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Mark was introduced as a dedicated chief resident in the ER. He was struggling between his career and his marriage to Jenn. They were raising their daughter Rachel, and Jenn wanted Mark to spend more time on their family. She left him briefly, but they reconciled and vowed to work things out. Mark's season one woes extended beyond the home. He missed an important diagnosis which resulted in the death of a pregnant woman and landed Mark in the middle of his first lawsuit. His career forecast looked up at the end of the season when he was made an attending physician. |
| In season two, Mark's marriage officially hit the skids when Mark discovered that his wife was having an affair with one of her co-workers. Mark admitted to Doug that he had no romantic experience besides Jenn, but by the end of the season Mark had moved on to a fling with a producer. This was also the year that Mark realized that he wasn't the perfect doctor and that he couldn't fix everything. |
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Season three was not kind to our tortured hero. He finally admitted to having feelings for Susan Lewis just as she was leaving for Arizona. He recovered by throwing himself into a series of physical relationships with multiple women. This was also the year that Mark treated Kenny Law which led to his second lawsuit because of racial issues. But the worst blow of all came at the end of the season when Mark was brutally attacked in the men's room of the hospital. The attack left Mark injured both physically and mentally. |
| At the beginning of season four Mark was still dealing with lingering issues from his beating. He went through a period of being almost unbearable to be around. A road trip with Doug and a visit to his parents helped him move past his anger and on with his life. This season also saw Mark involved with the clingy desk clerk Cynthia. The two finally broke up during a visit to his parents when she realized that Mark didn't love her. |
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In season five Mark realized how much he enjoyed spending time with his daughter Rachel just as she moved to St. Louis. Professionally, Mark was pursued by NASA but he opted to stay in Chicago. Personally, he was pursued by the nutty Amanda Lee, who posed as a doctor. Mark also had to relive his attack in order to help a patient suffering from PTSD. He also lost his best friend when Doug relocated to Seattle. On a happier note, the end of this season brought him Elizabeth. The two began spending a lot of time together and--despite their dismal track records--eventually decided to give romance a try. |
| Mark's career took a hit at the beginning of season six when he was passed over for the ER chief position because he spoke his mind instead of kissing up to newly appointed chief of staff, Romano. Mark's mother died early in the season which resulted in his father, David, moving in with him. The two drove each other crazy until Mark discovered his father was dying of cancer. David eventually died at home with Mark by his side. Disagreements about David's treatment led to tension with Elizabeth but when it was all over Mark and Elizabeth were still together. |
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Season seven started out on a high note for Mark. He bought a house and proposed to Elizabeth. While they were planning the wedding, she discovered she was pregnant. Unfortunately, Mark made a discovery of his own--he had cancer. Mark had surgery to remove the brain tumor; he had temporary residual effects from the treatment which led to him being subjected to competency hearings. The season appeared to be winding down on a positive note though as Mark and Elizabeth were finally married and welcomed new daughter Ella. However, the season finale left questions about Mark's psychological breaking point which have yet to be answered. |
