4.0 out of 5 stars
Grey's is great!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 July 2008
NB: couple of minor spoilers in my review.
I came to Grey's Anatomy a little late, as in the UK the only terrestrial channel it's broadcast on is one I couldn't get for years. Luckily, I managed to catch the last half dozen episodes of Series 2, and I was hooked, even though I hate hospital shows. I could never get into ER (even with the incentive of George Clooney) and don't even get me started on the home-grown stuff.
So what attracted me to Grey's Anatomy? Yes, it's glossy. Yes, it's gloopy. Yes, Meredith is probably one of the most annoying characters on TV. Yes, Derek is interminably dull. BUT, there's more to the show than that. I'm going to go all out here and compare Grey's Anatomy to a Dickens novel, in that it's not the 'main' characters you should concentrate on, or be interested in, because they're not the best ones. It's the ones slightly on the outside, who have more interesting personalities going on, they're the people to get involved with.
For example, Cristina is always hilarious, so cynical and smart and competitive - in this series, she finds her relationship with Burke getting trickier to navigate, and she's still determined to be the best surgeon in Seattle (probably in the world!). Izzie's character has been deepened with her attraction to Denny, a dying heart patient, and this will have knock-on effects for following series (for better or worse). Katherine Heigl plays her with loads of heart and loads of vigour, and I really like what she does.
Similarly, George is fabulous, he makes me laugh all the time, but as well he grows up this series, realising he has to stop lusting after Meredith, someone who'll never feel the same way about him. The progression of the character is really well done, while retaining the loveable George we all loved from Series 1. Alex, too, starts to grow up a little, which is good - he couldn't remain the 'baddie' of the piece forever.
Bailey is excellent, but then she always is, and it's touching to see her worry about whether she'll be respected as a surgeon when she becomes a mother. The scenes with her and George during the 'disaster' episodes are lovely.
Grey's manages to blend heart-warming schmaltz with hard-hitting scenarios, raising lots of moral questions every episode, so you can join in and decide who's right and who's wrong. It's easy to watch visually, but not always mentally, and that's why it's a show I am willing to keep following. I like the combination of attractive cast members, thoughtful stories and great acting, not to mention the brilliant music choices throughout the show. Just let yourself be drawn in and you won't want to leave Seattle Grace!
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