E.R.- Dr. Robert "Rocket" Romano Dies-Helicopter

Robert "Rocket" Romano was the surgeon you loved to hate on E.R. In this clip you'll see in his own flashback how he got his arm sheared off by a helicopter. Then for the big finale, the helicopter came back to t.c.b. once and for all. Notice the elevator music, it's the song "Freefalling', which isn't an accident, and it's the title of this E.R episode. Obviously, this was Paul McCrane's last episode...talk about REALLY killing off a character...macabre, yet funny...
August 2014: I just found another clip of a 'jump the shark' episode from the Second season!See it now. It is age restricted 'cause I don't want any little kids to be afraid of a hospital visit!
• E.R. 'AS WE KNOW IT' G...

[@wjrasmussen666]

Helicopter vs Romano 2. This time its personal.

[@otdtyh]

this is like something from a final destination movie

[@Octobermory]

They should secretly switch the writers' room coffee with decaf.

[@HWolfe]

SO true...or get rid of the little 'crystals' they were sniffing...

[@jfluter]

He was one of those characters that you absolutely LOVED to hate!! However, he did have a few moments where he showed his humanistic side.

[@MDkid1]

Helicopters really hate this guy!

[@NevrSilent]

The fact that he turned his back and huddled screaming before it crashes was one of the most unintentionally hilarious (or maybe he was darkly intentional) moments of the whole thing. We couldn't stop laughing when we first watched this years ago.

[@impasse0124]

Yeah, usually when I see a helicopter falling toward me, I lay down and scream...that makes it go away.

[@vigo894]

First toxic waste, then a helicopter.

[@lindalds]

I remember seeing this the first time it ever aired. It was the first time I ever got to tell someone else something exciting that they didn't already know. Someone asked me, what happened on ER last night, I said, Romano got killed. Really?? How? Helicopter fell on him. WHAT?? NO WAY!!?? yep, way!

[@laurajorud4483]

I agree that this death was really callous and over the top, but I actually believe Dr. Greene was given one of the most delicate and dignified deaths. Unlike other deaths, he was given time to say goodbye and died peacefully in his sleep. I bawled like a baby, but I don't think they could have written him out by just having him leave. He was too connected (dedicated) to County General to make that believable for his character. So, he had to die. And as Matt said, the actor wanted to leave.

[@jonstefanik9400]

What a way to go out!...Much better Dr. Drake DeMoray falling down the elevator shaft!

[@officeaddict33]

This was the episode where ER jumped the shark. Too much.

[@alucard624]

I swear all of Paul McCrane's characters he plays have the worst luck ever and are always dying in some horrific manner. His death in Robocop was gory as hell, he died a horrible death in The Blob, and he dies horribly here in ER. Seriously, does he have that written into his contract that his characters always die a horrible death? Worse than Sean Bean at that rate.

[@superstr5]

From the time he looked up,to the time it came down on him,he had 8 seconds!! Plenty of time to get the hell outta the way!!

[@RonnieDillJrLoveIsADarkPlace]

LOL "Yeah' you would've thought.

[@mcsquare77]

One of the most ridiculous scenes in TV history!

[@KCRyder]

you could argue that the show was dying for some time before this, but at this moment it was all over

[@BigRLH]

This is like final destination

[@daniellefrank007]

ER has brilliant writers, and when he lost his arm to the FIRST helicopter, "very good episode" but "a coincidence of a helicopter falling on him?" Well, its better to leave a tv show being remembered with a big bang! Good actor.

[@theonlyalexoliveira]

More than a decade later this remains one of the stupidest moments in television history. A jumping of the shark so visible you can almost identify the exact frame that this show fell off the rails.

[@AndrewWoolner]

That is terrible.

[@vlasktom]

0:05 "Cause I'm fre-e-e-e-e-e-e-e. Free fallin'."

[@firebaby7]

i remember watching the original episode when his arm got sliced off.... i think it was my first OMG WTF?! moment in tv or movies.... sucks to know they killed him this way, poor guy and helicopters just don't mix...

[@YolandaAnneBrown95726]

To this day, this scene just burned a hole in my mind. It's bad enough that they take his arm, but the damn copter comes back to finish the job! Karma is a BITCH!

[@JemJam2976]

Romano was an ass, but he had a soft spot for Corday. He was the doctor you loved to hate.

[@yannkeee777]

The definition of irony haha, even though he had a temper he was a good doctor, RIP Dr. Romano

[@alucard624]

And sadly this was about the point I quit watching the show as Romano was one of my favorite characters due to how much he was hated amongst the rest of the characters. After he left everyone was so lovey dovey and got along with each other. McCrane brought conflict to the series which was needed.

[@vanealmorrow6024]

I think Elisabeth was the only one at his memorial .

[@tronclay]

i absolutely LOVED this series as a whole but i have to admit i think its way cliche that this guy died by having a helicopter fall on his, ESPECIALLY after his arm accident...

[@maximasmustang]

Does anybody else miss this show or what?!!

[@TheAshleyandAshley]

Love how anspaugh says to a patient who just lost an arm: "You'll gonna be fine, just stay away from helicopters!" :D :D

[@dandyirishplay]

And THIS was when I stopped watching ER completely. If there has ever been a "jump the shark" moment, this was it. Say what you will about Romano, but Paul McCrane deserved better. I could go on about George/T.R. Knight, but that's a completely different show.

[@Kimleyanna]

OMG, ad for Ray Romano series as Dr Romano is about to get squashed. Priceless!

[@smoker1111111111]

Are you kidding? ER is farfeched? Compared to Greys it's tame

[@HomoDoc]

@HEAT747 Maybe he has PTSD - I know from experience that sometimes it can hit you and you just can't move. So that could explain it, and they do show a flashback from "Chaos Theory" where he lost his arm which gives credence to my theory, the only problem is that the production crew should have made this more of an element prior to this (they did it for Carter with Zubriki (probably mis-spelled) when he and Lucy got stabbed and then the guy comes in several years on...) Just my thoughts. :-)

[@gravelandgrain100]

The final nail in ER's coffin. They should have let the show end when the core group of characters fizzled out. Luka, Abby, and that ridiculous Scott Grimes character along with the totally unnecessary Africa storyline drug things way down for this show.

[@HWolfe]

You are right...The series name is simply E.R. Here are the 'specs' on when this episode took place, as seen on Wikipedia. Season 10: 20032004 Series #209 "Freefall" Director:Joe Sachs Writer: Christopher Chulack Original airdate: November 20, 2003 I found the above at Wikipedia.

[@wjrasmussen666]

Helicopter vs Roman 2. This time it's personal.

[@gunterdak]

So am I the only one who noticed that the elevator music is a Muzak version of "Free Fallin?" LOL!

[@vinylrecord68]

One of the reasons why I don't watch much television is the constant plastering of promos during a program.

[@aidedecampe]

Absolute poetic justice for an s.o.b. like him. At least Elizabeth didn't have to put up with his untoward advances and feel sorry for him anymore.

[@ajgng1215]

Is it bad that I actually cheered?

[@mwells]

This is the funniest goddamned thing I've ever seen

[@NevrSilent]

I always found this incident an unintentionally hilarious turn of events. The helicopter...heheh...it just didn't get enuph of Romano the first time....

[@MrsMuppets]

I always thought of that as the helicopter came back for the rest of him, lol

[@Likklemissbeautz]

OMG HOLY CRAP I WAS SHOUTING THE WHOLE WAY THROUGH "NOOOO ROMANO MOVE OUT THE WAY" !!!!!

[@SoapCentral671]

LOL! That was sooo effed up! I remember this ep.

[@Roger9Wilco]

Awsome! I will always remember this TV show because of this episode, and the one where Noah Wiley gets stabbed in the back.

[@mumbdaddy]

Thanks TNT for your promo at 2:18 ...Dr. Romano not Ray Romano! smh

[@ClydeDay]

smoker1111111111 You can't compare ER to Greys. If it wasn't for ER greys wouldn't exsist. for it's time ER WAS what Greys became. You're comparison is stupid.

[@RonnieDillJrLoveIsADarkPlace]

That's absolutely right. If it wasn't for E.R., There wouldn't have been a Grey's Anatomy as far as i'm concerned. Grey's don't compare the slightest to this show.

[@HWolfe]

@CasualtyFan101 The series name is simply E.R. Here are the 'specs' on when this episode took place, as seen on Wikipedia. Season 10: 20032004 Series #209 "Freefall" Director:Joe Sachs Writer: Christopher Chulack Original airdate: November 20, 2003 I found the above at Wikipedia.

[@marianordebrant]

HOLY CRAP!! I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT BEFORE!!!

[@HomoDoc]

This guy has real bad luck. Paul McCrane played him great and while he was a moody git he was good at it and the job (in real life surgeons are like that) - well acted, well produced, well done!

[@rochula6467]

Thats definitely BAD LUCK. :o

[@chyjuit]

I love romano :-(

[@TheSteelStallion]

Two things came to mind watching this: 1. The "Freefalling" elevator song reminds me of Rosalind's elevator death, a video I came to this video from. 2. I wonder if he would have preferred to be wasted by a large tank of toxic waste before being splattered all over Clarence Boddicker's 6000 SUX?

[@esrapk]

laughed so much at this!

[@latvguy1]

Nice lower third of Ray Romano right before Dr. Romano gets squashed.

[@Geenee57]

Dr. "Romano" , I loved him since I saw him with Long blond hair in FAME (1984) He was so sweet.

[@RonnieDillJrLoveIsADarkPlace]

There should've been another way to end hi's character. Dickhead or not" That was way over the top.

[@taraloha1]

OMG, I never realized that! Hilarious! Good catch.

[@ScudX]

I stopped following ER completely before this famed sharkjump-worthy event had occurred, and now that I've watched this I'm pleased to declare it's even more campy & comical than I had ever imagined

[@HWolfe]

I agree, Grey's is beyond the Twilight Zone of reality, although I'll watch it, I don't take it as serious drama even approaching reality.

[@Horacio_Poggi]

that was hilarious!

[@HWolfe]

I just remembered; they did do a little something 'cause I seem to remember the British female doc being either the only one, or one of maybe two that were at the funeral home...don't remember a service though....but I like a challenge so I'll check it out....

[@freakspeely]

I lost interest in the show after this death. It was almost like the writers were so proudly self-aware of the show's viewership at this point that they wanted to pull off fan service...but it came off in the most hokey of ways.

[@Mrpublicimagelimited]

This still qualifies as the stupidest piece of TV I've ever seen, after seeing this I realised that E.R.'s journey to the crapper was 100% complete. I never really forgave E.R.'s writers for the callous way they dealt with characters we genuinely cared about - Lucy and Greene in particular.

[@HWolfe]

I don't know if they did??? I guess you could see if there's one here on YT...thanks for watching!

[@rach_elshu]

Poor him!!!!!! I didn't like him until his accident and I realized that he was strict but fair and he never failed

[@exitcheese]

final destination

[@hindrluvr]

Dude can't catch a break, can he?

[@treasurehunter911]

So far-fetched!

[@TryMyMartini]

Not just Romano. There seems to be a reoccurring helicopter issue. Dont get near one on this show, its the kiss of death

[@MISTERFRANK]

bye bye Robert !!! lol

[@bjr43]

I may never go up in a helicopter after seeing this.

[@Nautilus1972]

To the loon below - this wasn't jumping the shark - which means not being able to explain an earlier plot hole e.g. the last episode of Lost. This was a brilliant piece of irony.

[@brainsareus]

run to where? they make it look like he has time to run, for dramatic effect on TV, but c'mon. plus, people often freeze, in this sort of situation anyway. we don't like to think of that; especially, if we think of ourselves as macho men, who can do anything. reality is just a bit different ,however.

[@Idlewise1]

Way to go Romano.

[@WheelchairActual]

I'm sorry. Paul McCrane will never be the same without his Cobra assualt cannon.

[@maziebunny2]

as much as I loved to hate him, I kinda felt sorry for him...for about 10 seconds when my mind shifted gears as to who was on the chopper...or so we all thought.

[@HWolfe]

@Jawatchit Funny you should mention about helicopters. I flew for a major airline for years and felt right at home on aircraft. I'd only been on one commuter helicopter , and we nearly crashed in frigid winter weather. To this day I'll never get on a helicopter if I can find a way to take another mode of transportation.

[@DragonHeart613]

I wonder which was worst? Taking an acid bath which promptly turned him into a grotesque mutant who explodes on impact with a speeding vehicle or having a helicopter slice his arm off than later having another helicopter explode in midair, plummet & squash him into oblivion?

[@nextlvlroy]

Wow that's brutal! Does anybody know the name of the episode where at the end of the show Dr. Romano gets beat up at the bar?

[@Zeppelinlv2007]

ER became silly. Could it happen, well anything is possible.

[@litterboy123]

after dr green died i was like nooo then when dr romano died two of my favarout characters died why why

[@Jayke1981]

@melbgal Romano had a prosthetic arm fitted...just for appearances so not to freak patients out!

[@HWolfe]

Yep!

[@hudhastings1]

rip nice guy

[@JohnCarter95]

Ok why didn't they just turn the damn thing off!

[@vlasktom]

Before he was crushed by the 2nd chopper, he had his arm reattached, which failed. then he had a robotic arm which he used to commit sexual harassment, a standard Romano move.

[@KaeKaepinkboo]

God that is one fucked up way to go :( poor Romano first his arm then his life :(

[@ziokio1445]

missile che fine d merda ti hanno fatto fare...

[@Gubbywubby]

The second's a prosthetic.

[@j.b.joachim7525]

Me too! He didn't deserve that!

[@sundersart]

lol someone up there really had it in for him and helicopters.

[@shsmustangs]

Romano and the Ode to Helicopters lol

[@skippy646]

this guy has had somw shockers . look how he died in robocop for example

[@Jawatchit]

@AndrewMann552 I'm gonna have to agree with you on that one but also let you know, helicopters are extremely dangerous and this is a completely possible situation... it just is completely stupid and unrealistic that it would land on Romano...

[@derekwall82]

can you spell "pancaked". lolz

[@derekwall82]

ouch at 2:29. wouldnt that be a bitch to die like that only having to lose an arm to a helicopters tail rotor in a previous accident?

[@ticklemebad]

Did they ever have an episode for his funeral? If so, who can find it to post?

[@WTFisTingispingis]

Emil? How'd they glue you back together after that acid bath in Detroit?