Ep 21. Full Moon, Saturday Night

During the 21st episode of the first season of ER, entitled "Full Moon, Saturday Night," the emergency room is abuzz with activity as the full moon brings in a string of patients with bizarre and unusual injuries. The episode begins with a man who gets hit by a train and is brought in with severe injuries, yet surprisingly, he is talking and conscious. The team is stunned by his resilience, as he calmly recounts the event.

Carter is assigned to look after a young boy named Chad suffering from a dangerous infection that is spreading fast. The boy's parents are unable to pay for the expensive treatment, and Carter feels helpless in the face of their despair. Meanwhile, Greene handles the case of an elderly man suffering from Alzheimer's who was found wandering on the street after escaping from his retirement home. His daughter arrives, and they both struggle to communicate as the man's condition worsens.

Elsewhere, the staff deals with a man, shot during a foiled robbery, who has complicated wounds that threaten his life. They also treat a woman who was knocked unconscious after a fall, only to find a piece of paper with a message written on it from her pocket. The message appears to be a cry for help, and the team races to uncover the mystery behind it.

The ER staff also has to come to grips with their own issues and personal life dramas. Susan is torn between two love interests, one a paramedic and the other a doctor, while Hathaway is dealing with her pregnant sister, a situation that triggers memories of her own painful past.

Meanwhile, Ross is treating a patient who has been in a car accident and is struggling with personal demons. Ross sees a lot of himself in this patient and takes the opportunity to reflect on his own life and choices.

As the night wears on, the ER team is exhausted from the constant flow of patients and the challenges they face. The full moon seems to have brought out the strangest and toughest cases, and the team is stretched to its limit. The episode ends with the team exhausted but still committed, working through the night to ensure that everyone receives the care they need.

In "Full Moon, Saturday Night," the writers craft a unique story that highlights the challenges and rewards of working in the ER. The episode captures the frenetic pace and unpredictability of working in a bustling emergency room and showcases the struggles and dilemmas that the doctors and nurses face as they try to heal their patients. The show is expertly crafted and its first season has set a high bar for the seasons yet to come.