ER: The Complete Fourth Season [DVD] [Dual Disc Format]*

ER Series 4 Cast: Anthony Edwards (Dr. Mark Greene); George Clooney (Dr. Doug Ross); Noah Wyle (Dr. John Carter); Julianna Margulies (Nurse Carol Hathaway); Gloria Reuben (PA Jeanie Boulet); Laura Innes (Dr. Kerry Weaver); Maria Bello (Dr. Anna Del Amico); Alex Kingston (Dr. Elizabeth Corday); Eriq La Salle (Dr. Peter Benton)

The fourth season of ER (Sep. 25-1997-May 14, 1998) is surely one of the series' most memorable, with some extraordinarily powerful and intriguing storylines, excellent scripts and craft, and expert performances from the actors involved. By the fourth season, ER had established its own distinctive style, and so by this time the work retains an effortless quality, even though each episode is as intricate and complex as before.

Each character undergoes some important changes in this season. Greene (Anthony Edwards) tries to get his life back in order after the violent attack he suffered in the third season, and enjoys a relationship with the loving but 'needy' new desk clerk Cynthia Hooper (Mariska Hagertay, 4.2-4.16.) Greene also visits his parents in San Diego in two episodes, "Fathers and Sons" and "Family Practice," which brought the action outside of the ER and outside Chicago for the first time in the series.

Ross (George Clooney) is a changed man this season, staying loyal and responsible to Hathaway (Julianna Margulies), intent on getting their relationship to work. Professionally, however, it's a different story as he jeopardises his career in the season's final episodes with a controversial "ultra rapid detox" on a seven-month-old addicted to heroin. Hathaway's big arc is the opening of a clinic in the ER, after deciding against going to medical school. But, unusually, it is Hathaway who struggles to commit to Ross this season rather than the other way round.

Carter (Noah Wyle) has left Surgery in favour of an unpaid ER internship, where he is "secondary" to (the underused this season) Doyle (Jorja Fox), with whom he enjoys an interesting rivalry. Carter realises the joys of being a doctor caring about his patients rather than only performing surgical procedures. Two of his big storylines this season are the difficulties with his cousin Chase (Jonathan Scarfe), who is addicted to heroin, his struggle for independence from his family's vast fortune, and his would-be relationship with Del Amico (Maria Bello.)

Del Amico, who arrived towards the end of the third season, has some big storylines in this season. Her relationship with Carter is one of the season's most memorable interactions, as is her sometimes torrid relationship with fellow paediatrician Ross.

Boulet (Gloria Reuben) is another key player in this season. She is fired from County as part of her friend Kerry Weaver's (Laura Innes) plans to make the hospital more cost-effective, but reacts strongly and controversially uses her HIV status to ensure that she wins her job back. Her relationship with Weaver takes a downturn for much of the rest of the season, and she is also hit by the end of her marriage to Al (Michael Beach) when he takes a job in Atlanta. Her most memorable storyline, perhaps, is her emotional relationship to cancer patient Scott Anspaugh (Trevor Morgan), son of Chief of Staff Don Anspaugh (John Aylward.)

Weaver finds her promotion to Acting Chief of the ER, following Morgenstern's (William H. Macy) heart attack, not without its difficulties. Her friendship with Boulet is severely tested, and she grapples with various problems. She also enjoys a romantic entanglement with Ellis West (Clancy Brown), who is a member of Synergix, a group who help with budget cuts - but Weaver goes on to have some serious reservations.

A newcomer also enters into proceedings - English surgeon Corday (Alex Kingston), who has some of the season's biggest storylines and is arguably the most significant character in the season. She brings a verve and humour to the ER, and is forthright as she pursues Benton (Eriq La Salle.) Her stormy relationship with her sponsor, Robert "Rocket" Romano (Paul McCrane) is highly entertaining, and receives some knock-backs when she elects to take the controversial HemoAid study to the ER.

Benton (Eriq La Salle) is noticeably more light-hearted and mellow this season, which can be attributed both to his relationship with Corday and also his new fatherhood. His friction with Carter reaches a small climax before subsiding again, but this season shows an interesting new side to this character.

The extras here are not plentiful, to say the least - a documentary on the unusual live opener "Ambush" (which is perhaps the weakest episode of the season) would have been insightful, but the outtakes are interesting and are often as funny, well-written, and engaging as anything that made the final cut. Indeed, a criticism levelled at this season is that certain plots were not resolved satisfactorily - the serial rapist storyline, the elderly woman infected with HIV, for example. More scenes of these storylines are in the outtakes, deleted from the final cut. But on repeated viewing, Season 4 improves no end and reveals itself to be one of the most fast-paced, gripping, and consistently exciting of the series. We learn much more about the characters this time, and the arrival of some new blood - Del Amico, Romano, Corday - adds a fresh new flavour. One of the best.

Key Episodes: "Fathers and Sons" (4.7); "Exodus" (4.15); "Shades of Gray" (4.19); "Of Past Regret and Future Fear" (4.20); "Suffer the Little Children" (4.21)

Memorable: Med Student George Henry (Chad Lowe, 4.2, .8, .10); Dr. Ellis West (Clancy Brown, 4.6-13); Herb Spivak (Dan Hedaya, 4.8-10); Chase Carter (Jonathan Scarfe, 4.9-20); Allison Beaumont (Michele Morgan, 4.9-19); Scott Anspaugh (Trevor Morgan, 4.11-18); Paul Canterna (Michael Rapaport, 4.20); Tina Marie Chambliss (Swoosie Kurtz, 4.21)

Notable Arrivals: Dr. Elizabeth Corday (Alex Kingston, 4.1); Dr. Robert Romano (Paul McCrane, 4.5); Millicent Carter (Frances Sternhagen, 4.6); David Greene (John Cullum, 4.7); Nurse Yosh Takata (Gedde Watanabe, 4.8)

Last Appearances: Dr. Angela Hicks (CCH Pounder, 4.2); Dr. David Morgenstern (William H. Macy, 4.19); Dr. Anna Del Amico (Maria Bello, 4.22)

Brilliant season 4! I have been captivated by ER ever since I saw the very first episode in season 1. I was just blown away by the sheer innovativeness of the series. The writing, acting, camera work, story lines, have not diminished since the first opening episodes. The fast action, the clever way the camera work allows you to see the frantic pace when the emergencies arrive in ER and how the various ER staff behave is sheer brillance. I have been known to watch with sub-titles on, much to the amusement of my family, just so that I don't miss any details of the action.

The characters have matured, the story lines are still so good that it's easy to stay involved with everyone of the unfolding lives of the characters. And don't you just ache for things to work out with Doug & Carol! .

Roll-on the sale of series 5!

Life continues as dramatic and varied as ever with Ross bending the rules, Carter confronting family problems, and the arrival of Elizabeth Corday. Superbly written, acted and produced, ER has no rivals in the world of medical drama.