While fans gather in our forum to discuss each character and story line, the Grey's Anatomy Insider staff members come together each Friday to talk about the key moments and developments and share random thoughts from each episode.
Our Round Table discussion topics for "Love/Addiction" range from Callie's job security to the return of Mama Burke, to the new and improved Mark Sloan ...
1. Should Bailey take over for Callie as Chief Resident?
McCritic: No. It's far more entertaining to watch the wanna-be boss squirm for power. Someone needed to hit Alex last night, if only for that goatee.
iheartizzie: Richard may have been serious when he said Bailey's skills are better utilized in the OR, but he didn't figure Calliope would be incompetent. Balancing personal problems with work is part of the game, baby. Time to step aside and let Miranda run the show with the drive she's always exemplified.
AndYouveGotTheHair: No disrespect to Bailey, but I think Callie has gotten a raw deal so far this year. I mean, Alex gets assaulted and she takes the blame? Sure, she's accountable, but so is he, and the drug dealer was the one that threw the punch! Give Dr. Torres some time to adjust to this new role.
2. Sex and mockery: recipe for disaster?
iheartizzie: It works well for me. I've found some good-natured ridicule after doing the deed can break the ice and take the focus off my poor performance.
AndYouveGotTheHair: Ah, the friends with benefits scenario. It's so great for like two weeks, until one of the people involved wants more out of it than the other. Which you know will happen and choose to ignore. Never ends well.
McCritic: Only if the mockery is in regard to the sex.
3. So Mark Sloan is apparently the Seattle Grace voice of reason now. What miraculous character transformation would you like to see next?
AndYouveGotTheHair: Lexie Grey getting transferred to Mercy West. I know that doesn't count as a character transformation but I don't care!
McCritic: Meredith asking for cheese with her beer. Not her whine.
iheartizzie: Cristina Yang becoming a grief counselor. Or Richard becoming a marriage counselor. Or Derek becoming a Just For Men spokesperson.
4. Should Mama Burke become a series regular?
McCritic: No. There's no place for a mature, honest woman on this show.
iheartizzie: Yes. Mama's appearance last night showed just how badly some of these whippersnappers need a good tongue-lashing. Bailey can't possibly keep a band of self-absorbed, incompetent interns and residents in line all by herself (although her rant against Alex was pretty stellar). Help her out, Mama.
AndYouveGotTheHair: Diahann Carroll is fabulous as Mama Burke, but what would keep her in Seattle? What would tie her to these characters with Preston gone? The cast is already so big anyway. It wouldn't work. Now, something tells me she'd be great as a recurring character on, say, Bionic Woman ...
5. More futile: Richard's attempt to delegate, or George's attempt to grow a spine?
AndYouveGotTheHair: Chief. After that passionate speech to Adele at the end of last season, he's still back at work? Man is a workaholic.
McCritic: Richard. George's problem hasn't been growing a spine. It's been the growing of a different body part, if you know what I mean.
iheartizzie: At least Richard is aware of his own futility, which is caused in large part by his enormous level of responsibility. George has bungled his way into an unhappy marriage, a scandalous affair and repeating his intern year. No spinal column.
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28 Comments
October 5th, 2007 3:49 PM
No offence, but those round tables are a bit silly. My thoughts on the show: Gizzie is adorable, Callie is a a total *itch lately and living in lala land if she thinks her marriage is working, Alex looked awful, yuck at the goatee, but am excited about the look at his past. MerDer has lost me officially.
October 5th, 2007 3:53 PM
THANK YOU guys, boy did I need a laugh after last night's episode. Cheers.
October 5th, 2007 5:07 PM
Mama Burke as a series regular? AHAH NO THANK YOU. Please don't do it. Really lame.
October 5th, 2007 5:47 PM
we have seen only two episodes of the new grey's but to tell u the truth i am getting really worried. There are so many negative comments, and it kind of feels like critics are waiting for the show to go down.
I am not sure what shonda thinks she is doing but i dont like it. Where the hell did she come with an idea such as *sex and mockery* seriously? if one thing it potrays mer as cheap, what now she is only interested in sex?
Its either Shonda is out to annoy and further test people's patience (which by the way is testing mine) or cant be bothered anymore.
I am also getting seriously worried about the ratings thus far. Last week it was 20 million viewers and this week it turned out to be 18 mil, which is not good at all.
October 5th, 2007 7:22 PM
I've been saying this for quite some time, and will say it again; the loss of Isaiah Washington as Dr. Burke is proving to be absolutely ruinous to the show. Never have I seen a programme where an actor is made so very present by his absence!!
Many viewers could have told ABC, etc. that removing Isaiah from the show would result in the draining away of much the viewership. Removing Dr. Burke has altered Grey's beyond repair; he was such an integral part of what made it so peerless. I was once held by quality acting, gripping yet believable plotlines, the bright and witty humour and brilliant ensemble work. The show is now plain old fashioned unwatchable.....
I've no doubt that many would like to say that the steady haemorrhaging away of the audience has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that we are now Dr. Burke-less, but, go on to any number of Grey's fans' fora and just take a look at the majority of the comments and opinions around this.
This English viewer is saddened at the collapse of the show, but, I saw this coming months back; no crystal ball was required at all....
October 5th, 2007 9:08 PM
this episode was pretty lackluster, it lacked that thing about grey's that i can't quite describe. and when is lexie going to get her own storyline? she's been pretty useless thus far, besides the occasional tell off she gets from meredith. and i was expecting cristina to have a nice monologue ready for mama's explanation for burke but she didn't even say anything, she just listened to mama keep saying that she's a "strong woman". the very best part was bailey yelling at alex, it gave us a taste of the old grey's sort of feel.
callie's storyline is getting better though. and speaking of developing storylines, or lack thereof what's going on with sloan?
come on shondra give us something more.
October 6th, 2007 2:50 AM
Oh gosh i have been totally let down by Season 4, i do miss Burke his charcter was great and Christina is not the same without him!
Im lost over Derek & Meridith 's&m' seriously just let them be together or not!
I hate George and Izzie being together and i don't like he is calling Callie a mistake.
OK so the marriage kinda was but they had a relationship before and he was the one who proposed!!
I just hope they can revive the old buzz, im not sure how though
get rid of the new interns for a start?
p.s Sloan was way better as a horny no friended guy, and Alex shave your face and get a ahiarcut!!! bring sexy back
October 6th, 2007 7:52 AM
I think Bailey shud take over cheif resident instead of callie but i dont think they are going to kick callie off the position of cheif resident, so i think she will kind of get it together but she will struggle. Plus the cheif can't demote callie after a couple of days of her being cheif resident to resident, he will probally give her chance since he's all i want to delegate...
sex and mockery.... well.... i think it will work out for a while but then i think derek will want meredith to commit to a relationship and i think its already starting but for now derek will go with the flow but later he won't and he will want something serious with her... that's how derek functions, and after he talked to momma burke she got to him with all the gentlemen talk, so he really wants a serious relationship with meredith...
the next miraculous transformation i want to see is meredith!! i want to see her become serious about her and derek, and again i think it will happen, they are foreshadowing a lot about what's about to come along with meredith and derek and i think they will finally become something great!! i just hope meredith will get it together and realize that derek is the love of her life... ::thoughts on mark becoming the voice of reason:: well since bailey isnt in charge of everyone she doesnt want anything to do with her ex-interns or anyone else... mark is the only one who isnt all busy with a relationship or trying to get over an almost wedding or trying to work up some courge to break-up with his vegas wife, so i think that his judgment is the only that isn't clouded with all this love crap... so he is the only one who can actually HEAR his voice of reason..
i don't think momma burke should become a series regular... i mean what is she going to do on the show??? she doesn't work at the hospital ...plus burke is gone so what is she going to do explain some more why burke left or how he is doing?? it just won't work out... she already came to check on burke when he got shot, planned the wedding, cleaned the house, and had her disclosure with cristina what else will she do if she becomes a regular? not unless burke come back she has no reason to stay, and become a series regular....
More futile?? hmm... i think the fact that george is trying to grow a back bone to break-up with callie he wont do it... he's just gonna get stuck in a bad marriage with callie, because callie will keep reminding him that she is his wife and he doesnt have the heart to do it, he's to nice... and sensitive... he's Bambi for a reason!!
October 6th, 2007 9:46 AM
Lexie Grey getting transferred to Mercy West.
just made my day.
October 6th, 2007 10:48 AM
MerDer: This storyline totally sucks at the moment. What is this? the writers trying how often they can sell the viewers a break-up and get together again? This only works for a few time, but not constantly, it gets boring and unbelievable. Especially when there is no chemistry at all between the two of them at the moment. And Dereks behavier makes Addison affair with Mark more and more understandable.
Callie: I don't like what the writer are doing with her. She turns into the one the viewers hate most and that's not how it should be. She was strong fun and had such a great chemistry with Addison last season. But now she is all alone at SGH, down, destroyed, betrade and all, she has not a single friend since Addison is gone. Last season Callie hasn't been such a week, whiny person. Somehow it feels like the writers want to get rid of her. Fine by me as long as they move her to Private Practice.
Izzie/George: Feels like Bambi and Barbie getting together. I don't see this working. IMO Izzie needs someone with a backbone, a fighter (like Danny) and not sweet Bambi
Alex: Just two words: shave, hair cut .... okay that three words. His looks sucks big time and his interest in Lexie. Jesus, that's not his typ of woman. She seems like the female version of George, like the She-Bambi. Alex needs someone who like Addison (still can't believe that the writers didn't go for that, they were hot together)
Lexie: Totally agree with the transfer to Mercy West.
I think it's pretty obvious that Grey's Anatomy is missing Addison and Burke. You can't easily replace two great, strong characters and that's what's missing here, the balance between week and strong characters. At the moment there a millions of interns, too many residents and just two attendings. I think the staff and the characters are not balanced.