I got this idea from a dear friend, so first and foremost, thanks girl! We had been talking about our favorite and least favorite characters when she introduced the idea of ranking them S through F tiers. This won’t cover every single character because that’s honestly doing too much, so if your favorite character isn’t in this list, yes, it was personal. Also, there will be spoilers from the most recent episode as of 3/25, so you have been warned!
S tier- Abbott, Dana, Mohan
Abbott
Cool-calm-collected is his middle name. He’s been through the wringer (and he has the scars to prove it) and yet still remains a steady presence within the ER. Not once has he been rude to a patient or co-worker, and when he has to guide someone new, he isn’t condescending or demeaning. I would trust him if my life were on the line for sure.
Dana
One thing about Dana is that she basically runs the whole place. The ER is like a house made of cards, and she’s the superglue keeping those cards in place. She’s kind, caring, and jaded, rightfully so!
10/10, literally love her so much.
Mohan
She has the best of both worlds. Mohan is so thoughtful and vigilant, especially to those who usually fall through the cracks in healthcare, especially people of color. Is she having a bit of a crisis with her mother right now? Yes. Is it not the time at all for her to crash out? Yes. That’s why I do feel that if there was a tier between S and A, she would be a solid S-.
A tier- Princess, Perlah, McKay
These three are all in A for the same reason: they are good at their job, but they’re kind of one-dimensional.
For example, McKay has this mysterious background with plenty of struggles she shared in the first season, but in the second season, it kind of falls flat, and now her baseline is being empathetic. A great attribute, but why is she so empathetic? Why medicine? How does she stay so stable? I’m not saying a person can’t change, but everyone has their crutch, and I want to know what hers is. I’m just tired of shows needing women to swing in to teach empathy and show kindness when others aren’t.
Princess and Perlah definitely give comedic relief, and I do stay giggling.
B tier: Mel, Santos, Al-Hashimi, Joy
Mel
Mel is extremely empathetic, which is refreshing in such a fast-paced environment, especially when you need to go from one patient to the next. That being said, this season she’s started to blur the lines between her personal issues and the workplace, and the lawsuit hasn’t helped her case (ha ha). At some point, you have to remember you are there to do a job; you can’t wistfully look into the distance for your whole 12-hour shift. Side note, I hate the viewers’ infantilization of Mel as a character, which is pretty common when someone appears to be neurodivergent within any form of media. She’s a grown ass woman, don’t be weird.
Santos
She is a good doctor but she has her own flaws/biases, for example the deaf patient that was treated like an inconvenience. However, she is just not a team player, and you could argue that she does well with patients, but at the end of the day working in a team is quite literally a part of her job description. I would imagine the application would be ‘do you have a medical degree?’ then ‘are you a team player?’ She is struggling with having a roommate AND situationship in the workplace, so I get why she can be antsy at times. I also think that she has shown she’s having some more private battles and that in itself does need grace. But, with that same grace she thinks she deserves, she needs to give to others.
Al-Hashimi
If she hadn’t gone so hard for such drastic changes so quickly, including AI use, she would be higher in the ranking. However, she’s more than competent and quick on her feet. I just think we need more time to get to know her.
Joy
Joy truly does not belong in the ER, and she would 100% agree. It’s like trying to force a triangle into a circular slot; it just doesn’t fit. I’m excited to see her exploring other specialties that better suit her.
C Tier: Robby, Whitaker, javadi
Robby
I don’t care how controversial this is, but it’s my truth. As a leader, if you are going to preach respect and kindness, you have to show it as well. Actions speak louder than words! You cannot disrespect your co-workers and ostracize them in front of their peers for having troubles outside of work, when you clearly aren’t doing well. It’s a form of hypocrisy that can only go unnoticed when you’re ashamed of needing help. Also, his favoritism toward his male co-workers over his female co-workers has become more blatant, and I can’t help but feel disappointed. I don’t know if his favoritism is written on purpose or if they’ve written it in for a sense of realism.
Whitaker
I think he is a vigilant and cool guy… but what’s he doing at that lady’s house? You have to have boundaries, regardless of whether you’ve convinced yourself it’s to ‘help others’. If I died in a horrific accident, and the doctor who treated me got with my wife after I passed away… I would make the exorcist look like a yoga lesson.
Javadi
She is young and needs time to grow and learn! She is as smart as a wick, and I think she thinks that too. But just because you are book-smart doesn’t mean you are smart in other ways. Working in an environment like the ER comes with baggage that only people with a couple of chips already on their shoulders can carry. You can’t jump into the Olympic pool because you read a book on diving. Sometimes, living is the best lesson. I just think she needs time to be a young adult.
D tier: Langdon
He shares the same qualities as Santos in the sense that I don’t think he’s a good team player. Being heavily under the influence while on the job, and the job being an ER DOCTOR?? Realistically, he should never have been able to step foot back into that ER again. It goes back to Dr. Robby’s favoritism; if this had been, God forbid, Mohan, she would have been kicked to the curb with wanted posters plastered all over the tri-state area. I do see him becoming more well-rounded, but when it comes to comparing putting lives at risk and saying sorry, one trumps the other.
F tier: ogilvie
YUCK! What a smart ass with little to no regard for other people. He is the definition of people taking acid and feeling empathy for the first time.
Conclusion
Let me know if you agree or agree with my ranking! (I know I’m right) I’m sure the new episode might switch a couple of these around, so give me the same grace you would give your favorite character.