On Callie and Arizona

Michael Ausiello's wish for Grey's Anatomy in 2015 is to "resist the urge" to reunite Calzona. I could not agree more. While it was happening, I was kind of annoyed. These two had been thru so much – the cheating, the baby, the leg – and it seemed like another wrench was unnecessary drama. (Yes, I understand what show I'm watching... unnecessary drama is kind of its thing.) But that episode chronicling their separation was heartbreaking to watch. And I can't imagine going back from there.

'Grey's Anatomy' Season 10 Promo

Please don't kill Richard.
 Season 10 premieres Sept 26 at 9pm on ABC.

Monday Mornings rips off Grey's Anatomy

Am I the ONLY one who is outraged at this Monday Mornings trailer? Why (why!) would a show that is already being compared to Grey's Anatomy (just becuase it's another medical drama) use one of the biggest, baddest, best Grey's references in its trailer?

If you're a Grey's fan - or even caught ANY of the first season - you know that George was nicknamed 007 by his fellow interns after 'killing' a patient. License to kill. Same reference made here in this godawful trailer for Monday Mornings.

That similarity alone would be bad enough - but the 007 moniker came up again when (spoiler alert?) George died in the fifth season finale and just before surgery, 'told' Meredith that it was him by writing '007' on her hand. That moment (in the clip below) still gives me goosebumps. It was (IMHO) one of the defining moments of the series. It had be ugly crying for the rest of the episode and depressed at the bar when I went out afterward (what? It was a Thursday and I was in college). See the clip below -


You're telling me that not a single writer, producer, editor, actor, craft services person on Monday Mornings knew this reference? I find that very hard to believe.

Grey's Anatomy Season 9 Trailer

The MOST devastating moment? Really?

As much as seeing Lexi die totally sucked. And as much as I'd hate to lose Arizona or Mark (although I'm guessing one or both of them is a goner)... The plane crash just didn't seem like that big of a deal to me.

Maybe it was because I was too distracted by the total LOST ripoff?

No, I think I'm just in Christina's camp on this one. She seems unfazed by the crash (same feeling here, obviously) and just wants to leave 'Seattle Grace Mercy Death.'  Let's face it.... that hospital is the new Wisteria Lane. Disaster after disaster after disaster. I'm beginning to think I should never go to Seattle. I might drown on a ferry or stabbed by an icicle or get eaten by a lion!

Grey's has had some real chilling moments. George's death, the shooting. Moments that I'll never forget.  I'll remember where I was watching, who I was watching with, what I was thinking. I still get chills watching this trailer. I don't think you can top those 'devastating' moments with disasters. It was about the characters, the storytelling.

The plane crash was just about... the plane crash.

Grey's gets LOST

[WARNING: This is the first 6 minutes of the Grey's Anatomy season finale. If you don't want to watch it.... stop reading.]

But seriously. When I heard there would be a plane crash in the finale, I, of course, thought of LOST. But this HAS to be some sort of homage. The opening scene, the music... is this for real? I always thought there should be some sort of LOST / Grey's crossover. Two gorgeous, dark-haired doctors named Shepard? That is no coincidence.

Grey's Anatomy Mid-Season Finale. Underwhelming.

I had read last week that the mid-season finale of Grey's Anatomy was going to make me bawl my eyes out....

[SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!]

Underwhelmed.

Is the Zola stuff really all over? What was the point? I felt like Meredith fell into the mommy role way too quickly... She had the baby like one day and was obsessed? And heartbroken over her being taken away? I don't know... it was weird. Was Zola just a vehicle for them to say, 'Hey, look. Meredith grew up.'?

Do you care about Scott Foley? I really, really liked him on the show and am sad to see him go.... but I don't think it is that sad. I don't think it warranted the response the other docs were giving it - especially usually cold-hearted, level-headed Christina. Why was she crying like that? That was like how she cried when she broke down on the fishing trip with Derrick. That was serious stuff. She barely even knows this guy.

And now what's the point for Teddy? They are just manufacturing plots for her. She was brought on to cause problems for Owen and Christina.... and then she was useless.... and now she is useless again. Sigh.

You tricked me ABC! I know (from LOST) that the networks are the ones that control the previews, but come on. You really made it look like something happened to Meredith. And yet, nothing happened to Meredith.

... Speaking of. A bunch of bodies on the road? That was kind of weird/creepy/alien invasion looking. And is it really a big deal? Another ambulance was on the way, according to Avery. Those people will be saved if they aren't already dead. If anything, they are MORE lucky than if they had just been in an accident. The ambulance was already on the way there before anything even happened!

Some Thoughts.

The Sing Off: Did you see the guys from Branson! Woop Woop. They were lame, but who cares. Loved the shots of them singing at the Titanic museum. ha. But note to the judges: Have you really never heard of Branson? It isn't some small town these guys are putting on the map. It's a musical mecca.

Modern Family: Finally watched it! And yes, I giggled more than once. I understand why the whole cast gets nominated... every single character is hilarious. (But still think off beat comedies like Community and Bored to Death deserve more accolades!)

And speaking of Community: How brilliant was the addition of John Goodman? That voice!

Did the beginning of Grey's Anatomy always have 'Created by Shonda Rhimes' in the opening credits?

Is Project Runway one and a half hours long so we can have Garnier hair commercials worked into the episode? Because that is uncool.

I assume I should tweet out questions like this, but that would have required me getting my lazy bum off the couch and finding my phone.

Has Grey's Jumped the Shark?

So I've been trying to get into this new Get Glue app. It's basically Foursquare checkins for TV shows... sounds like I'd love it, right? Hmmm... we'll see.

Anyway, you gte badges when you check into certain shows- like A Rocky Horror badge for that Glee episode, a cult badge when a bunch of people are checked in at the same time, all star badge when you reach a certain number of checkins, whatever. So the other day, I check into Grey's Anatomy and got the 'Jump the Shark' badge.

Wha?!

I was actually thinking that Grey's was hitting its stride this year... getting back to the way it used to be. I'm (crazy, I know) actually enjoying it. Seriously. It is always one of the first shows I try to get to on my DVRed list (unlike some other ABC shows.... cough cough Brothers and Sisters).

And EW recently put out a list of 10 Reasons they are loving Grey's this season....

1. DR. AVERY

Dr. Avery wasn't quite clicking as part of the ensemble when Jesse Williams first joined the cast. But now? Oh, mama. He's flirty - to a fault - but he's also a decent dude, and the show was in need of a seriously single dude. Game, set, match.

2. CRISTINA'S STORY LINE

Cristina's been through hell on this show - actually, she's been through it about once a season. But now that she's settled down on the relationship front, her story arc of personal anguish in the wake of the shooting gets to take center stage. Sandra Oh's acting has always been one of the show's greatest assets, and she's getting some of the best material she's had in years.

3. IT'S FUNNY AGAIN

Sure, Grey's is a melodrama, and you're guaranteed to cry roughly once an episode. But it's also peppered with silly, fun, honest dialogue between characters who genuinely seem to like one another. We could listen to Mark and Callie chitchat all day.

4. NO MORE IZZIE

Izzie Stevens. Love her or loathe her, Izzie's story line cast an intense shadow on the show over the past few years, be it the ill-conceived Gizzie, Denny's ghost, or her battle with cancer. Enough was enough, and now Grey's is finally moving on - for real.

5. CRISTINA AND MEREDITH'S FRIENDSHIP

Romance, schmomance. The best relationship on this show is definitely Meredith and Cristina's, and this season it's been even more important. Both docs are dealing with some serious issues following the shooting - Meredith's miscarriage, Cristina performing emergency surgery — but they're helping each other cope. Who wouldn't feel better snuggling with Meredith and Derek?

6. PATIENTS ARE WILD, BUT WITHIN REASON

Let's never speak of the deer CPR again. Grey's is finding its way back to the right balance of bizarre patients/cases as metaphors for the doctors' problems. To wit: Tree Guy. Indeed we are all freaks, as the episode told us. Also, HPV is a hell of a virus.

7. FINALLY, APRIL IS LESS ANNOYING

Sarah Drew slayed us as Hannah on Everwood and broke our hearts as Sal's wife, Kitty, on Mad Men. She finally landed on a hit show and... uh, yikes. April was chirpy, irritating, and immature, and her crush on Derek didn't endear her to us either. But these days, we say hooray for April; since Meredith declared that the two of them are pals, April's become a lot more tolerable, instead of being Lexie 2.0.

8. IT'S JUST SCHMOOPY ENOUGH

Hey, it's still Grey's Anatomy. We want some romance and cutesiness, and the Mer-Der relationship is hitting a terrific stride. They're so happy as a couple, yet each is going through some heavy stuff. But they're getting through it together! Yay, love.

9. ALEX HAS FOUND HIS CALLING

Once upon a time, Doug Ross was the scruffy rogue pediatrician with the womanizing issues and sexy smirk. These days it's Alex Karev. Finding his calling as a peds specialist has given Alex a depth and sweetness we've seen him try to cover up for the entire series.

10. THE MONOLOGUES ARE IN TOP FORM

''Pick me, choose me, love me.'' Izzie stripping down to her bra while yelling at everyone. The amazing Dr. Bailey speeches. Somewhere after that, though, the show's signature monologues started losing a little bit of their verve and impact. But welcome to the spiel renaissance, as ushered in by Dr. April Kepner, and her terrific ''we're all freaks'' (and virgins) speech.

Besides, who are you Get Glue, to decide a show has jumped the shark?

Let the Healing Begin

Grey's is leveraging their Facebook page to let fans vote for this season's promotional poster... I picked this one. Head over and vote by liking a picture...

Grey's Finale Thursday!

Finale week is here!

After last year's amazing finale, and an up and down season this year, Grey's Anatomy has a lot to live up to in its season finale this week... but judging from what I'm hearing, and the promos on ABC, it looks like they just might top that shocking 007 death from last year.

I would SPOILER alert you, but if you read the internet or watch TV, you already know this...

There's a shooter in the hospital! Is it a random person? An ex-Mercy Wester? That guy who was suing the hospital a couple weeks back? Dun dun dunnnnnn. I don't know. But people are going to die. I just know it... and that's what all the websites are saying and they don't lie, right?

Here's a promo...


Oh yeah, and a couple more things...
One couple will break up.
One couple will get together.
And Meredith is preggers.

Can't wait for Thursday!

My TV Highlights for the week...

Grey's Anatomy. Just when I was about to give up, I went back for more and got hooked. See my last post.

Justified. I'm not a huge fn of the lead actor but the character he plays- Marshal Raylan Givens- is really intriguing. I've yet to watch the second episode, but check out my reaction from the first. 

How to Make it in America. Great opening credits featuring Aloe Blacc's 'I Need a Dollar.' Bryan Greenberg. Entourage with more bad luck and less whining. The first season just ended on Sunday, but it is only six, half hour episodes, so it is easy to catch up on. Check out HBO or the Internet for eps. 

And Lost, always Lost of course. I actually really liked the Sun/Jin episode. But not really because of Sun and Jin. I was more interested in Widmore and 'Locke.' And the surprise cameo by Patchies of course! I did like seeing Jin and Sun in love in the sideways world... from the scene on the plane I thought for sure they would have gone back to being an unhappy couple. Oh, but sidenote: Sun, speak English. 

Giving up on Grey's? Not yet.

I almost gave up on Grey's Anatomy. My guess is, a lot of you have. IMHO, for what started as a suspenseful, drama-packed hit show on ABC, the last couple seasons have been a little less than stellar (with the exception of the last season finale when George died... that was intense).

A few weeks ago, I said to myself, "Danielle, do you really care anymore?" And the answer was no. I really considered saving a Thursday night TV hour and not watching it anymore.

And then I saw last week's episode. I'm not sure what it was that changed my mind...

A renewed happiness now that Izzy is officially off the show?
The shifting focus from Izzy/Alex/Christina/Meredith to Bailey/Callie/Arizona/Mark?
The happy version of Derek and Meredith?
The dangerous chemistry going on in the Teddy/Christina/Owen love triangle?
New doc Jackson Avery's eyes?

Who cares, I'm in.

And here are a couple little spoiler bits to get you pumped for the remainder of the season:

One serious couple is breaking up and it will leave them both 'devastated.' Rumor has it, it has nothing to do with meeting a new person, but rather 'a serious issue' that they 'can't get passed.'
My bet? Callie and Arizona over the baby issue.
Or it could be Owen and Christina, bumping heads over the PTSD and/or the baby issue as well.

There is going to be a fling in the hospital- with one newby and one veteran Grey-er.
My bet? Anyone with Jackson. No one cares about that annoying, McDreamy obsessed, fired once and came back, Mercy Wester.

Goodbye April, we barely knew you.

I'll admit, I'm a little behind on my Thursday night shows (Plea to the networks: Move some shows- like Fringe- to Tuesdays!) and just watched last week's Grey's Anatomy. 

For me, Grey's has always been a guilty pleasure. I am one of the few fans who kept watching thru all the will-they-won't-they Meredith and Derek drama, the strange Izzy and George tequila-driven sexcapades, and the Denny-as-a-ghost plot line. I have never really loved the show, but liked it enough to keep watching. 

One of my biggest gripes about Grey's (besides a heated disdain for Katherine Heigl) is that the episodes can sort of drag. Yes, they have their BIG moments, but there is always some point in the middle of the episode when I check the clock. Last week's whodunnit installment however? Didn't look at the time once. 

Here's the rundown: 

The was a big hotel (or apartment?) fire and the hospital was packed with victims. A woman comes in with burns on her chest and side, accompanied by her 'at least 5 year old' son (as Cristina put it, and she was right, he was no toddler). She pretty much got passed around to every single doctor at the hospital. Everyone at some point checked her chart, gave her medicine, chest tubes, vitals, etc. But everyone was a little distracted. Everyone had somewhere else to be. No one claimed her as their own. Even when Derek asked them to call time of death. 

In the end, newbie April got the ax because she failed to check the woman's throat. But Derek was right when he gave the Chief his 'second opinion.' 

"Maybe it wasn't one doctor, maybe it was too many doctors," he told the Chief. His hospital, ever since the merger, has been utter chaos. So, basically, the one doctor that didn't touch the patient is really the one who is responsible here. 

The episode can only be described as intense. I seriously found myself holding my breath. It moved quickly. You were at the edge of your seat waiting to see what happened to the patient, and why it happened. I will admit that this super sleuth knew all along that April not checking the throat was probably the cause, but still I was hooked. 

So, Grey's Anatomy, I tip my hat to you. I thought you might lose me in the Mercy West merger, but seeing the new group thru the window as April exited the hospital felt like I was watching Grey's Anatomy: The New Class. And I still like it. 

grief turns to paranoia on Grey's

Last week's two hour, grief-stricken, Grey's Anatomy premiere was bit much for me (it only took me 14 minutes to start crying, btw), so last night's paranoia-filled installment was a welcome change.

Arizona

Once again proves that she is one of the only doctors in Seattle who can work under pressure. Why does she have to be the one to keep reminding the doctors to stop being sad/paranoid and do their job? Oh yes, and she is Callie's girlfriend. That was cute. 

Lexi

Love her when she is strong and smart; hate her when she is frantic and whiny. Her stepping up and saving the day with the (only clinically) paranoid person in the hospital was awesome. And when she was sitting on the bench crying because she didn't get cut, I'll admit, I was crying along with her. 

Meredith

The usual Debbie-downer was surprisingly chipper. Wonder how she will react when (SPOILER) one of her own- Izzy- gets fired. 

Izzy

Speaking of, do you think she already knows? She was bit hesitant reading her phone. 

Mark

"That's how I know I'm not going anywhere... because I can reattach baby's arms." So hot. 

Derek

I am not always a McDreamy lover, but this season he is really stepping up. We all already knew he was Chief-material, but now that the actual Chief is being sort of a coward (come on Richard!), Derek is taking charge. He stayed and comforted the people that got fired when the Chief went home. Way to go Derek. 

By far the best moment of the episode?

The end scene of all the couples playing baseball. That looked like fun :)

Izzy, you're fired.

Looks like that snotty Katherine Heigl is getting what she wants... sort of.

Doc Stevens will be taking a five episode break from Grey's this season to go film a movie (you know, because she is a big movie star and her silly TV series doesn't even matter...). But how will they explain the missing surgeon/cancer patient?

Izzy gets fired.

That's right. Looks like Seattle Grace is merging with rival hospital Mercy West this season and Izzy will be laid off. The new docs will also help disguise Elen Pompeo's absence during her maternity leave (which will be going on at the same time Izzy is gone).

So for a few episodes- no George (dead), no Meredith (preggo), no Izzy (snob). Grey's peeps aren't worried though. They say it will give them more time to explore other characters- like the new docs, McDreamy minus his new wifey, Lexi and Mark and their ridiculous age difference, and of course Owen and Christina's budding romance.

The season premieres Sept. 24th, and bring your tissues, because George's death/funeral is going to our favorite docs pretty dang hard.

Fall Schedule!

So all this week I have been adding fall premiere dates to my calendar and it is starting to get overwhelming! These are just the shows I want to watch (I guess my HIMYM love will have to be pushed off for hiatus’. I just don’t have time!)

Sunday, 8/9
ABDC, MTV 8pm

Sunday, 8/16
Mad Men, AMC 9pm

Monday, 8/31
Greek, ABC Family 8pm

Wednesday, 9/9
Glee, Fox 8pm

Monday, 9/14
OTH, CW 7pm

Thursday, 9/17
Community, NBC 8:30pm
Fringe, Fox 8pm

Monday, 9/21
DWTS, ABC 7pm

Thursday, 9/24
Flashforward, ABC 7pm
Grey’s, ABC 8pm

Sunday, 9/27
Brothers and Sisters, ABC 9pm
Desperate Housewives, ABC 8pm
Dexter, Showtime 8pm


So you might be thinking, “Geez, Danielle. How in the world am I going to make this work?” Well, I will tell you. This is what I suggest.

Mondays
Watch OTH at 7, followed by Greek at 8pm. DVR or catch DWTS online in time for the results shows on Tuesdays. CW and ABC Family both have sucky video players and it is hard to find episodes online.

Tuesdays
DWTS day. I never cared much about the results show, but you can watch the show from the night before on DVR or online before you find out who gets kicked off!

Wednesdays
Have a nice peaceful evening with Glee at 8pm. Oh, and catch up from some of that leftover Sunday television!

Thursdays
I’ll give first preference to the new shows- Flashforward at 7pm and Community at 8:30pm because they will need the ratings to survive. Although, that does give you an awkward half hour break… sheesh. If you have to watch one thing that night pick Grey’s at 8pm because it is by far the most popular and what people will be talking about. DVR Fringe or watch it online. It has too much suspense for commercials anyway!

Sundays
Personally, I am watching ABDC at 8pm, followed by Brothers and Sisters at 9pm. I love Desperate but MTV’s video player is so slow. I can easily find Desperate online somewhere. The same goes for cable shows Mad Men and Dexter. Catch them later in the week.

Hope you weren’t planning to have a life this fall!

medical mix-up

Just caught last night's Grey's/Private Practice crossover. Hmm.

I'm actually on a Grey's kick right now- love this new stable Meredith, love Owen and Yang, love Mark and Lexi- but I hate Private Practice. I just can't get into that show. I think it ruined Addison. I loved seeing her back in Seattle, but she just isn't the same character she was then.

I know that Grey's has lost a lot of viewers the last couple seasons, and believe me, I have been less than impressed too (the Denny thing? ug.), but its getting so much better! I think all the credit goes to the Owen and Yang romance. It truly is a breath of fresh air in a sea of old drama.

Fall TV is BAAACK! soon....

So I was out of town with NO TV (can you believe it?) for the last week, and I come back to them airing fall previews! Sweet surprise! 

Here are some dates-

The Hills, MTV, Thursday, August 18th, 9pm

Greek, ABC Family, Tuesday, August 26th, 8pm

Gossip Girl, CW, Monday, September 1st, 7pm

One Tree Hill, CW, Monday, September 1st, 8pm

90210, CW, Tuesday, September 2nd, 7pm

Dancing with the Stars, ABC, Monday, September 22nd, 7pm

Grey's Anatomy, ABC, Thursday, September 25th, 8pm

Desperate Housewives, ABC, Sunday, September 28th, 8pm

Dexter, Showtime, Sunday, September 28th, 8pm

Brothers & Sisters, ABC, Sunday, September 28th, 9pm

Pushing Daisies, ABC, Wednesday, October 1st, 7pm

Lost, ABC, Early 2009

Mondays, Sundays, Thursdays...my week is a blur.

Thoughts on my fave shows from last week…

Greek: This show seriously keeps getting better and better! I haven’t written about it in a couple weeks (mainly because I can never watch it until the weekend), but it has been great! The last two weeks have been really great. I loved the flashbacks in the episode from two weeks ago. It seriously changed my opinion of the Cappie/Casey/Evan triangle. I have always been a Cappie lover, but after the last two weeks, I’ll admit it, I am rooting for Casey and Evan to get back together!

DWTS: So happy that Shannon Elizabeth got kicked off. Who’s next? Probably Marisa or Christian. And this week is the 100th episode two-night event- meaning that tomorrow a ton of DWTS alums will be back!

Gossip Girl: I’m having trouble getting back into it since the break… maybe I’m just sick of the same old stories- Chuck is a jerk, Blaire fights to keep her spot, Jenny wants to be cool, Serena did something one time and got in trouble… I’m bored.

Grey’s Anatomy: I was telling someone, “Yeah, this week’s episode was actually really good,” and their response was, “duh- Addison was back.” And that’s when it hit me. I haven’t really liked the show since she left. Here’s hoping Private Practice gets cancelled and she returns to Seattle Grace where she belongs. Favorite scene of the night- Mark’s reaction to seeing Derek, Addison, Rose, and Meredith all in the elevator. Oh, McSteamy, you make me laugh.
Lost: Loved this week’s episode. Actually, at first, I hated it. Kate and Jack’s future bliss made me sick. But then, you find out that Sawyer is still complicating things. Yes! The scene at the end totally made it for me. There is nothing Jack can do- it doesn’t matter that he is there now, or that he saved her- Kate loves Sawyer, and no matter where Sawyer is (or even if he is still alive), that won’t change. It almost made me feel sorry for Jack. Almost. And how ‘bout that scene when Jack picks up Kate in the hallway? Looks a lot like Sawyer picking her up in the cages if you ask me….

Brothers & Sisters: Awesome episode. I know next week is supposed to be amazing, so I cannot wait! My thoughts from last night- poor Saul, poor Rebecca, poor Justin, poor Sarah, poor Graham, and Holly is such a bitch taking over the company when it isn’t rightfully hers. Oh, and yeah for Scotty and Kevin! That scene was adorable!

Word on the street...

Brother and Sisters
This spring's season finale may be the best episode of the season. There's an outing, a wedding, an arrest, a big kiss, a corporate shakeup and a reveal that will leave one Walker in stunned. It has been called 'the kind of TV that will give you chills.'

Desperate Housewives
Mike needs to keep his mouth shut. He recently spilled that a few actors shot their final scenes already. Only the big four are safe.

Gossip Girl
So I missed Monday's episode...but, word is Blair and Chuck keep dancing around each other; Lily will walk down the aisle with Bart, even though things may not be finished with Rufus; Serena struggles and who comes to her aid? Dan? No- Nate, Chuck, and B; Little Eric van der Woodsen hooks up with Jenny's new BF (yes, that's boyfriend, not best friend)

One Tree Hill
Do we care that Dan is dying? How many times has he almost died? Seriously- we need a bigger shocker. How 'bout Leyton news? There may be a tiny glimmer of hope when Peyton reads Lucas' book. But what about Brucas? That little family picture looked nice didn't it...

Lost
Our super-sized finale features a supersecret Sawyer scene ('bout time! If he dies I will kill someone!). It is supposedly the 'game changer.' Also, Charlotte has an interesting scene coming up soon, so watch for that...

Grey's Anatomy
Meredith's bear-attack brain-tumor guy will bring her closer to Derek, as expected.