"Grey's Anatomy" spoilers coming up just as soon as I code...Dammit, Addison, you can go home again! Both you and "Grey's Anatomy" were so much, much better for your return. Addison got to be tough and smart and fearless again instead of the ball of goo she is on "Private Practice" -- somebody want to explain to me again why Addison thinks she's so much healthier in California? -- and she got to play the role of viewer surrogate, telling most of the main characters what they needed to hear, and what had become plainly obvious to those of us at home on the couch: Meredith and McDreamy are being morons with all their break-up shenanigans, Hahn is a lesbian and hot for Callie, Izzie needs to quit her two season-long self-pity party, etc.
Many of the characters still bother me, but with Addison there to call them out on it, it at least becomes clear that Shonda and company aren't in denial about who and what they've let their heroes become.
Plus, the Hahn/lesbian thing alone led to two of the funniest "Grey's" exchanges in a long time: Cally declaring her love of penis, and Meredith and Cristina's explanation for why no one's ever mistaken them for a gay couple:
"No, because we screw boys like whores on tequila."That said, I hope they're not taking this to a place where Callie and Hahn actually become a couple. Callie has been written as an explicit penis-lover for quite a long time now, and to have her switch teams -- as opposed to having to navigate around the awkwardness of her new best friend being attracted to her -- smacks of desperation and of the writers not knowing what to do with her since they broke up her marriage.
"And then we either try to marry them or drown ourselves."
Also on the plus side for the episode: I like that there are now some advantages to George's life as a repeat intern, I loved Bailey wanting and yet not wanting to open up to Addison about her marriage, and he elevator scene was a very well-orchestrated punchline to years of awkward elevator rides.
On the minus side: Ava/Rebecca faking a pregnancy to suck in Karev, more sledgehammer parallels with Mer/McDreamy and their tumor patient and his wife, and the fact that Izzie with a backbone is still Izzie.
What did everybody else think?
I love Kate Walsh, and having her back on the show just reminded me how big a gap she left and how much better it could be if she were still there, although season three was still pretty atrocious even though she was there.
ReplyDeleteIzzie was still annoying, but maybe she'll stop being so despicable after being called out on it the past two episodes in a row.
I'm so over the Alex/Rebecca relationship.
I'm not sure Rebecca is faking a pregnancy--if she was, surely the last thing she'd do is ask for a doctor to give her medication for it or submit to tests? Maybe it meant to be more a case of bad timing, since people lose babies at 5/6 weeks all the time (though I'm not really sure what the point of the story is either way).
ReplyDeleteI wish I could believe that Ava really thinks she is pregnant and is not turning into some psycho stalking Alex.
ReplyDeleteAlso, can I channel my inner 13-year-old for a moment? How hot would Alex be as a dad? Seriously?
I was pretty annoyed by the entire episode and made a command decision to remove it from my DVR as a series recording. Maybe I'll rethink this when it comes on next week, but we'll see.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree...I wasn't a big Addison fan when she was introduced to the show but she quickly became one of the best things about it. She needs to come back to where surgery and the fast pace bring out her acting chops. It was fun to see her back, if only fleetingly.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the writing in this episode much more than the previous, much funnier lines, not forced funny which they seem to do on this show more often then I like.
Callie has been written as an explicit penis-lover for quite a long time now, and to have her switch teams smacks of desperation
ReplyDeleteBut what about 'Chasing Amy'.
I let my DVR run too long and the last thing I remember as I shuffled off to ER was someone talking to or about "Dr Shepherd" on Lost...
ReplyDeleteThat said, I have to watch it again. I actually fell asleep during ER (and I really have to get myself thru the trifecta as it's only happening for 3 weeks!)
(plus - who in heck moved House to Mondays? and Boston Legal to Wednesdays? Good thing I'm not still using a VCR)
Having now watched it again, I'd like to add how happy I was to see the ducklings back. Alex may have lost his, and I can't remember if I saw Cristina's, but Mer's and Izzie's were there and that was nice. It's nice that they can keep getting those actors, for such tiny roles. (and gee, I miss Patricia!)
ReplyDeleteAs for Hahn and her "not teaching" Yang - Bailey should be scheduling the residents and apparently she's lying down on the job as well. Cristina is only second year and should be pulling drains or rotating or such. If you want to "learn cardio" you get thru your residency and get a fellowship in cardio. Of course this show never worried any more about that than ER worried about leaving Carter in the ER for entire seasons. In fact, even less.
I did love the elevator scene though.
And yes, seeing Callie agonize over a friend who wants to be more would be more interesting.
It's also nice when the residents are on their game and doing their jobs. (she said again. less sex, more work)
I only wonder - if Mer & Der get together for good, how do you avoid the David and Maddie phenomenon from a show I never even watched?
And it was Derek that Addie needed to lecture, not Mer - but Addie didn't know that, of course.
Oh and I loved George getting along with his fellow interns. Remember, what we first loved about Grey's was the friendship of all our interns (okay, Shonda said this, but it's true. Remember the great Christmas hallway scene with Dirty Uncle Sal and Izzie freaking cause everyone was helping Alex study? (even if Alex later ranked on George for flunking)
And maybe this ep, the Chief wasn't wandering the halls as a voyeur for exciting cases: We have a skydiver? a faith healer? A (I can't remember the others darn it)
He really does love to watch, doesn't he? I have no idea what he was doing this week.
Good thing there haven't been any major neonatal or pediatric surgeries since Addie and Abby Keaton left, huh?
Shonda should watch some early ER Peter Benton, and then cut it with some Ally McBeal and it should be just about right.
(and these people have too much time on their hands)
(and yes, i know, it's fiction (and ER needs to stop with the hunks and everyone else sleeping around, btw))
oh and I'm guessing Rebecca still doesn't know who in heck she is?
ReplyDeleteI think in the wonderful scene a few seasons ago when Izzie was laying with dead Denny in her prom dress, she was crying for the death of herself as an interesting character that people liked.
ReplyDeleteit *is* sad about Izzie. Apparently Entertainment weekly interviewed Ellen Pompeo and also apparently, Ellen doesn't keep secrets about the stuff she doesn't like or why it was wriiten or what Shonda was watching during the "break" (the entire series, from the beginning - good girl Shonda, now do something with it)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.greysanatomyinsider.com/2008/05/ellen-pompeo-reflects-on-meredith-greys-anatomy.html
er
ReplyDeletehttp://www.greysanatomyinsider.com/2008/05/ellen-pompeo-
reflects-on-meredith-greys-anatomy.html
That's awesome that Pompeo called out Shonda Rhimes like that.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I thought it was pretty cool too
ReplyDelete