If I had to choose a theme for this episode of Private Practice, it would be "hidden pain." Whether through their patients or their personal stories, each character had to face some sort of uncomfortable, repressed secret. To read my take, just read more

When I saw Charlotte's name in the title of the episode, I was sure it was a typo. I've found her to be the most boring, one-note character thus far; she comes in to be the taskmaster, but then she fades back into the background. Does having her carry her own plot line in this episode indicate that she'll be playing a bigger role around Oceanside in the weeks and months to come — or was it just a one-time adventure meant to give her some depth and personality? Either way, I think she's more interesting than I've given her credit for; she's got her pill-popping past, for one thing, and it's curious that she respects Oceanside enough to go there with her personal medical problems even while she bashes it all day long.

In my personal rankings of Private Practice characters, Cooper is about as far away from Charlotte as you can get. I could watch Cooper all episode, every episode (hey, let's give Cooper his own spinoff! I kid, I kid). So I was pleased that, once again, he got one of the meatiest medical cases: a teenage who kept showing up with various injuries that suggested her mother, a patient of Sam's who suffered from multiple sclerosis, was abusing her. The case pitted Sam and Cooper against each other, but the biggest revelation there was Dell, who knew right away that the girl was being hurt at home. That goofy boy has some dark secrets in his past.

Addison and Naomi, meanwhile, treated a woman who didn't want to get pregnant because she could be carrying the gene for Huntington's disease. She'd never been tested for the disease and never told her husband she might have it; the solution she saw at first was to lie and leave. But after Addison gave her a speech about being a whole woman, she relented, reunited with her partner, and decided to try and have a baby after all. That paved the way for Addison's flirtation with Pete to reach the actual kissing level (finally), though he still insists he's only in for fun. I predict weeks of sex and regrets.

Some other thoughts:

  • I loved the opening scene with Addison snatching the bottle of wine away from Pete as she shut the door. But why was Naomi leaving from Addison's for her date? Wouldn't Addison have just gone to Naomi's place?
  • I like Dell. I do. I like him even more now that he's got some hidden history. But something about the way he pines after Naomi feels weird and stalker-ish to me.
  • Did it seem to anyone else like Naomi was confused about what Huntington's disease was? I'm no genetic specialist, but I've still heard of it.
  • I've finally been compelled to look up one of the songs from this show! The song playing over the final scenes was Matt Nathanson's "All We Are," and it left me feeling all warm and fuzzy ... at least until I saw the previews for the next episode.

So, do you have more interest in Charlotte now? And how creepy would it be if Dell and Naomi actually got together?

Photos copyright 2007 ABC, Inc.

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