Archive for February, 2007

Kyle Chandler Leaves His Mark Again

Kyle ChandlerActor Kyle Chandler sure knows how to make an entrance.

On the riveting Febuary 15 episode of Grey’s Anatomy, “Drowing On Dry Land,” Dr. Meredith Grey woke up in what appeared to be the afterlife.

She immediately spotted two of Seattle Grace Hospital’s most famous former patients: Izzie’s dead fiancé, Denny (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Dylan (Kyle Chandler), the bomb-squad captain who a year ago exploded into “pink mist.”

An hour or two before the highly rated February 22 episode of Grey’s Anatomy (”Some Kind of Miracle“) finished off its surprising Denny-Dylan story line, a helmeted figure roared up to the set of the new NBC drama Friday Night Lights on a motorcycle.

Tucked into the biker’s black leather jacket was an adorable white-and-tan terrier. Even before the motorcycle guy took off his helmet, he had already scored major coolness points.

It was Kyle Chandler, arriving for a night shoot outside Austin, Texas, for the show, on which he stars as Coach Eric Taylor.

Taylor and Friday Night Lights may be the darling of the TV press these days - the Chicago Tribune, from which this story is taken, calls it one of the best network dramas.

But Chandler said in an interview the next day that despite his great love for Friday Night Lights (“It’s the best experience of my life by far in television,” the actor said), the handsome, brave Dylan Young is still is the character that garners him the most recognition.

“That show’s got so many viewers - it was interesting, even after the first episode [on February 15], where I just said, ‘Hey’ at the very end of it, I had more people coming up to me, going `You’re back, you’re back’” he said.

Or, according to the actor, they’d just say, as Dylan did, “Hey.”

Before that episode aired, news leaked that Denny would be back on Grey’s Anatomy in some capacity. But Kyle Chandler’s appearance on the show took viewers by surprise - you could almost hear the collective gasp when he reappeared in the closing moments of the hit medical drama.

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Tensions Rising On Grey’s Anatomy Set?

Kate WalshIs there trouble on the set of Grey’s Anatomy?

Maybe. Take this gossip with a grain of salt, since it comes through MSNBC via Star Magazine. But rumor has it that the spinoff of the series that will feature actress Dr. Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) has left other cast members feeling blindsided and short-changed.

“The rest of the cast seemed instantly resentful of [Walsh],” a source told Star. “They each thought they’d be the one chosen to get their own show, and now they’re giving Kate the cold shoulder.”

The source adds that Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo “seemed particularly peeved because she felt that, as the star, she should have been consulted.”

The spinoff news comes just as the controversy regarding fellow cast member Isaiah Washington’s inappropriate remarks began to subside.

“Things had finally settled down and now everyone’s disgruntled again,” the source says.

We don’t know how true any of this is. But what we do know, as we reported yesterday, is that a two-hour episode of Grey’s Anatomy slated for this spring is what opens the door for Addison’s departure.

Dr. Addison Montgomery

Grey Chatter: The Miracle of Friendship

The real story of “Some Kind of Miracle” was friendship.

Izzie StevensA troubled friendship between George and Izzie, a broken friendship on the mend between Derek and Mark, the end of a tangled friendship between Chief Webber and Ellis Grey, and the very real, lasting bond between Cristina and Meredith.

Early in the episode, Izzie takes out her building frustration of not being able to help Meredith on Callie. But Callie holds her ground, as she should.

A distraught Izzie feels like she’s losing George, but in her attempt to hold onto him, she might be driving him further away.

Mark Sloan shows an almost-human side as he tries to be a friend to Derek. It seems like they could both use a friend right now, and maybe enough water has finally passed under the bridge for that to happen.

Mark also accepts Addison’s challenge to prove he still cares about her, meaning no sex for 60 days. If he’s willing to go the distance, he could actually win her back. But even if Mark can do it, chances are Addison can’t. She’s very vulnerable and unstable right now.

Any advances of any kind from anyone, specifically single interns named Alex Karev, would surely be reciprocated on Addison’s part.

The Chief’s goodbye to Ellis Grey revealed just how much he did care about her throughout their affair and their subsequent friendship. He knew she would be happier in a better place, with her mind and body whole. But he’s going to miss her. They have such a history together that most of his life is built around choices he made regarding Ellis.

It took Meredith nearly dying for Cristina to understand what it means to have Meredith as her “person.” We got to understand a little bit of why Cristina does have such a hard time with intimacy. Her fear of losing the people she loves is very real, based on her experience with her father.

If Burke doesn’t know this part of her life, he needs to find out. Such issues are bound to creep up later, and if their engagement and marriage are going to last, they need to understand each other a little bit better.

Meredith’s own issues are brought to light by the insight of the people she meets in her afterlife. They know she sort of let herself drown, and eventually, Meredith admits this to Denny.

Meredith Grey

Through her conversation with Denny, she’s able to see the pointlessness of letting her issues keep her from living her life. In Denny, Meredith is able to see the full picture of what both she and Derek would experience if she didn’t recover from her accident.

Seeing the connection between Denny and Izzie is both heartbreaking and hopeful. But Meredith wants more than that.

Ellis, as she loses her own battle against her illness and meets Meredith in her afterlife, finally gives her the closure she needs to let go of her emotional baggage by telling her she’s anything but ordinary.

With these words, Meredith takes off down the hall, back toward the room of doctors that are still working on bringing her back to life.

It’s interesting that Cristina is by Meredith’s side as she wakes from her brush with death. It’s not Derek; it’s not any of the other interns. It’s Cristina.

Maybe this means their relationship will outlast all the others. Or maybe it’s just a coincidence. But either way, both doctors learned something about themselves that will change their lives, and maybe even change the lives of those around them.

The Newest Grey’s Anatomy Guest Star

Academy Award-nominated actress Shohreh Aghdashloo will guest star on Grey’s Anatomy on its next new episode, entitled “Scars and Souvenirs,” which is scheduled to air Thursday, March 15.

Shohreh AghdashlooThe beautiful, talented 54-year-old will portray patient Helen Crawford.

Aghdashloo, who recently appeared in the films The Nativity Story, X-Men: The Last Stand and The Lake House, first gained international recognition for her extraordinary work in House of Sand and Fog.

She not only garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress in that role, but won Supporting Actress honors at the Independent Spirit Awards, the New York Film Critics Association and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

Having left her native Iran during the 1978 Islamic revolution, she is believed to be the first actress from that nation to cross over into mainstream Hollywood cinema. We’re certainly looking forward to seeing what she brings to the set of Grey’s Anatomy in just over two weeks.

Katherine Heigl Suspends Contract Talks

Katherine HeiglFans adore Katherine Heigl, but the 27-year old actress isn’t feeling the love from the network that broadcasts her hit show.

A source tells People that Heigl has dropped out of contract talks with the producers of Grey’s Anatomy over salary.

“Katie is disappointed and hurt that Touchstone doesn’t value her as much as her other co-stars, especially Sandra Oh and Isaiah Washington,” the source says.

Heigl plays Dr. Isobel “Izzie” Stevens on the ABC hit medical drama.

A rep for ABC Touchstone TV declined comment. We will have more information on this situation as it develops. Presumably, Katherine has merely postponed contract negotiations until a later date, and is not necessarily planning to leave Grey’s Anatomy. Hopefully, the sides will come together and this member of the terrific ensemble cast will be retained.

Report: Two-Hour Grey’s Anatomy Event to Begin Planned Kate Walsh Spinoff

Although the plot is still shrouded in Shonda Rhimes-style secrecy, both TV Guide and Variety magazine have discovered some new dirt on the planned Grey’s Anatomy spin-off, and how it may begin.

Kate WalshVariety says that “My Favorite Mistake,” a two-hour Grey’s Anatomy episode setting up an Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) spin-off, is scheduled to air this spring.

In addition to opening the door for Addison to possibly leave the halls of Seattle Grace, “My Favorite Mistake” will also introduce guest star Taye Diggs - as well as Hector Elizondo (Chicago Hope) as Callie’s father.

The episode will be directed by Michael Grossman, who was last behind the camera for “Great Expectations” - the terrific episode in which both Burke and George popped the question to their respective ladies.

An exact air date for “My Favorite Mistake” has not been announced by ABC, but the episode will serve as the 22nd and 23rd Grey’s Anatomy episodes (out of 24) in the current Season 3.

This is all very interesting news. Is the door also open for Addison to remain at Seattle Grace if viewer response to the episode is negative? Or is it a done deal that she’s gone? Previous reports suggest the latter, but this makes it sound slightly less certain.

In any event, Grey’s Anatomy returns with new episodes in two weeks, Thursday, March 15. That episode will be titled “Scars and Souvenirs.”

Grey’s Anatomy Stars at the Oscars

Below are a few pictures we came across from Sunday’s Academy Awards. While our favorite group of actors and actresses weren’t honored - their small-screen talents were recognized at the SAG Awards and Golden Globe Awards, of course - some of them still attended the festivites.

In the first row, we have America’s favorite TV couple, the lovely Ellen Pompeo and the handsome Patrick Dempsey. Below that, Ellen and her real-life McDreamy, fiance Chris Ivery, and below that, Eric Dane and his wife, Rebecca Gayheart. We’ll post more as we come across them!

Ellen PompeoPatrick DempseyEllen Pompeo and Chris IveryEric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart

Grey’s Anatomy Caption Contest XLIV

The previous week set a record for caption submissions, something we expect the thrilling three-part storyline had a little to do with. But Caption Contest XLIV produced nearly as many replies, which we were thrilled with.

This image, taken from “Some Kind of Miracle,” garnered some truly hilarious and thought-provoking captions. It was, as always, a tough decision and there are just too many great ones to list. Ultimately, we had to choose the caption sent in by Delirium-ZerO. 

Congratulations to the winner! The winning caption appears beneath the picture. Scroll down the page to read the complete list of responses received over the past week. Good luck this week, and thank you to everyone for participating - and making us the top Grey’s Anatomy site on the Web.

This week’s Caption Contest image:

Meredith and Denny

“This… is the crappiest Seven Minutes In Heaven. Ever.”

Katherine Heigl at “GM Ten” Fashion Show

We came across some pictures of the beautiful Katherine Heigl at the General Motors “GM Ten” Celebrity Fashion Show last Tuesday. Think it’s safe to say Katherine, whose new movie, Knocked Up, is coming out soon, registers a “10″ in our book. But that’s nothing new.

Look at Me!A Perfect Ten!Back in BlackAngel in White

The event showcased celebrities wearing the latest fashions matched with GM products, including current concept cars and production vehicles, showcased with a “seasons” flare. The event took place at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles. Wish we could have been there.

Runway Rocks (As Does Kate Walsh)

No new news here, just a picture of Kate Walsh looking fabulous of Runway Rocks, a pre-Oscars fashion and music event. The talented star of Grey’s Anatomy and leading lady of its proposed spinoff (which will reportedly also star Taye Diggs) was in good spirits as always. Ellen Pompeo was also in attendance at the event.

Kate Walsh