So...I've had this theory for the past couple of weeks about Grey's Anatomy. Call it a product of WAY too much thinking time combined with a sadly accurate knowledge of TV showrunners/writer's logic but...I think I could possible be right.
Before I get to my theory, I have to ask did you notice I DIDN'T blog about Grey's last week? It's not that I didn't think about it but I'm really trying to make this TV blog a little wider in scope. Sadly, my post about Dollhouse is proving to be futile. Stupid FOX looks like they're giving in on this fantastic effort by Joss Whedon. Of course, they gave him the Friday at 9 p.m. time slot so, honestly, didn't they give up on him before they even aired the show. FOX? I hate you. Just so you know. Unless you save Dollhouse. Then I'll like you again. In the meantime, can you honestly admit that 'Til Death is a worthier show to be renewed than Dollhouse? If you answer yes, that pretty much underscores my theory that you have to be mentally deranged be in charge of the programming lineup for FOX. And, while we're on the subject, about House....it's getting stupid. I love Hugh Laurie but, seriously, House is becoming hateable. He can't even do his job anymore. That's the only reason we stuck around. His ten-minutes-til-the-end-of-the-show ephiphanies were predictable but at least he proved he was worthwhile. Now all he does is hallucinate, debate popping pills and let Foreman take control. FYI? That...is bad.
Anyway, back to Grey's. My theory is that Shonda Rhimes and co. have known Izzie was actually going to die for a while. However, they've been watching Lost and have realized that the fact that Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindloff, the brilliant writers/creators of Lost can get viewers in by simply NOT TELLING THEM ANYTHING AHEAD OF TIME...means something. Not that I'm saying Greys and Lost are anything alike except they're on ABC. However, I think Shonda and the network decided that they didn't want people to know they'd agreed to let Katherine Heigl leave the show; they wanted to bring in viewers due to the simple fact that there was some question about it. However, my theory? They decided to let her go weeks ago.
I'm not pulling this theory out of thin air. Katherine Heigl was in the news a few weeks ago suddenly talking about how much she LOVED being on Grey's and how great her role had become. This is a far cry from the blunt comments she'd made just a few months earlier about the lack of good writing for Izzie, comments that also implied that were she to be nominated for an Emmy, she'd have to decline because she didn't feel that she deserved it. Now, not so long after that, she suddenly does a 180 and changes her mind? Doubtful. My thought? ABC had decided to let her go by killing Izzie but wanted a 'shock' ala Denny's death at the end of season two. If they led everyone to think Izzie would survive her cancer and thus Katherine Heigl was willing to be back, the finale would draw more viewers who wanted to see what happened.
I've mentioned that I was afraid they'd have a miracle and Izzie would live. I've changed my mind on that. Tonight's episode only supported my new theory and, I have to say, 'well done, Grey's', you're finally making sense.
I'm ignoring Denny's presence tonight. He was a ridiculous, unnecessary waste of screen time, as he was for the earlier part of the season. Yes, he did lead Izzie to her suspicion that she had another tumour resulting in Derek's realization that he couldn't operate leading to his unselfish act of giving her his wedding because he couldn't help her otherwise. Yet...Bailey and Derek are Izzie's doctors. I can't help but think that they would have found it eventually. Did we really NEED Denny? We all hate him by now. He's appeared on our Grey's screens one too many times already. Tonight was just gratification. It was the 100th episode so...why not have Dead Denny return?
I tell you why not. BECAUSE HE FINALLY LEFT AND WE WERE GLAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He came back tonight. Fortunately, he didn't say "I'm here for you." If he did, my brain tuned it out because like the presence of the that awful horrible Pedia-egg they promote on TV that grates the skin off your feet LIKE CHEESE (and they air it on the FOOD NETWORK which is...disgusting. Don't worry...I complained.)...my brain refuses to acknowledge that which irritates it to the point of irrational remote-control-throwing.
I did like tonight's episode though. I loved that Meredith proved she was an adult by not pouting that she had to give up her wedding to Izzie but, instead, chose to do it and beamed happily through the whole thing. I love that Alex, though in pain at realizing Izzie was likely to die, overcame his commitment issues and gave himself to her fully and utterly. I love that Christina and Owen still love one another even if it's going to take time. I loved that George essentially gave Izzie away to Alex, a sign that he, too, had grown-up and moved on. I loved that Izzie finally lost her hair, not because I have a sick thrill from seeing someone beautiful have that happen but because it was realistic, because it made her cancer believable.
I was sad for the ER victims who died in the car crash, young students on the day of their college graduation. When I was in high school, a classmate accidentally shot himself and died just a few days before our ceremony. It cast a pall over the entire event and made us all grow up a little too fast when we realized that no matter how young we are, our lives are temporary. I felt for the student who watched all his friends die, who crumpled when he realized he was left alone and what was supposed to be a triumphant day had turned into the darkest day of his life.
In short, this was Grey's Anatomy at its best. It focused on the medicine as a parallel to the lives of the characters. It was easier to sympathize with Izzie for once. It was easy to ignore Dead Denny- which earned a lot of points in my book. Although NOT having Dead Denny at all would have earned more.
Next week, I'm curious to see what happens. I stand by my earlier threat that if Izzie doesn't die, I'll consider being so annoyed that I might stop watching. Yet...if my theory is true, I might not have to. If Grey's does what it does best, I'll care that Izzie dies and I'll even cry for her. Given the fact that, for the most part, I despise Izzie...that would be good TV.
Here's hoping.
Showing posts with label Meredith Grey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Meredith Grey. Show all posts
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Grey's Anatomy: Hoping for a Giant Talking Rabbit
I wasn't going to do a Grey's Anatomy post this week; I figured this was a TV blog, not a Grey's blog. However, it doesn't feel right to watch an episode without blogging these days.
Truth be told, I missed the beginning of the episode. I'm one of those strange creatures without either cable or satellite and relying on the ancient technology of a rabbit-ear antenna and a digital-TV converter box. So, last night, just as Grey's began, my formerly clear picture decided to turn into a series of strange, digital blotches that sounded like a robot was trying to take over Grey's Anatomy. I spent ten minutes fiddling with the stupid antenna only to settle for a picture that, while interrupted by digital static, was, at least viewable. Thus, I missed much of the stuff at the beginning with Callie, Arizona and Callie's father. I missed the part where Izzie decided to become a maniacal wedding planner. I finally managed to get my picture back when Callie was ranting in Spanish to Arizona. Which reads rather strangely unless you know Arizona is a person.
So, static aside, I quite liked this episode. I love that Meredith and Lexie are finally acting like sisters. I've mentioned it several times, but I adore how Meredith has grown. She allows herself to be happy now, even for short spells. I love that. I like that I saw Lexie when my static settled and I was shocked that she seemed to have gained weight and looked much heavier. I remembered that the actress who plays her, Chyler Lee, is pregnant in real life and I enjoyed the fact they covered this up by making Lexie into a stress-eater. It worked nicely.
I am sad that Bailey's marriage is likely to be over because her dedication to her job is taking her from her family. Yes, she should have been at home with her little boy instead of at the hospital on her day off but watching her cradle that little dying girl was heartbreaking and sad and it reminded me that one of the reasons I love Bailey is because she's more than just a doctor. She's a person with a heart and though it gets her in trouble, it's also one of the best things about the show. The only thing that worries me is that she's TOO close to her patients and she has the danger of becoming The New Izzie. I confess, as touching as some of her scenes are, I do miss the smart-mouthed Bailey who used to be called "The Nazi" and kept her interns in line.
I loved the scene with Alex and George in the bar. I love Alex because in spite of his cockiness, smart mouth and meanness to others, it's all a mask for the fact that he's vulnerable and scared. It's taken a few seasons but we're getting to see the real Alex and it's hard to watch. The way he treated George was wrong and...yet...the scene in the bar explained it all. Alex is terrified. He knows he might lose the one thing that is making him human, the one thing that makes him brave enough to show his vulnerability. Ironically, it's also the one thing that is going to break him because of this vulnerability. Watching him admit he wasn't sure he could handle Izzie's sickness was hard to watch because it was so believable.
Owen and Christina...well...there's not much to say about that except Hunt is broken and he needs to be fixed before he's safe for Christina. They're good together but his moments of rage and disorientation, caused by his PTSD...not good for her. I'm glad he's getting help.
I saved Izzie for last because it's Izzie and you know how I feel about Izzie. I AM sad that she's sick. I am sad that, finally, last night, she had to face the fact that she was sick and she can't be the same annoying, perky person she used to be. I'm glad for that because I wanted to smack her a couple of times. Her faking symptoms and medical crises to get what she wanted was too Typical Izzie. Typical Izzie is the one I don't like because she doesn't think about others, just herself. I know she has cancer and that it's understandable to think of herself but we all knew she was going to be the Girl Who Cried Wolf and so when she collapsed dramatically on the wedding dresses, it wasn't a shock.
I stand by my original hope: I want Izzie to die. I'm not some cruel, unfeeling human who goes around typically wanting cancer victims to die, trust me. I just don't think the show will be the same if Izzie beats the odds and somewhat miraculously recovers. It's time for her to go while we still care. Also, I'm hearing rumours that Dead Denny will be back in which case, you know I'm going to say much harsher things in the future. I get that he's a symptom of her illness but can't the writers do something a little more tolerable like...I don't know...have her hallucinate a giant talking rabbit? It worked for Donnie Darko and that was an AWESOME film.
So...I'm hoping Izzie follows through and dies. I think the show would be new and fresh again and give it room to grow. It's improved over the past few episodes but it still has a long way to go to be as exciting and interesting as Season 2. Yet...it's better. At the very least, there's no Dead Denny.
For now.
Truth be told, I missed the beginning of the episode. I'm one of those strange creatures without either cable or satellite and relying on the ancient technology of a rabbit-ear antenna and a digital-TV converter box. So, last night, just as Grey's began, my formerly clear picture decided to turn into a series of strange, digital blotches that sounded like a robot was trying to take over Grey's Anatomy. I spent ten minutes fiddling with the stupid antenna only to settle for a picture that, while interrupted by digital static, was, at least viewable. Thus, I missed much of the stuff at the beginning with Callie, Arizona and Callie's father. I missed the part where Izzie decided to become a maniacal wedding planner. I finally managed to get my picture back when Callie was ranting in Spanish to Arizona. Which reads rather strangely unless you know Arizona is a person.
So, static aside, I quite liked this episode. I love that Meredith and Lexie are finally acting like sisters. I've mentioned it several times, but I adore how Meredith has grown. She allows herself to be happy now, even for short spells. I love that. I like that I saw Lexie when my static settled and I was shocked that she seemed to have gained weight and looked much heavier. I remembered that the actress who plays her, Chyler Lee, is pregnant in real life and I enjoyed the fact they covered this up by making Lexie into a stress-eater. It worked nicely.
I am sad that Bailey's marriage is likely to be over because her dedication to her job is taking her from her family. Yes, she should have been at home with her little boy instead of at the hospital on her day off but watching her cradle that little dying girl was heartbreaking and sad and it reminded me that one of the reasons I love Bailey is because she's more than just a doctor. She's a person with a heart and though it gets her in trouble, it's also one of the best things about the show. The only thing that worries me is that she's TOO close to her patients and she has the danger of becoming The New Izzie. I confess, as touching as some of her scenes are, I do miss the smart-mouthed Bailey who used to be called "The Nazi" and kept her interns in line.
I loved the scene with Alex and George in the bar. I love Alex because in spite of his cockiness, smart mouth and meanness to others, it's all a mask for the fact that he's vulnerable and scared. It's taken a few seasons but we're getting to see the real Alex and it's hard to watch. The way he treated George was wrong and...yet...the scene in the bar explained it all. Alex is terrified. He knows he might lose the one thing that is making him human, the one thing that makes him brave enough to show his vulnerability. Ironically, it's also the one thing that is going to break him because of this vulnerability. Watching him admit he wasn't sure he could handle Izzie's sickness was hard to watch because it was so believable.
Owen and Christina...well...there's not much to say about that except Hunt is broken and he needs to be fixed before he's safe for Christina. They're good together but his moments of rage and disorientation, caused by his PTSD...not good for her. I'm glad he's getting help.
I saved Izzie for last because it's Izzie and you know how I feel about Izzie. I AM sad that she's sick. I am sad that, finally, last night, she had to face the fact that she was sick and she can't be the same annoying, perky person she used to be. I'm glad for that because I wanted to smack her a couple of times. Her faking symptoms and medical crises to get what she wanted was too Typical Izzie. Typical Izzie is the one I don't like because she doesn't think about others, just herself. I know she has cancer and that it's understandable to think of herself but we all knew she was going to be the Girl Who Cried Wolf and so when she collapsed dramatically on the wedding dresses, it wasn't a shock.
I stand by my original hope: I want Izzie to die. I'm not some cruel, unfeeling human who goes around typically wanting cancer victims to die, trust me. I just don't think the show will be the same if Izzie beats the odds and somewhat miraculously recovers. It's time for her to go while we still care. Also, I'm hearing rumours that Dead Denny will be back in which case, you know I'm going to say much harsher things in the future. I get that he's a symptom of her illness but can't the writers do something a little more tolerable like...I don't know...have her hallucinate a giant talking rabbit? It worked for Donnie Darko and that was an AWESOME film.
So...I'm hoping Izzie follows through and dies. I think the show would be new and fresh again and give it room to grow. It's improved over the past few episodes but it still has a long way to go to be as exciting and interesting as Season 2. Yet...it's better. At the very least, there's no Dead Denny.
For now.
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Thursday, March 26, 2009
Sympathy for the not-so Devil...
So...tonight, I went into Grey's Anatomy with a new attitude. I decided that I wasn't being fair on Izzie, that just because if I knew her in life, she'd drive me to the edge, it wasn't fair to be so harsh on her. She is, after all, dying.
Mostly, I went into it with the attitude that her impending health decline was going to affect her friends and I do care about them. George, for example. He and Izzie have been best friends, soul mates in compassion and caring. Yes, they had the ill fortune to have an affair but, in all honesty, in real life...that happens. Friends mistake friendship for...something more. It's a nice bond; sex is just the sealant on an already strong relationship. But it also becomes a corrosive, wearing away at the bonds of friendship; perhaps it wasn't good sex, perhaps the deep feeling of connection didn't last beyond the last passionate embrace. Whatever it was, their friendship suffered because of their attempt to take it further. He's hurting because he feels as though he's lost touch with Izzie. Only Callie, once the victim of George/Izzie's ill-fated relationship, could make George see how much Izzie really meant...to both of them.
I care about Christina's reaction to Izzie. Christina "the Robot" as Izzie dubbed her. Christina is a strong, amazing doctor but she's used to detaching from a patient so that she can be a better doctor. Try as she might, she can't do that with Izzie, for better or for worse. Izzie and Christina have always been polar opposites, one feeling too much, one feeling too little. Now, at last, they're finding a way to balance each other out which is, in my opinion, a reason to not hate Izzie. Christina is strong, so strong she's allowed Owen to hurt her, to strangle her and still she forgives him. Yet, alone in the dark with him, she realizes that even she, as strong as she is, is afraid. So she does the only thing she has the power to do, she lets go. It hurts...but she lets go.
Then there's Meredith who struggles to be a better, stronger person, a strong, smart doctor and a girlfriend who isn't imprisoned by her past mistakes. She's always tried to extend the hand of friendship to Izzie but has never understood her; Izzie found light in darkness, Meredith absorbed the darkness and let it become her. Yet tonight, Derek finally proposed the right way, the only way that he could possibly have done in order to get Meredith to say yes. I admit, I knew it was coming but...yet...I can't help but be ecstatic. The elevator non-proposal, the recap of their amazing moments together in surgery...everything about that was right and so I look to these two in the future to guide the show, to continue to make us care.
And Alex...poor Alex. He's opened himself up, fought his natural instincts to let Izzie into his heart. He fell for her, completely and utterly. He's never had anything to hold onto; his family was abusive and cruel, providing little foundation for healthy romantic relationships. Yet Izzie provided the stability he needed and, at last, Alex found sure footing on which to build hopes and dreams. I love how he struggled tonight; he wanted to run but he couldn't. He cares too much. He knows Izzie is the best woman he's ever had and so, rather than cut and run, he's there, sitting by her bedside, ensuring a future life will be made of their union. He's trying...and Izzie is the reason.
So, you see, I can't hate Izzie, no matter how irritating she can be. Her character has had an influence on everyone, good and bad. Yes, mostly, I want to make her stop talking, even before she had cancer that affected her brain, I wanted someone to take away her medical license so she couldn't hurt anyone else. I always though Izzie would make a fine social worker, her do-good nature perfectly placed to help others without the risk of killing them accidentally.
Yet that's not going to happen. I don't know what will happen to Izzie, whether Derek's skills as a brain surgeon will truly give her more time or if, as I suspect, they just postpone the inevitable. Last week, I pleaded for Izzie to die. I've had a change of heart. I do want Katherine Heigl to leave the show because I think it needs changes and I think she's bringing it down. I don't know if I want Izzie to die; it would make sense but it might not be right. The odds are against her, whether or not Derek gave her more time to live her life and, perhaps, say goodbye.
Here's what I suspect...Izzie will have a new lease on life. She will seize the day with Alex; I wouldn't be surprised if a wedding is in their future. Yet I also suspect the happiness will be brief. We may not be witness to Izzie's sad death but, then again, I don't rule anything out. I do think Alex will be crushed and have to rise out of the ashes to regain his grasp on life. I hope he does. I hope all of my troubled yet brilliant residents at Seattle Grace can deal with Izzie's illness properly...by appreciating that which she gave them but knowing that they have to carry on, no matter what the outcome.
So, you see, for once, I'm not rooting against Izzie Stevens. Instead, I'm rooting for her. I did feel sorry for her tonight, she sat alone in her hospital room, terrified but trying to be brave. Bailey was there for her, reassuring her through science, comforting her with facts. Her friends were too scared, too afraid of what Izzie's illness means to them. Yet, in the end, they were there, terrified with her, hoping that she would be ok, proving that they are truly the 'people' that Izzie needs.
It took a while but I might be finally jumping on the bandwagon. Don't get me wrong, it still doesn't excuse Dead Denny but it does, at last, make me care about Izzie. It took long enough and it's scary but...it's happening. I just hope it lasts.
Mostly, I went into it with the attitude that her impending health decline was going to affect her friends and I do care about them. George, for example. He and Izzie have been best friends, soul mates in compassion and caring. Yes, they had the ill fortune to have an affair but, in all honesty, in real life...that happens. Friends mistake friendship for...something more. It's a nice bond; sex is just the sealant on an already strong relationship. But it also becomes a corrosive, wearing away at the bonds of friendship; perhaps it wasn't good sex, perhaps the deep feeling of connection didn't last beyond the last passionate embrace. Whatever it was, their friendship suffered because of their attempt to take it further. He's hurting because he feels as though he's lost touch with Izzie. Only Callie, once the victim of George/Izzie's ill-fated relationship, could make George see how much Izzie really meant...to both of them.
I care about Christina's reaction to Izzie. Christina "the Robot" as Izzie dubbed her. Christina is a strong, amazing doctor but she's used to detaching from a patient so that she can be a better doctor. Try as she might, she can't do that with Izzie, for better or for worse. Izzie and Christina have always been polar opposites, one feeling too much, one feeling too little. Now, at last, they're finding a way to balance each other out which is, in my opinion, a reason to not hate Izzie. Christina is strong, so strong she's allowed Owen to hurt her, to strangle her and still she forgives him. Yet, alone in the dark with him, she realizes that even she, as strong as she is, is afraid. So she does the only thing she has the power to do, she lets go. It hurts...but she lets go.
Then there's Meredith who struggles to be a better, stronger person, a strong, smart doctor and a girlfriend who isn't imprisoned by her past mistakes. She's always tried to extend the hand of friendship to Izzie but has never understood her; Izzie found light in darkness, Meredith absorbed the darkness and let it become her. Yet tonight, Derek finally proposed the right way, the only way that he could possibly have done in order to get Meredith to say yes. I admit, I knew it was coming but...yet...I can't help but be ecstatic. The elevator non-proposal, the recap of their amazing moments together in surgery...everything about that was right and so I look to these two in the future to guide the show, to continue to make us care.
And Alex...poor Alex. He's opened himself up, fought his natural instincts to let Izzie into his heart. He fell for her, completely and utterly. He's never had anything to hold onto; his family was abusive and cruel, providing little foundation for healthy romantic relationships. Yet Izzie provided the stability he needed and, at last, Alex found sure footing on which to build hopes and dreams. I love how he struggled tonight; he wanted to run but he couldn't. He cares too much. He knows Izzie is the best woman he's ever had and so, rather than cut and run, he's there, sitting by her bedside, ensuring a future life will be made of their union. He's trying...and Izzie is the reason.
So, you see, I can't hate Izzie, no matter how irritating she can be. Her character has had an influence on everyone, good and bad. Yes, mostly, I want to make her stop talking, even before she had cancer that affected her brain, I wanted someone to take away her medical license so she couldn't hurt anyone else. I always though Izzie would make a fine social worker, her do-good nature perfectly placed to help others without the risk of killing them accidentally.
Yet that's not going to happen. I don't know what will happen to Izzie, whether Derek's skills as a brain surgeon will truly give her more time or if, as I suspect, they just postpone the inevitable. Last week, I pleaded for Izzie to die. I've had a change of heart. I do want Katherine Heigl to leave the show because I think it needs changes and I think she's bringing it down. I don't know if I want Izzie to die; it would make sense but it might not be right. The odds are against her, whether or not Derek gave her more time to live her life and, perhaps, say goodbye.
Here's what I suspect...Izzie will have a new lease on life. She will seize the day with Alex; I wouldn't be surprised if a wedding is in their future. Yet I also suspect the happiness will be brief. We may not be witness to Izzie's sad death but, then again, I don't rule anything out. I do think Alex will be crushed and have to rise out of the ashes to regain his grasp on life. I hope he does. I hope all of my troubled yet brilliant residents at Seattle Grace can deal with Izzie's illness properly...by appreciating that which she gave them but knowing that they have to carry on, no matter what the outcome.
So, you see, for once, I'm not rooting against Izzie Stevens. Instead, I'm rooting for her. I did feel sorry for her tonight, she sat alone in her hospital room, terrified but trying to be brave. Bailey was there for her, reassuring her through science, comforting her with facts. Her friends were too scared, too afraid of what Izzie's illness means to them. Yet, in the end, they were there, terrified with her, hoping that she would be ok, proving that they are truly the 'people' that Izzie needs.
It took a while but I might be finally jumping on the bandwagon. Don't get me wrong, it still doesn't excuse Dead Denny but it does, at last, make me care about Izzie. It took long enough and it's scary but...it's happening. I just hope it lasts.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Christina Yang...Episode Redeemer
It's another Grey's Anatomy post. I do have the intention of writing about different shows but somehow it's Grey's that inspires me to write. Or, lately, complain.
You see, I think they want me to feel sorry for Izzie. Poor Izzie Stevens, Izzie who's dying, Izzie who has some horrible form of cancer that's in her brain. I tried. It lasted about one minute.
The rest of the episode, I seriously had this feeling that if I had to work at Seattle Grace with Izzie Stevens, I would have pushed her down the infamous staircase that is the scene of so many dramas that don't happen in the elevator. No, seriously.
On the other hand, if I worked with her and if she actually liked to be hugged, I would hug Christina Yang for being herself.
Tonight's episode was...interesting. It had one of the most disgusting surgical procedures that they've ever simulated on the show. Seriously, a face transplant? I'm not that squeamish but....ugh! I think it was the peeling skin sound effects. I could have lived without that.
I did like that patient though. He had a horrific face as a result of a horrible accident and, yet, by the end of the show, I was used to it. It wasn't hideous anymore. I loved that his online friends could see past the horrific face and see the person within but I think that was the point. It worked well.
What didn't work well was Izzie seeing it as a parallel to her own condition. I know, I know, I seem heartless. I should feel bad for this beautiful woman who just found out she's potentially dying.
Yet...it's Izzie. Everything is about her. In her world, it's always been about her. This poor man, hideously deformed because of a car accident, who has been waiting 12 years to be able to look something close to normal again is suddenly in the hospital in order to teach Izzie a lesson. What he has to live with on the outside of his body, she's living with on the inside of her body. If she shares that with her friends, she's afraid they'll run away, afraid to get close.
To be honest, I was afraid that Izzie was going to drag this out, to make it such a secret that we'd spend the next couple of episodes wanting her to tell someone, just to move the plot along. Fortunately, there is Christina Yang who likes to deal with facts, figures and surgical truth and doesn't like to mess with emotion. She has emotion for Izzie because as much as she'd hate to admit it, Izzie is part of Christina's world; a flesh and blood representation of a habit. Christina doesn't like that Izzie is willing to wilt away quietly or, as Izzie would probably perceive it, nobly. Yet it's not noble, it's almost pathetic. Again, it makes me sound cruel but she's always been so self-righteous that it's hard to seperate that. Even when faced with a life-threatening disease, Izzie can't just do the right thing, she has to internalize everything, make herself a victim and wait until someone stronger comes along to push her forward, as Christina did tonight.
I'm glad everyone knows now. It's about time. No more will we have to live with Izzie being Patient X. Hopefully that means no more Dead-Denny (note to Jeffrey Dean Morgan: You were GREAT as The Comedian in "Watchmen", do NOT let the Grey's folks persuade you to come back to their show. Do NOT allow yourself to step backwards and become annoying again).
This is going to sound really cruel but I hope Izzie dies. If she doesn't, Grey's will truly be resorting to the soap-opera-y plots that it's been accused of all along. Yes, there are soap-opera tendencies of the show but because of the strong acting and writing, they're forgiveable. If Derek Shepherd manages to save Izzie and thus complete his own journey through darkness to light, I will be furious, and I mean that. I get that Derek is lost and needs something to put him back on track. I get that a successful surgery would help that. Yet Izzie has a less than 5% survival rate. If she makes it, it'll be so unrealistic that it exceeds even the ferryboat disaster that happened in Season 3.
The truth is, in my opinion, Izzie needs to die. Katherine Heigl needs to get off the show. I find myself despising Izzie more every week even though I'm supposed to feel sympathy for her. I don' t know if that's Izzie or Katherine Heigl that's doing that to me anymore. I used to know. I used to be able to seperate fact from fiction. Lately, though, I just want Grey's to get back on track and I think without that character/actress, things might settle down a little. I know George might also leave. I don't really want that because I like George but if it's his time, so be it.
All I ask is that we get some of the old tone/theme/feel of the show back. There are parts of this season I like: Meredith and Derek, for example. Meredith has grown up. She's not running scared but running towards the danger of commitment. I like Christina; she's grown up but let some humanity colour her personality a little, no longer a full robot. I like that Alex, also, has become more human; he's no longer a cocky frat-boy but a doctor who actually lets himself care. I just hate that he finally lets himself fall in love and it's with Izzie. He deserves better.
I think you've probably figured out that I don't like Izzie. I've tried, believe me, I've tried. Yet even when she's dying, I find myself having this urge to shake her, to make her wake-up and realize that not everything in the universe is about her. That she's not some wounded soul, seperated from those around her. That isolation is her own doing; she's condemned Meredith and Christina multiple times for their choice of romantic partners, for their friendship, for their choices. She's fallen in love with a patient, stolen another patient's heart (literally, not figueratively), seduced her best friend, caused him to divorce his wife, only to discover that they're not a match made in heaven, after all. She's condemned Alex, used him as a sex toy, condemned him again and then, finally, decide he's worthwhile and used his crush on her to make him her own. She's had sex with a ghost. She's lied, a lot. She's killed a couple of patients. She's betrayed her friends. I could keep going but you get the idea. When it comes down to it, Izzie doesn't do much good. She's a bad doctor, friend, lover and girlfriend.
So, now that she might be dying, I find myself watching Grey's with new hope. The hope is that they won't be wimps and let Izzie live. I know that it depends on the behind-the-scenes stuff, whether Katherine Heigl can wiggle out of her contract and, thus, leave the show. I hope she does. I think the show will be better for it. I've said that before and I'm saying it again. I just hope that if, Izzie does leave, it's a realistic leave-taking, not some Meredith-having-a-fatal-drowning-accident-in-which-she-ends-up-talking-to-Dead-Denny,-Pink-Mist-That-Girl-Who-Was-Impaled-in-the-Train-Episode-and-her-mother-and-realizing-that-life-is-worth-living-after-all episode. That was NOT good Grey's. Good Grey's are the moments like yucky-face-transplant-man getting to look at his new face and realizing that even if he hadn't have had the surgery, his friends don't care how he looks. It sounds trite but that was a good storyline because it makes me care.
It's not too late to make me care about Izzie. Trust me, I'll care if she knows she's dying. I'll root for her to keep going with that and I might even promise to be sad. As long as she doesn't come back as a ghost to have sex with Alex.
Because that would be a ridiculous storyline...right?
You see, I think they want me to feel sorry for Izzie. Poor Izzie Stevens, Izzie who's dying, Izzie who has some horrible form of cancer that's in her brain. I tried. It lasted about one minute.
The rest of the episode, I seriously had this feeling that if I had to work at Seattle Grace with Izzie Stevens, I would have pushed her down the infamous staircase that is the scene of so many dramas that don't happen in the elevator. No, seriously.
On the other hand, if I worked with her and if she actually liked to be hugged, I would hug Christina Yang for being herself.
Tonight's episode was...interesting. It had one of the most disgusting surgical procedures that they've ever simulated on the show. Seriously, a face transplant? I'm not that squeamish but....ugh! I think it was the peeling skin sound effects. I could have lived without that.
I did like that patient though. He had a horrific face as a result of a horrible accident and, yet, by the end of the show, I was used to it. It wasn't hideous anymore. I loved that his online friends could see past the horrific face and see the person within but I think that was the point. It worked well.
What didn't work well was Izzie seeing it as a parallel to her own condition. I know, I know, I seem heartless. I should feel bad for this beautiful woman who just found out she's potentially dying.
Yet...it's Izzie. Everything is about her. In her world, it's always been about her. This poor man, hideously deformed because of a car accident, who has been waiting 12 years to be able to look something close to normal again is suddenly in the hospital in order to teach Izzie a lesson. What he has to live with on the outside of his body, she's living with on the inside of her body. If she shares that with her friends, she's afraid they'll run away, afraid to get close.
To be honest, I was afraid that Izzie was going to drag this out, to make it such a secret that we'd spend the next couple of episodes wanting her to tell someone, just to move the plot along. Fortunately, there is Christina Yang who likes to deal with facts, figures and surgical truth and doesn't like to mess with emotion. She has emotion for Izzie because as much as she'd hate to admit it, Izzie is part of Christina's world; a flesh and blood representation of a habit. Christina doesn't like that Izzie is willing to wilt away quietly or, as Izzie would probably perceive it, nobly. Yet it's not noble, it's almost pathetic. Again, it makes me sound cruel but she's always been so self-righteous that it's hard to seperate that. Even when faced with a life-threatening disease, Izzie can't just do the right thing, she has to internalize everything, make herself a victim and wait until someone stronger comes along to push her forward, as Christina did tonight.
I'm glad everyone knows now. It's about time. No more will we have to live with Izzie being Patient X. Hopefully that means no more Dead-Denny (note to Jeffrey Dean Morgan: You were GREAT as The Comedian in "Watchmen", do NOT let the Grey's folks persuade you to come back to their show. Do NOT allow yourself to step backwards and become annoying again).
This is going to sound really cruel but I hope Izzie dies. If she doesn't, Grey's will truly be resorting to the soap-opera-y plots that it's been accused of all along. Yes, there are soap-opera tendencies of the show but because of the strong acting and writing, they're forgiveable. If Derek Shepherd manages to save Izzie and thus complete his own journey through darkness to light, I will be furious, and I mean that. I get that Derek is lost and needs something to put him back on track. I get that a successful surgery would help that. Yet Izzie has a less than 5% survival rate. If she makes it, it'll be so unrealistic that it exceeds even the ferryboat disaster that happened in Season 3.
The truth is, in my opinion, Izzie needs to die. Katherine Heigl needs to get off the show. I find myself despising Izzie more every week even though I'm supposed to feel sympathy for her. I don' t know if that's Izzie or Katherine Heigl that's doing that to me anymore. I used to know. I used to be able to seperate fact from fiction. Lately, though, I just want Grey's to get back on track and I think without that character/actress, things might settle down a little. I know George might also leave. I don't really want that because I like George but if it's his time, so be it.
All I ask is that we get some of the old tone/theme/feel of the show back. There are parts of this season I like: Meredith and Derek, for example. Meredith has grown up. She's not running scared but running towards the danger of commitment. I like Christina; she's grown up but let some humanity colour her personality a little, no longer a full robot. I like that Alex, also, has become more human; he's no longer a cocky frat-boy but a doctor who actually lets himself care. I just hate that he finally lets himself fall in love and it's with Izzie. He deserves better.
I think you've probably figured out that I don't like Izzie. I've tried, believe me, I've tried. Yet even when she's dying, I find myself having this urge to shake her, to make her wake-up and realize that not everything in the universe is about her. That she's not some wounded soul, seperated from those around her. That isolation is her own doing; she's condemned Meredith and Christina multiple times for their choice of romantic partners, for their friendship, for their choices. She's fallen in love with a patient, stolen another patient's heart (literally, not figueratively), seduced her best friend, caused him to divorce his wife, only to discover that they're not a match made in heaven, after all. She's condemned Alex, used him as a sex toy, condemned him again and then, finally, decide he's worthwhile and used his crush on her to make him her own. She's had sex with a ghost. She's lied, a lot. She's killed a couple of patients. She's betrayed her friends. I could keep going but you get the idea. When it comes down to it, Izzie doesn't do much good. She's a bad doctor, friend, lover and girlfriend.
So, now that she might be dying, I find myself watching Grey's with new hope. The hope is that they won't be wimps and let Izzie live. I know that it depends on the behind-the-scenes stuff, whether Katherine Heigl can wiggle out of her contract and, thus, leave the show. I hope she does. I think the show will be better for it. I've said that before and I'm saying it again. I just hope that if, Izzie does leave, it's a realistic leave-taking, not some Meredith-having-a-fatal-drowning-accident-in-which-she-ends-up-talking-to-Dead-Denny,-Pink-Mist-That-Girl-Who-Was-Impaled-in-the-Train-Episode-and-her-mother-and-realizing-that-life-is-worth-living-after-all episode. That was NOT good Grey's. Good Grey's are the moments like yucky-face-transplant-man getting to look at his new face and realizing that even if he hadn't have had the surgery, his friends don't care how he looks. It sounds trite but that was a good storyline because it makes me care.
It's not too late to make me care about Izzie. Trust me, I'll care if she knows she's dying. I'll root for her to keep going with that and I might even promise to be sad. As long as she doesn't come back as a ghost to have sex with Alex.
Because that would be a ridiculous storyline...right?
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Izzie Stevens, it Really is Time to Go....
I have a confession to make. I'm starting to like Lexie Grey and Mark Sloane as a couple. I admit, in the beginning, I thought it was a gimmick, just another inappropriate pairing to try to bring ratings.
For weeks, I thought it was contrived and now, a few weeks later, I'm starting to think it could work. I'm starting to think that Lexie in all her sweet neurosis is the calmness that Mark Sloane, Dr. McSteamy himself, needs in order to stop being a cliche and start being a real man.
I'm not sure I like my change of heart. It could mean that I might have to doubt some of my earlier opinions on Grey's Anatomy. For example, I might rethink that Denny coming back from the dead and being the Most Smugly Annoying Ghost Ever was a good idea after all. I might think that maybe, just maybe, I misunderstood Izzie Stevens, that her do-good but act-stupid nature was actually compelling rather than groan-worthy annoyance. I might start thinking that it's ok that George O'Malley doesn't do much at Seattle Grace anymore.
However, I think I'm safe for now. I know it sounds mean but I'm actually hoping beyond hope that the rumours behind the scenes are true, that Katherine Heigl is going to be let out of her contract as she's been wanting for a while now. I think Grey's would be the better for it. It's obvious that Katherine thinks she's better than TV, that she believes her Oscar is waiting. Unfortunately, what she doesn't seem to realize is that any young female actress in Hollywood could play the roles she's choosing. Seriously, think about "27 Dresses". Now, replace Katherine Heigl with, say, Anne Hathaway, Reese Witherspoon, Isla Fisher....not much different, huh?
Seriously, I think Grey's needs to lose Izzie. It's time. She's a whiny pain who does nothing but complain and try to get other people to solve her problems. She judges others for the same things she, herself, does on a regular basis. She's been relagated to the clinic, rarely does she interact with Alex, Meredith, Christina or even George anymore. She somehow ended up with ALL of the interns (who knows how and why that happened) and she's now realizing she's dying of some as-of-yet undiagnosed condition.
I should feel sorry for her but I don't. I feel sorry for Alex who might have be losing the first women he's really let himself love. I feel sorry for George who could be losing his best friend, the inevitable confused relationship that male/female friends inevitably explore. I feel sorry for Meredith who has tried to stop and be friends with Izzie even though Dr. Stevens has ignored her, embarrassed her, exploited her and used her.
Yet there's little sorrow for Izzie herself.
Aside from Izzie, tonight's episode was better. I think it was better because I realized that I didn't have to watch Private Practice too. The storyline was resolved on Grey's and Addison Montgomery got to go back to Los Angeles to the stereotypical new-agey lifestyle that Southern Californian's exude and escape the misery of Derek Shepherd.
And he has misery. Poor Derek. He lost a lot of patients on his clinical trial and, even though, in the end, he succeeded, he can't forget those deaths he caused in trying to be the best, to be better than a man, to be a god. He tried so hard to save his patient tonight, even trying to save her life though she'd live as a vegetable, a near-monster, unrecognizable to anyone who'd ever known her. In the end, he lost his fight. He's not used to that. He's a broken man, now a mere mortal when before, he'd been a god, the best of the best.
I'm just glad he has Meredith. She's come so far over the past couple of years. Though she's still neurotic enough to be bothered by Derek working with his ex-wife, she's now mature enough to be there for him, to recognize that now, she's the one he listens to, the one who can pull him out of his own mind and bring him back to earth.
And, when he crashes, she's there to catch him, to bandage his wounds and give him a drink and just hold him, to let him know it's ok to just be a man. Meredith has matured over the past seasons and Grey's is the better for it.
I can't say there aren't flaws in the show. I mean, Izzie IS still on the show. I wasn't sure about Dr. Hunt and Christina but these last episodes have shown that they need each other. His hardness brings out her softness and, for Christina Yang, that's definitely an admirable feat.
I'm still not sure about Bailey going to Pediatrics. I like the idea of her becoming Chief some day. Yet she wants it and, maybe, it'll work. I'm also still not sure about Callie; one minutes she's experimenting with being bi-sexual and the next, she's fully gay. I think Callie needs to focus on medicine for a while, to let herself figure out who she is instead of jumping from relationship to relationship.
And Sloane and Lexie....they're swaying me. Ever since she broke his penis, she's been good for him, slowing him down and making him realize that there's more to life than sex. She's a good fit for him as long as she doesn't tame him completely. Grey's wouldn't be Grey's without a little McSteamy. Just because he's experimenting with being tamed doesn't mean he's completely ready.
And while the show continues to lose me one minute and hook me the next, I still live in hope that'll it'll find its footing again. I just hope it doesn't mean I have to keep watching Private Practice because, seriously, I can't...I've tried, oh, I've tried. And I can't. Not for Piz, not for Taye Diggs and not even for Addison Montgomery. No more crossover 'events'. Please.
For weeks, I thought it was contrived and now, a few weeks later, I'm starting to think it could work. I'm starting to think that Lexie in all her sweet neurosis is the calmness that Mark Sloane, Dr. McSteamy himself, needs in order to stop being a cliche and start being a real man.
I'm not sure I like my change of heart. It could mean that I might have to doubt some of my earlier opinions on Grey's Anatomy. For example, I might rethink that Denny coming back from the dead and being the Most Smugly Annoying Ghost Ever was a good idea after all. I might think that maybe, just maybe, I misunderstood Izzie Stevens, that her do-good but act-stupid nature was actually compelling rather than groan-worthy annoyance. I might start thinking that it's ok that George O'Malley doesn't do much at Seattle Grace anymore.
However, I think I'm safe for now. I know it sounds mean but I'm actually hoping beyond hope that the rumours behind the scenes are true, that Katherine Heigl is going to be let out of her contract as she's been wanting for a while now. I think Grey's would be the better for it. It's obvious that Katherine thinks she's better than TV, that she believes her Oscar is waiting. Unfortunately, what she doesn't seem to realize is that any young female actress in Hollywood could play the roles she's choosing. Seriously, think about "27 Dresses". Now, replace Katherine Heigl with, say, Anne Hathaway, Reese Witherspoon, Isla Fisher....not much different, huh?
Seriously, I think Grey's needs to lose Izzie. It's time. She's a whiny pain who does nothing but complain and try to get other people to solve her problems. She judges others for the same things she, herself, does on a regular basis. She's been relagated to the clinic, rarely does she interact with Alex, Meredith, Christina or even George anymore. She somehow ended up with ALL of the interns (who knows how and why that happened) and she's now realizing she's dying of some as-of-yet undiagnosed condition.
I should feel sorry for her but I don't. I feel sorry for Alex who might have be losing the first women he's really let himself love. I feel sorry for George who could be losing his best friend, the inevitable confused relationship that male/female friends inevitably explore. I feel sorry for Meredith who has tried to stop and be friends with Izzie even though Dr. Stevens has ignored her, embarrassed her, exploited her and used her.
Yet there's little sorrow for Izzie herself.
Aside from Izzie, tonight's episode was better. I think it was better because I realized that I didn't have to watch Private Practice too. The storyline was resolved on Grey's and Addison Montgomery got to go back to Los Angeles to the stereotypical new-agey lifestyle that Southern Californian's exude and escape the misery of Derek Shepherd.
And he has misery. Poor Derek. He lost a lot of patients on his clinical trial and, even though, in the end, he succeeded, he can't forget those deaths he caused in trying to be the best, to be better than a man, to be a god. He tried so hard to save his patient tonight, even trying to save her life though she'd live as a vegetable, a near-monster, unrecognizable to anyone who'd ever known her. In the end, he lost his fight. He's not used to that. He's a broken man, now a mere mortal when before, he'd been a god, the best of the best.
I'm just glad he has Meredith. She's come so far over the past couple of years. Though she's still neurotic enough to be bothered by Derek working with his ex-wife, she's now mature enough to be there for him, to recognize that now, she's the one he listens to, the one who can pull him out of his own mind and bring him back to earth.
And, when he crashes, she's there to catch him, to bandage his wounds and give him a drink and just hold him, to let him know it's ok to just be a man. Meredith has matured over the past seasons and Grey's is the better for it.
I can't say there aren't flaws in the show. I mean, Izzie IS still on the show. I wasn't sure about Dr. Hunt and Christina but these last episodes have shown that they need each other. His hardness brings out her softness and, for Christina Yang, that's definitely an admirable feat.
I'm still not sure about Bailey going to Pediatrics. I like the idea of her becoming Chief some day. Yet she wants it and, maybe, it'll work. I'm also still not sure about Callie; one minutes she's experimenting with being bi-sexual and the next, she's fully gay. I think Callie needs to focus on medicine for a while, to let herself figure out who she is instead of jumping from relationship to relationship.
And Sloane and Lexie....they're swaying me. Ever since she broke his penis, she's been good for him, slowing him down and making him realize that there's more to life than sex. She's a good fit for him as long as she doesn't tame him completely. Grey's wouldn't be Grey's without a little McSteamy. Just because he's experimenting with being tamed doesn't mean he's completely ready.
And while the show continues to lose me one minute and hook me the next, I still live in hope that'll it'll find its footing again. I just hope it doesn't mean I have to keep watching Private Practice because, seriously, I can't...I've tried, oh, I've tried. And I can't. Not for Piz, not for Taye Diggs and not even for Addison Montgomery. No more crossover 'events'. Please.
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