Robert Romano (ER)
Robert Romano | |
---|---|
![]() Paul McCrane as Robert Romano | |
First appearance | October 30, 1997 (4x05, "Good Touch, Bad Touch") |
Last appearance | November 13, 2008 (15x07, "Heal Thyself") |
Portrayed by | Paul McCrane |
Duration | 1997–2003, 2008 |
In-universe information | |
Nickname | Rocket |
Gender | Male |
Title | Attending Physician (1997-2003) Chief of Staff and Surgery (1999-2003) Chief of Emergency Medicine (2003) |
Occupation | Physician Surgeon |
Nationality | American |
Robert "Rocket" Romano,
Known for his sarcastic and nasty comments,[2] Romano provides an antagonistic force during his time in the series.
McCrane returned to make one further guest appearance in the
Development
Romano was a recurring character during the fourth and fifth seasons of the series. He became a regular character during the sixth-season premiere. In a script from the sixth season, Romano is described as having "no soul".[2]
In an interview with the
The character was killed off halfway through the
After McCrane left the main cast of ER, he went on to direct multiple episodes of the series along with Laura Innes after her departure in Season 13.
Character history
Romano is introduced in the fourth season's episode "Good Touch, Bad Touch" as a surgical attending sponsoring Elizabeth Corday's internship in the Chicago ER. Romano is a brilliant surgeon, but does not get along with the majority of the staff, except for Corday whose early quarreling and professional setbacks at Romano's hands such as discontinuing her fellowship had blossomed into a respected friendship over the years. He is portrayed as obnoxious and ambitious, and is eager to jump at the job of interim ER Chief to help weasel his way toward the top of the administrative ladder.
In the fifth season, Dr.
The character is promoted to series regular in the sixth season. He is hired as the new chief of staff, much to the dismay of the entire staff, but it was good news for Elizabeth because he promoted her to Associate Chief of Surgery. Kerry Weaver had originally backed him for the job, backstabbing Mark Greene in the process and earning the permanent ER Chief position, but soon becomes disgusted with him after seeing his diabolical ways which included him suspending her later in the season after she treated a comatose, brain-damaged young woman without HMO approval. He starts to grow fond of medical student Lucy Knight after she convinces him to do a heart operation on a patient on Christmas Eve.[7] He, along with Elizabeth, treats Lucy after she is brutally stabbed by a schizophrenic patient. When Lucy dies despite their feverish work to save her, he angrily throws a surgical tray in his grief and, later in the episode, is found by Weaver closing Lucy's chest incision by himself.[8]
In the seventh season, when Benton arranges for the surgery of a Medicare patient over Romano's objections, Romano fires Benton and then blacklists him throughout the community, making it almost impossible for him to find a job in Chicago which forced Benton to come back and accept a daily call, no-benefits job from Romano. After Benton impresses Romano by keeping his mouth shut and doing the job, Romano "rewards" him with a raise and benefits but also manipulates him into taking on a new post related to affirmative action at County (but is then outmaneuvered when Benton gets a talented African-American student a previously-denied interview, and the student is then accepted into medical school). In addition, Romano stops at nothing to fire Dr.
In the next season, Kim moves to San Francisco and Romano surprisingly decides to keep Kerry's secret. Romano continues to be arrogant and insensitive throughout the season, but surprisingly shows a soft side when Elizabeth has a hard time with Mark Greene's decision to discontinue his brain cancer treatment.
In the first episode of season nine, Romano,
In the tenth season, Romano gets a robotic arm. In the episode "Freefall," he is killed when a helicopter falls off the hospital roof and crushes him. Prior to his death, he had intended to lodge a complaint against Dr.
Romano reappears in the final season in a flashback, talking with Dr. Greene by Trauma 1 about his chemotherapy.
Reception
In his book Writing for Visual Media, author Anthony Friedmann calls Romano a "mocking, sarcastic, nasty guy."[2] Romano is described as a "boss from hell" by Stephen Battaglio in Los Angeles Times, while he was reviewing the characters' death.[6] Romano's death was described by Michael Ausiello as "shocking" and as if it was "ripped straight from The Wizard of Oz", and calls Romano "County General's very own Wicked Physician."[5] In a review several years later for NJ.com, Alan Sepinwall called Romano's death "one of the silliest moments in ER history."[11]
References
- ^ Season 10, Episode 8, "Freefall".
- ^ ISBN 9781136028106.
- ^ "ARMED TO SHOCK: HERE'S SECRET TO 'ER' ACCIDENT". Orlando Sentinel. 2002. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
- ^ Eric A. Taub (2003). "Special (and Mundane) Effects of the Movies, on TV". The New York Times. Retrieved 2019-06-27.
- ^ a b Michael Ausiello (2003). "ER's Dead Doc Talking". TV Guide. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
- ^ a b Stephen Battaglio (2003). "ON 'ER,' HELI OF AN EXIT Romano's last a ratings draw". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2019-06-27. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
- ^ Season 6, Episode 9, "How the Finch Stole Christmas".
- ^ Season 6, Episode 14, "All in the Family".
- ^ Season 9, Episode 1, "Chaos Theory".
- ^ Season 15, Episode 7, "Heal Thyself".
- ^ Alan Sepinwall (2009). "ER: Some of the best (and worst) moments". NJ.com. Retrieved 2019-06-11.