FAQ for
"ER" (1994)

I'll limit the answers to character reasons, and mainly to the main characters. November, February and the penultimate episode of the season in May are the popular exit episodes. In order of departure:

Dr. Susan Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) first left in episode "Union Station" (3.8, November 21, 1996). She left to be with her sister and niece Suzie in Phoenix, Arizona. She returned in episode "Never Say Never" (8.4, October 18, 2001)- Dr. Dave Malucci's (Erik Palladino) last episode. She left the second time in season 12's premiere episode "Canon City" (September 22, 2005) for no apparent reason.

Chief of emergency medicine, Dr. David Morgenstern (William H. Macy), resigned in episode "Shades of Gray" (4.19, April 23, 1998). Returning to work 6 months after a heart attack (in season's 4 opening episode), Morgenstern finds it difficult coming back. During a surgery Dr. Peter Benton pushes him aside, but he's unable to save the patient. Peter is suspended (for the shoving), but David reinstates him before resigning.

Dr. Anna Del Amico (Maria Bello) was last seen in season's 4 finale episode "A Hole in the Heart" (May 14, 1998). In the first episode of season 5, Carter explains that she moved to a pediatric ER in Philadelphia, where her family lives.

Dr. Doug Ross (George Clooney) resigned in episode "The Storm (part 2)" (5.15, February 18, 1999) after Kerry (Laura Innes) wouldn't let him treat patients. She did so after he practically assisted Joi Abbott (Valerie Mahaffey) end her son's life, tampered with a medical study and was involved with a car accident with Jeanie. He asks Carol to leave with him, but she declines. He briefly appeared in Carol's last episode.

Jeanie Boulet (Gloria Reuben) has two brief scenes in episode "The Peace of Wild Things" (6.6, November 11, 1999). She left the ER to spend more time with her husband, Officer Reggie (Cress Williams), and their HIV positive foster child Carlos.

Lucy Knight (Kellie Martin) was stabbed to death by a mental patient (David Krumholtz) in episode "All in the Family" (6.14, February, 2000).

Nurse Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies) was last seen in episode "Such Sweet Sorrow" (6.21, May 11, 2000), hugging Doug in Seattle. She leaves the ER after treating a dying patient and talking to the patient's husband and eldest daughter, and realizing she has to give herself a chance with Doug. She says goodbye to Luka (Goran Visnjic), whose gotten close to her in the past episodes. In this one she even tells him: "Don't walk away" just as she once said to Doug.

Dr. Peter Benton (Eriq La Salle) briefly appeared in 2 additional episodes after his original final episode "I'll Be Home for Christmas" (8.10, December 13, 2001) in which he got custody of his son Reese and moved to the suburbs with Dr. Cleo Finch (Michael Michele) who also appeared in an episode after this supposedly last episode.

Dr. Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards) died from a brain tumor in Hawaii "On the Beach" (8.21, May 9, 2002).

Dr. Robert Romano (Paul McCrane) was killed when a helicoptor crashed and landed on him, causing an explosion, in episode "Freefall" (10.8, November 20, 2003). No one was sorry to see him go.

Dr. Michael Gallant (Sharif Atkins) was sent to Iraq in episode "Where There's Smoke" (10.18, April 8, 2004). He returned for a 72 hours leave in 2 episodes on season 11. He died in an explosion in Iraq in the episode "The Gallant Hero and The Tragic Victor" (May 11, 2006)

Dr. Elizabeth Corday (Alex Kingston) returned to England in episode "Fear" (11.4, October 21, 2004) after rejecting Kerry's offer to be a clinical instructor. She did so when Corday was on the brink of losing her medical license after performing an illegal organ donation procedure.

Deb Chen (Ming-Na) fled in episode "House of Cards" (1.21, April 6, 1995) after almost killing a patient doing a procedure she shouldn't have done unsupervised. She returned in episode "Family Matters" (6.10, January 6, 2000), now Dr. Jing-Mei. Her final episode was "Twas the Night" (11.9, December 9, 2004) in which she euthanizes her father.

After getting tenure, Dr. John Truman Carter III (Noah Wyle) leaves in season 11's finale "The Show Must Go On" (May 19, 2005) for Africa, to be with Kem (Thandie Newton).

ER is currently contracted through the 2007/2008 season, which is the show's 13th. Whether it will be extended beyond this is currently uncertain. In an interview on October 12, 2006, following a sudden resurge in ER's ratings, executive producer David Zabel said 'the original plan was to end the series next season' ('next season' being 2007/2008) and also said "As long as we can keep doing what we are doing, I don't see any reason the show can't keep going on", implying further extension beyond 2008.

In October 2007 NBC will decide whether or not ER's contract will be renewed. And now it has been decided that its fifteenth season will be the last.