Grey's Anatomy Season 7 Premiere Review: Teasers Without Spoilers

The Grey's Anatomy Season 7 premiere was glimpse into a much darker 'Seattle Grace.' If you missed the explosive Season 6 finale you can read a recap in my review, though the phenomenal combination of shocking events and profound acting makes last season's finale one worthy of a revisit even if you tuned-in. The familiar characters are still struggling with the aftermath of that fateful day, when a shooter claimed the lives of eleven victims-including fellow doctors.

Grey's Anatomy Season 6 saw many goodbyes, including original interns Izzie (Katherine Heigl) and George (T. R. Knight). The finale was a destructive, highly emotional conclusion to that epic season, but the upcoming episodes promise to be just as addictive and heart-wrenching.

The core cast of characters has all changed during the pause between seasons, and many have slipped into a darker or troubled place. The Season 7 premiere is only a hint at what is in store, and once again secrets and private pain separates Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek (Patrick Dempsey); it remains to be seen whether the fans can tolerate another rollercoaster ride with those two. Cristina (Sandra Oh) and Owen's (Kevin McKidd) relationship takes a dramatic change in this opening episode, and Dr. Bailey (Chandra Wilson) makes a difficult decision regarding her own romantic future.

Tidbits of the between-season occurrences are offered throughout the Grey's Anatomy Season 7 premiere, including Lexie's (Chyler Leigh) breakdown and Mark's (Eric Dan) part in her eventual treatment. Alex (Justin Chambers) slips back into his familiar role of ice king, and Derek and Richard (James Pickens Jr.) bridge the gap between them. Callie (Sara Ramirez) and Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) was the pair which seemed to emerge from the fires of hell unscathed, slipping back into a comforting and familiar routine among all the dark turmoil.

Ultimately, the writers have a herculean task ahead of them in following the amazing Season 6 finale viewers experienced in the spring. The foundation has been laid for a tremendous amount of character development, emotional storylines and surprising residual damage from the shooting. Shooting a handful of cast members may seem like another version of "jumping the shark," but the writers and actors of Grey's Anatomy may be just the people to build on amazing and achieve spectacular.