Private Practice News

Private Practice was in vintage form last night after the car-trapping drama of last week. Family drama, deep-rooted issues, old characters and tear-jerking moments abound.

Addison's dad, "The Captain," made an appearance, and let's just say the two aren't on the best of terms. Cooper and Charlotte are also going at it about their non-wedding.

Things get worse for Coop when he's arrested after refusing to cooperate in a case involving Evan, the abused child from last season. Once again, he carried the episode.

Pete was right behind him, battling to keep a terminally ill patient alive long enough for him to meet his new daughter. These two guys are becoming the reason for the show.

Follow the link for our parent site's review of last night's episode, "Sins of the Father."

Addison and her father aren't exactly close. That's putting it nicely.

Below are some notes on Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice from TV Guide's spoiler Q&A today. Nothing really new or ground-breaking, but still interesting developments ...

Q: How long before Teddy destroys Cristina and Owen's relationship on Grey's Anatomy?

A: Kevin McKidd says that Thursday's episode will have a major development in that love triangle: "Something happens between the three of them that's pretty explosive," he says.

"Up until now you've not really seen anyone draw lines in the sand, but you start to see that this week." Translation: "Desert Storm Barbie" is not welcome in Yang's Dream House.

Q: Any scoop on Private Practice?

A: Addison's mom and dad (JoBeth Williams and Stephen Collins) are coming to visit Private Practice on December 3, and they're bringing a third ... the other woman!

Last night's episode of Private Practice, while it certainly had its moments, felt a bit uneven and forced at times to us. Both plots felt a little far-fetched. Do you agree?

Even if you like Addison and Sam together, which we admit we do, it seemed like the way they got closer was both obvious and hard to believe, given what happened.

Also, what is a woman whose due date is that day doing driving in the middle of nowhere? No one has any cell service? What are the odds of them all being trapped?

Meanwhile, at the practice, the erection situation mirrored an episode of Season 2 of Grey's. Only this was much more dubious. The girl really got pregnant by someone else?

Not to mention the fact that Charlotte's admission of her past marriage, while well done, didn't really make sense to us as far as how it would convince the kid to stay.

Still, it'll be interesting to see where Sam and Addison are headed, we love Charlotte and Coop, and the subplot with Pete and Sheldon last night as a real crowd-pleaser.

Follow the link for a full recap of last night's "The Hard Part."

Get ready for Addison's return ... again!

Private Practice star Kate Walsh is heading back to Grey’s Anatomy in early January to play a key role in a top-secret crossover involving Addison, Mark, and guest star Leven Rambin.

The situation as we know it is as follows:

In the Grey’s Anatomy half of the crossover, Mark Sloan (Eric Dane) summons Addison to Seattle Grace to perform surgery on Rambin's character, who was announced last week.

The storyline spills into Private Practice when, according to creator Shonda Rhimes, “complications arise and Mark ends up taking [her] back down to L.A. for more surgery.”

As for Mark’s connection to this new crossover character?

That remains to be seen. As does whether sparks fly between lovers-turned-friends Addison and Mark, and what impact this new crisis has, if any, on the future of Mark and Lexie.

Answers to all those questions will likely be revealed, or at least hinted at, in future spoilers.

For now, it's up to us to debate them right here. What do you think happens, and are you excited for the crossover? Sound off on this Grey's Anatomy-Private Practice news below!

Last night's episode of Private Practice featured four different story lines:

Charlotte is upset because she has no patients. Cooper tries to help in his awkward Cooper way. She rebuffs him. They make up and are generally a very cute couple.

Pete and Violet treat Barbara, a depressed woman, with electroshock therapy. She responds in a way they never saw coming - and tells them a lot about themselves.

Addison is treating a woman who suffers from stage four ovarian cancer, meets a cute oncologist who asks her out, and ultimately morphs into a crazy cat lady. Sort of.

Naomi meets a wheelchair-bound specialist who she clashes with, despite his being in a wheelchair making her uncomfortable. But she earns his respect - and vice versa.

For more, follow the link for our sister site's review of "Slip Slidin' Away" ...

Addison and her new boyfriend ... Milo the kitty.

Last night on Private Practice, Violet's attacker, Katie Kent was on trial.

Violet couldn't bring herself to testify at first. Then when she was ready to, a plea from Katie herself made her second-guess her intentions regarding the crazy woman.

After tearing her a new one in private, a composed Violet tells the court that, in her expert opinion, Katie was temporarily insane. As a result, she'll likely avoid prison.

Pete was not pleased, and Violet realized only then that he is a victim in all this too. He begs her to come back to him and Lucas. We really hope that she agrees to!

Elsewhere, Charlotte joins the practice with a specialty that Cooper has a real issue with. Also in a flashback from last season, the swapped unborn babies return.

Addison has to operate on one of them, and the consequences are tragic.

Follow the link for a full recap of last night's "Strange Bedfellows."

Who will testify, Violet the victim or Dr. Turner the medical expert?

Former All My Children star Leven Rambin has landed a recurring role on both Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice, according to Soap Opera Digest. She'll appear later this year.

No word on who the 19-year-old will be playing, but presumably it will be the same character on both series. Another crossover in the works, perhaps? Theories and thoughts?

Leven Rambin played Ava Benton on All My Children from 2004-2008.

While last night's episode of Grey's Anatomy provided an entirely different tone, feel and narrative structure than we're used to, Private Practice was true to form.

The doctors of Oceanside Wellness (and Pacific Wellcare) struggled with patients who tugged at their heartstrings - and in some cases, hit a little close to home.

This was especially true in the case of Violet, who had to counsel a couple struggling with the rape of a woman - and an unplanned pregnancy that resulted from it.

Meanwhile, Addison treated a homeless teen and her two-year-old son, and she and Sam helped her reunite with her own mother, with whom she was estranged.

Elsewhere, Sheldon tried to lay down rules, Charlotte threw herself into home renovations and ended up with a new position, and Dell even made an appearance!

For a full rundown, follow the link for a recap of "Pushing the Limits."

Grey’s Anatomy will bid farewell to 2009 later this season when the Seattle Grace staff celebrates Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s - all in one very special installment.

“We’re pretty excited,” show creator Shonda Rhimes tells TV Guide of the big Grey's Anatomy event. “We’ll be watching time pass as we take the audience into the new year.”

Sadly, this isn't to say all the news is warm, fuzzy and joyous.

From the sound of it, the Season Six drama shifts away from medical and professional drama and focuses instead on characters’ personal hopes, dreams and disappointments.

Over the holidays, “people feel like something magical or momentous should happen,” Rhimes explains, but certainly speaks the truth when she says “But often nothing does.”

Among other story lines, we'll be seeing how Bailey became Bailey.

In the episode, we will meet Miranda Bailey’s (Chandra Wilson) mother, whom Rhimes describes as “more Bailey than Bailey. You’ll finally see where Bailey gets her stuff.”

In between unwrapping gifts, Mark and Lexie’s happiness will be rocked by the arrival of a character from his past who Rhimes says will cause them “to fall on hard times.”

Meanwhile, over on Grey’s Anatomy's sister show, Private Practice, Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) will be getting a surprise visit from her dad, whom she calls “The Captain.”

He's played by Stephen Collins, while her mom, Bizzy, will be played by JoBeth Williams.

Over a three-episode arc, kicking off in mid-November, Rhimes says Addison will finally get to the bottom of some more of the redhead's “shocking family secrets.”

Well, it is the holidays, right?

Was Chandra Wilson's awesome stint on Private Practice just the first of several such crossovers to come this season on Shonda Rhimes' sister shows? Here's E!'s latest ...

Q: I loved last week's Grey's Anatomy-Private Practice crossover with Bailey! She killed it. Is there anything good you can share on Grey's Anatomy or Private Practice?

A: I'm told by insiders that there should be at least two more crossovers before the season is through, though they have yet to hammer out specific details.

Who do you think should do the crossing honors?

As for one particular rumor going around - that there will be an upcoming plot involving for Justin Walker (Dave Annable) of Brothers & Sisters to cross over to Private Practice (Justin is now in medical school), a rep at ABC says that's actually not happening.

Aww. Too bad. But there are other good options.