Grey's Anatomy Thread - 2009

[pixie cut]

Thanks for the recaps. I quit watching GA last year. It got to stupid for words. I'm not sure I'll start watching it again, but it's nice to read the thread. And I never minded Izzie other than the Denny thing, but sometimes I really disliked Derek. All in the writing eh?

It's largely the writing, but it's also the acting. I find Patrick Dempsey acts his scenes like he has one foot out the door to go make more bad movies. Ellen Pompeo is way too old to be playing a resident. From the original cast, Sandra Oh, Justin Chambers and Chandra Wilson still do amazing jobs, but Katherine Heigl is hit and miss.

I think the couple that won't last the season is Cristina and Owen. They've only just gotten together and if the Meredith/Derek and Izzie/Alex pairing dynamic is held to form, they need at least one more breakup before they can be together.

[AragornElessar]

Could someone do a recap of Thursday night's show please?

I missed it due to Opening Night in the NHL, so...Thanks in advance!!

[silverstars]

Ellen Pompeo is way too old to be playing a resident.

Part of Meredith's back story is that she went to Dartmouth, graduated and basically had no direction with her life, and then later decides to go to med school when her mother is diagnosed with Alzheimer's. So, Meredith should look older from other residents, who went straight from undergrad to med school. Plus, Ellen Pompeo is 39...not that old to be a resident, and they purposefully make her look tired and less "glammed up" on the show.

[pixie cut]

Part of Meredith's back story is that she went to Dartmouth, graduated and basically had no direction with her life, and then later decides to go to med school when her mother is diagnosed with Alzheimer's. So, Meredith should look older from other residents, who went straight from undergrad to med school. Plus, Ellen Pompeo is 39...not that old to be a resident, and they purposefully make her look tired and less "glammed up" on the show.

And Cristina's story is that she went to med school after earning a PhD in biochemistry. And Izzie's story is that it took her six years to finish college because of financial constraints and longer for med school because she was modeling to pay her way. Yes, they're supposed to be older than the other residents, but not THAT much older. They are careful never to say age. Notice how Dr. Wyatt interupted Cristina during the therapy session just as she said, "Owen enlisted at the age of..." They've jumped back and forth about how old Meredith is supposed to be and where she grew up and when she started med school. Still, the inference is she's around 30 or 31. Ellen Pompeo looks every day of her age. Unless they're going to make Meredith at least 35, she's becoming increasingly unrealistic in the part.

[*Jen*]

I think it'll be Mark and Lexie. I just don't buy them as a couple, but on many of the forums people can't stand them together.

Lexie only moved in because she was jealous of Callie and sick of walking in on MerDer sex. The latter thing especially.

Although, I conceed that the only couple I'm sure will remain together this season is Meredith and Derek, because she's on mat leave and there won't be much focus on them to try to conceal her lack of screen time.

[nerdycool]

I don't know... I actually am starting to warm up to Mark & Lexie. They seem to have pretty good chemistry, though I don't agree with her reasoning for actually moving in with him. It should be because she WANTS to, not because she feels she needs to.

And I've made it no secret that I really like Alex and Izzie together, so I hope it's not them. I think they'll leave Derrick & Meredith alone for at least a little while, so that leaves Owen & Christina as the couple to not make it. That does not make me sad at the moment. It's not that I don't like them together, but that it's still pretty new and I haven't really decided what I think.

[TinyTwinkleToes]

I find Patrick Dempsey acts his scenes like he has one foot out the door to go make more bad movies.

Anyone here remember his role as "Jimbo Scott" in the movie Outbreak? Saw it in my Science and Fiction class last week and was LMAO over Patrick.

[vesperholly]

Part of Meredith's back story is that she went to Dartmouth, graduated and basically had no direction with her life, and then later decides to go to med school when her mother is diagnosed with Alzheimer's. So, Meredith should look older from other residents, who went straight from undergrad to med school. Plus, Ellen Pompeo is 39...not that old to be a resident, and they purposefully make her look tired and less "glammed up" on the show.

Maybe she's flunked a few times and is the equivalent of a seventh-year senior? If only she'd spend less time on her relationships and more time on her doctoring ...

[pixie cut]

I found last night's episode not very good. It's like it's desperate to find a rhythm and can't. Season six has not carried the momentum from season five. Grey's is back in a rut.

[JJH]

There was virtually no suspense or drama built into the liver transplant. The writers seemed to treat this only as a convenient plot point to allow Pompeo some maternity leave. I am not hopeful about the incoming actors.

[pixie cut]

Thoughts on last night's episode? Mine include dull, predicable and other words we're not allowed to use on FSU.

You know in a few weeks, after Ms. Heigl is done making her next cliched romantic comedy, they'll find out guy in orange scrubs altered the patient's chart and she'll be welcomed back.

I didn't even like Cristina's breakdown. It was overdone, which is so not Sandra Oh. That's how the director wanted her to play it. The point is valid, but it was just

The only scene I liked was Arizona and Mr. Torres.

[nerdycool]

I thought it was interesting, although I didn't like how they made all the Mercy West people devil's spawn. Sure, there could have been one, but ALL of them?

I thought Christina's breakdown was very believable. She's not one to show her emotions, and she's been "lost" ever since Burke left, so it finally came to her breaking point last night. If being a heart surgeon is all she's ever dreamed of, then not working with hearts is frustrating. And add to that that she can't even get an appendectomy, and that Owen is seemingly going out of his way to make sure people know he's not playing favorites... I think I'd be upset, too.

And Izzie... I can't say I'm surprised. I really felt for Alex though. I would have totally given him a hug. And for those that don't watch Private Practice, they continued the kidney patient storyline there, with Bailey appearing.

Loved the Callie/Arizona storyline, especially when Callie was reciting the Bible back at her father. Really took the wind out of his sails.

Speaking of Private Practice... I thought it was interesting that Sam was a heart surgeon all of a sudden. Could I be smelling a move to Seattle for him?

[pixie cut]

I thought Christina's breakdown was very believable. She's not one to show her emotions, and she's been "lost" ever since Burke left, so it finally came to her breaking point last night. If being a heart surgeon is all she's ever dreamed of, then not working with hearts is frustrating. And add to that that she can't even get an appendectomy, and that Owen is seemingly going out of his way to make sure people know he's not playing favorites... I think I'd be upset, too.

I'm not saying I didn't believe the breakdown. I didn't believe how they played it. Sandra Oh has always most effectively portrayed Cristina's emotions in a subtle fashion. You read it in her face and it hits you. She doesn't just wail. She could have said everything she said in a controlled way, showing that she's broken by the frustration.

Also, I know they pretaped scenes with Ellen Pompeo, but some of that would have been better played with Owen. I keep wanting her to say to him, "I had your back so many times, but you never have mine."

[LadyNit]

Finally watched this last week's episode. Glad Izzie got the boot. Not so glad to read the theory here that she'll be back after her movie gig ends. ugh to the max. They continue to write her as such an unsympathetic character--ditching out on Alex, the self centered bitch. meh.

(heeeheee. Izzie = a character I was born to hate. )

[*Jen*]

I don't like Izzie either, although I heard it's maternity leave with her adopted baby, not a movie. I'm fairly sure she'll be back at some point.

A question though - she did screw up, didn't she? Because I watched the bit where she gave the instructions again, and she did order a zero K bath (with 3.4 filtration or something). I don't know if the latter bit of info makes the difference, or if she did in fact screw up.

And the chief I don't like him. He's useless now.

[screech]

I have to say that Grey's is the most ingenious show for writing in maternity leaves. Ellen Pompeo is still on but resting and just not in action - genius. Izzy's reason for leaving for a bit is believable too, so Katherine she gets to spend some time with her child. Most shows do kind of silly ways - I think Grey's is being clever.

[ArtisticFan]

I don't like Izzie either, although I heard it's maternity leave with her adopted baby, not a movie. I'm fairly sure she'll be back at some point.

She had already been granted leave when word came that she and her husband could adopt the baby. There was an interview with her in People magazine I believe where she said it was lucky timing. The only reason I remember it was because my cousin had her ATI appointment for adoption in Taiwan the same week.

And yes Screech I too am almost impressed with the way that Grey's is writing characters out. They could have easily done the old I'm going to visit a sick relative thing. I was anticipating something like that - as if we aren't supposed to realize someone is missing from the cast. At least this is a little more believable.

ETA: The only one I didn't like how they wrote out was George. Getting hit by a bus was a bit much.

[pixie cut]

A question though - she did screw up, didn't she? Because I watched the bit where she gave the instructions again, and she did order a zero K bath (with 3.4 filtration or something). I don't know if the latter bit of info makes the difference, or if she did in fact screw up.

We don't know for sure. I am guessing that will be the twist. In two months or so, I'm guessing it will be discovered the other resident (new guy from Mercy West) either gave her bogus labs or at the very least heard her instructions and knew they were incorrect, but didn't advise her so she'd screw up.

[discoduck]

A question though - she did screw up, didn't she? Because I watched the bit where she gave the instructions again, and she did order a zero K bath (with 3.4 filtration or something). I don't know if the latter bit of info makes the difference, or if she did in fact screw up.

Yeah she did. The patient's potassium level was 3.4 according to what Bailey said and the low end of normal is 3.5. Renal patients usually run high so the fact that the patient's was low was rather odd in the first place. By putting no potassium in the dialysis solution, Izzie depleted all that the woman had which threw her heart into cardiac arrest. Although the rhythm she had was more indicative of low magnesium but I'm nitpicking there.

That's why I'm wondering if it's going to turn out that the intern gave her the wrong results. End stage renal patients don't usually have a potassium that low but then again I could be wrong.

[Satellitegirl]

I really liked last night's episode. Different. That and it didn't have a lot of Meredith in it, which was also good. Her story lines have been annoying lately, so it's nice to see some others getting more screen time.