Dancing it Out with Grey's Anatomy

I haven't done a TV blog for a while. It's hard in the holiday season- mostly because shows are all in repeats and there's not much to complain about. One of these days, I'm going to do a House drinking game; I need to consult a friend on that but it's not exactly going to be hard. I watched a couple of House marathons over the break and, let me tell you, that show, back-to-back...is WAY boring and predictable.

Today though, I'm going to do a brief blog about Grey's Anatomy. When I started this blog, I didn't mean for it to turn into all Grey's, all the time. Except that's what it seems to be. That may be because despite it's flaws and terribly plot twists this season, it's still my favourite show. Grey's is my security blanket, my way to lose an hour, guilt-free, glass of wine in hand on a Thursday night. It's the perfect night for it: Close enough to the weekend that I can relax but still a workday so I'm still home.

Tonight, I have to say, I enjoyed the show. I still don't enjoy the fact that Denny's STILL around. I already posted about that though, a couple of times. I'm fed up with Jeffrey Dean Morgan now. I think the writer's might be too- he's been reduced to a wisecracking shadow- a blip on the radar of the show. I'm hoping that means he's on his way out, even if he takes Izzie with him. I liked him when he was a live character and I'm sure the writers have the best of intentions now but, honestly, I no longer care about him. I can't even go back to my DVD's and view him the same way- that's a bad thing to do to a formerly beloved character. Sorry, Shonda and co. but I now, officially, hate Denny.

I know there are people that think Denny shouldn't have died in the first place; I disagree with those people. His death was poignant. The "Chasing Cars" montage in which the interns gather around Izzie was one of the most powerful moments on the show. As a writer, I know that sometimes you have to kill a character to make their life mean something. That's what Denny used to be for me.

Moving on from Denny, I'm still bitterly disappointed that Meredith and Christina aren't speaking. I've mentioned that they were my favourite relationship on the show. I know that, in real life, friend's fight. Yet I think it's time someone gave a little. I can't stand to see them not speaking. Mostly, I can't stand to see Sadie being the voice of wisdom. Actually, I just can't stand Sadie.

Yet tonight did have some redeeming moments for the first time in a couple of weeks. I'm intrigued by Dr. Hunt's ability to summarize the world around him yet do little about it. He's astute but he's not doing much about those observations. He's proved he's a doer- our very first introduction to him had him stapling up his own injuries. So why can't he be the one to bash Meredith and Christina's heads together?

Yes...wishful thinking, I know. I will say that Derek redeemed himself tonight. I was a little confused by his coldness towards the death row inmate. Yet his explanation to Meredith was honest, short and to the point. I love the evolution of Meredith and Derek as a couple. They really have grown and it's a wonderful thing.

My favourite moment though was Derek's dancing. I'm a sucker for a bad dancing sequence. One of my favourite TV moments ever is the episode of Angel in season 1 in which Angel goes to a party, acts like a wallflower and imagines what would happen if he danced. It's pure comedy when you see how bad his dancing really is. I laugh aloud every time I see it.

Derek's dancing tonight was like that. But it was wonderful because he didn't care. He did it for Meredith because her usual 'dance it out' partner- Christina- wasn't there with her. It was the best moment on the show in months.

So I'm not giving up on Grey's. I can't. I thought that the break between the last episode in December and this new one would make me realize I didn't like the show anymore. It didn't. Instead, it made me realize that like a true friend, I have to give it a chance. I have to be willing to forgive. That's what I expect Meredith and Christina to do for one another so it's only fair I try the same outlook.

It doesn't mean I'm forgiving the Denny stuff but I'm trying. Don't let me down, Shonda and co. Please.

Knowing the Truth About Denny Helps...Just a Little

I cheated. I know why Izzie is seeing Denny on Grey's Anatomy. I'm glad I cheated. I can't say it makes it much better but it helped. A lot.

I read a lot of entertainment news. I try to avoid spoilers unless they're staring me in the face. That happened today. I went on Entertainment Weekly's website to see which movies were opening this weekend and there it was, the Michael Ausiello scoop on why Denny is back on Grey's. If you don't want to know, don't read any further because I'm going to spoil it. But I guarantee, if you do know, it will make it slightly more bearable.

That's what happened for me tonight. According to Ausiello, Izzie has some kind of brain problem that isn't a tumour but, rather, some form of aneurysm that causes her to see visions of Denny when it acts up. Knowing this made the show suddenly more bearable. It doesn't mean I like Izzie because, as I've said before, I don't. I've tried. It's not happening.

But it gives the sudden appearance of Denny a somewhat logical explanation which sometimes I don't need but when it comes to TV shows, sometimes I need those. It doesn't mean I think it was a good idea to bring Jeffrey Dean Morgan back to play Denny yet again. Surely there must be some other show he can go be killed on; he's got quite a history, what with his turns as Dead Hero on Grey's, Weeds, Supernatural and in the movie "P.S., I Love You."

But at least it means that Grey's isn't strolling into CBS's Ghost-Whispery territory. That's something, at least.

I'm not going to change my mind about the way this season is going though. Tonight's episode didn't make me happy. I don't like that there's suddenly a magical vent in Seattle Grace that brings a sudden calm and need for kissing. There's enough places that inspire the need for kissing in that hospital already, we definitely don't need another one. I don't like that Dr. Hunt has now completely gone from being Interesting New Guy Who Might Actually Do Something Other than Make Out with Another Doctor to being New Guy Who's Already Kissing Another Doctor. I don't like that Erica Hahn left Seattle Grace because Callie couldn't completely commit to being gay and yet has been replaced by the ultra-annoying, Sadie. Especially when I can't help but notice that occasionally in an effort to be sexy, Melissa George can look remarkably like a hamster.

I also don't like the new heart surgeon with Aspergers because I think the actress is overdoing the disorder. Aspergers is a very mild form of autism but it is not autism. Asperger's sufferers are usually highly functional. As far as I know, it doesn't make the afflicted person lose all humanity and blurt out inappropriate statistics related to organ donation in front of an obviously suffering family. Yes, the need to concentrate on statistics might be there and that the usual filter that prevents people from put their foot in their mouth is lacking but it doesn't make the person forget how to be human and ignore every obvious clue that the family is not ready to hear the diagnosis, especially in such a cruel and heartless manner. Also, if she was that incapable of understanding humans, how did she make it through med school? I get that she's the best of the best BECAUSE she's so focused on the science and facts of medicine but I doubt a doctor like that would be interacting with patients when it's clearly offensive and rude to the patients. Yes, understanding disabilities and treating those with disabilities no differently to non-disabled people is important but when it comes to causing borderline emotional harm or devastation to a family, I think it's time to get her off the floor. I'm proud of Meredith for kicking her out of the room. I'm actually proud of Meredith for the way she's grown this season, actually, even if she and Derek have almost no screen time anymore.

And as for Lexie and Sloan, well, I went from thinking Lexie was just a complete drip to now thinking she needs to go away. I feel like this season, the writers are not watching the same show that we are. It's painfully obvious that Callie and Sloan are good for one another. They're good at sex, they're good at being friends. That's an obvious pairing. But no, for some reason, the writers keep throwing Lexie at us, even though she's served no purpose whatsoever other than whiny annoyance. They've now forced Sloane and Lexie together. My suspicion is because they think it's a bit naughty and slightly sensational. It is not. It is contrived and forced. There is NO reason that the two would go together other than the fact that it gives yet another reason for Mark and Derek to go back to being foes rather than friends. The renewing of their friendship has been one of the best things on Grey's over the last season.

But apparently, friends are no longer the in-things on the show, anyway. After all, Meredith and Christina are bickering because of a contrived little detail. Last week, Meredith reacted to the fact that Christina knew the interns were being self-mutiliating idiots with a very human reaction: Shock. She had no time to think: "Oooh, must stick to the code. Must protect friend." She merely reacted to the news as anyone would. This has now caused friction in the friendship because Christina feels betrayed. Well, yeah, I'm sure that would happen but in the first season, Meredith stole Christina's surgery because she was sleeping with Derek and yet the two became best friends right afterwards. Christina, usually the cool-headed one, logical and sensible, is not acting like Christina. She's acting like Izzie and I don't like that.

There were moments I did like, moments that are classic Grey's: The scene in which the younger sister has to talk to her brain-dead older sister was classically heartbreaking. The awesomeness of Miranda Bailey never fails to impress. The scene in which the woman realized she could talk again. These are the good parts that make Grey's good. They may not be very realistic but they're good TV. If we could just do away with the pesky doctors and their overblown personal issues, it'd be good again.

I'm ignoring Denny's presence now. It was actually quite easy tonight. I find that if I mentally just ignore the scenes with Denny and Izzie, it makes the show much better. Even though I know why Denny's back, doesn't mean I want to watch Izzie having 'fantastic sex' with him. That's just stupid. We get that Izzie always manages to have "mind-blowing sex". Really. It's not the first time. We get it. She likes sex. Now stop showing us. Now that we know Denny isn't really there makes it even more disturbing. Surely SOMEONE has to notice she thinks she's having sex with a ghost. But, wait, this is Grey's. No one notices anything until the writers thinks it's time.

Which leads me to suggest that maybe, instead of waiting until February to explain Denny's presence, maybe they should do it now. I know I'm not alone in hating the storyline but at least, now, because I know the reason, it's more tolerable. It's already gone on too long. It's time to end it. Now.

So, apparently, I now have a weekly Grey's blog. I'm hoping the show will redeem itself next year. I have a few weeks off before it's back on the air. Maybe with the new year will come a new faith in the writers. Maybe it'll make me like seeing Denny.

But then again, probably not.