Grey's Anatomy: A Season of Changes

Another May, another calendar full of season finales. Grey's Anatomy, ABC's successful doctor drama, concluded with another cliffhanger on May 17^th. Last season's two hour, gut-wrenching event was a lot to live up to, but this season's effort left me appropriately wishful for the new season to start right away.

First, a warning to those of you who still have not seen the season finale - I will be referencing the finale and the episodes leading up to it. So if you've "tivo-ed" or taped the season and plan a marathon viewing session some lonely Saturday night, withhold from reading any further - but do return.

Moving to the finale...

The Preston/Cristina relationship's sudden dissolution caught me off guard. If I expected anyone to bolt from the altar, it would have been Cristina. But Preston? Theirs was one of the more stable relationships on the show. At most, I expected the wedding to serve as the "happy ending" story arc. Sandra Oh took a cue from cast mate Katherine Heigl's emotional meltdown at the end of last season. Once Preston called off the wedding, the most powerful scene of the episode featured the usually emotionless Cristina breaking free from the bondage of her wedding gown, anguished tears streaming. Both Oh and Heigl have given some of the most commanding performances on the show; I look forward to seeing how their respective relationship troubles progress next season.

George's character has evolved significantly over the course of the season. Once the aw-shucks comic relief, George has morphed into a sought-after romantic lead. He's not quite as debonair as McDreamy, but ditching the Hobbit hair and marrying Dr. Torres have remade him into a slicker version of himself. At moments, I've missed the old hapless George, the guy who never quite seemed "doctorly" enough to be a surgical intern. It is, however, refreshing to see the new Callie/George/Izzie love triangle emerge; the McDreamy/Meredith/insert-doctor-name-here game had become tiring by midseason. I'm glad that the show's writers elected not to resolve George's romantic conundrum by the end of this season, instead giving us something to ponder over the long, hot summer.

Both George and Dr. Bailey ended the season with career setbacks - for George, failing his intern exam, and for Dr. Bailey, losing the chief resident position to George's wife. I doubt that the Dr. Bailey disappointment will play out into much beyond self-doubt and a few grimaces next season, but I do expect that the George setback will be enough to prod loose the emotions that he's clearly kept bottled.

As for the McDreamy/Meredith relationship, I can honestly say that I've cooled on that one. I'm more interested in whether the proud bachelor Alex pursues his amnesia patient, or whether the George/Izzie relationship materializes. McDreamy and Meredith have reached that standstill where something needs to happen. I'm assuming the show's writers are busy creating just that.

The cast of Grey's Anatomy is large and talented enough that the departure of Kate Walsh to a spin-off series will not have a huge effect. I've grown to enjoy the complex character of Dr. Montgomery, and I think that she was indeed the best choice for a spin-ff. Besides, it's about time Taye Diggs is part of show that doesn't suffer midseason death. Both shows will have a lot going for them.