24 Years Later, ER Still Has The Best Network TV Death

With it being home to nearly every genre, network TV has featured some of the most emotional and tragic character deaths. Whether it was the heartbreaking off-screen death of John Goodman’s Dan in Roseanne‘s divisive series finale, the shocking sudden killing of Josh Charles’ Will during a heated courtroom session in The Good Wife or even the recent departure of Rocky Carroll’s Vance from NCIS after his 18-year tenure, writers have often kept viewers on their toes with high-stakes twists.

However, among network TV’s range of character sendoffs, there’s one that truly remains unbeaten even after 24 years: ER‘s Mark Greene. Played by Top Gun alum Anthony Edwards, Greene was one of the original lead figures in the long-running medical drama, beginning as Chief Resident before being promoted to attending physician, and serving as one of the more grounded voices in the fictional Cook County General Hospital in Chicago, which was just part of what made his season 8 death all the more devastating.

Mark Greene Was Hands-Down One Of ER’s Best Characters

From the moment we meet Mark in ER‘s fast-paced pilot, it’s immediately apparent he is meant to be one of the audience’s key surrogates in the show’s roster of characters. His frequent desire to take a break from the breakneck race of treating multiple patients made him instantly relatable for others with similarly high-stress jobs, while his efforts to bring a compassionate voice to the department simultaneously gave him a real sense of sympathy for both his patients and the young medical students under his wing.

Arguably, the most notable thing that helped Mark stand apart from the other ER doctors was how his kinder personality contrasted with so many others. Through no fault of Edwards’ co-stars, few others resonated as well as Dr. Greene did, as Eriq LaSalle’s Dr. Peter Benton, Laura Innes’ Dr. Kerry Weaver and Paul McCrane’s Dr. Robert “Rocky” Romano often displayed such abrasive and egotistical personalities that it was hard to ever care for them as much.

That’s not to say that Mark was perfect in his eight-season ER tenure, either. Early seasons of the series saw him often struggling to balance his work and home lives, which ultimately culminated in the dissolution of his first marriage, as well as his growing estrangement from his eldest daughter Rachel. He also would sometimes let these personal hurdles interfere in his interactions with both patients and the other doctors.

How ER Killed Off Mark Greene After Eight Seasons

Anthony Edwards' Mark wearing his eye cover while in bed in ER season 8 — Anthony Edwards’ Mark wearing his eye cover while in bed in ER season 8

The writing hit the wall for Edwards’ character in ER season 7 when Mark, in the midst of his relationship taking off with Alex Kingston’s Dr. Elizabeth Corday, discovered he had glioblastoma multiforme, a brain tumor initially diagnosed as inoperable and causing neurological and motor issues. Thanks initially took a turn for the positive when neurosurgeon specialist Dr. Burke was able to perform an operation that clears him, allowing him to celebrate both his wedding to Elizabeth and the birth of their daughter, Ella.

A year later, ER season 8 saw Dr. Greene hit with an even more devastating health update as his tumor not only returned, but that it was inoperable even by Dr. Burke, leaving him with just 10 months to live should he do chemotherapy and other treatments. This also comes around the time of Rachel running away from home and moving in with him, in which her reckless teenage behavior not only includes her use of drugs and cigarettes, but also nearly results in the OD of newborn Ella.

After initially sticking to his treatments, Mark eventually decides to accept his fate, resigning from County General and traveling to Hawaii with Rachel to show her the same experiences he had living there as a teenager on the nearby Army base, as well as attempt to reconnect and steer her down the right path. It was ultimately revealed in ER season 8, episode 20, “The Letter,” that Mark died in his sleep, with Noah Wyle’s Dr. Carter reading a letter Elizabeth wrote dictated by Mark, while the subsequent episode, “On the Beach,” showed the time leading up to his death after his resignation.

Few Network TV Deaths Properly Build To The End As Well As ER’s Dr. Greene Did

Anthony Edwards' Mark smiling while looking on toward Rachel in ER season 8 — Anthony Edwards’ Mark smiling while looking on toward Rachel in ER season 8

The medical drama genre on network TV has certainly seen main characters attempt to live with a terminal illness, with some resulting in death, while most see a meaningful recovery. ER‘s Dr. Greene was nearly one of the former after his successful surgery, only for Edwards’ desire to move on to other opportunities to result in the reversing of course of his character’s fate.

Even still, part of what makes his death resonate all the more powerfully, even with 24 years gone since Mark’s final main ER episode, is the way the show built up to the moment. Both Mark and Elizabeth believably went through the five stages of grief following his new prognosis, which was all the more compelling as they were in the midst of their marriage hitting the rocks due to Rachel’s behavior, and still found struggles on the path to reconciliation, even with Dr. Greene’s impending demise.

ER also took a unique path to tackling Mark’s death by showcasing the aftermath before the actual ending, which made the end result all the more heartbreaking. From Carter holding back tears as he read Mark’s letter to Kerry, Romano and others finding out the news thanks to the letter being posted on the main bulletin board, we’re reminded how big of an impact, even if quietly, Dr. Greene had on everyone.

Which then turns into the true gut-punch of “On the Beach,” in which we see Mark at his most vulnerable as his condition deteriorates and he and Elizabeth do everything they can to get through to Rachel before it’s too late. John Wells, who was ER‘s showrunner for the first six seasons and earned his seventh Emmy win for his medical genre return on The Pitt, wasn’t so cruel in putting the episode that he wrote and directed together, giving audiences moments of bliss in which Edwards’ character delights in revisiting childhood stomping grounds and teaching Rachel to surf.

But it’s the moments in which he does closer acknowledge his impending demise, confessing to Rachel his fears of her future once she’s gone, making a wishlist of what he wishes he’d done in the future, including walking both Rachel and Ella down the aisle at their weddings, that further cement just how good of a soul he was. As such, when the ultimate moment comes, and Mark’s life flashes before his eyes, and he walks through an empty ER, all to the tune of Israel Kamakawiwoʻole’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” rendition, it’s nigh impossible to not melt into a sobbing mess for the rest of your day.

Beyond the actual execution, what really makes Mark’s death in ER stand out as the best of network TV after 24 years is that the show’s creative team didn’t rush to it. So many other deaths in the field pull on the audience’s heartstrings by focusing on the shock of their passing rather than exploring what such grief looks like before and after one dies. So, for those looking to jump on the ER fan bandwagon as they wait for The Pitt season 3 to return, just know you’re in for one of the most beautiful-yet-powerful character deaths ever put to air.