Ellen Pompeo
Patrick Dempsey
Sandra Oh
Katherine Heigl
Justin Chambers
T. R. Knight
Chandra Wilson
James Pickens, Jr.
Isaiah Washington
Kate Walsh
Eric Dane
Sara Ramirez
Chyler Leigh
Kevin McKidd
Jessica Capshaw
Jesse Williams
Sarah Drew

Created by:
Shonda Rhimes

2005-
Drama, Romance
ABC
TV-14

(After watching the first episode)

“Grey’s Anatomy” is the ensemble hospital drama that put Shonda Rhimes on the map. It’s expertly paced, rhythmic, well-acted, and properly written. Where was all of that for “Scandal”? No one rushes here; they move with a purpose, instead.

The first episode focuses on the first 48-hour shift for a new group of surgical interns, including Dr. Meredith Grey, played by Ellen Pompeo, who’s the central focus of the show and part of the inspiration for the title along with the book “Gray’s Anatomy.”

Her mother is a famous surgical pioneer, so she lives in her mother’s shadow. At the end of this episode, we find out that her mother now has Alzheimer’s disease. Meredith’s narration turns out to be what she tells her mother about her new surgical internship.

Some of the other new interns are played by Sandra Oh (a constant pleasure to watch), T. R. Knight, Katherine Heigel, and Justin Chambers (he’s the tough guy, know-it-all intern). Chandra Wilson (as the “Nazi”) plays the main surgical resident, and Isaiah Washington and Patrick Dempsey play attending physicians who induct the interns into the rigors of on-call surgery. (Dempsey’s Dr. Shepard has an encounter with Meredith that will certainly complicate things.)

A hospital, of course, is a great place to explore personalities, relationships, and challenges; medical dramas work because they deal with life and death – the stakes are always raised. So “Grey’s Anatomy” has that going for it. Also, it made a big splash when it debuted in 2005 for its color-blind casting and for its black female creator. Plus, it has everything that a network ensemble show needs: tight pacing, diverse personalities, young and attractive actors, talented and skilled actors, male and female characters who aren’t paper thin, romance, banter, lots of possible story lines, and many tense moments. All of this stuff made it a TV phenomenon when it first aired, because it appealed to so many different people. While there’s nothing new here, it is well-executed. It’s fun to watch. By the way, people, this is fiction, not reality.

My question is this: How long will this last? Will they eventually run out of ideas or lose their sense of rhythm and timing? Right now, “Grey’s Anatomy” would be a good companion to “House, M.D.” Both shows are set in hospitals and feature demanding doctors, but they have completely different perspectives (no one can copy Hugh Laurie). One negative is that some of the writing is a bit too mushy, but that’s a minor flaw. I’m enjoying it overall. …

After viewing the second episode, my above comments stand. Also, I have to note that the writing is structurally sound, maybe too structurally sound at times. The episodes are like neat, little puzzles. While I admit it can be a bit cheesy at times, this is a primetime hospital drama with soap opera tendencies. So cheesy isn’t a major problem. The key is that the writers know what they’re doing in this genre and that the actors are really good. The actors deliver the lines without making your eyes roll. Plus, “Grey’s Anatomy” has great guest stars (such as Anna Maria Horsford and Keith David), a hallmark of the best network TV shows. I can see why this show is so popular, as long as it remains this consistent. (I’m still in the first season.) Only time will tell. …

The first episode of the second season of “Grey’s Anatomy” encapsulates all that’s good about this show. It has great pacing, acting, blocking that reinforces the comedy, and writing, which straddles the line between soap and procedural. How can this show be exactly what it needs to be and “Scandal” be exactly what it doesn’t need to be? …

The first episode of the third season of “Grey’s Anatomy” is a bit too outlandish, even for this show. These actors can do a lot, but they aren’t miracle workers. However, the beginning of the second episode (featuring Diahann Carroll and Richard Roundtree as the parents of Isaiah Washington’s Dr. Burke) snaps right back into focus with sharp writing and even sharper acting … but it goes a bit too far as it progresses. The key to this show is that it approaches soapy elements with comedy and strong pacing. If it gets bogged-down, things will go wrong. For the first two seasons, they nailed that approach.

One important element is Dr. Miranda Bailey, who’s played expertly by Chandra Wilson. If she gives into the soapy elements, as she did in the first episode of this season, then the whole show will lose its sharpness. She is the dose of no-nonsense reality that’s needed to keep everything on track. She allows “Grey’s Anatomy” to go through its soapy plot lines without going too far; she keeps those plots in check.

I just hope that this show continues to bring its best (e.g., the first episode of season 2 and the beginning of the second episode of season 3). I can forgive a clunky episode every now and then, but not on a consistent basis. I’ll just have to wait and see. …

As I continue to watch the third season, it seems a bit silly, and it goes for too much in every possible direction. I never had those thoughts about this show during its first two seasons. In those seasons, even when they dealt with the improbable (both in regard to patient cases and personal affairs), they had a bit of restraint that made it palatable. Things have gotten a little too loose in the third season. Plus, the continuing story line involving Katherine Heigl’s Izzy and Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Denny is starting to wear out its welcome; it’s annoying.

While “Grey’s Anatomy” is still entertaining in spots (largely due to the actors), it’s not at its best; it’s not right. It’s the writers’ fault. The writing still has its moments, but it’s inconsistent overall. The opposite used to be the case. The writers have gotten too comfortable. They’ve gone rogue. I guess they think they can try whatever they want and something will stick. They seem to be experimenting. At least the pacing hasn’t suffered. If and when they recover, I’ll update this review. …

The ninth episode of the third season is a high point. It features the revelation of Burke’s tremor to the rest of the staff besides Sandra Oh’s Dr. Yang and T. R. Knight’s Dr. O’Malley. I hope that this isn’t just an exception for the rest of this season. …

After the resolution of Burke’s tremor and the story line involving George’s dad’s health, “Grey’s Anatomy” has gone back into soap opera territory – too far into that territory. Instead of walking the line between soap and drama, the third season largely lands in the soap category. It’s not bad; it’s just not as good as it was, and it’s inconsistent. …

For further clarification, “Grey’s Anatomy” really works when it’s in balance. It needs to be balanced between comedy and pathos. It can give in to pathos every now and then, when it earns it, but it shouldn’t stay there too long. When it stays there too long, it turns into just another soap opera instead of a successful drama with comedy. “The Good Wife” executes that kind of balancing act better than any other show. “Grey’s Anatomy” can’t go toe-to-toe with “The Good Wife,” but, at its best, it can match the same level of execution … just not nearly as consistently. Its fourth season seems to have come up for some air. It’s not back to the level of the first two seasons, but it feels much lighter. That’s a good thing after the heaviness of season 3.

The decision to bump Brooke Smith, as Dr. Erica Hahn, up from a recurring role to the main cast during the fourth season is a smart one. She’s so sharp, and she’s a great counterpart to Dr. Yang. You believe that she can put Yang, along with anyone else (especially Eric Dane’s Dr. Sloan), in her place. I’ll say this: Shonda Rhimes knows whom to cast (just look at Amy Madigan’s work as the staff psychologist during the fourth season). I like all of these people (except for Elizabeth Reaser’s Eva/Rebecca character, who really annoys me), and that says something. …

In the second episode of the fifth season of “Grey’s Anatomy,” Dr. Webber, while taking some of the blame himself, puts his surgical staff on notice: They’ve been lazy, and it must stop. I wonder whether this is a metaphor for Shonda Rhimes: Did she do the same thing to her staff, herself included? Most notably, the third season of this show lost its way. The fourth season tried to find its way out of that, but it didn’t succeed. Will Dr. Webber’s call-to-action spill over into the real world during this season?

This show’s saving grace has always been its actors. They know how to be these characters regardless of what the writers throw at them. It’s more than good acting; it’s great casting. Each actor has been assigned to the correct role for him or her. So, later in this season, yes, it works when you add Kevin McKidd to the main cast as a doctor suffering from PTSD. (He spends most of the season as a guest star.) And, yes, it works when you give Kimberley Elise a guest starring role as Izzy’s hard-nosed oncologist. The cast continues to be lovely to watch, especially when the writers come up with good material. …

“Grey’s Anatomy” is back! It took them two seasons after their collapse in season 3 to fully recover, but now, in season 6, everything is paced well and the writing serves the actors once again. The injection of new cast members has brought this show fully back to life. Let’s keep this up, please! …

The second episode of “Grey’s Anatomy” season 11 shows, once again, what this show can do when it’s at the top of its game. They trusted a new recurring guest actor, Kelly McCreary, to carry the episode. This is her third episode of the show; she first appeared in the season finale of season 10. McCreary plays Meredith’s half-sister, Dr. Pierce, who just took over Yang’s position as head of cardio-thoracic surgery and who found out, a year ago, that Ellis Grey was her biological mother. Or so she thinks; Meredith may have a different perspective. If Dr. Pierce is right, then Dr. Webber is her father; but she doesn’t know that much. We’ll see.

Regardless, McCreary does a lovely job of stepping up to the plate and knocking it out of the park. During this episode, the great “Grey’s Anatomy” rhythm is on full display without being forced. It’s a pleasure to watch, so kudos to McCreary and to the writers. At this point in the run of “Grey’s Anatomy,” it’s nice when the writers actually sharpen their pens and get to work. (I know this won’t last; I don’t expect this show to return to the former glory of its first two seasons. It is what it is.) So, I’ll end my sprawling review of “Grey’s Anatomy” here – on a high note.

Verdict: Good to Somewhat Good Overall

About: (Source: greysanatomy)

The doctors of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital deal with life-or-death consequences on a daily basis-it’s in one another that they find comfort, friendship and, at times, more than friendship. Together they’re discovering that neither medicine nor relationships can be defined in black and white. Real life only comes in shades of grey.