Before Denzel Washington became a movie star, St. Elsewhere put him in a doctor’s coat.

Yet the NBC drama’s most talked-about moment involved a toy, not a medical emergency. In fact, its ending earned the No. 12 spot in the 2011 special TV’s Most Unforgettable Finales .

However, that ranking celebrates a lasting impression, not a farewell everyone loved.

Denzel Washington’s medical drama hid a final surprise

Initially, the series arrived in 1982, following staff at St. Eligius, a struggling teaching hospital in Boston. Across six seasons, Washington played Dr. Philip Chandler alongside stars including Howie Mandel and Ed Begley Jr.

Then, on May 25, 1988, the show aired its finale, “The Last One.” At first, it offered goodbyes, including the death of Norman Lloyd’s Dr. Daniel Auschlander.

Soon afterward, the story moved into an apartment , where Tommy Westphall, played by Chad Allen, held a snow globe.…