Welcome, fans! Looking to catch up on what happened Sunday, or relive some of the high (and low) points? Our extensive Episode Guide from February 26’s “What Have I Done to Deserve This?” is live and ready for your comments. We have also added several new Cristina Yang, George O’Malley and Meredith Grey quotes from the episode to our archive. Enjoy!
The interns and surgeons of Grey’s Anatomy have captured the imaginations of millions of viewers, many of whom perhaps never before took an interest in medicine. But how realistic is the show, from a medical perspective? A Houston television station set out to find out.
A behind-the-scenes look at the show’s filming reveals an emergency room doctor who researches real and unusual medical problems for the stories.
“That was actually very challenging,” said Dr. Karen Pike, a consultant on the show. “It was fun.”
Then, registered Nurse Linda Klein (pictured) comes on set to make sure the surgeries look accurate.
“If they’re not believable, I’ll tell them,” she said.
“We wouldn’t be able to do what we’re doing without her,” said Patrick Dempsey, who plays Dr. Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd. “We love her and respect her immensely and she makes us look good.”
“I find it very calming because she knows exactly what to do and exactly where we need to be and how much we need to see to make it look real,” added actress Kate Walsh, who plays Dr. Addison Shepherd, Derek’s wife.
But do the actors on the show look real to actual first-year surgical interns at UT-Houston medical school?
TV Guide recently conducted an interview with the star of Grey’s Anatomy, Ellen Pompeo. The actress behind Meredith Grey discussed her gypsy soul, her red-carpet style and how she really feels about Meredith and McDreamy.
TV Guide: You’ve been in movies with Jake Gyllenhaal, Leonardo DiCaprio and Luke Wilson. Why did you switch to TV?
Ellen Pompeo: When there’s a very strong female character, it’s hard to walk away. In all the great, interesting films, the parts for me were really small, and the only lead parts I could get were in big, giant bad movies — except Old School, which turned out to be really funny. This role lets me balance the art and the commerce.
TV Guide: Are there any perks to your job?
Pompeo: Several members of my family have been admitted to the hospital since the show started, and when they feel like the treatment isn’t good enough, they say, “Do you know who my niece is?” And suddenly they’re in the VIP area, having pedicures in bed.
TV Guide: How much like Meredith Grey are you?
Pompeo: She wasn’t much of a student, and that certainly was me. The fact that I’m convincing is a huge triumph for me because I’m not that [kind of] book person. I adore books but on my time and not in a classroom. I was very restless. I’m a gypsy at heart. As soon as I turned 18, I started traveling.
This week on the Round Table, Izzie and Alex get busy and someone is getting punched …
Will Izzie regret hooking up with Alex again?
McCritic: This former model appears to have a good head on her shoulders. It complements her other very good body parts quite well. For now, her and Alex have come to a mutually beneficial arrangement. Whether or not it succeeds outside the allure of the janitor’s closet is another issue, but one that Izzie seems very much in control of.
iheartizzie: Hard to say. He cheated on Izzie to get back his confidence and improve his performance in bed… with Izzie. You can never trust that guy completely, but at the same time, in Alex’s twisted world, he really meant no harm. Perhaps he has learned the error of his ways and will never allow her to feel regretful about their closet escapades again.
Married-to-McDreamy: No. Now that Alex was finally able to “perform,” he will never cheat on her with that blah-looking nurse again and they will lead a happy live of having quickies in the hospital closets.
Is there any chance this works out well for George?
T. R. Knight, who plays George O’Malley, gave an interview with the Associated Press this week, which was later picked up by CNN.com. The transcript gives fans a rare glimpse into the mind of one of the show’s unsung characters.
Curious what the 32-year-old Minnesotan and veteran stage actor has to say about sheep intestines, his character’s unrelenting love for Meredith, what it’s like to be the lovable loser, showering with female colleagues, and how to talk convincingly like a doctor, among other things? See below.
AP: Why do you think the show is so popular?
KNIGHT: You have a really — excluding myself — fascinating group of actors who are all very different from each other, exceedingly different. You’ve got really good writing and I really like the point of view of our creator, Shonda (Rhimes). I like her politics, I like what she stands for and I like what she’s trying to do with the show.
Look at it as quality over quantity. Last March, Grey’s Anatomy breathed fresh air into the sterile hospital drama format. Now it’s breaking the rules again by releasing its Season One DVD set less than a year after its premiere.
Season one technically contained 13 episodes, but four of them weren’t aired last summer and were instead added to Season Two. As a result, just the first nine episodes are included on the DVD, along with bonus versions of the pilot and a pair of commentary options:
The cast’s commentary is endearingly awkward, natural and unpretentious, which is fitting for a show of this nature. The allure of Grey’s Anatomy is its realistic and likable characters, and the fact that its cast members seem to actually like each other broadens its appeal. Perhaps the only downside of the bonus features is that embattled lovebirds Ellen Pompeo (Meredith) and Patrick Dempsey (Derek) are not prominently featured.
It’s still worth checking out, whether you are a newly-converted fan looking to catch up, or a full-blown devotee wanting to relive last Spring’s initial episodes. A behind-the-scenes glimpse at the show’s production is also interesting, with secrets such as the props used for surgery scenes revealed, as well as the trials of writing realistic medical scripts. There are also five unaired scenes from other episodes, and an alternate opening-credits scene.
It looks like Seattle Grace Hospital is becoming quite the popular Sunday night destination these days… even more so than Wisteria Lane.
Grey’s Anatomy has benefitted greatly in ratings from the over-the-top ladies of Desperate Housewives who precede it. But with 24.3 million viewers checking out Sunday night’s episode, Meredith, Derek and company trumped their lead-in for the second consecutive week. “Housewives,” which became a Sunday night staple with its breakout first season, did draw a solid 23.4 million viewers Sunday.
Through the end of January, Grey’s Anatomy averaged about 17.9 million viewers per week, but the show’s audience has jumped more than 35 percent since due to the exposure it received in the coveted post-Super Bowl slot. The two-part cliffhanger episode revolving around an unexploded bomb in the operating room — somewhat uncharacteristic of the show — may have helped the show expand its audience as well.
On the season, Grey’s Anatomy ranks ninth in ratings among all Prime Time programs. No doubt that it some “Desperate” exposure has helped it rise, but the SGH gang is starting to hold up its end of the bargain!
Both Starpulse.com and Us Weekly are reporting that actor Chris O'Donnell has agreed to appear on Grey's Anatomy for eight episodes beginning this March.
O'Donnell will reportedly play a love interest of Izzie Stevens, which will surely lead to some friction between the blonde and fellow intern Alex Karev, her on-again, off-again beau.
The 35-year old Chicagoan rose to prominence in the early 1990s with roles in Fried Green Tomatoes, The Three Musketeers, School Ties, Scent of a Woman and a pair of Batman films. He never reached superstar status, however, taking on roles in fewer big-budget pictures since getting married in 1997. He and wife Caroline have three young children.
Most recently, O'Donnell appeared alongside Ben Kingsley in 2004's Kinsey, and starred in the FOX series "Head Cases," which lasted only two episodes.
Grey’s Anatomy may be centered around the happenings at Seattle Grace Hospital, but that hasn’t stopped the show from entering the sports arena. Bill Simmons of ESPN.com - known as the “Sports Guy” - recently praised the hit. Sort of.
“Just a superb show from top to bottom. But it is what it is: A one-hour chick flick every week. There isn’t a single male character on this show that I would ever hang out with. At least ER had Clooney’s character.”
This seems both accurate and harsh. I’d have a drink with McDreamy. I’d just refer to him by a different moniker. Like Doctor Suave. Or maybe I’d be better served to hang out with Alex and ask about Izzie’s ability in the janitor’s closet.
Fri., Mar. 21, 8 p.m.
"Love/Addiction"
(repeat, episode 4.02)
In the second episode of Season Four of Grey's Anatomy, Lexie Grey persists in trying to get to know half sister Meredith, who isn't exactly warm to that concept, while Mama Burke descends upon Seattle to collect Preston's things and confront Cristina.