ER (TV Series) Middle of Nowhere (1999) User Reviews

Middle of Nowhere (#5.16)

[ComedyFan2010 · 9/10 · 23 February 2015]

This episode is dedicated to Peter Benton. He is going to work in a clinic in Mississippi during his two vacation weeks. The clinic is pretty small and without many possibilities.

I really liked what they did there. the beautiful atmosphere of the South and well combined for this episode dealing with racism and with the poverty of the hospital that Dr. Benton of course does perfectly.

We again get a few different cases with a small story that is interesting and as well different from what are used to in the usual scenery of ER. I really liked how it was changing for Benton with time. You can see him not being comfortable there and then starting bonding to people and starting to get positive responses from them as well.

Was also nice to see Whitman Mayo as Jesse Morgan as well as Celia Weston as a nurse. Took me a while to understand what they and other people there were saying.

Good ending as well, I was pretty much hoping there will be another episode in the middle of nowhere.

An Important Message

[sandwhichmaker · 9/10 · 8 November 2023]

I'm honestly baffled at the reviews here. I created an account just to post my view. I've lived in Alabama nearly all my life. If you think that things like this don't exist, even in 2023, you're incredibly uninformed. Our local hospital services areas up to 90 miles away and it's the only one in that radius that has a labor and delivery department. Imagine living miles away and in labor with complications. It is a matter of life and death. Rural healthcare in America is in shambles. I appreciate this episode more than any I've seen. It might not mean anything to those fortunate enough to be close to healthcare, but I've seen how bad it is, and more people should be aware of the issue.

this episode shows a better side of peter

[tiggerlicious25-645-219855 · 8/10 · 15 January 2024]

Almost all Peter Benton ... this episode focuses on dr. Benton signing up for a."locum tenens," which is when a doctor goes elsewhere to fill in for another doctor. At the last minute, he finds out he's going to a very small southern town. Upon arrival, his rental car breaks down, and he soon learns racism is very much alive in this area. As he meets the woman he's supposed to replace, and starts taking care of the community, you see a personal growth in peter benton. He faces some hatred, even danger, but learns to do his best despite the challenges. When he saves a white boy, the people start coming around. And when he delivers a breach baby, more respect is gained.

To me, this episode takes a cold surgeon and turns him into a better human and doctor. I liked this episode for that.

My least favorite episode so far on my binge

[anotherloverholeinurhead · 3/10 · 7 March 2022]

Living in Biloxi and knowing the Delta this was cliche riddled from the start. And for whatever reason this episode feels like a rejected Quantum Leap script.

Aged very, very poorly...

[slak96u · 5/10 · 23 February 2022]

So many stereotypes, it's mind-numbing, even the music used throughout the episode is a bad trope. Granted, this aired nearly 25 years ago, but jeesh this episode is difficult to watch. Worst episode of the series up to this point, by a large margin.

Deliverance meets Doc Hollywood

[mn8335 · 3/10 · 18 March 2019]

This episode all the stereotypes and ironies of a black fish out of water in a shallow white pond. I like the plot that humanizes Benton and shows more facets of his personality, but the point could've been made without banjos and harmonicas. By far one of the worst concepts the show has to offer.

Not well written, they destroyed the Peter character

[ameliek81 · 3/10 · 10 July 2016]

It's great to go back to an old TV favourite and watch with new perspective.

This is the worst episode of the series. The writers ruined the Peter Benton character for this, which is strange seeing as it was all about him! He suddenly becomes passive, friendly, talkative, etc. Each story-line was rushed and packed in. This felt like a filler episode, as though they just took a rejected script and went with it because there was nothing else.

Adding insult to injury is the interaction between Benton and Jeannie. They haven't interacted all season and suddenly they have a heart to heart? The writers did a disservice to both these interesting characters.

This episode feels like a bunch of mismatched puzzle pieces thrown together.

Disappointing, to say the least.

There's a lot to not like about this

[superfox_888 · 10 May 2022]

How to deal with the aftermath of George Clooney's exit? Follow Benton to Nowheresville, USA.

I'm not American. This ep seems to perpetuate many stereotypes, particularly race and education. Even disregarding those issues, any episode not set in the ER is against the vibe of the show. You call a show ER, you set it in an ER. Not at Greene's parents' house, not Las Vegas, not Mississippi. This ep feels like it's filler for the viewer to delay their processing of Doug's departure, and by focusing on Benton seems like he's trying to fill that spot. It doesn't work. Benton learns patients are people? Whoop Dee doo.

A series of tropes

[polite-45692 · 2/10 · 30 March 2020]

A series of tropes. Apparently, Benton's flight traveled through time, eventually going from Illinois in 1999 to Mississippi in 1959.

Of course, he delivered a breech baby in a dirty house AND performed life-saving surgery using fishing supplies. Cartoonish.

A remaining question: why did he walk out of the trailer barefoot after hearing glass break?

The only positive was seeing "Grady."