Anthony Edwards to return to 'ER' despite his character being dead

Well, PopWatchers, I gotta say I didn’t see this one coming: Despite my hopes that the upcoming final season of ER would bring a slew of guest appearances from some of the approximately 2,560 actors that have graced the halls of County General over the past 14 years, Anthony Edwards’ Dr. Mark Greene never quite entered my consciousness. Not that I didn’t love the guy — his bespectacled bald head and befuddled inability to get it together with Sherry Stringfield’s character were my favorite non-Clooney-oriented parts of the show’s early years. But, um, HE’S DEAD. (You remember: Brain tumor. Hawaii. Profanity on prime-time TV. Etc.) (What I didn’t remember: How ahead of the curve they were on that Israel Kamakawiwo’ole ukulele version of “Over the Rainbow.” Nice.)

And yet, there it was, in our inboxes this afternoon: NBC ANNOUNCES GOLDEN GLOBE WINNER AND EMMY NOMINEE ANTHONY EDWARDS TO REPRISE HIS ROLE AS DR. MARK GREENE FOR ONE EPISODE OF ‘ER’ FOR ITS 15TH AND FINAL SEASON. (Caps NBC’s, not mine.)

Wow! Bombshell! And one that, I figured, would take some doing to work. But it turns out it’s happening the only way it possibly could — on November 13th, in an episode called “Heal Thyself,” we’ll get a new flashback courtesy of the other big returning character, Mr. Noah “Dr. Carter” Wyle, whose story line, it turns out, will constitute the bookends of this show’s epic run. A call over to the network confirms that the flashback will take place in a time right before Mark’s second bout with the brain tumor, and give some insight into the past of Dr. Cate Banfield, a.k.a. “that lady Angela Bassett’s playing.”

What do we think, ER fans? Yea or nay on the bringing people back from the dead here? Does this mean we can expect a Dr. Romano return, as well? Who else are you hoping to see back in ER‘s halls one final time? And honestly, if Clooney doesn’t show, how bummed will you be?