Grey's Anatomy - Surfing All The Way To LA

The Other Side Of This Life

Last nights Grey's Anatomy just highlighted a big problem currently with the show during this possible shark jumping third season (and I don't like using that SJ term because I find it tends to get thrown around a lot, but there have been some serious problems at Seattle Grace this year and not in the good dramatic television way). All the characters are getting annoying and dislikable. The fluff and shine has seem to lost its bounce and luster. Everyone has already hooked up with everyone (which leaves them to make George and Izzie get together? Ewww. I still don't buy it at ALL. They are like brother and sister. It's gross. Leave them as platonic best friends). The on-set drama overtook the actual scripted drama (and I still can't look at Isaiah the same anymore. I'm sorry. I tried. I know he's an actor, but anytime George and Burke are together, I just see poor outed T.R Knight and Isaiah's derogatory comment).

Now, Addison goes to LA to try to have a baby, sees all her old friends and their private practice buddies (all whom happen to be TV stalwarts and attractive, how convenient) and is slowly sucked into their world, opening it up all as a consideration for Montgomery to move to LA, which of course she will decide when the ABC Upfronts are announced later this month (though the Grey's Anatomy 2 Spinoff is basically a sure thing at this point).

What this new show is (name still unknown, rumoured to be Private Practice), is basically Grey's Anatomy, purged of its new dourness and all the problems soaps run into around year 2 (see The OC, Desperate Housewives), the grey skies of Seattle (which I thought worked to help damper the bubbly fluffyness of Grey's at first, but now is just a reminder of what a downer it has become) for the sunniness of LA, and starting off fresh with a new set of attractive people to screw around with (and with each other). Meanwhile, we stil get the Imogen Heap type songs playing ad nauseum over the glossified evening soap (but luckily I love Imogen Heap, Jem and Feist, but they are starting to push their luck).

Now, this new show (and it really was, a brand new show last night intercut with the old Grey's Anatomy, with very little integration between the two) was NOT a complete smash homerun, but I found myself intrigued enough that I wanted to watch more of it, though partly just because I wanted to judge it, for better or for worse.

But everytime they cut back to Seattle Grace, I would wince again, knowing I would have to deal with Derek pushing Meredith away (groan, grow up already McDreamy, or for that matter, Meredith, who at least since her faux-death, has been less annoying, though would have been even BETTER if she actually died), dealing with the ickiness of George and Izzie, or dealing with Christina and Burke's wedding preparation (yawn, though love Diahanne Caroll as Burke's mom). Of course it's funny since the Grey's Anatomy crew might fall apart anyways since Washington still might be fired, Knight might still leave, and even more so, there might be a huge purging of the cast. Leaving what? Grey's Anatomy: Bare Bones Unit? I still must say though, anytime Chandra Wilson is on screen as Bailey, she steals the show, and is now, in my opinion, the remaining glory of Grey's Anatomy.

As for the new cast? Taye Digg's always rocks but he's a showkiller, I'm not sure why exactly, but it might be true, because I didn't think he complety worked on the show. Tim Daly, another fellow showkiller, was a little better, though I really didn't feel the chemistry between him and Addison. Merrin Dungey (Alias) WAS perfect as Montgomery's former best friend, I just hope she doesn't get replaced by an evil twin and get killed off again. Speaking of which. SARK!!! David Anders (Alias) made an appearance but sadly only as a guest star. WE WANT MORE SARK!!! I've never liked Amy Brenneman, though won't it be weird when she gets inevitably hooked up with Tim Daly's character, after Tim's real life sister Tyne has played her mom for so long (on Judging Amy)? I'm not sure I bought Chris Lowell as the hot young dude from the office, though man, he's been working out. I still see him more as Piz, tailing Veronica Mars like the geek that he is. Though FINALLY Shonda Rhimes gets to cast Paul Adelstein so that we can see he isn't the evil agent tailing Michael Scofield on Prison Break and that he can be quite charming and funny (Nobody's Watching), so he's a keeper.

At this point, Private Practice will get a 3.5 stars from me. Really it's only a 3 star show but it get's the extra half star for employing Paul Adelstein and Merrin Dungey (both above). It brings back the fun soapy glory of Season 1 and 2 Grey's Anatomy, intercut with serious medical drama, but without all the baggage that now clings to the GA cast, which I seriously think is in trouble after writing itself into too many corners during the February ferry sinking sweeps 3 episode arc.