Q&A Interview with Grey’s Anatomy actress Chyler Leigh (J!-ENT Interviews and Articles)

September 28, 2011 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

With the DVD release of “Grey’s Anatomy – The Complete Seventh Season”, J!-ENT’s latest “Grey’s Anatomy” Q&A is with Chyler Leigh who plays the character of Dr. Lexie Grey, the half-sister of Meredith Grey.

Chyler has previously appeared on television series such as “Safe Harbor”, “7th Heaven”, “That 80’s Show”, “Girl’s Club” and “Reunion” and was also a former model. When we first featured Chyler back in 2009, Chyler talked about her pregnancy and bringing her children to the set.

With the eighth season of “Grey’s Anatomy” having premiered on Sept. 22nd, to promote the release of “Grey’s Anatomy – The Complete Seventh Season”DVD box set, here is a media Q&A featuring Chyler reflecting on season seven of “Grey’s Anatomy”.

How excited were you to be cast as Meredith Grey’s little sister in Grey’s Anatomy?

CHYLER: I was hugely excited to join the cast of Grey’s Anatomy. It was a big role to take on, but it’s been a fantastic experience. I jumped right into the drama because my first scene saw my character hitting on Derek Shepherd [played by Patrick Dempsey on the show]. I knew that would spell trouble for me because people want to see Meredith and Derek together, so some of the audience became a little angry at me – but thankfully they soon started to warm to my character.

How did it feel to walk onto the set for the first time?

CHYLER: I felt like the new kid in school in some ways. I joined the show during the last two episodes of Season Three, and by then the show was already massive. I was terrified because I didn’t know anyone and I didn’t even know who I was playing until three days before my first scene. However, I was welcomed into the family with open arms, which was wonderful. I was accepted and appreciated and celebrated, and everybody was excited for me. The entire experience has been a blast.

Why didn’t you know anything about your character until three days before you started work on the show?

My journey to Grey’s Anatomy was very nontraditional. I sat down with [Grey’s Anatomy creator] Shonda Rhimes and she told me that I was going to be a part of the show, but they wouldn’t tell me anything about the role. They told me I would find out that information closer to the time. It was Grey’s Anatomy so I wasn’t going to say no to the job. I would have played whoever they wanted me to! However, when they told me I was going to be playing Meredith Grey’s sister, I had a huge smile on her face. I was over the moon.

The Season Six finale was extremely dramatic. How does Lexie deal with the aftermath of the hospital shooting in Season Seven?

CHYLER: It is a very difficult time for Lexie at the start of Season Seven because she struggles with a lot of guilt. The shooter from the Season Six finale was a character called Gary Clark. He walked into the hospital and said, “I’m here to kill three people.” Those three people were Derek Shepherd, the chief and my character, so Lexie feels a lot of guilt that other people died when Gary was looking for her.

What else happens to Lexie in Season Seven?

A few months later, a student goes on a shooting spree in a nearby college, and that scrapes open a raw wound for Lexie. In fact, it opens up a raw wound for everyone involved in the hospital shooting at the end of Season Six. Lexie has an extremely difficult time handling the situation, but Mark Sloan [played by Eric Dane] helps her through it. He holds Lexie’s hand and encourages her, which causes her to say, “I love you.” It’s such a genuine and sincere scene, and I think it’s a big realization for Lexie. She thinks to herself, ‘Through good and bad, Mark is going to be there and he’s always going to push me to be better no matter what.’ That’s a wonderful feeling for her.

How would you describe Lexie’s relationship with Mark Sloan?

CHYLER: It’s a rocky relationship, but that seems to be the formula for the show. It’s a realistic relationship because you can’t expect things to be perfect and to work out exactly as planned. Mark and Lexie are in two different parts of their lives and that becomes evident as Season Seven continues. She is continuously slamming on the brakes because she is younger than he is. She is also younger in her career. A lot happens to them this season, and something in particular throws a wrench in the works – but I don’t want to give away any spoilers to people who haven’t seen the episodes.

What can you tell us about the musical episode in Season Seven?

CHYLER: The musical episode is something very different for Grey’s Anatomy and that’s what made it very exciting to work on. Even though it was a serious storyline in the episode, we were all laughing because it was so different. I was really keen to hear what everybody else sounded like because I love singing, but I didn’t know if everyone else would be excited to show off their voices. I couldn’t wait to see what this episode would look like on screen. There are some amazing singers on the show, especially Sara Ramirez [who plays Callie Torres] and Chandra Wilson [who plays Miranda Bailey]. Sara has one of the most beautiful, striking voices I’ve ever heard.

Did you feel excited or nervous about singing in front of the cameras?

CHYLER: I was really excited about it, although it was difficult to imagine how it was going to look and sound. At first I felt a little bit dubious – but I knew that Shonda would make it work. When she explained the concept to us, she mentioned that she didn’t think it would be like anything anyone had done before. She was right about that. It’s great. I was really happy when I saw the finished product.

Are there any other alternative or different episodes in Season Seven?

CHYLER: There is also a faux documentary-style episode in Season Seven where a film crew comes to Seattle Grace to film the goings on. They interview the staff and they video the interactions between the doctors and the patients, which is really interesting to watch. I especially love what Justin Chambers [who plays Alex Karev on the show] does with his character in that episode. You get to look into why he behaves the way he does and why he acts so tough when in reality he is extremely caring and soft. The audience gets a behind-the-scenes look at his love for pediatric care, which is really fun.

Do you think Season Seven is more light-hearted than previous seasons of Grey’s Anatomy?

CHYLER: Some episodes are light-hearted but there are many serious issues addressed this season. Without giving away too much information about specific storylines, there are a couple of episode which involve a lot of crying and that’s definitely exhausting as an actor. There is no denying that getting past the heavier, more dramatic episodes was a big relief to me – but Grey’s Anatomy constantly challenges us all as actors and that’s part of the reason why we love working on the show. We never know what’s coming up, so we’ve got no idea if we’re going to be playing someone happy or sad or emotional. However, we wouldn’t have it any other way. Getting this job has been a dream come true.

Grey’s Anatomy the Complete Seventh Season is now available on DVD.

Photo credit: ABC/BOB D’AMICO

Filed Under: GALLERY, Interviews and Articles

Grey’s Anatomy – Complete Seventh Season: More Heartbeats (A J!-ENT DVD Review)

September 4, 2011 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

A realistic, emotional seventh season of “Grey’s Anatomy” that definitely will have its repercussions for certain characters for season eight. “Grey’s Anatomy – Complete Seventh Season: More Heartbeats” is definitely recommended!

DVD TITLE: Grey’s Anatomy – Complete Seventh Season: More Heartbeats

SERIES DATE: 2010-2011

DURATION: 22 Episodes (946 Minutes)

DVD INFORMATION: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, Spanish and French Subtitles, Widescreen (1:78:1) – Enhanced for 16×9 Televisions

COMPANY: abc studios

RATED: TV 14 DSLV

RELEASE DATE: September 13, 2011

Created by Shonda Rhimes

Directed by Rob Corn, Jessica Yu and Randall Zisk

Written by Shonda Rhimes, Krista Vernoff, Stacy McKee, Tony Phelan, Joan Rater, Mark Wilding, Debora Cahn, Zoanne Clack, Allan Heinberg, Jenna Bans, William Harper and Peter Nowalk

Executive Producer: Betsy Beers, Shonda Rhimes, Krista Vernoff

Co-Executive Producer: Mark Wilding, Tony Phelan, Joan Rater

Producer: Tammy Ann Casper, Rob Corn, Linda Klein, Zoanne Clack

Consulting Producer: Debora Cahn

Supervising Producer: Jenna Bans

Associate Producer: Chris Van Dusen

Music by Danny Lux

Cinematography by Herbert Davis

Edited by Edward Ornelas, Susan Vaill, David Greenspan

Casting by John Brace, Linda Lowy, Will Stewart

Production Design by Donald Lee Harris

Set Decoration by Nicole Cramer

Costume Design by Mimi Melgaard

Starring:

Ellen Pompeo as Dr. Meredith Grey

Patrick Dempsey as Dr. Derek Shepherd

Sandra Oh as Dr. Cristina Yang

Katherine Heigl as Dr. Isobel ‘Izzie’ Stevens

Eric Dane as Dr. Mark Sloan

Justin Chambers as Dr. Alex Karev

Chandra Wilson as Dr. Miranda Bailey

James Pickens Jr. as Dr. Richard Webber

Sara Ramirez as Dr. Callie Torres

Kevin McKidd as Dr. Owen Hunt

Jessica Capshaw as Dr. Arizona Robbins

Chyler Leigh as Dr. Lexie Grey

Kim Raver as Dr. Teddy Altman

Jesse Williams as Dr. Jackson Avery

Sarah Drew as Dr. April Kepner

Robert Baker as Dr. Charles Percy

Norah Zehetner as Dr. Reed Adamson

Kate Walsh as Dr. Addison Montgomery-Shepherd

Life takes commitment. As much as things have changed, good and bad, for the doctors at Seattle Grace, they’re now faced with the challenge of how willing they are to commit – to their careers, to love, to friendships, to the choices they make. And they will start to realize they have to deal with their lives to understand what matters most to them and how commitment helps define who they are.

In 2005, “Grey’s Anatomy” became a critically acclaimed television series that would become ABC’s top rated dramas and winner of two Emmy and Golden Globe Awards.

Created by Shonda Rhimes (“Private Practice”), the drama series revolves around a group of interns and their experience at Seattle Grace Hospital. As well, as a few of the other doctors of the hospital. Throughout the first five seasons, we see these interns become residents and experience relationship problems and also the stress and challenges they face as resident doctors. The last season was a bit more dramatic as love was lost, love was found and we saw one of the main characters battling cancer, while another dies in a tragic accident.

Season six featured a merger between Seattle Grace and Mercy West, Izzie left Alex and the residents of Seattle Grace try to get along with the residents from Mercy West and the season ended with a traumatic event in which doctors at Seattle Grace-Mercy West Hospital were killed and life for these doctors will never be the same.

Season seven continues with the recovery of the doctor’s after the traumatic event and now the doctors must make decisions that will change the direction of their career. Derek worries that Meredith may have inherited her mother’s Alzheimer’s Disease, Callie is pregnant, marriages/breakups and also includes the musical episode of “Song Beneath the Song”.

The characters of “Grey’s Anatomy” Season 7 include:

Dr. Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo, “Daredevil”, “Old School”) - A resident surgeon Seattle’s Grace Hospital who is now married to Dr. Derek Shepherd. Best friends with Dr. Cristina Yang. She feels that she may have inherited her mother’s Alzheimer’s.

Dr. Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey, “The Practice”, “Made of Honor”, “The Practice”, “Freedom Writers”) - The head of neurosurgery and was married to Dr. Addison Montgomery (“Private Practice”) who had an affair with his friend Dr. Mark Sloan. He is now married to Dr. Meredith Grey and gives up his position as Chief at Seattle Grace-Mercy West. Known as “McDreamy” to the Dr. Meredith Grey and her friends.

Dr. Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh, “Blindness”, “Arli$$”, “Sideways”) - A resident surgeon at Seattle’s Grace Hospital and a best friend of Dr. Meredith Grey, not afraid of confessing her emotions to her friends. She gets married to Dr. Owen Hunt. She wants to have more hands on experience as a cardiac surgeon but she is suffering from post-traumatic stress since the traumatic shootings at the hospital.

Dr. Alex Karev (Justin Chambers, “Lakeview Terrace”, “Cold Case”, “The Wedding Planner”) - A doctor at Seattle’s Grace Hospital. Abrasive towards the new interns.

Dr. Mark Sloan (Eric Dane, “Marley & Me”, “X-Men: The Last Stand”, “Charmed”) - Once a best friend (and almost like family) to Dr. Derek Shepherd but had an affair with Derek’s wife, and definitely help lead towards their divorce. Specializes in plastic surgery and often looked at as arrogant. Has had sexual relations with many women and is now dating Dr. Lexie Grace. Known to the female doctors as “McSteamy”.

Dr. Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh, “The Practice”, “Girls Club, “That ’80s Show”) – Dr. Meredith Grey’s sister (both are not really close to each other). Trying to learn and strives to learn everything from the doctors at Seattle Grace Hospital and known for her photographic memory. Her relationship status with Sloan is unknown.

Dr. Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez, “Baseball Wives”, “Chicago”) – A former chief resident at Seattle Grace Hospital and an orthopedic surgeon. Was married with Dr. George O’Malley. Later, she has a sexual relationship with Dr. Mark Sloan (in order to prove to herself that she is heterosexual) but is now starting to understand her feelings that she is a lesbian and exploring her relationship with Dr. Arizona Robbins.

Dr. Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson, “Philadelphia”) - A resident surgeon in charge of five interns (now residents). Known for her tough love and blunt comments.

Dr. Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw, “The Practice”) – Head of Pediatric Surgery and has a relationship with Dr. Torres.

Dr. Richard Webber (James Picken’s Jr., “Curb Your Enthusiasm, “The Lyon’s Den”, “Six Feet Under”) - The Chief of Surgery at Seattle Grace-Mercy West Hospital. In earlier seasons, it is learned that he had an affair with Meredith’s mother and is like a father figure to her. Because of Seattle Grace’s ranking starts to suffer, he enforces tough rules on his doctors and is a recovering alcoholic.

Dr. Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd, “Journeyman”, “Rome”) – Head of the trauma surgery and becomes the husband of Cristina Yang. Dr. Hunt is recovering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder suffered while serving in Iraq.

Dr. Teddy Altman (Kim Raver, “24″, “Lipstick Jungle”, “Third Watch”) - Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery and served in Iraq with Dr. Hunt. She once loved Owen and trying to move on.

Dr. Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams, “Beyond the Break”) – A surgical resident from Mercy West Hospital who joins Seattle Grace after the merger. The grandson of the famous surgeon Dr. Harper Avery and tends to be overconfident and flirtatious.

Dr. April Kepner (Sarah Drew, “Mad Men”) – A surgical resident from Mercy West Hospital who joins Seattle Grace after the merger. She is very intelligent and not too sociable, but becomes friends with the other residents.

Dr. Robert Stark (Peter MacNicol, “Ally McBeal”, “Chicago Hope”, “24″) - A pediatric surgeon who is brought in to take the place of Arizona Robbins who gave her notice to go to Africa. He has a crush on Dr. April Kepner.

Dr. Lucy Fields (Rachael Taylor, “Man Thing”, “See No Evil”) – An OB/GYN at Seattle Grace-Mercy West and is overconfident. She is Callie’s obstetrician and has a relationship with Alex.

“Grey’s Anatomy – Complete Seventh Season: More Heartbeats” features 22 episodes on six discs. Here is a basic summary of each episode (Spoilerless summaries):

DISC: 1

EPISODE 127- With You I’m Born Again – We learn how everyone at the hospital is recovering after the traumatic shooting and death of their colleagues.
EPISODE 128 – Shock to the System – Meredith decides to tell Derek about her miscarriage and Cristina is given a chance back to return to surgery but will she be ready?
EPISODE 129 – Superfreak – Derek’s sister Amelia (from “Private Practice”) shows up to make amends. Meredith and Derek try to help Cristina who is suffering from post-traumatic stress.
EPISODE 130 – Can’t Fight Biology – Meredith receives bad news from her obstetrician.

DISC 2:

EPISODE 131 – Almost Grown – The Chief tries to learn what would the residents do if given a million-dollar grant. Derek worries that Meredith may have her mother’s Alzheimer’s.
EPISODE 132 – These Arms of Mine – A documentary is being shot at the hospital to see how the doctors are doing after the traumatic shooting.
EPISODE 133 – That’s Me Trying – Cristina watches over an ill patient, meanwhile Callie and Arizona prepare for their trip to Africa.
EPISODE 134 – Something’s Gotta Give – Cristina has a housewarming party and the hospital welcomes Dr. Phil Stark.

DISC 3:

EPISODE 135 – Slow Night, So Long – The residents have to work the night shift and realize how differently things operate at night.
EPISODE 136 – Adrift and At Peace – Derek takes Cristina out on a fishing trip, while Lexie deals with a nurse who won’t listen to her.
EPISODE 137 – Disarm- A school shooting brings the panic back to Seattle Grace-Mercy West Hospital as the doctors try to save the lives of their patients while Teddy must operate on the person who pulled the trigger.
EPISODE 138 – Start Me Up – The residents are appointed a med student, who they must teach and evaluate. Callie reveals her secret to Callie.

DISC 4:

EPISODE 139 – Don’t Deceive Me (Please Don’t Go) - Derek begins his Alzheimer’s clinical trial and includes Merideth, while Bailey is tweeting during her surgeries which upsets Webber. Will Mark play a role in Callie’s pregnancy?
EPISODE 140 – P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) – Meredith and Lexie’s father is admitted to the hospital and find out that he has a young girlfriend.
EPISODE 141 – Golden Hour – Meredith wants to prove that she can be Chief Resident and the Chief’s wife, Adele, is admitted to the ER.
EPISODE 142 – Not Responsible – Meredith starts to have eye problems and Mark wants Callie and Arizona to know that he is serious of being a father to his unborn child.

DISC 5:

EPISODE 143 – This Is How We Do It - Richard is hoping Derek and Meredith accepts Adele into the Alzheimer’s trial but Adele doesn’t want to be part of it. And the competition for the Chief Resident position becomes heated.
EPISODE 144 Song Beneath the Song – The “Grey’s Anatomy” musical. A cataclysmic even hits rattles the doctors of Seattle Grace and Callie has a life-changing moment. (NOTE: There are two versions of the series, the extended version and the normal version of the episode). Starring Kate Walsh as Dr. Addison Montgomery.
EPISODE 145 – It’s a Long Way Back - Everyone tries to help Callie during her time of need, Alex treats a cranky woman dying of cancer.

DISC 6:

EPISODE 146 – White Wedding – It’s nearly time for Callie and Arizona’s wedding but the two start to question it. The competition for Chief Resident continues to heat up as everyone feels that Alex may be the top contender.
EPISODE 147 – I Will Survive - The pressure on Meredith is getting to her. Owen begins the interviews for the Chief Resident Position.
EPISODE 148 – Unaccompanied Minor – News of Meredith’s dishonesty in the clinical trial comes to light and will lead to consequences for her and others. Cristina must make a decision that will either affect her career or her relationship with Owen. And the decision of who will be the Chief Resident is revealed.

VIDEO:

“Grey’s Anatomy – Complete Seventh Season: More Heartbeats” is presented in Widescreen (1:78:1) – Enhanced for 16×9 televisions. When it comes to television drama series, “Grey’s Anatomy” is one of ABC’s highly rated dramas that although filmed in a hospital setting. The cinematography for the final episode was excellent. For the most part, the series looks good on DVD, nice good closeups and skintones are natural and during low light scenes, I didn’t see any major noise or compression artifacts. For the most part, the seventh season does look very good on DVD.

AUDIO:

As for audio, the series is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and the series is primarily dialogue and music driven. Dialogue is clear and understandable, while the music has always played a major part for the series and definitely enhances certain scenes. I did notice more surround usage in the final two episodes. From the sirens, gun shots, crowd ambiance being utilized through the surround channels.

The show is presented in English SDH, Spanish and French subtitles.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Grey’s Anatomy – Complete Seventh Season: More Heartbeats” includes the following special features:

DISC 5:

Normal & Extended episode of “Episode 144 – Song Beneath the Song” - This extended episode (48:01) and the normal episode (44:01) are featured on disc 5.

DISC 6:

The Music Event: Behind the Scenes – (15:00) The making of the “Song Beneath the Song” musical episode and how the cast reacted when they heard they were doing a musical. Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers talked about how they convinced the talent to do the musical episode, as many were opposed to doing it and how everything came together.
Dissecting Grey’s Anatomy: Unaired Scenes – Eleven deleted scenes.
In Stitches: Outtakes - (2:42) Season seven outtakes.
Seattle Grace: Message of Hope Webisodes – A total of six webisodes (No Comment, Take One, The Face, Nerves, Award-Winning, The Sizzle) and “The Making of Seattle Grace: Message of Hope” (4:05).

EXTRAS:

“Grey’s Anatomy – Complete Seventh Season: More Heartbeats” comes with a slip case.

With the success of how the sixth season of “Grey’s Anatomy” literally ending with a bang, it made you wonder how Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers and the writers for the series would continue the excitement.

For the most part, the changes made in the sixth season was important. The addition of newer characters, removal of one and building upon the momentum left from season six and sure enough, the writers had enough to work with. From the post-traumatic stress that Cristina had suffered and the life changing decisions made by other characters. That was important to showcase.

Also, I liked how each character had character building storylines and no one was left out. Even Callie and Arizona as well as Mark and their triangle begins to become focused on. Especially with the musical and seeing how their relationship is tested.

But possibly the plus for this season are not about the lovemaking, not about the relationships, it’s about the flaws of the characters. Without getting into details, these situations are going to be quite interesting as it will carry on over to season eight. Cristina having post-traumatic stress but also dealing with a situation that will definitely have a major affect on her and her relationship with Owen. But also Meredith, who did something that is not so surprising, since she does have a good heart but unfortunately, she violated the trust of her husband and chief and unfortunately made an unethical decision as a doctor which unfortunately will hurt her career.

Suffice to say, the last season was shocking and emotional, but this time around, it’s an emotional season in a different sense, marked by decisions made by each individual and unfortunately will lead to consequences that will factor into the eighth season of “Grey’s Anatomy”.

As for this DVD set, there are a good amount of special features including the web episodes of “Seattle Grace: On Call”, deleted scenes and the making of the musical episode.

With that being said, while the sixth season was a tremendous season with a shocking finale, the seventh season was more of a recovering episode from what took place in season six and the talent did a fantastic job in showing their way of recovering from what took place. The return of Mandy Moore as Mary Portman was touching but also an unexpected conclusion to her storyline and the various storylines that were setup that will have repercussions, we’re going to have to wait and see how these characters are affected in season eight.

But the situations are realistic and without spoiling the series, fans of the series who didn’t have a chance to watch the seventh season should be content. These are well-written episodes, the acting was well-done and while people may feel a bit 50/50 on the inclusion of the musical, it does come to show that Shonda Rhimes is willing to take chances.

If you are a fan of the series, “Grey’s Anatomy – Complete Seventh Season: More Heartbeats” is definitely recommended!

Filed Under: DVD Reviews, TV BOXSETS: DVD/Blu-ray

Grey’s Anatomy – Complete Sixth Season (A J!-ENT DVD Review)

September 3, 2010 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

A magnificent, dramatic heartfelt season with a tragic, shocking season finale that will shock “Grey’s Anatomy” fans to the core. If you are a fan of the series, this DVD set is highly recommended!

DVD TITLE: Grey’s Anatomy – Complete Sixth Season – More Moments

SERIES DATE: 2009-2010

DURATION: 24 Episodes (1032 Minutes)

DVD INFORMATION: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, Spanish and French Subtitles, Widescreen (1:78:1) – Enhanced for 16×9 Televisions

COMPANY: abc studios

RATED: TV 14 DSLV

RELEASE DATE: September 14, 2010

Created by Shonda Rhimes

Directed by Rob Corn, Jessica Yu and Randall Zisk

Written by Shonda Rhimes, Krista Vernoff, Stacy McKee, Tony Phelan, Joan Rater, Mark Wilding, Debora Cahn, Zoanne Clack, Allan Heinberg, Jenna Bans, William Harper and Peter Nowalk

Executive Producer: Betsy Beers, Shonda Rhimes, Krista Vernoff

Co-Executive Producer: Mark Wilding, Tony Phelan, Joan Rater

Producer: Tammy Ann Casper, Rob Corn, Linda Klein, Zoanne Clack

Consulting Producer: Debora Cahn

Supervising Producer: Jenna Bans

Associate Producer: Chris Van Dusen

Music by Danny Lux

Cinematography by Herbert Davis

Edited by Edward Ornelas, Susan Vaill, David Greenspan

Casting by John Brace, Linda Lowy, Will Stewart

Production Design by Donald Lee Harris

Set Decoration by Nicole Cramer

Costume Design by Mimi Melgaard

Starring:

Ellen Pompeo as Dr. Meredith Grey

Patrick Dempsey as Dr. Derek Shepherd

Sandra Oh as Dr. Cristina Yang

Katherine Heigl as Dr. Isobel ‘Izzie’ Stevens

Eric Dane as Dr. Mark Sloan

Justin Chambers as Dr. Alex Karev

Chandra Wilson as Dr. Miranda Bailey

James Pickens Jr. as Dr. Richard Webber

Sara Ramirez as Dr. Callie Torres

Kevin McKidd as Dr. Owen Hunt

Jessica Capshaw as Dr. Arizona Robbins

Chyler Leigh as Dr. Lexie Grey

Kim Raver as Dr. Teddy Altman

Kate Walsh as Dr. Addison Montgomery-Shepherd

Jesse Williams as Dr. Jackson Avery

Sarah Drew as Dr. April Kepner

Robert Baker as Dr. Charles Percy

Norah Zehetner as Dr. Reed Adamson

In 2005, “Grey’s Anatomy” became a critically acclaimed television series that would become ABC’s top rated dramas and winner of two Emmy and Golden Globe Awards.

Season six features a merger between Seattle Grace and Mercy West and this season introduces us to new doctors and characters who will have an impact on the current main characters.

The characters of “Grey’s Anatomy” Season 6 include:

Dr. Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo, “Daredevil”, “Old School”) - A resident surgeon Seattle’s Grace Hospital who is now married to Dr. Derek Shepherd. Best friends with Dr. Cristina Yang.

Dr. Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey, “The Practice”, “Made of Honor”, “The Practice”, “Freedom Writers”) - The head of neurosurgery and was married to Dr. Addison Montgomery (“Private Practice”) who had an affair with his friend Dr. Mark Sloan. He is now married to Dr. Meredith Grey. Known as “McDreamy” to the Dr. Meredith Grey and her friends.

Dr. Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh, “Blindness”, “Arli$$”, “Sideways”) - A resident surgeon at Seattle’s Grace Hospital and a best friend of Dr. Meredith Grey, not afraid of confessing her emotions to her friends. She is currently dating Dr. Owen Hunt. She wants to have more hands on experience as a cardiac surgeon.

Dr. Isobel “Izzie” Stevens (Katherine Heigl, “27 Date”, “Roswell”, “Knocked Up”) – A resident surgeon at Seattle Grace Hospital and is married to Dr. Alex Karev. She is recovering from cancer.

Dr. Alex Karev (Justin Chambers, “Lakeview Terrace”, “Cold Case”, “The Wedding Planner”) - A doctor at Seattle’s Grace Hospital. Abrasive towards the new interns and is married to Dr. Isobel Stevens.

Dr. Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw, “The Practice”) – Head of Pediatric Surgery and has a relationship with Dr. Torres.

Dr. Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson, “Philadelphia”) - A resident surgeon in charge of five interns (now residents). Known for her tough love and blunt comments.

Dr. Richard Webber (James Picken’s Jr., “Curb Your Enthusiasm, “The Lyon’s Den”, “Six Feet Under”) - The Chief of Surgery at Seattle Grace Hospital. In earlier seasons, it is learned that he had an affair with Meredith’s mother and is like a father figure to her. Because of Seattle Grace’s ranking starts to suffer, he enforces tough rules on his doctors and is a recovering alcoholic.

Dr. Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd, “Journeyman”, “Rome”) – Head of the trauma surgery and boyfriend of Cristina Yang. Dr. Hunt is recovering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder suffered while serving in Iraq.

Dr. Teddy Altman (Kim Raver, “24″, “Lipstick Jungle”, “Third Watch”) - Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery and served in Iraq with Dr. Hunt. She loves Owen and she is coming between Dr. Hunt and and Dr. Yang.

Dr. Reed Adamson (Norah Zehetner, “Heroes”, “Mad Men”) - A surgical resident from Mercy West Hospital who joins Seattle Grace after the merger and is attracted to Alex.

Dr. Charles Percy (Robert Baker, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”, “Leatherheads”) – A surgical resident from Mercy West Hospital who joins Seattle Grace after the merger.

Dr. April Kepner (Sarah Drew, “Mad Men”) – A surgical resident from Mercy West Hospital who joins Seattle Grace after the merger.

“Grey’s Anatomy – Complete Sixth Season” features 24 episodes on six discs. Here is a basic summary of each episode (Spoilerless summaries):

DISC: 1

EPISODE 103- Good Mourning – The staff mourn the death of Dr. O’Malley. The board is wanting Dr. Shepherd to replace Dr. Webber for Chief of Surgery at Grace Hospital.
EPISODE 104 – Goodbye – Dr. Webber must decide if he wants to fight for his job or retire. Meanwhile, Dr. Lexie Grey and Dr. Robbins try to deal with their patients. Meanwhile, the doctors at Grace Hospital are in for a major surprise.
EPISODE 105 – (I Always Feel Like) Somebody’s Watchin’ Me – The merger between Mercy and Grace Hospital has affected everyone and everyone is scared of losing their job and whatever cutbacks may happen to various departments. The crew brace for the first round of job cuts.
EPISODE 106 – Tainted Obligation – Grace and Lexie’s father comes to the hospital and is very sick. As Lexie will do all she can to save her father, Grace acts as if she could care less, but she may be the only person that can save his life.

DISC 2:

EPISODE 107 – Invasion – The new doctors from Mercy Hospital move into Seattle Grace, meanwhile one of the Seattle Grace’s doctors is fired and Callie’s father brings a priest to intervene on his daughter turning lesbian.
EPISODE 108 – I Saw What I Saw – Something went bad in the ER that left a woman who was doing OK but died. All doctors are being interviewed by Dr. Webber and hospital admin. to find out who is at fault.
EPISODE 109 – Give Peace a Chance – Dr. Shepherd is asked by his friend to take out a tumor from his spinal cord. It’s a major surgery in which Dr. Webber told him to not operate. Will Shepherd defy the chief?
EPISODE 110 – Invest in Love – Arizona is taking care of a patient (a prodigy) who has a sickness with no cure and the parents are wanting to donate $25 million to the hospital. With Seattle Grace hurting for money, the Chief expects Arizona to do all she can in order to get the money for the hospital. But Arizona does not believe surgery can save the young boy.

DISC 3:

EPISODE 111 – New History – Izzie returns to Seattle, Meredith returns back to work and Dr. Teddy Altman joins Seattle Grace and happens to be a very close friend of Dr. Hunt and Cristina is not happy about it.
EPISODE 112 – Holidaze – The holiday’s have passed and Miranda receives a visit from her father, who disapproves of her life choices. Meanwhile, everyone is dealing with their personal issues during the holidays.
EPISODE 113 – Blink - Addison returns to Seattle Grace to help with Mark’s pregnant daughter. Lexie meanwhile is concerned about her relationship with Mark and Meredith is concerned of how close Alex is getting with Dr. Adamson.
EPISODE 114 – I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked – Derek finds out about the chief’s drinking problem and wants to tell the board but Meredith tries to prevent him from doing so. Izzie returns again after being gone for a period of time.

DISC 4:

EPISODE 115 – State of Love and Trust - Derek becomes interim chief, meanwhile bad blood between Teddy and Cristina begins to heighten.
EPISODE 116 – Valentine’s Day Massacre – Derek continues to struggle as interim chief and the doctors have to deal with the fallout after a roof of a popular restaurant collapses.
EPISODE 117 – The Time Warp – The doctors remember stories in regards to their past.
EPISODE 118 – Perfect Little Accident – Tensions begin to heighten between Derek and Richard after Dr. Harper Avery has an unusual surgical request.

DISC 5:

EPISODE 119 – Push - A patient needs a complex surgical procedure and Derek chooses Dr. Hunt over Dr. Webber.
EPISODE 120 – Suicide is Painless – Teddy has a patient who wants to end treatment and her life and she turns to Dr. Hunt for help.
EPISODE 121 – Sympathy for the Parents - Alex hopes for Bailey to approve his younger brother’s hernia repair via pro bono, meanwhile Alex’s past is revealed.
EPISODE 122 – Hook, Line and Sinner – Callie wants to adopt a child but Arizona doesn’t feel the same way. Meanwhile, Teddy is fighting to keep her job at Seattle Grace.

DISC 6:

EPISODE 123 – How Insensitive – Bailey gets the medical team ready for mandatory sensitivity training. Meanwhile, Calle and Arizona are heading towards a rough patch in their relationship.
EPISODE 124 – Shiny Happy People - Meredith suspects Owen of not being faithful to Cristina and tells her about it. Meanwhile Alex deals with a troubled teenage patient (played by Demi Lovato)
EPISODE 125 – Sanctuary – The first hour of the season finale, Meredith receives life changing news. Meanwhile, a disgruntled man who’s wife has died is now wanting to revenge and goes on a shooting spree inside Seattle Grace Hospital. (Special guest: Mandy Moore)
EPISODE 126 – Death and All His Friends – The second hour of the season finale. Seattle Grace goes through a major crisis in which a few of the doctors will not survive and having to perform surgery on their friends while a gunman is on the loose. (Special guest: Mandy Moore)

NOTE: On “Grey’s Anatomy – Complete Sixth Season”, there is an extended episode of the season finale “Episode 126 – Death and All His Friends”.

VIDEO:

“Grey’s Anatomy – Complete Sixth Season” is presented in Widescreen (1:78:1) – Enhanced for 16×9 televisions. When it comes to television drama series, “Grey’s Anatomy” is one of ABC’s highly rated dramas that although filmed in a hospital setting. The cinematography for the final episode was excellent. For the most part, the series looks good on DVD, nice good closeups and skintones are natural and during low light scenes, I didn’t see any major noise or compression artifacts. For the most part, the sixth season does look very good on DVD.

It’s important to note that since the release of the fifth season of “Grey’s Anatomy”, that season received a Blu-ray release and more than likely, there will be a Blu-ray release for this sixth season. For those who want better picture quality and lossless audio, I recommend the Blu-ray release.

AUDIO:

The show is presented in English SDH, Spanish and French subtitles.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Grey’s Anatomy – Complete Sixth Season” includes the following special features:

DISC 4:

Seattle Grace: On Call - Featuring all six web episodes of “Seattle Grace: On Call” (about five minutes long for each web episode) that were shown on abc.com. A short series featuring a documentary on the interns Steve, Megan, Ryan, Pierce and Graciella at Seattle Grace and a few of the new residents (Reed and Charles) that transferred to Seattle Grace from Mercy West Hospital and Dr. Owen Hunt all hanging out at the local bar hangout with Joe the Bartender.
The Making of Seattle Grace: On Call – (2:30) Featuring the making of “Seattle Grace: On Call” and interviews with the cast and crew.

DISC 5:

Chandra Wilson: Anatomy of a Talent - (13:11) Chandra Wilson (who plays Dr. Miranda Bailey) is the first of the main talent to direct episodes for the show. The show creators and talent, including Chandra Wilson talks about how she became a director and certain parts of the episodes that she directed.
Dissecting Grey’s Anatomy: Unaired Scenes – The following are a total of nine deleted scenes from various episodes.
In Stitches: Outtakes – (2:13) Outtakes from the sixth season of “Grey’s Anatomy”.
Extended Scenes – Extended scenes for “The Time Warp”, “Nervous Callie” and “Sad State of Affairs”.

DISC 6:

Extended episode of “Episode 126 – Death and All His Friends” – (Duration for this extended episode is 1:01:16, the original episode is 42:58) This extended episode features more dialogue, especially the scenes that include Dr. Webber, especially an extended scene with Lexie, Dr. Altman and Dr. Sloan with Dr. Karev in an ambulance, emotional scenes with Lexie and Dr. Sloan and additional scenes that include the police.

EXTRAS:

“Grey’s Anatomy – Complete Sixth Season” comes with a slip case.

I admit that I was critical and harsh of the fifth season of “Grey’s Anatomy” and just felt the show was heading downhill through the first half and the season managed to pick up during the second half. So much was focused on the problems on the set with Katherine Heigl and T.R. Knight. And eventually, we know how things have ended up in the season finale.

With last season focusing on Izzie’s cancer, her relationship with Alex and problems in the relationship between Meredith and Derek and dealing with Callie and Lexie’s personal issues… I felt that with the sixth season “Grey’s Anatomy” is desperately needing to step things up with the writing as I have felt needed to interject some new blood, new energy before the storylines focusing on these characters becomes overly stale.

And sure enough, the writers have achieved that with the sixth season. The merger between Seattle Grace and Mercy West was probably the best thing to happen with this show because we have new characters. Also, we have stories focusing on Derek and Richard’s troubles, we get to see more of Arizona (especially Arizona and Callie), the introduction of Teddy and most importantly, the introduction to the new residents coming from Mercy West. These four characters have brought some new life to the series and I was really rooting for them because I can see potential storylines that can come from these new characters. I felt “Grey’s Anatomy” had new energy, new life and I’m stoked about the series all over again.

That was until the shocking season finale.

All I can say is… “Wow!”. Although we have seen a similar type of storyline on “ER” several years ago, it’s a big gamble as you don’t know who is going to be killed off. But suffice to say, this season finale was a major success and the writer’s have crafted one of the most impressive season finale’s in a drama series within the last decade. A fantastic way to end the season and at the same time, a bit bittersweet as some characters that may have grown on us will not be back due to the tragic season finale.

Needless to say, “Grey’s Anatomy” writers really did a fantastic job with this season. I felt the fifth season, although good, was in somewhat of a slump and I have to admit, the season opener of the sixth season, wasn’t all that great either. But as the episodes progressed and seeing how these newer characters were integrated into show, I definitely saw the potential, almost like “Grey’s Anatomy” reborn and seeing its greatness return to television.

As for this DVD set, there are a good amount of special features including the web episodes of “Seattle Grace: On Call”, deleted scenes, a featurette on Chandra Wilson as a director and the extended episode of the season finale.

With that being said, there’s not much I can say badly about “Grey’s Anatomy – Complete Sixth Season”. It was well conceived this season, the acting was very well-done (and I can understand some hardcore fans feeling that their original characters were not utilized as much as previous seasons but with more characters, the series needed new energy and these newer characters provided that) and overall, it was a solid season that literally ended with a bang.

If you are a fan of the series, “Grey’s Anatomy – Complete Sixth Season” is definitely recommended!

Filed Under: DVD Reviews, TV BOXSETS: DVD/Blu-ray

J!-ENT Special Feature Article: Grey’s Anatomy Interview 03 – Chyler Leigh

September 22, 2009 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment

chyler-leigh

With the release of “Grey’s Anatomy – Complete Fifth Season – More Moments” on DVD, J!-ENT will feature an interview with a cast member of “Grey’s Antomy” who talk about their experience shooting the fifth season and more. Our third interview is with Chyler Leigh who plays the role of Dr. Lexie Grey. The article is by Dennis A. Amith.

Click here to download our PDF interview with Chyler Leigh

Filed Under: Interviews and Articles

Grey’s Anatomy – Complete Fifth Season – More Moments (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

September 5, 2009 by Dennis Amith · 3 Comments

“The fifth season of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ was quite interesting as the season garnered hype onscreen and off. The season may have started off with hokey, farfetched stories for the first half, but the series redeems itself in the second with solid storytelling. Definitely the most shocking and most entertaining season finale for the drama series thus far. Overall, another entertaining season on DVD and a DVD boxset that Grey’s Anatomy’ fans will definitely want to have in their collection!”

DVD TITLE: Grey’s Anatomy – Complete Fifth Season – More Moments

DURATION: 24 Episodes (1032 Minutes)

DVD INFORMATION: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, Spanish and French Subtitles, Widescreen (1:78:1) – Enhanced for 16×9 Televisions

COMPANY: abc studios

RATED: TV 14 DSLV

RELEASE DATE: September 15, 2009

Created by Shonda Rhimes

Directed by Rob Corn, Jessica Yu and Randall Zisk

Written by Shonda Rhimes, Krista Vernoff, Stacy McKee, Tony Phelan, Joan Rater, Mark Wilding, Debora Cahn, Zoanne Clack, Allan Heinberg, Jenna Bans, William Harper and Peter Nowalk

Executive Producer: Betsy Beers, Shonda Rhimes, Krista Vernoff

Co-Executive Producer: Mark Wilding, Tony Phelan, Joan Rater

Producer: Tammy Ann Casper, Rob Corn, Linda Klein, Zoanne Clack

Consulting Producer: Debora Cahn

Supervising Producer: Jenna Bans

Associate Producer: Chris Van Dusen

Music by Danny Lux

Cinematography by Herbert Davis

Edited by Edward Ornelas, Susan Vaill, David Greenspan

Casting by John Brace, Linda Lowy, Will Stewart

Production Design by Donald Lee Harris

Set Decoration by Nicole Cramer

Costume Design by Mimi Melgaard

Starring:

Ellen Pompeo as Dr. Meredith Grey

Patrick Dempsey as Dr. Derek Shepherd

Dr. Cristina Yang as Sandra Oh

Katherine Heigl as Dr. Isobel ‘Izzie’ Stevens

T.R. Knight as Dr. George O’Malley

Eric Dane as Dr. Mark Sloan

Justin Chambers as Dr. Alex Karev

Sara Ramirez as Dr. Callie Torres

Chandra Wilson as Dr. Miranda Bailey

James Pickens Jr. as Dr. Richard Webber

Chyler Leigh as Dr. Lexie Grey

Kate Walsh as Dr. Addison Montgomery-Shepherd

Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Denny Duquette

Live for the moment. The hottest show on television burns even brighter in its explosive fifth season. Dive deeper into the lives and loves of Grey’s Anatomy in this sensational seven-disc set.

Your favorite characters struggle and thrive as they enter uncharted territories of life. Discover what happens in the on-again, off-again world of Derek and Meredith, and witness the budding relationship between Cristina and Owen, Seattle Grace’s newest doctor.

Experience every heart-stopping moment of prime time’s sexiest, star-studded drama, complete with never-before-seen bonus features, including one extended episode on DVD. It’s a must-have for any Grey’s Anatomy fan!

In 2005, “Grey’s Anatomy” became a critically acclaimed television series that would become ABC’s top rated dramas and winner of two Emmy and Golden Globe Awards.

Created by Shonda Rhimes (“Private Practice”), the drama series revolves around a group of interns and their experience at Seattle Grace Hospital. As well, as a few of the other doctors of the hospital. Throughout the first four seasons, we see these interns become residents and experience relationship problems and also the stress and challenges they had to become a resident doctor.

For season five, “Grey’s Anatomy” received its share of hype on entertainment magazines with rumors swirling of talent who were no longer going to be on the show and that tension was developing on the set. For this fifth season, the season did start off with stories that seemed a bit farfetched and a tad bit hokey, but for the most part, redeemed itself for the second half with solid storytelling.

“Grey’s Anatomy” Season 5 focuses on the following main characters:

Dr. Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo, “Daredevil”, “Old School”) - A resident surgeon Seattle’s Grace Hospital who has an on-and-off again relationship with Dr. Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey). Best friends with Dr. Cristina Yang.

Dr. Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh, “Blindness”, “Arli$$”, “Sideways”) - A surgeon at Seattle’s Grace Hospital and a best friend of Dr. Meredith Grey, not afraid of confessing her emotions to her friends. In earlier seasons, she was dating Dr. Preston Burke who left her on the day of their wedding.

Dr. Isobel “Izzie” Stevens (Katherine Heigl, “27 Date”, “Roswell”, “Knocked Up”) – A former model who used the money to pay for her medical school. Izzue is a surgeon at Seattle Grace Hospital. She lives with Meredith and earlier in the series, she falls for a heard patient named Denny Duquette. Denny died and left millions of dollars to her, in which she went on to create a free clinic at Seattle Grace. She also had a brief romantic fling with Dr. George O’Malley and thus both are close friends. The fifth season focuses on Izzie as her relationship with Alex Karev grows and for some reason, is starting to see Denny again.

Dr. Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey, “The Practice”, “Made of Honor”, “The Practice”, “Freedom Writers”) - The head of neurosurgery and was married to Dr. Addison Montgomery (“Private Practice”) who had an affair with his friend Dr. Mark Sloan. Now has an off-and-on relationship with Dr. Meredith Grey. Known as “McDreamy” to the Dr. Meredith Grey and her friends.

Dr. Mark Sloan (Eric Dane, “Marley & Me”, “X-Men: The Last Stand”, “Charmed”) - Once a best friend (and almost like family) to Dr. Derek Shepherd but had an affair with Derek’s wife, and definitely help lead towards their divorce. Specializes in plastic surgery and often looked at as arrogant. Has had sexual relations with Dr. Callie Torres. Known to the female doctors as “McSteamy”.

Dr. Alex Karev (Justin Chambers, “Lakeview Terrace”, “Cold Case”, “The Wedding Planner”) - A doctor at Seattle’s Grace Hospital. Abrasive towards the new interns and has an interest in Dr. Isobel Stevens.

Dr. George O’Malley (T.R. Knight, “The Last Request”) - An intern at Seattle’s Grace Hospital who was married to Dr. Callie Torres but had an affair with Dr. Isobel Stevens. He is a good friend with Izzie and has failed his residency exam several times and is preparing to take it again.

Dr. Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson, “Philadelphia”) - A resident surgeon in charge of five interns (now residents). Known for her tough love and blunt comments.

Dr. Richard Webber (James Picken’s Jr., “Curb Your Enthusiasm, “The Lyon’s Den”, “Six Feet Under”) - The Chief of Surgery at Seattle Grace Hospital. In earlier seasons, it is learned that he had an affair with Meredith’s mother. Because of Seattle Grace’s ranking starts to suffer, he enforces tough rules on his doctors.

Dr. Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh, “The Practice”, “Girls Club, “That ’80s Show”) – Dr. Meredith Grey’s sister (both are not really close to each other). An intern at Seattle Grace Hospital and known for her photographic memory. Has a sexual relationship with Dr. Alex Karev and is interested in Dr. George O’Malley.

Dr. Erica Hahn (Brooke Smith, “Crossing Jordan”, “Weeds”, “Law & Order”) - A cardiothoracic surgeon and workaholic doctor at Seattle Grace Hospital. Becomes romantic with Dr. Callie Torres.

“Grey’s Anatomy – Complete Fifth Season – More Moments” features 24 episodes on six discs. Included are (spoilerless summaries):

DISC: 1

EPISODE 79- Dream a Little Dream of Me (Part 1) – Meredith and Derek try to work out their relationship, meanwhile Cristina is stabbed by an icicle.
EPISODE 80 – Dream a Little Dream of Me (Part 2) – With Seattle Grace Hospital falling in rankings, Dr. Webber has tough rules in place for the doctors.
EPISODE 81 – Here Comes the Flood – Dr. O’Malley retakes his residency exam, meanwhile the hospital is having major leak problems.
EPISODE 82 – Brave New World – Meredith is shocked when Derek discovers her mother’s diary. Meanwhile, Callie and Erica begin their sexual relationship.

DISC 2:

EPISODE 83 – There’s No “I” in Team – Dr. Bailey heads a group of surgeons for a “Domino Procedure”. Lexie is dismayed that George never recognizes her. Meanwhile, Callie goes to Dr. Sloan for help.
EPISODE 84 – Life During Wartime – Dr. Owen Hunt becomes the new head of trauma and has problems with the methods of the doctors at Seattle Grace Hospital.
EPISODE 85 – Rise Up – Derek feels that Cristina is interfering with his relationship with Meredith. Meanwhile, the chief announces a contest for the residents.
EPISODE 86 – These Ties That Bind – Meredith’s old friend Sadie (Melissa George) becomes an intern at Seattle Grace. And a new surgeon, Virginia Dixon (Mary McDonnell) tries to bring order to the OR.

DISC 3:

EPISODE 87 – In the Midnight Hour – Lexie and Sadie have a problem during surgery and thus Meredith, Cristina and Bailey try to help them out.
EPISODE 88 – All By Myself – Cristina is award the contest for first solo surgery but the excitement is cut short as she has to give it up. Meanwhile, Callie is getting a vibe that Sadie is flirting with her.
EPISODE 89 – Wish You Were Here – An admittance of a death row inmate (played by Eric Stoltz) infuriates Dr. Shepard. Meanwhile, Dr. Bailey teams up with Dr. Arizona Robbins, the new pediatric surgeon at Seattle Grace Hospital.
EPISODE 90 – Sympathy for the Devil – Derek’s mother is in town and she meets Meredith for the first time. Owen and Cristina go out on a date.

DISC 4:

EPISODE 91 – Stairway to Heaven (Extended Episodes) - Izzie starts to see more and more of her deceased boyfriend Denny and comes to a full realization that something may be wrong with her.
EPISODE 92 – Beat Your Heart Out – Derek plans to propose to Meredith and a cross-over with the characters of “Private Practice”.
EPISODE 93 – Before and After – Continuing the cross-over with “Private Practice”, the doctors from Los Angeles: Addison, Naomi and Sam bring Archer to Seattle Grace Hospital.
EPISODE 94 – An Honest Mistake – Continuing the cross-over with “Private Practice”, Derek and Addison collide over a pregnant patient who is dying. Special Guest Star: Faye Dunaway.

DISC 5:

EPISODE 95 – I Will Follow You Into the Dark - Izzie finds out the results from her health test while Dr. Shepard has problems after the death of a patient.
EPISODE 96 – Stand By Me – Meredith does what she can to get Derek to come back to work. Cristina has her first major solo surgery.
EPISODE 97 – Elevator Love Letter - Derek has his first major surgery after his breakdown. Meanwhile Owen seeks help for his post traumatic stress.
EPISODE 98 – Sweet Surrender – Despite her receiving cancer treatment, Izzie wants to plan Derek and Meredith’s wedding.

DISC 6:

EPISODE 99 – No Good at Saying Sorry (One More Chance) – Meredith and Derek prepare for their wedding, while Izzie receives a medical visit from her mother.
EPISODE 100 – What a Difference a Day Makes – Meredith and Derek prepare for the big day but as they get ready for their wedding, a group of college students are injured in a major car accident during their graduation day. But the day becomes a significant day for another couple.
EPISODE 101 – Here’s to Future Days – Izzie must decide whether or not to undergo a risk surgery for her brain tumor, but the removal of it can lead to major problems.
EPISODE 102 – Now or Never - A man gets hit by a bus while trying to save a woman and the person who is hit, is someone everyone is familiar with. Meanwhile, Izzie recovers her memory but something bad happens to her. The doctors of Seattle Grace Hospital try to rescue both the man and Izzie.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Grey’s Anatomy – Complete Fifth Season – More Moments” is presented in Widescreen (1:78:1) – Enhanced for 16×9 televisions. When it comes to television drama series, “Grey’s Anatomy” is one of ABC’s highly rated dramas that although filmed in a hospital setting for the most part of the series, season five definitely indulges in beauty during a major wedding scene which featured solid cinematography. And speaking of the wedding, that was one of the most enchanting wedding scenes that I have seen in a drama series. Absolutely beautiful!

For the most part, the series looks good on DVD, nice good closeups and skintones are natural and during low light scenes, I didn’t see any major noise or compression artifacts. For the most part, the fifth season does look very good on DVD.

As for audio, the series is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and the series is primarily dialogue and music driven. Dialogue is clean and understandable, while the music has always played a major part for the series and definitely enhances certain scenes. Personally, I found it much more appealing to have my receiver set at stereo on all channels.

The show is presented in English SDH, Spanish and French subtitles.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Grey’s Anatomy – Complete Fifth Season – More Moments” includes the following special features:

DISC 7:

Dissecting Grey’s Anatomy – Unaired Scenes – A total of eleven unaired scenes with optional commentary with Creator/Executive Producer Shondra Rhimes and Executive Producer Betsy Beers.
In Stitches: Season Five Outtakes – (4:03) Season five bloopers.
100th Episode: Tales from the O.R. – (18:30) The crew and talents talk about working on the show and how grateful they are to the fans. Staff talk about the making of the series and keeping the medical segments factual and also the big wedding scene.
Heaven Sent – (9:30) For fans of Denny Duquette (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), this featurette focuses on how Creator/Executive Producer Shondra Rhimes and Executive Producer Betsy Beers hired Jeffrey Dean Morgan for the role. Jeffrey talks about how he auditioned for the role and the audience reaction and more.

I have to admit that when “Grey’s Anatomy” season five started, I thought the series has lost its vibe and was becoming another “ER” like-clone where stories would simply become to farfetched and hokey. But during the second half of the season, things simply changed. We started to get solid storylines that built-up to the best season finale for “Grey’s Anatomy” ever.

I think part of the mystique about the series this season was the hype and gossip about what was going on behind-the-scenes. Who is leaving the show? Who isn’t leaving the show? Would we even care for Izzie due to Katherine Heigl’s behavior off-set? The lesbian storyline. The brain tumor storyline. Who is disgruntled? Who isn’t being utilized all that much in the show. So, many things that could have gone wrong… but in the end, it was the writing for the series that managed to win viewers all over again.

From the cross-over with “Private Practice”, the return of Denny, a wedding, many new characters and so much more… But personally, it was those final four episodes that made viewers remember why we stuck with over 100 episodes of this drama series. Although, I can do without the icicle impaling or the interns surgically experimenting on each other (which to me was just too campy).

As or the DVD, I was expecting episode commentaries (it would have been wonderful to hear commentary for the 1ooth episode and the season finale) and something a bit more for the special features section but for the most part, what is featured is quite satisfactory.

Overall, “Grey’s Anatomy – Complete Fifth Season – More Moments” may have started out a bit hokey and farfetched but the season redeemed itself right at the end and had its most significant season finale ever. If you are a “Grey’s Anatomy” fan, one again, another DVD box set worth adding to your collection.

Filed Under: DVD Reviews, TV BOXSETS: DVD/Blu-ray