10 Worst Characters On ER
County General had some serious scumbags on the payroll...
ER's tenure on NBC lasted for an absolutely insane 15 years. Michael Crichton's medical drama initially stemmed from his own experiences in medical school and featured loads of gritty hospital drama. Original leading stars such as George Clooney and Juliana Margulies moved on to acclaimed, fruitful careers and plentiful acclaim. The series as a whole was deemed must watch TV by millions upon its 1994 inception and has since grossed more than $3 billion (!) in television revenue.
Despite its monumental success, the series suffered numerous pitfalls including poorer storytelling in the later seasons and characters fans just couldn't stand. Like many TV dramas out there, ER saw dollar signs in introducing characters who would get on audience's nerves. While some were very efficient in this regard thanks to both the acting and scripting, others were just off-putting, anchoring the whole show down in the process. Even worse than deliberately antagonistic characters are those who simply lacked any definable character traits or interest. That right there's a real death sentence for the actor playing it.
From the sinister to the snoozer, here are 10 of the dirt worst.
Warning: some spoilers ahead.
10. Greg Pratt
It's amazing how many members of County General Hospital die horribly.
Greg Pratt's an arrogant but intelligent member of the team initially. Where Doug Ross' hothead antics often helped patients (and the series' entertainment value), Pratt's were simply loud, aggressive and annoying. His penchant for getting in people's faces wore thin as did his struggle to take orders properly.
There's ultimately a decent character arc for him during his 7 seasons on the show as he matures into a sensible authority figure. Like most of the stars in the later seasons however, Pratt succumbed to ludicrous writing including bizarre crime subplots involving his handicapped adopted brother Leon and a soap operish backstory regarding his estranged father, Charlie.
To top it all off, at a point where he was finally one of the show's more likeable figures, Pratt is blown up by the Turkish mob. No, really. Thanks to yet another criminal character, this time played by guest star Steve Buscemi, Pratt is collateral damage in an ambulance bombing to take the government informant Buscemi out of the picture. It becomes difficult to take Pratt seriously in hindsight after that unceremonious send-off.