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Clooney, Margulies Make Sweet Return To 'ER'

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By WALT BELCHER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 13, 2009

Updated: 03/13/2009 09:04 am

It was a sweet, sentimental reunion on "ER" Thursday night for former cast members George Clooney, Julianna Margulies, Noah Wyle and Eriq La Salle with amazing guest appearances by Susan Sarandon and Ernest Borgnine.

The widely rumored surprise return of Clooney, who left nine years ago when a film career beckoned, came less than 10 minutes into the episode.

There was calm, cool and rugged handsome Dr. Doug Ross working in a Seattle hospital with his wife Carol Hathaway (Margulies), now a hospital administrator.

They are happy, still in love and have twin daughters. And fans can find comfort in that. It was a good use of Clooney's talents to give him some drama. His Dr. Ross had to convince the grandmother (Sarandon) that her dying grandson wasn't going to recover and his organs might save lives.

Perhaps it was a little too convenient that the heart was for a dying mom at Chicago's County General, where Dr. Ross interned when "ER" began in 1994, and a kidney was going to save Wyle's Dr. Carter (in a different hospital in Chicago), but we can forgive that.

Also touching was the buddy bonding between the lonely and suffering Carter and La Salle's Dr. Benton, also lonely. And there was a surprise for any "Boston Legal" fans who were watching: Christian Clemenson, who was the nutty Jerry on "Legal," showed up as the arrogant surgeon handling Carter's case.

In another story, a young mother brought in a baby she didn't think she could care for, and the infant brought out the humanity in Angela Bassett's character.

And there was Borgnine, 92 and still kicking, arriving in the emergency room with an ailing wife that his character doted on. It was a nice touch.

There are three more episodes left, and then County General will close its doors.

Walt Belcher can be reached at (813) 259-7654.

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