In March 1995, one of the most iconic episodes of the medical drama ER aired. The show ran for 15 seasons, airing from 19994 to 2009.
Over 300 episodes aired during the lengthy run of ER, but the episode titled “Love’s Labor Lost” is still one of the most talked about by fans.
‘Love’s Labor Lost’ Aired in March 1995
“Love’s Labor Lost” aired on March 7, 1995. As was typical with the show, several storylines were woven together throughout the episode. The one that still causes shivers among fans revolved around Anthony Edwards’ character of Dr. Mark Green.
Mark was treating a patient named Jodi O’Brien (Colleen Flynn) who was just two weeks away from her due date with her pregnancy. She had her husband Sean, played by Bradley Whitford, by her side, and they were in good spirits. As Mark originally checked Jodi out, he thought she might have a bladder infection. He prescribed antibiotics and sent them home.
Soon, however, Jodi crashed and everything turned upside down. Sean raced back into the ER, saying his wife had passed out in the car. Staff rushed to examine her, and Mark determined she had eclampsia.
Sean worriedly asked, “Is she gonna die?”
Mark confidently told Sean she would be fine, but they needed to admit and medicate her. Jodi started seizing. Though they were able to stabilize her, Mark acknowledged that they would need to deliver her baby soon.
As Mark and his team waited for Dr. Coburn (Amy Aquino) to arrive from another hospital, they started her induction in the emergency room. Over the next few hours, there were some ups and downs as Jodi and the baby progressed toward delivery. Eventually, with Coburn still elsewhere, Mark felt it became urgent to deliver the baby.
The baby’s heart rate started to dramatically drop, and obstetrics wouldn’t take Jodi because they were too busy. While Mark maintained his composure in front of Jodi and Sean, he became increasingly concerned.
The Situation in the Emergency Room Went From Stable to Tragic
Eventually, Mark pulled Dr. John Carter (Noah Wyle) aside and told him to “Run and get Carol.” John and nurse Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies) raced to get supplies and return to the room. Jodi pushed and pushed to no avail.
Eventually, Mark again pulled Carter aside and told him to drag the on-call OB down and bring forceps. He noted that Jodi’s labor wasn’t progressing and the baby’s heart rate was dropping.
Mark tried to deliver, but the baby was stuck. He tried everything he could before deciding to do an emergency cesarean section. His unfamiliarity with the procedure was obvious to everybody else in the trauma room with him. At one point, Mark worriedly uttered that he was “Asking God” for answers to guide him in the procedure.
As Mark pulled the baby out, Jodi crashed and the baby wasn’t breathing. The team revived the baby as Jodi remained in critical condition. Coburn finally arrived and she was stunned by what she saw.
Coburn questioned, “It’s a damned mess. What’d you use, a chainsaw?” Coburn also chastised Mark. “You should’ve let me know you were in over your head.”
Mark talked to Sean who was desperate for reassurance that both his baby and his wife would be okay. Mark told him, “Go be with your baby. There’s nothing you can do down here.”
Coburn further blasted Mark. “I have never seen such a chain of errors in judgement.”
Jodi crashed again, and despite trying desperately for an hour, the team was unable to save her. Mark went to tell Sean, who was holding the baby in the NICU. The wordless scene was wrought with heartbreaking emotion.
As Mark stood over Jodi’s body, Carter found him and told him he thought what Mark did was “heroic.” Mark wordlessly walked away. The final moment of the episode showed Mark, by himself, on the L, Chicago’s elevated train, quietly crying.
‘ER’ Fans Still Talk About ‘Love’s Labor Lost’
ER was the top-rated television show for the 1995-1996 season, and “Love’s Labor Lost” was one of the highest-rated and most talked about episodes of the entire series.
In a subreddit dedicated to ER, fans still talk about “Love’s Labor Lost.” Recently, one fan noted they had started rewatching ER after enjoying Wyle’s current show, The Pitt.
“That episode still hits like a ton of bricks. Monday will be 31 years since that episode originally aired. ER still holds up,” the original Reddit user wrote.
One person replied, “The episode that stuck with me. Literally during my wife’s pregnancy she had high blood pressure and doc said risk for preeclampsia…I damn near fainted when I heard those words. My only knowledge of it were from this episode. Maybe the single episode I would say to watch to see ER at its best…however I can never watch it again.”
That same commenter explained, “Wife had an emergency C-section and the results almost went the way of this episode. Can’t relive that trauma.”
Someone else added, “Yeah, honestly it’s one of the best episodes [in my opinion]. The heaviest as well, for sure. But still one of the best.”
