The doctor is...out

Clooney calls it quits, leaves the popular show ER and his substantial fan base

Today finds many Oberlin students walking around in a daze, grieving the loss of a man who has become like a friend over the past several years. Last night was George Clooney's final appearance as Dr. Doug Ross on the acclaimed television drama E.R.

For many, this was a solemn occasion.

Part of any long running television show's appeal is the intrigue and dynamics of its cast. Unlike many of E.R.'s diverse characters, from the stoic Dr. Benton to the frantic Carrie Weaver, Clooney's Doug Ross continually promised untapped depths.

Clooney has frequently been the doctor to tackle the most controversial of issues, from euthanasia to experimental and dangerous procedures. With his rough and ready motto of "always do what's best for the patient," Clooney's character makes choices based on morality rather than play-it-safe common sense. Certainly this unpredictability and morality has been partly responsible for his character's popularity.

E.R. fanatics may find Ross's struggle to accept his father's wild lifestyle and tragic death as mythic or archetypal in origin. Clooney, as Ross, represents a man slowly growing past his neuroses, and yet unable to completely abandon the wild idealism which gives meaning to his life and career.

Where a recent New York Times essay compared Doug Ross to a contemporary cowboy, a more adequate comparison would be to a chivalric knight. Ross personifies a simple and outdated code of acting on his beliefs at any cost. Compared to the pragmatic, cost-efficient, malpractice-wary clinicians around him, Ross is a good-hearted rouge.

Though Clooney's deep and gravely voice often mumbles through his lines, his dark eyes and strong looks adequately exhibit his charm. Clooney exudes a quiet confidence even when acting shy and embarrassed. One can only wish George Clooney luck as he departs for the big screen. If he sticks to making films like Steven Soderbergh's Out of Sight over schlocky romances, he may find his niche.

Though he lacks the all-star appeal of a Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks or Tom Cruise, Clooney has a darker, more risky look to him than these all-American "good guys."

The question left to plague audiences now is whether E.R. has the power to outlast its biggest star's departure. The fact is, no television show can sustain its popularity forever, and the next few months will prove crucial for the hit show.