how they first met in college; but that Randall was determined that Beth was the one. From college to fast forwarding to seven years as Randall still proposing to Beth, with her responding with a no.

Throughout the episode, we see a deep background of Randall and Beth's relationship; Randall had a way by guilting Beth whether it's getting married; that later turned when she takes Randall to her favorite place for him to the proposal; for which she said yes. Another when they worked things out together during their wedding when rewriting their own vows. Even when changing their first born's diaper and she tells Randall how he could in a way smooth talk while taking all the cheesy parts of the nachos.

But it was during when William and Kevin were staying at their house their relationship really showed. Beth lied to Randall about going to a meeting that turned out to be having her own night along with candy, wine, and Living Single marathon. But he tells he understands and after talking about the episode she's on, he guilts her to come back home with him and William, as he was looking for maple syrup.

Coming back to the present, the tension between Randall and Beth could but cut with a sharp knife. As Beth tells Randall why he doesn't argue back to her; we see a flashback to when he spied on Jack and Rebecca arguing at each other. We see that that flashback is the reason why he doesn't want to argue with someone that he cares and also why he fixes every problem with words and affections.
It really got ugly when Beth brings up his mental break down moments that ended with Randall going to his office in Philly. Later we see Randall on the couch and Beth on the floor and see them as kids as they each were looking at their flowers that Randall got them for their date.

"R&B" was an amazing and memorable episode from beginning to the end. The episode has so character development and moments that I couldn't leave my seat during the commercials. The show pulls off another powerful episode and a strong performance from Susan Kelechi Watson and Sterling K. Brown, but also the Niles Fitch and Rachel Hilson too as they played 17-year-old Beth and Randall. I really don't see how this could turn any worst or even better after the ending of the episode. I'm not ready for the season finale just yet, but feel like it's gonna be big. Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch the season finale of This Is Us Tuesday at 9/8c on NBC.

Snow-Bonding: Superstore "Blizzard"

Superstore did it again with an episode that's truly one of their best! Here's a recap!

Abby's "Pilot" Preview

This Thursday is the series premiere of Abby's. Here's a preview!

"Pilot"

Abby's unlicensed backyard bar hits a major snag when the new landlord Bill, who recently inherited the house from his deceased aunt, shows up and proposes major changes.

Photos:

Promo:

You can catch Abby's Thursday, March 28th at 9:30/8:30c on NBC!!!