ER (TV Series) Freefall (2003) User Reviews

When Karma Can Be A Killer

[domino1003 · 10/10 · 15 October 2006]

Dr. Robert Romano.He was the doctor that you wanted to hate. He was a sexist, racist, egotistical pig that RARELY showed his humanity. In the previous season, Romano was the victim of a horrific accident (The episode was called "Chaos Theory")when a helicopter blade sliced off his arm. Despite being re-attached, his arm soon becomes useless and has to be removed, ending his surgical career and forcing him to become the new ER Chief (And making Kerry Weaver Chief of Staff).

In this episode, "Freefall", we see what happens when karma can be a killer. Romano has been making everyone's life a living hell, and this particular day (Thanksgiving)is no exception. He threatens everyone and overrules Dr. Pratt (Mekhi Phifer)on a patient's care. It is this incident that starts a chain of events that leads to Dr. Romano's demise.

Rather than rehash what happens to Romano (No words can make this adequate. You just have to see it for yourself), all I can say is that this is one of the most unexpected episodes of this series. The special effects are incredible and the story is pretty good. And it is interesting that this happens on Thanksgiving (Giving thanks that Romano is gone? Possibly).

To this day, I still can't believe the fate that fell (literally)on Dr. Romano. But as they say, "karma is a killer."

Where ER jumped the shark...

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 4 December 2014]

...although the episode itself is very good, even daring. It takes courage to come up with a plot point straight out of a Looney Tunes cartoon.

I mean, really, Dr. Romano's arm has already been amputated due to an accident with a helicopter some time before, and he has just run downstairs due to a panic attack to get away from the roof top helicopter due to a flashback from the original accident and the helicopter crashes and falls on him anyways? And it takes the emergency responders trying to remove the twisted wreck of the helicopter for anybody to notice he is missing AND dead in the first place? That was a heck of a way to spend Thanksgiving 2003 and a heck of a way for the colorful yet completely unlikeable Dr. Romano to exit the show.

After this episode, ER just seemed to lose its direction, IMHO.

One Hell-of-a GREAT Show

[hardingta-43557 · 10/10 · 20 February 2022]

Way too long in the coming but the wait was well worth it. It was even better than the helicopter tail rotor episode. One of the ER episodes that I have saved in my Direct TV DVR.

One of my top 3

[johnbamber-543-390505 · 10/10 · 27 September 2023]

This is by far one of my top 3 favorite episodes, especially because Dr Romano gets impaled by an exploding helicopter. In a word...KARMA! All of the crap that Dr Romano put everyone through, he got what he DESERVED! I'm not a sadist, but I make an exception for Robert Romano. Shame to put a perfectly good Myoelectric prosthesis to waste. I thought i hated Dr Kerry Weaver, but I truly loathed Dr Romano. I'm glad Weaver didn't have as much screen time over the last few episodes, but man I cheered out loud several times when Romano bit the dust. ER is one of my top favorite shows, with House coming in a close 2nd in terms of medical shows. Episodes like this deserve a 12/10, mainly because it finally gives the viewer EXACTLY what we want... the demise of a character that, if called a "jerk", is being too kind.

Freefall (#10.8)

[ComedyFan2010 · 9/10 · 16 April 2015]

No, no, no!!! Not Romano, how could they do it to me!!!! I have a feeling the show will go down even faster now, all the characters I like are being killed off and the ones that appear are not as great. I wish it was Abby who was under that helicopter...She is a constantly bitter witch. Romano was a huge douchebag but extremely entertaining, the show will sure miss Romano moments. I guess Paul McCrane wanted to be written off, otherwise I see no reason. He will sure be missed by me, great acting!.

Well, my rating has nothing to do with how happy I am now, it just about how it was done. The whole helicopter thing was pretty unpredictable and kind of had a feeling of fate in it considering his accident in the previous season.

The story of Chuck is also pretty great. When the helicopter crashed I already forgot if he was on it as I was so upset about Romano. So it was surprise for me as well when Susan got to see him all alive.

I Think I'm Done

[Reel1120 · 3/10 · 17 June 2022]

Been binging er on Hulu. Never saw the show when it was on the air. I have to say, I really enjoyed the first few seasons. The thing I liked was how the main focus was the medicine and everything else was kept in the background. They didn't dwell on the personal relationships, they let the audience make those connections with breadcrumbs. Unfortunately the writing started to get noticeably inconsistent after about season 4-5. Rehashing the same story lines, corny dialogue. Inexplicable scenarios etc.

The show really suffered after Anthony Edwards left. But if they had creative writers, they could have still made it work, especially with Noah Wyle, Laura Innes and Paul McCrane still involved. All three do a wonderful job and play their parts very well.

For whatever reason, this season has seen Wyles Dr. Carter in Africa (essentially off the show). Innes Weaver has been relegated to background status (when she is on screen, she is forced to deliver bland, uninspired dialogue) and Mccranes Dr Romano has to deal with the aftermath of losing his arm (a terrible story arc that was not handled well by the writers)

If the writers got rid of his arm, why did they have such little idea what to do with him afterward. It was an idea without follow through. They should have killed him off then and there.

Instead they kill him off in this episode? With... another helicopter?? C'mon. I read that they wrote him off because they had run out of ideas on where to go with the character. Well, I found Romano to be one of the only interesting characters left in a sea of the insufferable (Lockhart, Pratt, Chen).

I dont think I can suffer through these last seasons. I think I'm done.... Too bad.

How ridiculous can you get?

[tert72 · 4/10 · 11 December 2022]

Also binge watching this on hulu. Didn't see it when it was on. And the show has its ridiculous moments but this one takes the cake. I worked in hospitals, if a resident EVER talked to an attending like Pratt always does(not with the women attending though) he would have been gone long ago. He has disobeyed and back talked every major male doc. And then you have the red head pot smoking quitting idiot that seems to be in over 100 episodes??? And of course the selfish, it's all about me Abby. So far up to this point I haven't seen her do anything for anyone. Actually pick up her brother once, but caused her not to be there for Carter, but ignored him and her mom the rest of the time.

The ridiculousness of the episode....... Just shows that this show is about done... I think I'll have it on in the background, doesn't seem to get better.

The helicopter took off flew over a shark came back and crashed on Romano

[drewstewartcola · 4/10 · 22 June 2018]

I personally found Romano to be one of the best characters on the show, kind of like J.R.Ewing with a lab coat, but just like the writers of Dallas, the writers had let the show go on for too long and when they began to run out of logical storylines for the characters, they just shoveled more and more crap on the screen like the episodes where Sam Taggert's criminal ex-husband became part of this elaborate prison break scheme to the addition of Tony Gates as the Don Juan of the ER,to Archie Morris finding out he had a bunch of kids vis a vis his donations to a sperm bank to deck crashing at Ray's house. My title says it all

Ridiculous

[polite-45692 · 1/10 · 11 April 2020]

Ridiculous and cartoonish, it could be the episode that clearly defined ER's long decline. The silly helicopter crash already has been thoroughly criticized.

Romano was more interesting and probably had more depth than other other characters.

Romano had, rightfully, determined it was time for the incompetent, hateful Pratt to be terminated. Pratt was "saved" by Romano's demise, which makes it even worse.

Should've been the last episode...

[neatmiker · 4/10 · 23 May 2020]

...because the most interesting and pot stirring character goes bye-bye. Seriously, who is writing these last few year's? Carter's MIA. Susan's become a lush horndog. Lizzy has been all but written out. Luka is preaching about billing (because that's a social topic this season) and the rest of the cast is meh, save Sam. Who am I supposed to care about? PRATT?!?! Won't work; I'm not from the hood. Ridiculous.

Michael's affair, Donna from The Office Makes an appearance as - big shocker - a pregnant woman in distress. Does anyone ever have a normal delivery here?!

Other reviews mention ER jumped the shark with this episode. If you've read my reviews you know that happened a loooooooooong time ago. I'll say it again, this is not ER, and worse yet, is barely worth watching.

Makes me sad.

Summation Of Quality Episode: Freefall

[egggnome · 5/10 · 14 April 2024]

They've said, after five seasons you're only watching a series for the characters. I'm only just now, in 2024, getting around to watching ER and I'm wondering when that analogy was first trotted out. Most of the characters are terrible out of the gate, with the few good ones saddled with annoying baggage characters that made them unpleasant to watch. Two of the best character's actors: Anthony Edwards and Noah Wyle have fled the series by season 10 leaving the last, and best character, Robert Romano anchoring the show. The writers had tortured him with a loss of limb lazy story line using a helicopter, before finally killing him off in Freefall using, yet again, another helicopter. I'm hoping it was at Paul McCrane's request. He certainly deserved better from the writers.