The Doctor is In/Out

Over the years on FH I have written about my love for Grey's Anatomy. It was a strong character driven drama that I looked forward to watching each Thursday night. I am still watching, but usually my DVR recording days or weeks after it aired. In the past few seasons, the writers of Grey's have gotten incredibly lazy. Yes, it must be difficult to keep things fresh after nine years, but with the ratings still high, I am not sure the writers and creators even understand how off course they are. Grey's used to be about a small group of interns and their relationships and struggles to become practicing physicians. Today, Grey's is a full on soap opera, daytime, not nighttime. Although relationship and character still creep up from time to time, Grey's is now mostly about bombs and plane crashes, serial killers and explosions. Clear signs a show is in trouble. While many wept at the tragic deaths of Mark and Lexie, I could not. Both of these characters had lost what made them special years ago, so in many ways both characters has sort of already lost what life they had.

My main reason to watch remains Justin Chambers. As many times as the writers have had Alex grow, an episode or two later they usually forget about it and revert the character back. Although Shonda Rhimes has tried many times to screw up Alex, as she has done with most of the rest of the main cast, Chambers is still so watchable. Chambers and Jessica Capshaw remain pretty much the only characters who have not been completely ruined. You want some real drama, stop bringing mass shooters into the hospital and bring back Isaiah Washington, Christina's character could use something other than trauma to motivate her.

Juxtaposing Justin Chambers is Emily Owens MD's Justin Hartley. I loved Justin on Smallville, but on Owens he seems to be have been castrated a little bit. The reason to watch Owens so far is the amazing Mamie Gummer. I am not sure this show has legs to last, but if you have not watched it, I encourage you to give it a shot. Gummer, so great on The Good Wife, shines in the lead in this drama strongly cemented in character. I am sure Gummer must get tired of everyone asking about her mother, but it is eerie how Gummer, for split seconds, channels a look, a move or a vocal patter of mama Streep. I hope Emily gets a little less wacky, but for now, this medical show, with it's smaller cast and scope, is a much easier pill to swallow than the horse pill that Grey's has become.