Grey's Anatomy Finale (spoilers)

[DevilAlumna]

So, I disagree with Dukerati -- I think the GA finale was pretty decent, not disastrous. I mean, it's no mid 1990's ER finale w/ helicopters crashing, etc., but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Non-wedding? Good twist, especially after the eyebrow shaving incident. Calli getting chief resident over Bailey? Surprising. (I was hoping the chief would ditch all the doctors in the running to replace him, and pick Bailey instead; was positive that was the case when Calli's name was shown, but guess I was wrong.) Meredith & McDreamy still in doubt? Tension is okay.

About the only thing I didn't like was how they've turned Izzy into a psychopath over George. Could she be any more disgustingly needy? Calli was great at the non-wedding, when she was gushing over how she and George tried to "have a baby" just that afternoon. : )

I wonder if Isaiah Washington will be back -- news this afternoon from his agent is that his departure from the apartment doesn't necessarily mean he's off the show entirely. I think either he or TR Knight will be gone, and O'Malley's got the more interesting story line to continue.

[Dukerati]

I was reading some TV blogs about the finale (namely, Shondra Rhimes, the creator/writer of GA) and she said that she wanted to show that Meredith and Alex were both tragically damaged to the point where hope for repair is bleak at best. Ugh, who wants to see that? America LOVES redemption. I remember when GA used to mix some humor and all-around-feel-goodness with the drama but it has taken a decidely dark turn, culminating in a season finale where nothing good happened (except for the chief/wife thread but that's a throwaway plot line in my book).

I think Callie was picked over Bailey because the chief wanted Bailey to focus more on her family life and not turn out like him. That's the only rationalization I can come up with anyways...

As for Burke and George, I hope neither is gone but if one of them goes, it has to be Burke. George is much more likeable (on the show and in real life) and it would be a PR nightmare if Burke was kept over George.

[Raleighfan]

In order to follow a particular TV sitcom/drama/etc., I have to care about the characters and what happens to them. In the case of GA, I'm rapidly ceasing to care about what happens to Meredith (and the other characters, to a lesser extent). During the course of the series, it seems that anything/anybody that's a positive in her life has been phased out/dies/etc...e.g. Doc the dog, Finn the DVM, her stepmother, to name a few. How many more crises can we endure with Meredith? It's getting boring IMO. And now we've had a brief intro to Meredith's half-sister Lexie, a character whose presence will surely complicate things further for Meredith. I'd like to see more of these MDs doing actual work at the hospital rather than trying to keep up with who's making out with whom in the elevators and supply closets. The day we see Miranda Bailey tongueing someone in that hospital---that's the end of GA for me! And Addison's new spin-off? Fuhgeddaboutit! As I said, I have to care about characters...and that 2-hour GA featuring Addison's new set-up just didn't do it for me. Small doses of Addison are OK with me, but not a whole dang series with her as the main character! Whew...I'd rather watch reruns of Law & Order, Seinfeld, Wonder Years... I think Shonda Rhimes needs to go back to the drawing board---bring back some light moments and tone down the angst.

[JasonEvans]

I thoguht the final stunk -- was waaay too dark and too much bad/improbable stuff just keeps on happening.

Questions--

Was Yang crying in that last scene because she was relieved Burke was gone or because she was sad he as gone? It was not at all clear. My wife asked me and I shrugged and said, "I think both."

No one told Meredith that her half-sister was applying to the program? Yeah, that's plausible. I am not just talking about the Chief or Bailey or someone else adminstrative at the hospital mentioning something, I am talking about Lexi or her family telling Meredith. It is not like this was a last-second rash decision. These kind of jobs are planned out months in advance.

Explain to me again why Burke walked out on the wedding? Did he doubt that Cristina loved him or did he doubt that she wanted a big wedding? Everything about the wedding was stupid. Tweezing the eyebrows was insane. Cristina being run-over by the moms in the leadup to the wedding did not work for me. Cristina is a strong character, not a wuss.

Can anyone explain why Derek gave up the chief job? Was it because he thought he could not be chief and be Meredith's boyfriend at the same time? I am correct that he made this decision the night after almost hooking up with some random chick in a bar and as he and Meredith were clearly on the verge of breaking up.

I cannot even count how many times I rolled my eyes in that episode.

Oh, and the cure for any failing marriage is to start having kids-- George and Callie will be just fine now.

-Jason "that show took a radical wrong turn about 3 months ago" Evans

[Dukerati]

DevilAlumna better start defending the show soon, it's getting panned

I think a central problem with this show is that Shondra has too much power. It's like she got depressed for about two months and none of the other writers had the power or nerve to challenge her. Negativity is a crticial element to many dramas but the viewers have been drowning in it for the last half of this season. Enough is enough.

What compounds the problem is that Addison (I believe she is the most liked character on the show, an opinion backed up by public polls) is leaving for her show next season. So not only has GA been horribly depressing, the most likeable character is fleeing to another timeslot. Ugh.

As for Jason's questions, I took Yang to be crying because she was sad he was gone. She WAS going to get married after all and Burke is the one who called it off. Burke called off the wedding because he loved the woman he wanted Yang to be, not the woman she was. Who could love a woman like Yang anyways? Her self-absorption and general lack of compassion do not lend itself to epic love... Burke's credibility took a big hit IMO with his implausible devotion to Yang.

[DevilAlumna]

DevilAlumna better start defending the show soon, it's getting panned

That's what I get for being on the West Coast -- I still haven't had my full ration of caffeine yet today.

Was Yang crying in that last scene because she was relieved Burke was gone or because she was sad he as gone? It was not at all clear. My wife asked me and I shrugged and said, "I think both."
<snip>
Explain to me again why Burke walked out on the wedding? Did he doubt that Cristina loved him or did he doubt that she wanted a big wedding? Everything about the wedding was stupid. Tweezing the eyebrows was insane. Cristina being run-over by the moms in the leadup to the wedding did not work for me. Cristina is a strong character, not a wuss.

As for Jason's questions, I took Yang to be crying because she was sad he was gone. She WAS going to get married after all and Burke is the one who called it off. Burke called off the wedding because he loved the woman he wanted Yang to be, not the woman she was. Who could love a woman like Yang anyways? Her self-absorption and general lack of compassion do not lend itself to epic love... Burke's credibility took a big hit IMO with his implausible devotion to Yang.

I think the writers lost track of what the Burke/Yang relationship was all about, namely, two self-absorbed surgeons in deep 'like/respect' for one another; that's certainly a questionable basis on which to sustain a relationship. Then Burke got all *girly* with the wanting the marriage and the wedding and the tradition of it all; how did Yang not stand up to him on all of it? She's normally too strong, but I guess she felt that's what a wife does -- give in. (Whatever.)

So, I'm pleased that the wedding didn't happen -- the non-event shows that maybe the writers realized they were headed in the wrong direction, and decided a u-turn was in order. Plus, there's now an easy way to write Burke out of the show.

No one told Meredith that her half-sister was applying to the program? Yeah, that's plausible. I am not just talking about the Chief or Bailey or someone else adminstrative at the hospital mentioning something, I am talking about Lexi or her family telling Meredith. It is not like this was a last-second rash decision. These kind of jobs are planned out months in advance.

My first thought? Well, there's a way to write Meredith out of the show, and still keep the name relevant.

Can anyone explain why Derek gave up the chief job? Was it because he thought he could not be chief and be Meredith's boyfriend at the same time? I am correct that he made this decision the night after almost hooking up with some random chick in a bar and as he and Meredith were clearly on the verge of breaking up.

I think that was the worst bit of the show, because Derrick's reasons for turning it down were left so undefined. However, based on the 4 candidates, it really was turning into a choice of lesser evils, so in a way, McDreamy's decision was the right one -- he shouldn't be chief, and he probably knew it.

I was so hoping they'd break protocol and put Bailey in charge. But in any event, it allows for him to be written out of the show if contract negotiations go south.

Oh, and the cure for any failing marriage is to start having kids-- George and Callie will be just fine now.

LOL -- At this point, I just want George to grow a pair (can I say that?) and realize he made a mistake. It's called an 'annulment.' His failing the intern exam; Callie getting preggers -- either could be off the show next fall.

Hmmm, maybe I liked the episode, b/c it's not clear if anyone will be back next fall?

[Dukerati]

My first thought? Well, there's a way to write Meredith out of the show, and still keep the name relevant.

That thought never would have crossed my mind in a million years (kill off the main character/namesake before the show's conclusion) but Meredith has become so unlikeable at this point, it almost makes sense! At the risk of sounding mean, you gave me something to hope for next season

[JasonEvans]

Ok, so when did Gray's go wrong?

I am going to go with the episode where George "did it" with Izzie. It was totally out-of-the-blue and ruined both of their lives. We had no inkling that George wass even mildly interested in Izzie before then and she was still pretty much in mourning over Denny.

It was also around that time that Meredith and Derek started to go sour for no apparent reason. Sometimes it was her fault, sometimes it was his. It never made any sense.

Some may point to the insane suicide/drowning attempt by Meredith as the moment it all went bad, and that was a truly horrid series of episodes (Karev falling for the smashed woman was also terrible plotting), but I think it really began when they brought George and Izzie inexplicably together. That was a sign that everything that had come before did not matter and they were going to have the characters act however they wanted even if it made no sense.

-Jason "the characters are supposed to feel real, but they act totally unreal" Evans

[Exiled_Devil]

Can anyone explain why Derek gave up the chief job? Was it because he thought he could not be chief and be Meredith's boyfriend at the same time? I am correct that he made this decision the night after almost hooking up with ---some random chick in a bar--- his girlfriend's half-sister and as he and Meredith were clearly on the verge of breaking up.

-Jason "that show took a radical wrong turn about 3 months ago" Evans

I added the absurd edit to that question.

I think that the Poor-CGI ferry wreck was the undoing of the show. The whole near-death experience, sad excuse for McDreamy to doubt, Izzie being reinstated because she performed an ill-advised procedure on a black tag triage patient when she should have been helping others, Karev lifting a concrete pylon off his one faceless true love. That is when they lost my concern.

My wife still likes it, but I am indifferent. I am also skeptical about how they write in new characters next season...do we get a whole new class or is it just Lexie joining the new group?

A bit of trivia - Lexie is evidently the same actress who plaid the lead in "Not another teen movie" Here's to her progressing career!

Exiled

[Jumbo]

I'm quickly starting to loathe this show. You guys touched on a lot of it, but to sum up:
-The storylines are now completely unrealistic. Which doctors have NOT either had family members/loved ones go through major surgeries and/or die or gone through their own major surgeries? I mean, yeah, that happens all the time in one year at one hospital. Whatever.
-Everyone is sleeping with everyone. Is this just a soap opera or a somewhat intelligent show that we should take somewhat seriously?
-Almost every character is becoming fundamentally unlikeable. This is a problem, particularly when the main character is so whiney that it's unbearable.
-Meredith's half-sister hits on McDoofus in a bar the night before her internship begins (just like Meredith did), all the while without letting her half-sister know that she's joining the program? Riiiight. Gag me.

[JasonEvans]

Which doctors have NOT either had family members/loved ones go through major surgeries and/or die or gone through their own major surgeries? I mean, yeah, that happens all the time in one year at one hospital. Whatever.

Lemme see if I get all of these right. These are just events over the past few months on the show--

Meredith-
1- Had a "near death" drowning
2- Mom died
3- Step-mom died
4- Step-someone had a complicated pregnancy (am I remembering this wrong?)

George-
5- Father died
6- Contracted a VD after boinking a nurse

Izzy-
7- Husband, Denny, died

The Chief-
8- Wife has brutally bad miscarriage

Burke
9- Gets shot, nearly loses control of his hand

--Jason "there have got to be more!!" Evans

[DevilAlumna]

Not all from this season, but:

Christina - ectopic pregnancy

George - dislocated shoulder (how he met Calli)

Addison - barren

Chief - didn't he have some health issue?

Bailey - (not) giving birth while husband had surgery for traumatic brain injury (during bomb scare, IIRC)

[Raleighfan]

I'm quickly starting to loathe this show. You guys touched on a lot of it, but to sum up:
-The storylines are now completely unrealistic. Which doctors have NOT either had family members/loved ones go through major surgeries and/or die or gone through their own major surgeries? I mean, yeah, that happens all the time in one year at one hospital. Whatever.
-Everyone is sleeping with everyone. Is this just a soap opera or a somewhat intelligent show that we should take somewhat seriously?
-Almost every character is becoming fundamentally unlikeable. This is a problem, particularly when the main character is so whiney that it's unbearable.
-Meredith's half-sister hits on McDoofus in a bar the night before her internship begins (just like Meredith did), all the while without letting her half-sister know that she's joining the program? Riiiight. Gag me.

What bothers me is that Shonda has been known to write in blogs that certain plot developments happen/don't happen because she's trying to stick to the way things happen in real life. Well, seems that somewhere along the way, Shonda has lost sight of the way things are in "real life". She claims that there's a big master plan out there and encourages viewers to stick with her and see what's coming. Seems like too many things/characters are broken now and some of us don't care if they get fixed again. I'm sorry she killed off both Meredith's mother and stepmother; seems to me that good story lines could have developed around M's relationships with both those characters....and might have had some appeal for those of us who are tired of all the make-out sessions in the hospital. Although a story line in the last couple months has revolved around Alex, we've never known much about him/his background. For that matter, we don't know that much about Miranda Bailey...maybe a good thing; she's the only one right now who doesn't seem to be "broken".

[Dukerati]

The "jump the shark" moment for me was the dream-episode when Meredith was "fighting" for her life. I can not say enough bad things about that episode other than that it was shockingly bad. If it weren't for the fact that GA dominates the water cooler, I would have stopped watching the show a long time ago.

On the bright side, it has nowhere to go but up....... right?

[ajtrublu]

The "jump the shark" moment for me was the dream-episode when Meredith was "fighting" for her life. I can not say enough bad things about that episode other than that it was shockingly bad. If it weren't for the fact that GA dominates the water cooler, I would have stopped watching the show a long time ago.

I completely agree. I felt so sad when that episode was over because it was like I recognized the slow demise was about to begin. Alas, the demise hasn't been all that slow.