Over the past three days my wife and I have been catching up on May's episodes of ER. ER is always known for airing breathtakingly dramatic, frenetic, and/or shocking episodes during sweeps. I think that the most memorable of the sweeps episodes was in season one, when Doctor Green was having an exceptionally hard time delivering a baby, whose mother ultimately died.

These last few episodes however have pulled out all of the stops. This is what I have seen on TV over the past three evenings:

• Doctor Clemente's meltdown.
• Doctor Gallant's vehicle exploding in Iraq. Gallant's wife Neela grieves.
• A particularly distressing look at life in a Sudanese (Dharfur) refugee camp.
• A ten year old killed his abusive father, while a three year-old faces possible brain damage.

Apparently in the final episode of the season, there is a hostage-taking in the works. That one seems like it will be another "barnburner".

ER is still one of my favorite shows on TV (I really don't understand those of whom say the show isn't as good as it used to be.) I am looking forward to seeing what they'll have in store for us next season.