Well, that's what all the anticipation was for. Our very special "Grey's Anatomy" aired last night, advancing things for our doctors at Seattle Grace and offering a glimpse of what could become "Private Practice" if ABC picks up the show for the fall. And I've got to say, I was underwhelmed by both shows. The awkward, back-and-forth structure kept me from enjoying — or even concentrating on — either one. I know the writers want to pretend this was just another episode of "Grey's," but we all know by now that the LA stuff is meant to be a pilot, so admit it and give it its own hour so we can form a coherent opinion already. Yeesh.

To save you from going through that dizzying hell all over again, I'm going to recap the two parts separately. Read my thoughts on "Private Practice" here, and to talk about what happened in Seattle last night, read more

First of all, I can't believe we didn't get to see the heart-to-heart between Richard and Addison when she told him she needed a leave of absence; I feel like Richard sees Addy as a little sister, and I wish we could have heard what he had to say. Instead, all we got was Richard telling Mark that Addison had left for a while "to be happy and free." Gag me. Mark lays into Alex for making Addison leave, then confesses to Derek that he caught Addison breaking the 60-day rule. "Must've been hard for you," Derek snarks.

Speaking of Derek, Meredith informs him that now is not the time to give up on her; since drowning, she says, she wants to be a better person. He buys it — so much for his big Mere vs. chief debate — but of course their happiness can't even last till the end of the episode. The newest wedge between them comes from yet another tragedy for Mere: Susan shows up in the hospital with hiccups that won't stop (does anyone believe for a second that she'd really go to the free clinic?). Meredith and Thatcher actually bond, a little, but Susan gets worse and eventually dies on the operating table. Meredith must tell Thatcher his wife is dead, and in his grief, he slaps Mere across the face. Derek tries to stop Meredith as she walks away, but she brushes past.

Cristina, meanwhile, runs into the Attack of the Wedding-Planning Mothers when both her mom and Burke's show up. Somehow she ends up asking Callie to be a bridesmaid, which, naturally, just thrills Izzie. All of the girls wind up in a bridal shop, and Cristina (dressed in a tornado of lace and tulle) confronts Burke: "What happened to our small ceremony? What happened to you and me at city hall?" Burke says he's a traditional man. He apologizes to his mom for Cristina's behavior, and she says — liar! — that if Burke believes Cristina is right for him, she trusts his opinion.

Of course, this plants a little seed of doubt for Burke. He and George end up sharing their wedding woes, with George admitting he didn't think his own marriage through in advance. He wonders aloud if it's possible to love two people at the same time. Burke: "I'm still hoping it's possible just to love one person." In the end, Cristina gets a dress — it's too tight and she can't breathe but a wedding's just one day, right? — and she and Burke both lie that they're happy. Molly and I decided last night that if Burke leaves her at the altar, we're so done with this show.

Meanwhile, Izzie has a breakdown with George, once again whining that it's unfair that she's losing her best friend. So of course George kisses her. Again. There are no words for my rage; Callie deserves better.

Finally, Ava tells Alex she's frustrated by not having anything to say to her baby; she can't even remember what life is like outside Seattle Grace. The doctors discover she needs surgery to stop bleeding in her brain, and Ava becomes convinced that the procedure will bring her memory back. When she wakes up, though, she still can't remember a thing. Alex takes her outside so she can feel fresh air again and tells her that a lot of people would kill to have a blank slate like she does. She asks him why he's so good with her but so bad with women he has feelings for. "What happened to you, Alex?" she asks. His reply: "Maybe I don't remember." He goes home to do tequila shots with Izzie and Meredith (drinking to "crappy friends and crappy family") while Derek watches from outside.

Photos copyright 2007 ABC, Inc.

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