10 Most Shocking Moments On ER
It was one of the longest running medical dramas ever - these moments left us shook.
ER changed the landscape of television when it debuted in 1994. It was the brainchild of novelist Michael Crichton, most famous for creating Jurassic Park. He, along with John Wells and Stephen Spielberg, conceived of a movie named ER, which later became the series.
The show had enormous success in the ratings and holds the record for the most Emmy Nominated show ever, with fifteen seasons of content. Throughout these seasons, many, many shocking and crazy events took place in the halls of County General, Chicago.
Picking a list of just ten moments was a task unto itself, though the moments reflected in this list here are but a taste of the insanity that went on in that show. Most of these moments hit home the hardest due to the level of care and craft that went into designing and developing the characters and storylines, truly the mark of a great show with a devoted creative team.
There are some fairly major spoilers in this list for anyone who has yet to see the show. You have been warned!
10. Jeanie Boulet Tests Positive For HIV
Jeanie Boulet, played by Gloria Reuben, was introduced toward the end of ER's first season as a carer for Peter Benton's mother, before the two embarked on an affair. However, Jeanie was married to Al Boulet - a man who had been cheating on her repeatedly, leading to his diagnosis with AIDS.
In the third season opener, Jeanie reveals to Peter that she has tested positive for HIV. This was a crippling blow to their relationship (Peter ends things quickly after this) and was the beginning of a long and hard road for her. Her status as a physician was uncertain, as the diagnosis threw her ability to perform any procedures on patients was in doubt.
She would particularly clash with Dr. Weaver over this - she felt she was perfectly capable of continuing to practice medicine, while Weaver was ever-conscious of the lawsuits that could come from even the slightest accident.
Jeanie had to deal with many rough blows throughout her tenure in ER - but this was truly the worst of them.