I am – Hercules!!


Some thoughts on “ER,” which tonight features flashbacks with Anthony Edwards reprising his role as Dr. Mark Greene:

* Edwards’ screen time takes up about 10.5 minutes of the episode, or roughly one quarter of the 43-minute hour.

* Greene first appears around the episode’s halfway mark.

* He is suffering from his tumor headaches.

* As far as I could tell, Noah Wylie is not in the episode, even though I could have sworn I read either in Entertainment Weekly or TV Guide that Dr. John Carter makes a surprise appearance.

* Greene’s appearance is attended, however, by other departed regulars. Specifics available in the text invisible. Laura Innes as a becrutched Kerry Weaver. Paul McCrane as a two-armed Rocket Romano. Abraham Benrubi as Jerry Markovic.

* Gorgeous Emily Rose (Cass on “John From Cincinnati” and Trish from “Jericho”) is hanging around, but gorgeous Shiri Appleby (“Roswell,” “Charlie Wilson’s War”) isn’t this week.

* Edwards’ welcome appearance serves to underscore how aggressively ER sucks now. Its (“Grey’s Anatomy”-inspired?) new emphasis on flat banter is excruciating. John Stamos’ thespianic acumen has not improved one whit since his “Dreams” days a quarter century ago.

* Linda Cardellini is wasted on this show.

* Anybody know what happened to Abby and Luka? Did they run off to practice medicine in Croatia or something?

* Since “ER” has been winning its timeslot this season (thanks, one gathers, to dramatically increased lead-in ratings from “SNL Thursday” and “30 Rock), will fourth-place NBC decide to pull a “7th Heaven” and bring it back for another season at the last minute?

10 p.m. Thursday. NBC.

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