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The Best Episodes of ER Season 1

Every episode of ER Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of ER Season 1!

Binge this in 19h 46m•Peaking at 9.3/10

ER explores the inner workings of an urban teaching hospital and the critical issues faced by the dedicated physicians and staff of its overburdened emergency room.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    ER Season 1 Episode 1 - 24 Hours
    8.6/10(2755 votes)

    #1 - 24 Hours

    S1:E1

    A day's worth of trauma takes its toll on the men and women of the ER. Dr. Greene looks into leaving the ER and joining private practice. Among other events, multiple casualties are brought in when a building collapses. New medical students report for duty, including Dr. Benton's new trainee, the young and inexperienced John Carter.

    Director:Rod Holcomb
    Writer:Michael Crichton

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  2. ER Season 1 Episode 2 - Day One
    8.0/10(1066 votes)

    #2 - Day One

    S1:E2

    Dr. Lewis tries to get a mentally disturbed individual admitted to the psych ward. Carter has a difficult day, treating many members of wedding party, suffering from food poisoning. Dr. Ross finally visits Carol, eight weeks after her suicide attempt. Dr. Greene deals with an elderly gentleman having a difficult time letting go of his dying wife. He also discovers that Jenn passed the bar exam.

    Director:Mimi Leder
    Writer:John Wells

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  3. ER Season 1 Episode 3 - Going Home
    8.0/10(887 votes)

    #3 - Going Home

    S1:E3

    Carol returns after her eight week absence, finding Doug holding himself responsible. Carter finds himself watching over a mysterious, mentally ill singing woman. Susan clashes with Dr. Kayson over a diagnosis. Dr. Greene treats a domestic violence victim.

    Director:Mark Tinker
    Writer:Lydia Woodward

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  4. ER Season 1 Episode 4 - Hit and Run
    7.9/10(787 votes)

    #4 - Hit and Run

    S1:E4

    Carter has a difficult day when he has to identify a dead teenager and notify his parents. It doesn't help that he notifies the wrong family. Doug woos Carol, despite Taglieri's presence in her life. Benton clashes with brother-in-law Walt after he neglects family duties.

    Director:Mimi Leder
    Writer:Paul Manning

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  5. ER Season 1 Episode 5 - Into That Good Night
    7.9/10(787 votes)

    #5 - Into That Good Night

    S1:E5

    A business contractor with a bad heart gathers his family around him in the ER as he prepares for the end. Dr. Ross helps an asthmatic teenage girl when her mother doesn't have the funds. Carter worries that he may have contracted an STD from Liz. Dr. Lewis treats a teenager with alcohol poisoning. Jenn Greene prepares to move to Milwaukee.

    Director:Charles Haid
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. ER Season 1 Episode 6 - Chicago Heat
    7.8/10(749 votes)

    #6 - Chicago Heat

    S1:E6

    The air conditioning quits on the hottest day in October which, coupled with closed ERs in Chicago's other two hospitals, leads to an extremely hectic day. Dr. Ross treats a six-year-old suffering from a cocaine overdose; Ivan Gregor, the liquor store owner, shoots and seriously wounds a young teenager. Susan's immature sister Chloe drops by, wreaking havoc in Susan's life. Doug picks up a pharmaceutical saleswoman, much to Carol's displeasure.

    Director:Elodie Keene
    Writer:Unknown

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  7. ER Season 1 Episode 7 - Another Perfect Day
    7.7/10(716 votes)

    #7 - Another Perfect Day

    S1:E7

    Benton and Langworthy interview for the Starzl fellowship. A drunk Chloe throws a tantrum in the hospital. Benton saves a man with a throat wound, earning Morganstern's praise. Carter has a good day, winning a bottle of champagne and getting three leads on apartments. Carol has second thoughts about moving in with Tag after a spontaneous kiss with Doug.

    Director:Vern Gillum
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. ER Season 1 Episode 8 - 9 1/2 Hours
    7.6/10(710 votes)

    #8 - 9 1/2 Hours

    S1:E8

    Hathaway treats a rape victim. Walt brings Benton's mother to the ER with a sprained ankle. Carter shows his annoyance toward Benton and his stand-offish attitude. Mark calls in sick to spend time with his wife, leaving Doug as a hectic acting chief. Div shows signs of snapping, overreacting at the smallest provocation. The ER gets a new desk clerk, 'Bob'.

    Director:James Hayman
    Writer:Robert Nathan

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  9. ER Season 1 Episode 9 - ER Confidential
    7.9/10(733 votes)

    #9 - ER Confidential

    S1:E9

    Carter and Benton treat a suicidal transgender woman. Doug feels like a 'kept man' in his relationship with Linda Farrell. A patient entrusts Carol with the particulars in an accident. Cvetic continues to battle his demons, ending up wandering down the middle of a crowded street.

    Director:Daniel Sackheim
    Writer:Paul Manning

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  10. ER Season 1 Episode 10 - Blizzard
    8.7/10(1045 votes)

    #10 - Blizzard

    S1:E10

    A severe blizzard leaves the ER utterly devoid of patients, leaving the staff free to goof off. In the middle of their fun, a call comes from dispatch, informing the ER of a 40-car pile-up with dozens of casualties. The ER goes from being deserted to capacity. All surgeons are called in. Bob surprises everyone with a quick and life-saving decision. A new doctor, Angela Hicks, arrives just at the right time. Ross and Linda return from the Caribbean just as Carol makes a surprise announcement.

    Director:Mimi Leder
    Writer:Paul Manning

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  11. ER Season 1 Episode 11 - The Gift
    7.9/10(737 votes)

    #11 - The Gift

    S1:E11

    Benton makes a critical error when he publicizes the availability of a dying man's organs before obtaining the wife's permission. Lewis discovers that Cvetic has quit his job at the hospital, moved out of his apartment, and dropped out of sight. Carter makes a move on Susan. Chloe announces her pregnancy.

    Director:Félix Alcalá
    Writer:Neal Baer

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  12. ER Season 1 Episode 12 - Happy New Year
    7.8/10(644 votes)

    #12 - Happy New Year

    S1:E12

    Carter fumbles his way through his first look at surgery. Dr. Lewis' nemesis, Dr. Kayson, makes her New Year's Day decidedly unpleasant. Chloe announces she's moving to Texas with her boyfriend.

    Director:Charles Haid
    Writer:Lydia Woodward

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  13. ER Season 1 Episode 13 - Luck of the Draw
    7.7/10(646 votes)

    #13 - Luck of the Draw

    S1:E13

    Carter trains one of Benton's new students, Deb Chen. Hathaway has her hands full with an emotionally challenged patient who's obsessed with colors. A sociologist provokes people to measure their reaction times for a study. Kayson brings charges against Susan in the Vennerbeck death, leading Morganstern to question Susan's assertiveness. Benton and Walt hunt for Peter's missing mother.

    Director:Rod Holcomb
    Writer:Paul Manning

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  14. ER Season 1 Episode 14 - Long Day's Journey
    7.9/10(699 votes)

    #14 - Long Day's Journey

    S1:E14

    A case of apparent spousal abuse is not what it seems. Deb outshines Carter after he is up all night preparing for a presentation. Peter informs Jackie he's hired a helper for his mother. First Kayson's reprimand against Susan is denied, then Susan has a chance to prove herself when Kayson is brought in as a patient. Dr. Ross meets Diane Leeds, of risk management, and her son Jake.

    Director:Anita W. Addison
    Writer:Robert Nathan

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  15. ER Season 1 Episode 15 - Feb 5, '95
    7.9/10(644 votes)

    #15 - Feb 5, '95

    S1:E15

    Morganstern invites Mark to join the staff as an attending physician. Mark treats an woman with breast cancer, who begs him to kill her. Deb "wows" Benton with her amazing presentation, leaving Carter in the rear again. Benton offends Haleh, who spends her day making his job extremely more difficult. The ER gets new crash carts, which are promptly stolen by cardiology.

    Director:James Hayman
    Writer:John Wells

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  16. ER Season 1 Episode 16 - Make of Two Hearts
    7.9/10(635 votes)

    #16 - Make of Two Hearts

    S1:E16

    Carol worries about a Russian girl with AIDS who's brought in and then abandoned by her foster mother. Kayson asks Susan to be his Valentine. Deb accidentally consumes LSD-laced chocolates.

    Director:Mimi Leder
    Writer:Lydia Woodward

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  17. ER Season 1 Episode 17 - The Birthday Party
    7.7/10(621 votes)

    #17 - The Birthday Party

    S1:E17

    Dr. Hicks berates Benton when he tries to switch shifts to attend his mother's birthday party. A teenage girl, a frequent patient of the ER, is brought in for a drug overdose. Carol decides she wants to adopt Tatiana while Tag isn't so sure. Dr. Ross slugs an abusive father in the lobby. Jen accepts a job offer in Milwaukee despite Mark's offer from Morganstern. Deb and Carter await the arrival of sub-internship applications.

    Directors:James Hayman, Elodie Keene
    Writer:Lydia Woodward

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  18. ER Season 1 Episode 18 - Sleepless in Chicago
    8.0/10(663 votes)

    #18 - Sleepless in Chicago

    S1:E18

    Peter refuses to sleep, despite Hicks' order, in the middle of a 48-hour shift. His lack of sleep catches up with him when he is supposed to be watching his mother. A doctor, who turns out to be a con artist, visits the ER to use it as a model for a new hospital, in the process offering Susan a job. Jenn tells Mark she wants to separate from him. Dr. Ross treats an abused young girl. Carol receives bad news about her attempt to adopt Tatiana. Morganstern informs Mark he's leaving for Boston and will be strongly recommending Mark to his replacement, leaving a surprised Mark uncertain as to his job prospects.

    Director:Christopher Chulack
    Writer:John Wells

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  19. ER Season 1 Episode 19 - Love's Labor Lost
    9.3/10(1739 votes)

    #19 - Love's Labor Lost

    S1:E19

    A busy Dr. Greene goes all day in solving his patients' problems until he encounters the case of a pregnant woman suffering from complications that threaten both her life and her unborn baby's.

    Director:Mimi Leder
    Writer:Lance Gentile

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  20. ER Season 1 Episode 20 - Full Moon, Saturday Night
    8.0/10(757 votes)

    #20 - Full Moon, Saturday Night

    S1:E20

    Mark, still upset over the loss of Jodi O'Brien, takes the night off but ends up in the ER anyway, albeit an hour late, when the new chief runs a drill at 2:00 a.m. Benton begins to realize his mother's future is not bright. Carter and Deb compete against each other. A small moon coinciding with the naturally heavy Saturday night traffic causes an exciting night.

    Director:Donna Deitch
    Writer:Neal Baer

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  21. ER Season 1 Episode 21 - House of Cards
    7.7/10(602 votes)

    #21 - House of Cards

    S1:E21

    Deb and Carter compete furiously for procedures after Benton announces their books are due a week earlier than previously announced. Deb commits a nearly deadly error on a patient while trying to keep up with Carter. Doug's relationship with Diane Leeds grows. Peter and Jackie decide to put their mother in a home. Dr. Greene is put on trial, so to speak, in the M conference for Jodi O'Brien. Chloe returns.

    Director:Fred Gerber
    Writer:Tracey Stern

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  22. ER Season 1 Episode 22 - Men Plan, God Laughs
    7.7/10(596 votes)

    #22 - Men Plan, God Laughs

    S1:E22

    Susan has her hands full with a pregnant Chloe. Benton goes to dinner with Jeanie. Greene further alienates Swift when he decides to honor a family commitment rather than stay longer at the ER to help him. Carter makes a good impression on Dr. Swift. Doug turns down an offer to "celebrate" with Linda Farrell, instead getting more serious with Diane as he agrees to coach Jake's Little League team.

    Director:Fred Gerber
    Writer:Tracey Stern

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  23. ER Season 1 Episode 23 - Love Among the Ruins
    7.8/10(652 votes)

    #23 - Love Among the Ruins

    S1:E23

    Mark and Jennifer struggle to remain together as Mark has moved in with her in Milwaukee. Doug coaches Jake's little league team. Chloe's irresponsibility wears Susan down. Carter asks Benton to fill out a recommendation for the ER sub-I. Carol and Tag try to write their wedding vows; he becomes upset when Carol invites Diane Leeds, knowing that she'll bring Doug. Peter exhibits a growing attraction for Jeanie. Susan discovers what happened to Div when she spies his picture in a cabbie's dating service photo book. The staff discovers that Carter comes from a wealthy background.

    Director:Christopher Chulack
    Writer:Paul Manning

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  24. ER Season 1 Episode 24 - Motherhood
    7.8/10(890 votes)

    #24 - Motherhood

    S1:E24

    Susan is forced into the role of parent when Chloe gives birth and both Chloe and her mother, Cookie, shirk responsibility. Doug is surprised and a bit frightened when Diane suggests they move in together. Unfortunately, Linda Farrell happens to be around to take advantage of his nervousness. Carter is offered the ER sub-I but turns it down in anticipation of receiving a surgical position. Peter receives unpleasant news; his mother has died.

    Director:Quentin Tarantino
    Writer:Lydia Woodward

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  25. ER Season 1 Episode 25 - Everything Old Is New Again
    8.3/10(683 votes)

    #25 - Everything Old Is New Again

    S1:E25

    Carter faces his last day in the hospital with aplomb, harshly grading Benton on an evaluation report. He later rescinds the report after finding out that the surgical sub-I is his. Carol faces wedding day jitters, culminating in Tag's deciding to call off the wedding. Chloe disappears again, abandoning little Susie with Susan. Dr. Swift changes his mind and decides to support Mark. Jake visits Doug.

    Director:Mimi Leder
    Writer:John Wells

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Season 1 Ratings Summary

"24 Hours" is the best rated episode of "ER" season 1. It scored 8.6/10 based on 2755 votes. Directed by Rod Holcomb and written by Michael Crichton, it aired on 9/19/1994. This episode is rated 0.6 points higher than the second-best, "Day One".