['Grey's Anatomy' - 'Adrift and at Peace']

In an episode that just happened to have Christmas music playing in the background, Derek took Cristina fishing, Meredith and Owen argued, Bailey was still on a search for a solution to fistulas, Callie gained a backbone, and Teddy was given a re-hashed storyline.

This episode of 'Grey's Anatomy' really had nothing to do with Christmas, except for the occasional decor in the hospital. Instead, this episode chugged along with several of the plotlines we've been following this season, without any resolutions in sight.

It was interesting seeing Jamie Chung ('Dragonball Evolution') as one of the patients this week, because I still remember her from when she was on 'The Real World: San Diego.' I know that her part was small and a bit forgettable, but she did show some decent acting chops, so maybe she'll prove more interesting in 'The Hangover Part II.'

['Grey's Anatomy' - 'Shock to the System']

When an episode of 'Grey's Anatomy' starts with the three quotes "I always wanted to wash your hair," "Go hug yourself" and "You smell like pee" you just know it's going to be interesting. The combination of the lightning patients and the parallel to the post-shooting victims was an interesting take on the whole "we survived" storyline.

This episode was the first in a while that I really liked all the song choices. The music playing when Cristina and Meredith were laying on the operating room floor was perfect and tugged at my heartstrings.

(S05E12) "You're wearing an alarmingly high pony tail." - Derek

At the most simplified level, Dunn is right, you know - a doctor isn't really that different than a serial killer. They both get to choose who dies. A doctor is likely driven by science while a serial killer gets his marching orders from a little voice in his head, but they're both making choices; doing what they think is the right move. Eric Stoltz has thus far been a shining point this season. William Dunn is one of the better characters we've seen on Grey's Anatomy in a while and I'm glad he'll be around for at least one more week.

(S05E11) "Sexed-up stalkers." - Sloan

I thought Grey's Anatomy had gone far enough with the Izzie/Denny mess - until this episode. Why you ask? Because they introduced a doctor who gets around on Heelys!! Do you have any idea how much I hate Heelys? Nine-year-olds come whipping by on those damn things when you're walking around the mall, and as much as you hate to wish bad things upon a 9-year-old, I'm just waiting for the headline "Local Sixth Grader Wearing Heelys Cracks Skull Open in Front of Orange Julius." Oh and that doctor (Dr. Arizona Robbins) that got introduced tonight? She's a pediatric surgeon. Great message to send to the youth of America.

(S05E09) "Who's making a porno movie in Izzie's room?" - Derek

I am an unashamed Grey's Anatomy fan. I've watched it since the very beginning. At this point, it'd be hard for me stop because I feel like I've invested too much time to just say the hell with it smack in the middle of the show's fifth season. A season which I went from loving, to hating, to loving, and now to absolutely despising. So for those of you who seem to think that I shouldn't be writing weekly reviews of this show because "I don't seem to like it very much, well, I assure you that's just not the case. I complain because I love. Based on that, I really loved this episode.

(S05E08) "It's too bad - she was really talented." - Shepherd

Snap! Well that didn't take long. Thirty seconds into the episode and Shonda Rhimes made it very clear how she feels about Brooke Smith's departure from the show. Even though I didn't like the whole Callie/Hahn romance and even though I thought Hahn's exit actually made a bit of sense (it was written well), I still don't see why it was necessary to fire Smith. There had to have been a better way to fix the story without removing her. Regardless, no sense in whining. She's gone and Seattle Grace Hospital now has two new faces for everyone to gossip about.

(S05E07) "It's like a bouquet... of corpses!" - Izzie

You know, for a guy that died, Denny Duquette somehow manages to get more screen-time on Grey's Anatomy than most of the characters who are still living. Seriously, it must be incredibly frustrating to be a minor character on this show and know that two or three times a season, some dead guy who most fans are sick of will get more time in front of the camera than you will.

(S05E06) "I am so gay." - Hahn

As much as I've been annoyed with how the Hahn/Callie courtship has gone thus far, I have to say - I think they won me over here. To see Hahn cry and blubber about how she's finally discovered herself, I couldn't help but feel bad for her. Granted she flipped the bitch-switch back on at the hospital, but you can't really blame her for that. She's gay. Callie's bi. And Major Owen Hunt likes to stab live pigs.

(S05E05) "Interns - the other white meat." - Alex

I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a kidney today! The rare opportunity of being able to perform a domino procedure has finally come to Seattle Grace (thanks to Bailey's efforts), and with the bad shape that SGH has been in lately, it couldn't have come at a better time. They need some good headlines.

But as with all in-depth Grey's Anatomy plots, there is no way you're going to get 12 kidney donors/recipients together without there being some drama. Hey, people with severe renal failure still have daddy issues and engage in extramarital sex too you know.

(S05E04) "Karev! Give me a twenty!" - Derek

OK, before I dive into this episode, let's get the one thing that everyone will be talking about out of the way first: Callie and Hahn. Yes, yes - I know - Grey's Anatomy has a budding lesbian relationship. Based on everything I've read over the past few weeks, people are for or against it for a myriad of reasons and after tonight's "date," I'm ready to pick a side.

(S05E03) "Yeah yeah - the hair. It's one of the many things that makes me happy." - Meredith

This wasn't the best episode of Grey's Anatomy, but I think it got back to a lot of the core reasons that made this show good in the first place. The focus has finally returned to Meredith and Derek, which was sorely lacking last season. This show just doesn't make sense to me when the tension between those two is ignored or pushed aside for one of the bajillion other relationships going on.

Beyond that, there was plenty of humor - another thing that had been lacking. So I'm feeling good about where this season is going to take us and as I said - it starts with Mer and Der.

(S05E01/S05E02) "The person that invented the phrase 'happily ever after' should have his ass kicked so hard." - Meredith

Another September, another Grey's Anatomy season premiere. Hard to believe that we're already into a fifth season. But you know what isn't hard to believe? That we're still dealing with the same "Meredith and Derek - will they or won't they" mess. Grey's has reached the point that regardless of what happens, I'm going to keep watching it because I've invested too much of my time to walk away now. I really am a fan of the show, which is why I don't feel bad when I say that this was quite possibly the most ridiculous season premiere ever. It was all over the place like some strange metaphor for all the ups and downs Mer and Der have had over the years. A random army doctor, two limousine accidents, ninja attack icicles... and god, the cherry on top - Denny Duquette. Really?

(S04E15) "Tell her... tell her the train is leaving the station and she better get on it... yeah." - Webber

I don't know what to think anymore. You know, at the end of Grey's Anatomy when you see the title card for Shonda Rhimes' production company? Have you noticed what it is? Shondaland? It's a roller coaster. How appropriate. I mean, don't get me wrong. Even though I feel like everything on TV is still getting sort of a free pass to some extent due to post writer's strike "hey, at least it's new" syndrome, this was actually a great episode... for the most part. Which I suppose could be interpreted as getting a free pass due to "hey, at least there was a lesbian kiss" syndrome.

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(S04E14) "Hey, everything I did was consensual. In fact, some of 'em even begged for it." - Sloan

I'm gonna start at the end. Why? Because I loved it. More often than not Grey's Anatomy gets awfully convoluted; full of itself even. It makes me just want to yell at the TV and scream, "Get to the point already!" Then Dr. Wyatt did just that. She cut the crap! She finally came out and made an obvious statement. We don't get those too often on Grey's. It was refreshing. Makes me feel like I'm not crazy.

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(S04E13) "It's like I never left." - Addison

She's baaaaaack. The triumphant return of Addison. And yes I do mean triumphant - this was arguably the best episode of the season and it's funny if you think about it. Had the WGA Strike not happened, Private Practice wouldn't have gotten shelved until the fall season (only 9 season one eps aired), and Kate Walsh wouldn't have had all that free time to guest star. With her return came the Grey's Anatomy I remember. Snappy dialogue, good character development, and lots of laughs. Despite the annoying recurrence of all the cases eerily mirroring what's going on in their respective doctors' lives, I loved this episode.
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