Patrick Sun
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 1999
- Messages
- 39,627
"I don't want to go home, it's beautiful here."
Ever watch a show where your eyes stayed welled up with tears? Tonight's episode of ER did that to me as we get to see the last days of Mark Greene in Hawaii, the place of his youth where he stayed the longest (3 years). He takes his daughter Rachel with him.
Mark does his best to impart a bit of his family's history, who he was as a youth, how he resented his father's Navy career and outlook/politics on life. He teaches Rachel how to surf and even drive a stick shift. He confronts Rachel on her self-destructiveness in sneaking the intake of drugs, knowing his time is so very short. Trying to compress a lifetime of lessons on your teenage knowing you have but a handful of days is daunting, but Mark did his best. Mark recounts the early days of Rachel to Rachel who doesn't want to (or can't) remember those days. Mark recalls how Rachel would always let go of the helium filled balloons that Mark would bring her (much to the consternation of her mother).
Corday shows up after Mark collapses from a major seizure in Hawaii, she knows that Mark will die in Hawaii, and makes his last days as peaceful as possible. Mark asks her to write letters to his daughters for him since he can't write well enough anymore. She even manages to get through to Rachel, as Rachel finally goes to Mark and tells him that she remembers him singing "Over The Rainbow" to her as a child. Mark's last words to Rachel were "Be generous". Mark passes away, listening to Rachel's CD player playing an updated version of "Over The Rainbow".
The service was in Hawaii, with the rest of the ER crew showing up, even Benton and Cleo ( but no Clooney or Marguilies).
On the way back from the service, Rachel tells the limo driver to stop, she gets out, runs toward some balloons tied to a realty sign, un-ties one and releases it, a fitting metaphor for Mark Greene's spirit on his way to another place in the sky.
It was a nice fitting farewell to Mark Greene.
Ever watch a show where your eyes stayed welled up with tears? Tonight's episode of ER did that to me as we get to see the last days of Mark Greene in Hawaii, the place of his youth where he stayed the longest (3 years). He takes his daughter Rachel with him.
Mark does his best to impart a bit of his family's history, who he was as a youth, how he resented his father's Navy career and outlook/politics on life. He teaches Rachel how to surf and even drive a stick shift. He confronts Rachel on her self-destructiveness in sneaking the intake of drugs, knowing his time is so very short. Trying to compress a lifetime of lessons on your teenage knowing you have but a handful of days is daunting, but Mark did his best. Mark recounts the early days of Rachel to Rachel who doesn't want to (or can't) remember those days. Mark recalls how Rachel would always let go of the helium filled balloons that Mark would bring her (much to the consternation of her mother).
Corday shows up after Mark collapses from a major seizure in Hawaii, she knows that Mark will die in Hawaii, and makes his last days as peaceful as possible. Mark asks her to write letters to his daughters for him since he can't write well enough anymore. She even manages to get through to Rachel, as Rachel finally goes to Mark and tells him that she remembers him singing "Over The Rainbow" to her as a child. Mark's last words to Rachel were "Be generous". Mark passes away, listening to Rachel's CD player playing an updated version of "Over The Rainbow".
The service was in Hawaii, with the rest of the ER crew showing up, even Benton and Cleo ( but no Clooney or Marguilies).
On the way back from the service, Rachel tells the limo driver to stop, she gets out, runs toward some balloons tied to a realty sign, un-ties one and releases it, a fitting metaphor for Mark Greene's spirit on his way to another place in the sky.
It was a nice fitting farewell to Mark Greene.
I thought it was a perfect way to send him off.
