"ER" On the Beach (TV Episode 2002) Poster

(TV Series)

(2002)

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10/10
This is the most bittersweet episode
angeljane825 June 2008
I first saw this when i was 21, my father had been diagnosed with prostate cancer (certainly not the type Dr Greene had) but I had buried the feelings I had about it. When I saw this particular episode, it allowed me to get in contact with those emotions. I watched this episode today and one particular scene hit me really hard. You see when my father died of cancer he had a stroke, so when Greene starts telling his daughter about the one thing he feels he needs to impart to his daughter is generosity, to be generous of time and love, and he is slurring his words it really hit home. This is one of the few episodes of television dealing with death that really hits the nail on the head. That really depicts the sadness and the reality of death, especially by cancer. Some body really did their homework, and they really treated it all with incredible dignity.
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10/10
Single most tear-jerker episode and maybe the most emotional episode of all times
tv_is_my_parent7 January 2013
Cried, cried, cried, cried my f-ing eye balls out! I'm still crying writing this. Previous episode was just a trailer of what is coming next. I don't think I cried to anything this much (and I watched the entire series of Six Feet Under-if you know what I mean). The dream sequence at the ends, all the dialogs, everything was just amazing. Just a big WOW!

With the amazing writing by John Wells this has been an historic episode of ER. If I write more, I will cry more. I was like "enough!!!". If a show makes you this much sentimental, it worths something. One thing I didn't like! Where the f-ck was Julianna Margulies and George Clooney?! This is their (at least Doug's) best friend for Christ's sake! It just gets me furious! Okay, I'm crying again, now thinking of the funeral. Goodbye, Mark Greene, you will be missed! :( My point is I wish I could give it more than 10/10.
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10/10
Most powerful episode of the series
iplaygames212 September 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I firmly believe that this series effectively ended with the passing of Dr. Greene. It has managed to carry on, but to many people, Dr. Greene was the last "good" doctor on the show. He was there from the beginning; he taught characters who are still on the show today. His legacy lives on in the ER and he will never be forgotten.

This episode is the last one for Anthony Edwards. It tells a powerful tale of a father trying to accomplish a lifetime full of things in a short span of time. Ultimately, his last days are spent trying to, as he puts it, "fix Rachel". They stay in Hawaii, near the naval base where Dr. Greene grew up. He teaches her to drive, to surf, and tells her of his own upbringing. They both realize they are more alike than they would like to believe.

Inevitably, Greene succumbs to the tumor that is spreading through his brain. The funeral is shown, with many of the ER staff making an appearance. Notably absent is Dr. Ross (George Clooney). Speculation is that he did not want his cameo appearance to overshadow the departure of a beloved character on the show.

I truly believe this particular episode to be the most moving, and most powerful one to date. With ER in its final season, it will be interesting to see what they can do with the series finale to stir the same kind of emotional response as 'On the Beach'. Anthony Edwards is set to reprise his role as Dr. Greene for the last couple of episodes, appearing in flashback type sequences. I, for one, cannot wait to see Dr. Greene again.
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10/10
The Infamous Episode written and directed by John Wells
prettyinpunk1087 May 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Dr. Mark Greene's last episode and an excellent farewell to a wonderful character that ER fans have admired for eight years. His brain tumor has already been discovered as non-operable and in the last episode, he chose not to undergo any further treatment so that he could live his life as "two or three good months, instead of six long months." He has already left the ER without much of a goodbye, and in the last episode "The Letter," the staff receives news that he has died. In this episode, he tries to do all the things that he wanted to do, and on that list it includes "fixing Rachel," his out of control teenage daughter. He takes her to Hawaii, the longest place he ever stayed at because of his father's Naval duties. While in Hawaii, he's bonding with his daughter and telling her about his childhood and how he was. He says that he didn't get along with his father, but regrets that he didn't have a better relationship with him. Rachel doesn't want to hear any of it but Mark wants to help her with no resolve. He finally falls to the ground suffering from a Grand Mal Seizure, and his wife, Elizabeth Corday rushes to his side from Chicago. It is now evident of the brain tumor's effects on Mark and that his death will be soon. Elizabeth talks to Rachel and tells her to snap out of it, that her father is dying and if she doesn't bond with him now, that she will regret it for the rest of her life. Mark, who looks terrible, and can hardly move, asks Elizabeth to write letters for him to his two children for them to open on their special days: graduation, weddings, and etc since he wouldn't be there. Rachel finally tries to connect with Mark and he tells her that he was thinking about what a father should tell his daughter and he finally realizes it, he tells her "I was trying to figure out what I should have already told you, but I never have. Something important. Something every father should impart to his daughter. I finally got it. Generosity. Be generous. With your time...with your love....with your life." He goes back to sleep because he's exhausted. He dreams of walking through the ER which is completely empty. That is the last time we see him. The next scene is of the funeral. An excellent episode, but the most depressing episode of the ER series. One important question: Where were Doug Ross and Carol Hathaway? They were not at the wedding and were Mark's best friends.
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10/10
On the Beach (#8.21)
ComedyFan20106 April 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Wow, after the last episode I didn't expect to see Mark Greene again. And I am so thankful for the creators of the show to make it for us to see the last days of Mark. It helped to accept his death and to say good bye to him, in a way a great homage to an amazing character whom I always saw as a great human being and who was one of my favorites.

It was great to see him get some things into his life before it was over. He did the parachuting and then as the most important thing got to spend time with his daughter. I loved how he was teaching her surfing, the conversation about drugs he had with her. So genuine and emotional.

I am also happy Elizabeth talked to Rachel to make her understand she should be an adult. I could understand Rachel. It must have been very hard for a teenager and her anger was at the situation but she let it out at her dad. Yet I am glad she got herself together and had this wonderful final moment with Mark playing that lullaby he was trying to make her remember. He truly did die in peace, just like somebody as great as him would deserve.

I look forward to see more of the show, but I have a bad feeling that without Mark it will not be the same and as great....
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10/10
ER - The Most Emotional Episode
owen_macdonald20022 May 2008
Wow,I don't know how any fan of ER could not break down in tears to this episode, (male or female). I have never seen a movie or TV show that was this much of an emotional roller-coaster. And being a father of a little girl, I think it hit home just that much more.

Mark Greene takes his daughter to Hawaii to have a last shot at teaching her some of life's important lessons, knowing that any day now would be his last. To top it off the song playing in the final few minutes of the show, (Somewhere over the rainbow/What a wonderful world), really just nails the exact feel to the episode. I don't want to ruin the experience of this episode, so I won't elaborate on it, just watch it for yourself.

This is one of the best ER episodes, (Love, Labour, Lost), probably being the best. If you have never even watched ER, this one would probably show you just how important the show has been over the 15 years.
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10/10
And I will try to fix you
slak96u1 March 2022
This episode and the finale of Six Feet Under, the most emotional television I've seen.

This is essentially a bottle episode,, nearly the entire episode takes place in Hawaii. Mark trying to make up for lost, and disappearing, time with his daughter. His body starts to fail as he succumbs to his illness. His struggle to connect with Rachel is the conflict, as is Elizabeth trying to hold everything together. When Rachel puts those headphones on her dad... I can't even.

Obviously Anthony Edwards is the star, and Alex Kingston is great as always, but.... Hallee Hirsh, who was relatively inexperienced up to this point was fantastic. Such a heavy and difficult role for a teenager, she holds her own.

This is a top three episode of ER, honestly probably the best. Absolute tear jerker, just brutal.
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10/10
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
spasek9 April 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This has always been a challenging episode to watch as Dr. Greene lives out his final days in the most beautiful place on earth, Hawaii (my opinion, of course!) If I knew I had little time left, Hawaii would be my choice as well.

Dr. Greene takes his daughter Rachel to Hawaii. He already knows he's not coming back, as he makes a final attempt to connect with his estranged daughter in some way. Live life with no regrets.

Rachel, of course, is a typical teenager who is angry and rebelious against almost everyone and everything. Greene even knows that he's had a hand in it. "You got a bastard for a father!" he confesses to her. He knows that he's never truly been there for her. But, better late than never as he attempts to salvage something; attempts to see if there is still a way to reconcile with her.

It can be painful to realize that your parents aren't perfect. They make mistakes. Often. Because they are people too who are simply doing the best that they can. There's no guidebook or manual. Most parents are little more than children themselves. Perhaps that is why in many Native American societies, the biological parents did not raise their children. That job was left to the elders because it was felt that they had more wisdom and life experience. Perhaps there is something to that. As an ESL teacher, I've seen a number of parents who really don't seem to have a clue about what they're doing.

The best piece of advice I've heard is to simply be there. Just be there. Your presence is worth far more than anything you can buy for you kids. And don't be afraid to make mistakes because you will.

The episode is realistic and not wrought by the typical sentimentalism that we'd usually find. We can't expect that things will magically be healed in repaired in one week's time. But perhaps Mark was able to help Rachel lay a foundationi; a first step toward making better choices for herself. Of course, we won't see the results of this until the series finale when we can smile and realize that Greene was able to succeed in imparting something to his daughter.

My only minor complaint was the absence of Ross and Hathaway at Mark's funeral. I know Clooney was reluctant to take some of the spotlight away from Edwards, but in all reality, Ross and Hathaway would have been there. As two of Mark's closest friends, there's no way they wouldn't have been there. I think Clooney was overthinking it too much. Still, it was a wonderful send off for such a beloved character.

And the added homeage with the best rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" ever done was, literally, a perfect touch!
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10/10
Goodbye Dr. Greene.....(One of the Best ER episodes ever)
davulture20 April 2007
Warning: Spoilers
The episode starts off where Orion in the Sky ended, as Mark heads out of the ER and comes back home. While spending time with Elizabeth he decides he wants to write a list of things he plans on doing before he dies. The primary goal of that list is to "Fix Rachel" his daughter. So he decides to take her with him on a journey to Hawaii. However in Hawaii Rachel seems to care less about spending time with her dad, and more interested in taking drugs. It suddenly becomes clear how different Mark and Rachel are and how bad he feels for not spending time with her. Eventually though they start to get along and Mark tells Rachel about his childhood living on a naval base, he shows her how to drive and how to surf. But it still seems as though Rachel could careless and Greene angrily yells at her telling her "That nobody cares" before going into a seizure. Soon Elizabeth and Ella arrive and the cavalry spends what little time they have together. The sad moments are probably seeing Greene's state deteriorate as he tries to sing "Somewhere over the Rainbow" to his little daughter Ella. Soon Greene becomes confined to laying in his bed with an patch covering up his eye so he can sleep. Barely able to move, Greene's time finally seems to be over and his reaction can best be summarized when he swears "Shit" at the top of his lungs unable to get out of bed. Which is pretty sad as it is. After telling Elizabeth to write his will, Greene goes back to his bed preparing for his imminent death. However due to her-step mom Elizabeth's persistence, Rachel spends the last few moments of her father's life. As he dies, Greene tells his daughter how much she loved balloons as a kid and how she would always let it go, and tells her not to cry for him. Which she promises she won't do. After the Father-daughter bond is finally brought together, and Greene's final lines in the series are, "Be Generous...Always" as he is about to die. Soon his daughter puts on a headset to "Somewhere over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole....as the song plays Mark Greene starts to see the images of an empty ER with nobody in it except him and the images of Elizabeth and Ella along with Rachel. And finally the last shot of Greene occurs as he stares at Rachel and her friend, as he finally lightens up a smile...Immediately after wards Elizabeth comes in and feels Greene's dead pulse. Probably the hardest moment of the episode was witnessing the funeral with the entire cast of ER including Benton and Cleo as the stand depressed and bewildered by Greene's death. The ending of the episode is Rachel getting out of the car carrying Elizabeth, Ella and Mark's first wife Jen. After Rachel gets out she grabs a balloon from a random house and throws it in the air...As the balloon floats in the sky it begins to hit you as the violins play that Greene is dead...Which makes watching the episode depressing to begin with, but definitely one of the Greatest ER episodes ever.
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10/10
Beautiful
MattD1202716 December 2006
Warning: Spoilers
There really is no other word for this episode. If "ER" has a climax - emotional or otherwise - this episode is it. It has actually very little to do with the ER itself, but that's OK. This episode is more about the end of a journey, of a character we've all come to know and love. Perhaps the most telling moment in this episode is when Greene falls out of bed and curses. You know it's over for him at that point. And the end of the episode, with that damn fine song, made me cry so hard. "ER" has never been a bad show, or even a mediocre one, but as the screen fades to black at then end of this particular episode, the show loses something it never regained. Dr. Greene's humanity. His unflinching humanity.

Television at its finest.
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10/10
Fantastic episode
Sadie198719 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
If you watch this episode and it doesn't move you then you've not watched this episode. For those asking where was Doug Ross, George Clooney was asked to appear but declined because he didn't want his cameo to over shadow Mark Greene's departure
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10/10
very impressive
Rien Heutink3 August 2006
I Haven't watched this series. I don't really like hospital series actually. I just happened to sort of stumble on to it, just saw some fragments of it. This is in actual fact the one episode I have seen. Twice to be precise, I saw part of it a couple of years ago and the series has been been repeated for a while in the Netherlands. For some strange reason I checked the TV-guide and saw the title. That was the reason I taped it,and yes, it was the episode I had partly seen before. I was mightily impressed. Rarely did I see one episode of a TV-series make this much of an impression on me. Kind of helps me prepare for ... well, I don't know... maybe the end of my own days. Maybe some time from now, maybe soon, I don't know. Very good indeed.
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10/10
The end of a journey
tderouaux112 October 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Anthony Edwards's character Dr. Mark Greene has always been my favorite on the series, This episode being his last. I really liked the way we got to see the last part of his life instead of ending it like at the end of the previous episode "The Letter". I thought this episode was a fitting end to a character we followed through 8 seasons. At the same time we were taught that we should all live every day to the fullest and be kind and generous to the people we interact with. Knowing that not everyone has the chance to make emends to those we may have wronged or had a fallen out with before the final curtain falls on our lives. Although there have been a lot of characters through out the series I will always enjoy the seasons with Dr. Mark Greene the most.
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10/10
Crying
hannaanaanana3 September 2021
I watched this back in 2002 as a kid and now again almost 20 years later. The most emotional tv episode ever made.
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10/10
I needed a good cry
oppec30 January 2021
I remember watching this in 2002 and I didn't start crying until I heard the song Somewhere Over Rainbow. Just watched again in 2021 and I started crying when Mark was singing to his youngest daughter.

It evoked many more emotions now than it did back in 2002. I balled and it actually felt good.

Wonderful episode with fantastic writing and great imagery.
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10/10
Hard to Watch
ksteele1212 October 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This episode is hard to watch - from the start which is a quick reprise of Mark's departure from the hospital two episodes previously (with the words 'you set the tone' to Carter - the self-same words Morgenstern said to him in the pilot) to the end where Rachel releases a balloon.

It is hard watching a friend die, and this is exactly what dedicated fans go through. His determination to 'fix Rachel' despite his deteriorating health is gut-wrenching. This episode also hit me particularly hard as it was broadcast only a few months after watching my own father die of cancer.

The only thing to spoil it was the absence of Doug and Carol, Mark's two best friends, at his funeral. Nearly everyone else was there from the show's history, why not them?
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10/10
I genuinely teared up
johnbamber-543-39050512 July 2022
I realize this is just a tv show, a work of fiction. It's about characters that don't exist, and I'll never have a chance to meet them. However, they touch us all in unique ways. Those characters all teach us something... and whether or not we realize it, we relate to them like they were a part of our lives.

I thought this episode was absolutely beautiful. I genuinely will miss Dr Greene, because as many lives as he had saved throughout his time on the show, he certainly touched mine.
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10/10
I had never seen ER
commanderbunbun-3371817 December 2020
Started watching reruns. I found myself waiting to turn it on every morning. Then I started binge-watching. I couldn't leave my chair try. I really grew to love Mark Greene, and I really had to take the hit on this episode. I cried for an hour. The music in the background didn't help. A great hour of TV
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10/10
Deeply Emotional Warning: Spoilers
This episode was so moving and gut wrenching. Honestly it was the Peak of ER for me. So well done! A solid 10 out of 10 and a very moving Goodbye for Dr Greene.

I tried to watch Seasons 9 and 10 but I never again felt the connection that I felt for Seasons 1-8. Had to stop watching and have never watched Seasons 11-15. They tried adding new characters, but the Originals were too good and irreplaceable, in my opinion.

Anthony Edward's "Dr. Greene" was not always loveable, but he was a great multi-faceted character. He was portrayed as a brilliant doctor and a good friend and strong leader. You felt his absence when he left the show.
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10/10
How to show the reality of death in such a beautiful way.
ximenascastro8 November 2020
This episode's got everything. Mark's bravery to face is faith and his tranquility makes everything just a little more sad, but certainly more accurate too. It's just beautiful.
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10/10
Make sure to drink enough before watching.
harmipad10 August 2022
Because you're going to need it for all the tears.

What an episode.

I used to watch ER reruns if saw it on while skipping channels, but never followed the seasons. Now I finally had the chance. The character Mark Greene is one of the best if not the best in the entire show and this episode is how a true ending should be. Heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. Be sure to get some tissues before watching because you will definitely need them.
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8/10
The episode ER ended
righteousman28 November 2006
...or at least where it should have ended with Doug Ross laying flowers on Mark's grave...I accidentally stumbled over the song that was played in the ending yesterday and it took me a while to find out where I heard it before...a weird episode...pretty human...I didn't see all episodes so I won't say it's the best, but it's definitely one to remember

Anyway, after that the show died slowly...with Carter leaving the show it was finally over...I have no idea how it managed survived over the years...when I occasionally tune in I see Abby and Luka over 90% arguing about nothing and everything...nice show till that day...RiP Mark ;)
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Missing at funeral
careyg2225 September 2006
Since doctors Greene and Ross were such good buddies, best friends, why weren't Doug and Carol (nurse Hathaway) at Mark's funeral? I was so disappointed that they were not there. Just about everybody else was there. Even doctors Benton and Finch were there, and they had left the show as well. Doug and Mark went through so much together, helping each other out, playing golf and handball, going through rough times. I just don't understand it. With friends like that, what would keep a person from attending his "Best Friend's" funeral, especially the way Dr. Greene died. Could you tell me the circumstance that kept George Clooney and Juliana Margulies from making a cameo appearance during the funeral scene at the end of that episode? Please respond, I'd really like to know.
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10/10
Farewell to a great human being
tdmguerreiro20 August 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Mark Greene embodied a doctor and man whose flaws and strengths made him a complete, well-rounded human being. A role model to his peers and students, a father, son and husband who never gave up trying. This has been a heartbreaking episode which has nonetheless given us the closure we needed to make peace with Mark's journey. I'm Hawaii he gets to say goodbye to his daughters and wife, and to impart to his teenage daughter a most valuable lesson: "Be generous. With your time, love." I feel that ER has come to an end after this episode and this invariably shows me the importance of Mark Greene.
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