A McStunning Finale.

I just watched the Grey's Anatomy finale, and I am blown away.

I don't think I exhaled once during the two hours.

Wow...

Katherine Heigl Leaving Grey's Anatomy.

Good riddance.

Another Traumatizing Moment On Grey's Anatomy.

In the most recent episode of Grey's Anatomy, we were treated to this horrifying plotpoint:

A woman is having abdominal surgery. While Dr. Bailey is digging through the woman's intestines, THE WOMAN WAKES UP.

Ahhhh!

The woman is frozen; she can't move, she can't speak. Meanwhile, Dr. Bailey does the #1 thing you're not supposed to do when you're operating on a woman and she wakes up: She freaks out.

If I ever need surgery for anything, here's what I want. I want my finger taped to a button attached to the side of the surgery table. If I feel myself start to wake up, I can press that button and the anaesthesiologist will know to shoot some more drugs into me to knock me out. How simple is that?

Grey's Anatomy: No Crowen For Me!

On the show Grey's Anatomy, there is a couple named Cristina and Owen. Some in the media/fanbase have dubbed them Crowen. I would like to dub them BrokenUp.

I never liked them as a couple. Their chemistry is all wrong. Their passionate embraces do not ring true. Crowen's scenes together look like that acting class you took in high school where you pretended to have feelings for the school urchin.

Now, this may be because I really don't like Owen. I don't think he's good-looking. (That, by the way, is why he doesn't get a "Mc" nickname.) He's just not hot. Also, he tried to choke Cristina in his sleep. Granted, he has PTSD, and he served our country, and he's basically a saint. But. I just can't get over his nearly killing her. Cristina may be able to forgive, but I can't forget.

As if these weren't enough reasons for me to dislike Crowen as a couple, Grey's gave us ANOTHER reason last night: He came THISCLOSE to kissing Teddy.

Ugh.

Look, I don't love Teddy, and I don't love Owen. But the two of them should not be together, at least not while Owen's still with Cristina. I don't know about you, but I think Cristina deserves a better love life than she's been getting for the past six seasons. First, they gave her this arrogant doctor who was played by a homophobic actor. Wait, I should concentrate on the character, not the actor? Okay, they gave Cristina this arrogant doctor who made Cristina cover up for his shaky hands, thereby endangering the lives of every patient who came under his knife. Now she has an unattractive redhead who choked her in his sleep and admitted to his female friend that he is/was in love with her all along.*

Cristina, you deserve better.

How about that hot biracial doc who's been following you around like a puppy since the merger? Jackson, his name is (thank you, IMDB). You know, the one with the very nice green eyes. He's got Mc written all over him. And he is already in love with you! You wouldn't have to work for it. Also, when he kissed you at that party? Chemistry up the wazoo.

So what say you, Grey's writers? Can we please get off the Crowen train (with Cristina dumping Owen and not the other way around) and get on the Crackson Express?

*Yes, Owen did eventually tell Teddy "But I'm in love with Cristina." So what? He shouldn't have said ANYTHING to Teddy. It was none of her beeswax.

McDreamy and Arizona: Two McAwesome Performances

I had a mini Grey's Anatomy marathon last night, and by the end, I needed to be consoled by the fiance. They were that wrenching, and that good.

The first one centered on McDreamy, everybody's favorite doctor. This guy Isaac, who works at the hospital, asks him to take out a giant tumor that has grown up and down his spinal column. The Chief, who is becoming more of an a-hole with each progressive episode, tells McDreamy not to do it. Costs too much money, it's a hopeless surgery, blah blah. McDreamy says whatevs and he does it anyway. Snip, snip, he gets the whole dang tumor out. More than 24 hours of surgery. Insane. I was holding my breath the whole time. When Isaac wakes up and finds out he's going to be OK, I got tears in my eyes.

That McDreamy. He can operate on me any day.

Anyway, even though all turned out OK, the Chief fires McDreamy for disobeying him. Chief, you can suck it.

The second episode was mainly about Arizona and this ten-year-old patient of hers named Wallace. Wallace is a doctor wannabe, and he even goes on rounds and explains patients' histories to interns and stuff. Wallace is awesome. But he's got an intestinal thing that he's been fighting for two years and he shouldn't even be alive but here he is. Anyway, he's back in the hospital and Arizona is sure this is it, his luck's run out, he's going to die soon. His parents want him to have surgery to prolong his life but Arizona is adamantly against it, because surgery will kill him. The parents say well then we're taking back the $25 million we promised to your hospital. The Chief and one of the hospital administrators convince Arizona to do the surgery. Wallace dies. Arizona is furious and upset. She goes home and there is a surprise birthday party waiting for her. Arizona leaves in tears. She goes back to the hospital to see the parents. They are in disbelief as they pack up Wallace's things. They all go down to the morgue to see him, and the mom starts to do the dream chant thing "bad dreams, bad dreams, go away, good dreams, good dreams, here to stay" that she used to do for him when he was alive. She can't finish, though, because she is too choked up, so Arizona steps in and does the chant two more times, because Wallace used to say that you have to do it three times for it to work. Ahhh Wallace. I'm getting choked up just writing all this, and you're not even real. Anyway, at the end of the chant, the dad says to Arizona, "I'm giving you the money after all. Not because of (the hospital administrator) kissing our butt, but because of you." Aww.

There was also a baby who was teeny and premature and had cranial bleeding and was about to die. Karev picks up the baby and cradles her because he doesn't want her to die without ever having been held (the mom is having a seizure or something). Bailey comes along and says that's a kangaroo hold, and that if Karev takes off his shirt and holds the baby against his bare chest it would be even better for the baby. In the end, baby survives, the mother survives, and I need another hug from the fiance. Sigh.

I have said in earlier posts that Grey's isn't as good this season, and I'm glad these last few episodes proved me wrong. When Grey's is good, it is GOOD. Kleenex good.

Oh and best of all, there was no Izzie in either of these episodes. She's on break to shoot yet another romantic comedy or something, and I didn't miss her one bit. Hey Hollywood, can we get Katherine Heigl some more scripts?

Private Practice: Possibly Better Than Grey's.

I watched the last two episodes of Private Practice today, and they were terrific. One was about a woman who needed a kidney transplant (thanks to Izzie effing up the whole thing on Grey's Anatomy) and the only kidney available was her HIV-positive sister's, and the other episode was about a woman who was raped and got pregnant and she wants to keep the baby but her husband doesn't. Holy sizzling plotlines, Shonda Rhimes!

Private Practice is now in its 3rd season, and it's showing no signs of slowing down, losing creative vision, or jumping the shark. That's more than I can say for a lot of other shows--namely, Practice's parent show, Grey's. I also like that Practice has a relatively small cast for an ensemble show. Yes, Naomi and Sam have the weakest plotlines of the eight or so regulars, but I don't mind them being around. Especially since Naomi has been the "happy" to Addison's "angsty" lately. And Sam is now a surgeon--and a very good one, at that.

Private Practice also managed to expand from its original core group of six without diluting the other characters. I used to think Dell was annoying. Not anymore--I love seeing him in scrubs and taking care of moms-to-be. I couldn't stand Charlotte at first--but since that episode where her father died, we saw that she had a heart, after all. I'm still on the fence about Sheldon, Violet's ex who was one of the possible baby-daddies. I think Sheldon has a shortness complex (I would know) and he's always getting into a huff in every scene he's in. In the moments between his complaints, he is funny and lovable. If the show keeps him around, I hope they find a way to dewhine-ify him.

Grey's Anatomy, on the other hand, has so many new characters now, I can't keep track of them all. Those interns--there are way too many, and they seem to cycle in and out and back in with each episode. They've been around two seasons, and I still don't know any of their names, except for Lexie. She's the only addition I like. Everyone else seems totally incompetent to be a doctor. Was anybody from the original Grey's cast this unwatchable in season 1? I don't remember.

This is the second time this season I find myself liking a spinoff more than the original, the first one being The City vs. The Hills. Network heads: Maybe it's time to retire certain canceled shows forever (I'm looking at you, V) and take a look at spinning off some of the excellent shows you currently have. For example, I would love another subversive comedy like Glee--though Fox, please wait a few years on that first.

Spinoffs, done right, are the perfect mix of risk (new show) and security (proven concept and/or characters). Well done, Private Practice.

A Likeable Meredith Grey?

I just watched the Grey's Anatomy episode from last week, the one where Meredith's dad needs a liver transplant, and I am pleased to report that for the first time in what feels like forever, I actually really liked Meredith.

For far too long, she has been written as a whiny, self-absorbed character who can't get out of her own head. I know you know you were sick of watching her go back and forth on McDreamy. We all thought he deserved better. Well, in this episode, we finally got to see a wonderful, empathetic side to Meredith.

The episode begins with Meredith's estranged dad stumbling into the hospital puking blood. He is a recovering alcoholic, and he needs a liver transplant. Lexie gets a blood test and finds out she's not a match. Everyone expects Meredith to do the blood test, too.

Everyone except Meredith. She's all, "Well, that sucks, guess he'll be dead soon." Everyone is horrified that Meredith is refusing to help her dad.

And that's just the thing. He is not her dad. He left her when she was a kid and married another woman, Lexie's mom. He also popped Meredith in the face once in the hospital, right in front of everybody. JERK. Not to mention he drank himself to a failing liver. Meredith did not want to give him her liver, and I for one agreed one million percent.

Then Lexie made her big plea. That even though Thatcher was a terrible father to Meredith, he was a great dad to Lexie, and by the way, she stole Meredith's files and Meredith is a blood match so won't she do this for Lexie, if not for their dad? It's a great, moving moment. I'm sold.

And so is Meredith. She goes to tell Thatcher the news, omitting the fact that she will be the one donating the liver. I love that she did that. If I were giving part of my liver up I'd be broadcasting it in sky writing. But Thatcher asks some more questions and Meredith finally fesses up that it's her liver. Thatcher says nope, not taking it.

Eventually, the doctors and Lexie and Meredith wear him down. The operation goes off beautifully. Meredith wakes up a chunk of liver lighter, and Lexie, who has been sleeping at her bedside, wakes up.

Lexie: (thanks Meredith effusively)

Meredith: Lexie?

Lexie: Yeah?

Meredith: You're on my IV.

I haven't seen the most recent ep, but I'm assuming Meredith's monthlong recovery was the writers' way of giving Ellen Pompeo maternity leave. I'm sorry to see her go--just when she got likeable.

Now, if we could just get Katherine Heigl pregnant...

Grey's Anatomy: Don't Chop Off My Baby's Arm!

Last night on Grey's Anatomy, the freakiest thing happened. A doctor was performing a C-section and was trying to cut the umbilical cord when she accidentally CUT OFF THE BABY'S ARM.

THE ENTIRE ARM.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Right then and there, I turned to my fiance. "When I give birth, you had better be standing right there watching the doctors!"

Him: "I don't think they let people in anymore. Besides, I don't want to see...that."

Me: "You'd better be there. I'm not kidding!"

Luckily, McSteamy managed to reattach the arm. All in a day's work. I love McSteamy.

TV Tidbits: Grey’s Anatomy, Cougar Town

-On last night’s two-hour depressing Grey’s Anatomy premiere, a comatose George O’Malley got more screen time than he did all last season. Yep, I’m still bitter they decided to keep Katherine Heigl and kill off George. George was the Everyman of the show, the heart of the whole series. I like Izzie too, but every time she comes on screen I see her as Katherine Heigl biting every hand that feeds her. And then I stop liking Izzie. By the way, how does everybody at Seattle-Grace know what ceviche is and I’ve never even heard of it? Am I crazy? Probably.

-I finally gave in and watched five minutes of Cougar Town on YouTube. It got such strong ratings and reviews, so why not? Five minutes = 25% of the show. And enough for me to know that it’s still. not. funny. I liked the part where the old guy could hear Courteney Cox, but that was it. The whole show seems to be Courteney Cox’s character, Jules Cobb, lamenting her age and trying to fit in a world where everybody is 20something. If the show was about a frumpy-looking woman with a dead-end job living in a crappy apartment, I’d watch. But being attractive, affluent, successful in her career, Jules Cobb’s struggles is like a supermodel saying, “I didn’t always look like this, when I was a teenager everybody told me I was an ugly loser.” Yeah. Whatever.