Hell and High Water (ER)

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"Hell and High Water"
ER episode
Episode no.Season 2
Episode 7
Directed byChristopher Chulack
Written byNeal Baer
Editing byJacque Toberen
Production code457207
Original air dateNovember 9, 1995 (1995-11-09)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
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ER (season 2)
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"Hell and High Water" is the seventh episode of the second season of the medical drama series ER. It first aired on NBC in the United States on November 9, 1995. It was written by Neal Baer and directed by Christopher Chulack. The episode attracted 48 million viewers on its initial broadcast, making it the highest-rated show of the week.

Plot[]

Doug Ross (George Clooney) attends an interview for a new job at a private pediatric practice, after he is told his contract at County General will not be renewed. The head of the practice (Luis Ávalos) offers him the job, and Ross accepts. Back at the ER, a 10-year-old victim of a hit-and-run, Molly Phillips (J. Madison Wright) is brought in with severe injuries. She is examined by Peter Benton (Eriq La Salle) and his interns John Carter (Noah Wyle) and Harper Tracy (Christine Elise). They stabilize her, and then newly-appointed physician assistant Jeanie Boulet (Gloria Reuben) impresses ER chief David Morgenstern (William H. Macy) by identifying Molly's injuries from her X-rays, much to the chagrin of Benton.

Ross returns to the ER for his final shift, greeted by Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards) and Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies), but he seems strangely annoyed considering his successful interview. Harper and Carter extubate Molly and reassure her that they are taking care of her. Jerry (Abraham Benrubi) struggles with a new computer and thinks he may have accidentally deleted all the radiology data. Linda Farrell (Andrea Parker) arrives, reminding Ross that he is meant to accompany her to an opera performance that evening. She also manages to fix the computer, which Carol then uses to play Doom II. Benton orders Jeanie to write a summary of all the discharge notes for a patient that has been admitted many times over the past few years.

Molly's parents (Peter Gregory and Chase Masterson) arrive, and it is revealed that they are separated. Mr. Phillips blames Mrs. Phillips for Molly's injuries. Harper asks them for a photograph of their daughter to help the plastic surgeon repair her cheek laceration. As Ross drives in heavy rain to pick up Linda, he gets a flat tire. A young boy, Joey Larkin (Zachary Charles), runs up to his car, screaming that his brother needs help. Ross gets out of the car and hurriedly follows him.

Joey leads Ross on the storm drain where his brother Ben (Erik von Detten) was trapped in it with his leg pinned by the grate of it.

Reception[]

Ratings[]

In its original American broadcast, "Hell and High Water" was watched by 48 million viewers.[1] It had a 45% market share, which was the highest for a regularly scheduled drama since an episode of Dallas earned 46% in 1985, and a 27.8 rating, the best for a drama since 1987.[1] It became the best rated ER episode and received the highest rating for an NBC drama since Nielsen began tracking them.[1] "Hell and High Water" remains the most-watched ER episode.[2]

Critical response[]

Mike Duffy of the Detroit Free Press gave the episode three out of four stars and called it "one powerful hour of roller coaster television."[3] Duffy said "Hell and High Water" does not "quite match the brilliance" of critically acclaimed first season episode "Love's Labor Lost", but the "intense and affecting hour of ER at least gives George Clooney a prime showcase for proving he's not just another pretty face."[3] Phil Kloer from The Atlanta Constitution gave the episode three and a half stars out of four.[4] He thought that unlike "Love's Labor Lost", which flowed naturally, "Hell and High Water" "feels like a more blatantly manipulative ratings sweeps stunt."[4] He believed viewers would feel "drained" by the end of the intense episode, but Clooney shows that he has a "future to burn on TV's hottest hit."[4]

Howard Rosenberg of Los Angeles Times praised Clooney, Baer, and Chulack for making the episode "a suspenseful, transfixing blow away—and one that forged an uneasy, fleeting alliance between emergency medicine and local TV news, their clashing agendas in this case belied by a shared reliance on speed."[5] Rosenberg continued his praise, saying "No subtleties here, no nuances or shadings. Everything on the surface. Yet it was television at its mightiest and most thrilling, and reason enough to rejoin the ER bandwagon."[5]

The Indianapolis Star critic Steve Hall also rated the episode three and a half stars out of four.[6] He wrote that as last week's episode saw Dr Ross at his worst, the writers used "Hell and High Water" to "brilliantly show the dedication and medical heroism that more than make up for Ross's faults".[6] Similarly to Duffy and Kloer, Hall did not think the episode was on the same emotional level as "Love's Labor Lost", and concluded that "an unrealistic solution to an emergency lessens our emotional investment. But the episode is gripping, intense television."[6] John Martin for the Courier News gave the action an "A-plus" and found the secondary storyline of Molly's accident "gives the hour added emotional punch."[7] The Jackson Sun's critic Mike Hughes branded the episode "one of NBC's most stunning moments."[8]

Steven H. Scheuer chose the episode as part of The Town Talk's "Best Bets" feature.[9] The episode's focus on Dr Ross led Scheuer to quip "Welcome to the George Clooney hour."[9] He believed the actor was guaranteed another Emmy nomination "on the strength of this instalment alone."[9] In The Times-Tribune, syndicated reporter Kirk Nicewonger also thought Clooney would garner an Emmy nomination after giving "what may well be the dramatic performance of the season".[10] In further praise of the actor, Nicewonger stated that Clooney "gives a tour-de-force performance of phenomenal emotional range."[10] He urged viewers not to miss the "incredibly intense" episode, writing "For 60 minutes, the tension never lets up, and the ending—a catharsis juxtaposing life and death— packs enough power of heart to light up Chicago."[10]

Screen Rant's Bernardo Sim named "Hell and High Water" as the best episode of Season 2.[2] He felt that it "really solidified" Clooney's importance in the show, and "definitively showcased the types of stories that ER could tell, many of which did not have to take place inside a hospital."[2] In 2018, British magazine Empire named "Hell and High Water" as the best ER episode.[11] When ER was made available to stream on Hulu, Randee Dawn of USA Today, chose "Hell and High Water" as one of eight episodes that would "get your heart racing".[12]

Accolades[]

"Hell and High Water" garnered various awards and nominations following its broadcast. At the 48th Directors Guild of America Awards, Chulack won Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series.[13] The episode earned six nominations at the 48th Primetime Emmy Awards held in September 1996.[14] Clooney received a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, while Baer was nominated for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing for a Drama Series and Chulack for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing for a Drama Series. At the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, 's work on the episode earned him an Outstanding Individual Achievement in Cinematography for a Series nomination. Jacque Elaine Toberen was nominated for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Editing for a Series - Single Camera Production, and Allen L. Stone, Frank Jones, Michael Jiron, and Will Yarbrough were nominated for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Drama Series.[14]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c Mendoza, Manuel (November 16, 1995). "'ER' ratings rise along with the on-screen conflict". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved November 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.icon of an open green padlock
  2. ^ a b c Sim, Bernardo (September 29, 2019). "ER: The Best Episode In Every Season, Ranked". Screen Rant. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Duffy, Mike (November 9, 1995). "Flood of emotion on 'ER'". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved November 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.icon of an open green padlock
  4. ^ a b c Kloer, Phil (November 9, 1995). "Dr. Ross is redeemed in 'ER' ratings drive". The Atlanta Constitution. Retrieved November 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.icon of an open green padlock
  5. ^ a b Rosenberg, Howard (December 20, 1995). "Winning Ways and Means of 'ER,' 'Cybill'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c Hall, Steve (November 9, 1995). "'Murder One' may fail because it lacks sympathetic characters". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved November 27, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.icon of an open green padlock
  7. ^ Martin, John (November 9, 1995). "'ER' episode may offer long-awaited answers". Courier News. Retrieved November 22, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.icon of an open green padlock
  8. ^ Hughes, Mike (November 9, 1995). "Louis-Dreyfus doubles up on NBC comedies". The Jackson Sun. Retrieved November 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.icon of an open green padlock
  9. ^ a b c Scheuer, Steven H. (November 9, 1995). "Best Bets". The Town Talk. Retrieved November 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.icon of an open green padlock
  10. ^ a b c Nicewonger, Kirk (November 9, 1995). "Clooney Turns in the Performance of His Career". The Times-Tribune. Retrieved November 27, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.icon of an open green padlock
  11. ^ "Empire Features: ER". Empire. 2008. Archived from the original on November 5, 2011. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  12. ^ Dawn, Randee (January 2018). "'ER' comes to Hulu! Here are 8 episodes that'll get your heart racing". USA Today. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  13. ^ Welkos, Robert (March 4, 1996). "'Apollo 13' DGA Win Yields No Oscar Clues". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  14. ^ a b "A complete list of the Emmy nominees". The Courier-News. July 19, 1996. Retrieved November 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.icon of an open green padlock

External links[]

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