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Private Practice: A New Crossover and Violet's Future

BuzzSugar — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 05:50:49 -0700

The last thing I was expecting from Private Practice and Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes when a bunch of reporters descended on the Private Practice set on Tuesday was a spoiler. But she must have been feeling generous toward the TCA crowd, because we didn't even have to work for our news: Dr. Miranda Bailey of Seattle Grace (the Emmy-nominated Chandra Wilson) will be guest-starring on the third episode of Private Practice's third season.

I suppose it would be too much to ask, though, for Rhimes to reveal exactly why the crossover takes place. The most we could get was that she'll be "performing a very interesting medical procedure" and "will have her own comments about what's going on" over at Oceanside Wellness. I like the sound of that second idea: I think the Southern California doctors could use a patented Bailey smackdown every now and then.

The Bailey visit wasn't the only thing I learned on the set. What follows is spoilery, but if you want to hear details of Violet's fate after that freaky season finale and what's up next for Addison's romantic life, just read more.

Amy Brenneman was on set, so it was clear pretty quickly that Violet survives the attack by her unstable patient. But that doesn't mean she's unharmed. "She gets hurt. Big time," Brenneman said. "She is saved - I mean, she survives. But she gets hurt. It's ugly." We won't have to wait long to find out the details: The first episode of the new season picks up just 20 minutes after the last scene we saw.

After that, though, the episodes will jump a bit forward in time, and things in Violet's relationship with Cooper won't be the same. "There is an emotional fallout for him," Brenneman said, explaining that not only are Violet and Cooper no longer roommates in the first part of this season, they haven't even really spoken for a while. Added Paul Adelstein: "Cooper is kind of avoiding her. He's avoiding going back to the house. . . . He's trying to pay a lot of attention to her, but he feels this guilt that he can't even quite identify, I think." Adelstein said Cooper thinks he's just giving Violet space to bond with her baby - which means, yes, there is a baby!

Some other hints about the new season:

Cooper and Charlotte are still together and just as dysfunctional as ever - and the stress of dealing with their own reactions to Violet's trauma isn't doing them any favors.
Naomi really has moved downstairs to the other practice (her on-set office was practically empty).
"There's a lot of Pete" and Violet, Brenneman said - though Sheldon will also continue to appear. The first episode of the season involves a lot of flashbacks with Violet and Pete, including Pete's early days at Oceanside.
Addison is going to start the season single. "And maybe to a comedic extent," Kate Walsh said. "There might be a pet cat involved."

Will you follow Bailey to Private Practice? Do you have thoughts on what's next for Violet? And are you glad Addison will try to be happily single for a change?

Buzz News Roundup, 7/6

BuzzSugar — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:30:29 -0700

ABC shows are turning up on Hulu, starting with Grey's Anatomy today. - CNET
Fox has tapped Nimrod Antal to direct another Predator movie, Predators, with Robert Rodriguez producing. - Variety
Mekhi Phifer will join Fox's Lie to Me as a regular, while Jennifer Beals will be a recurring guest star. - The Hollywood Reporter
The 1980s Aaron Spelling-produced TV series T.J. Hooker is headed for the big screen as an action comedy. - TV.com
The Sci Fi Channel officially becomes Syfy tomorrow. - New York Daily News
Last week Charlie Day and Christina Applegate joined the cast of the rom-com Going the Distance, and now Jason Sudeikis is coming on board as well. - Reuters
Chandra Wilson will be the first Grey's Anatomy cast member to direct an episode. - Entertainment Weekly
Warner Bros. has picked up the rights to most of Midway Games' assets, including the rights to popular video games like Mortal Kombat and Spy Hunter. - ComingSoon

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Grey's Anatomy Rundown: Episode 22, "What a Difference a Day Makes"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 08 May 2009 09:30:50 -0700

The 100th episode of Grey's Anatomy has all the elements of a classic: there's a big tragedy that brings a lot of the doctors together, a few sweeping speeches, and a wedding that makes me cry despite lots of lapses of logic. It's not my favorite Grey's of the season, but if a measure of a good episode is whether I was a weepy mess by the end, then "What a Difference a Day Makes" is certainly good. Ready to talk about it? Just read more.

I'm the first to admit I should have seen the Izzie/Alex wedding twist coming from a mile away. Meredith and Derek don't actually need a wedding, but Izzie does. She planned it to be exactly the wedding she'd want if only she'd live long enough to have a wedding, and Meredith and Derek (and Alex) ensure that she gets it. Sure, if I look too hard, there's a lot that makes no sense (like Meredith's dress fitting Izzie, or the church being full of Meredith and Derek's guests). But I don't really care, because Izzie gets a moment of happiness in an episode that's full of signs of death, and Alex gets to give that speech about becoming a man. We've watched Alex cope with so much tragedy - and watched Justin Chambers grow so much as an actor through those scenes - that his "I become accountable to you" speech rings true. Really, the biggest reason I want Izzie to live is that poor Alex deserves a break.

Meanwhile, the nice, light-hearted plotline we get to go along with Izzie's predeath wedding is . . . a car crash that kills a bunch of college kids on their way to graduation. Oof. I'm still really enjoying the whole George-as-a-trauma-surgeon story, but I think it's going to be a while before George believes he's cut out for it. Not surprising for a guy who started his career branded 007, he takes it personally when patients die. It's going to take a lot of coaching on Owen's part to get George to believe that saving some people sometimes requires losing others. Also, while it was a little too on the nose, the graduation speech - with the kids being zipped up in body bags - also made me cry. Dammit, Grey's.

I'm a little confused about why Arizona thought the middle of a huge trauma that her girlfriend was running would be the best time to confront Callie about the weirdness of their date. Her whole "So I'm not fun? You can get enough of me?" speech made me want to slap her, and I have to imagine that the only reason Callie didn't is that she was too tired from, you know, saving lives. The resolution was fine - Callie's money troubles are out in the open and she and Arizona have happy, pizza-eating naked time - but wow, Arizona was a pest.

Some other thoughts:

Denny Duquette's appearance didn't bother me much this time around, mostly because Izzie now knows what it means and can talk about it with people. (Though I keep thinking that maybe if she'd realized that hallucinating her dead ex was a Very Bad Thing from the start, we wouldn't be in this situation.) The moment when she asked Denny to please step aside so she could spend some time with her husband was sweet.
Yeah, Katherine Heigl's still pretty bald. (Or, I know, "bald.")
You know what was really making me lose it in the episode? The way Bailey kept almost losing it. When Bailey's crying, you know it's bad. Same with Derek basically giving up on Izzie with "She's one of the good ones."
Love that Derek's wedding present to Meredith is a solo surgery.
Do you think Derek and Meredith will ever actually get married now? I could see them just going to the courthouse - but would it drive you crazy to never see their day or hear their vows?

One more episode till we know better what the Grey's cast will look like next season. What are your hopes for the finale?

Grey's Anatomy Rundown: Episode 14, "Beat Your Heart Out"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 06:30:04 -0800

On this week's Grey's Anatomy, Derek's ready to move his relationship with Meredith forward - but will a phone call from Addison get in the way? Meanwhile, a ghost-free Izzie sets out to discover what ails her, Callie rocks some serious bangs and suffers through singledom, and Dr. Virginia Dixon . . . apparently works at Seattle Grace. To chat about it, just read more.

As I said yesterday, any episode of Grey's is better with a heavy dose of Bailey, and on that count, this one delivered. It's a rollercoaster of a story, though, starting with some good news about a possible promotion and ending with a revelation about her true calling. Bailey has a job in general surgery waiting for her if she wants it, and it would get her away from all the sick kids she's been treating recently. But the inescapable fact is, Bailey is good with those kids. She knows how to talk to them. She even finds a tool that will help a little girl with a serious heart problem live like a relatively normal child - and Bedazzles it. She tells Arizona that what happened to Tuck makes her too connected to kids' cases to deal, but Arizona awesomely sets her straight: That experience makes her uniquely qualified for the job.

Meanwhile - Dr. Dixon still works at Seattle Grace; guess the board gave her that better offer she wanted. Anyway, she, Bailey, and Cristina end up working on the same case, which makes for three very interesting personalities all in one room. It's uncomfortable and a little scary to see her snap when the family hugs her, and I wonder how realistic it is - it feels a little like autism spectrum 101, like someone read a Temple Grandin book and based all of Dixon's stories on it. But, that said, it has two awesome moments: one when Bailey tells Cristina to "get over here and hug on Dr. Dixon," the other when Cristina is able to use her comforting abilities to calm Owen down after he spots a mystery woman in the hallway.

Oh, and then there's that other matter: Derek wants to propose! Which remains a secret for about 37 seconds, because he tells Mark, and Mark can't keep his trap shut, and then his patient (Jennifer Westfeldt! I like her) spots the ring box in his pocket. Meredith of course thinks that Derek's weird behavior is because she insinuated that she wants children, when obviously her children will have Alzheimer's and suicidal tendencies and split ends; little does she know that he's plotting a candlelit proposal. And she won't know for a while, apparently, because Addison calls right as Derek is done setting up his ridiculously girly room; I'm amazed he only missed one rose petal in those hasty cleanup efforts.

Some other thoughts:

Izzie's storyline is a) blissfully light and b) actually encouraging, as she seems to be taking some steps to figuring out what's wrong with her. Making the interns run tests on her actually strikes me as a very House-ian thing to do.
Related to that, George bugged me. Wasn't he the first to think something might be wrong with Izzie? I would have expected him to be concerned rather than berate her for using expensive medical equipment against protocol.
Callie and Arizona, hooking up in the Joe's Bar bathroom! Huh. I guess ABC wasn't lying when they said Callie would get to explore her sexuality . . .
Lexie's turning Mark into a good man!
Cristina's reaction to Ellis's affair with the Chief is surprisingly subdued. I thought she'd be all over that gossip!
I actually burst out laughing at the Chief's "bend over backwards" line.

So, the proposal's delayed, Addison's on her way, and Izzie's probably either anemic or dying of whatever terrible disease Sadie thinks the other woman has. Guess we'll see what happens next week. Your thoughts?

Grey's Anatomy Rundown: Episode 5, "There's No 'I' in Team"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 09:31:03 -0700

Is it too early to say Grey's Anatomy is on a roll? I've said that before and regretted it later, but for the second week in a row, I thought the episode felt like the Grey's I came to know and love. A big ol' dramatic medical story, a whole lot of Bailey being awesome, and a touch too much awkward sex - it's like the olden days! To talk about this episode, just read more.

Growing up, I always hated group projects in school. They just never felt fair. And I think there's a little bit of that feeling going on this week at Seattle Grace: Derek's gotten his face on the cover of a national medical journal for his clinical trial and procedure - "The Shepherd Method" - without even a mention of Meredith, who came up with the whole idea. Sure, I understand the thought that it's just not time for Mere to get credit for something like that yet. But it's also a shame that Derek needs Bailey to tell him that Mere's not just being all emotional about it and at least deserves a "thank you."

Meanwhile, the 12-patient kidney swap is my favorite kind of surgery, because it brings everyone together. Naturally, there's drama with the donors, but that just gives Bailey a chance to be awesome and coerce-without-coercing the reluctant donor to save other lives, even if she doesn't care about her husband's. Alex and Izzie get patients whose story touches a little close to Alex's heart: an estranged son who agrees to give his father a kidney only because he'll get cash for doing it, who finally realizes (with the help of some screaming from Alex) that he should talk to his father before it's too late. And Meredith drops a kidney ("and don't say 'It happens," cause it doesn't"). I mean, I'm guessing this was unrealistic - but Bailey screaming "Five-second rule!" is classic.

Over in subplot-land, Cristina wants a man, decides to seek out an intern, and then realizes (after a cattle-call scene in which the residents try to pick which interns to pawn off to George) that none of them are worth her time. Good thing Owen Hunt turns up at the bar, huh? And Callie and Erica have bad sex - well, only bad for Callie - that leads to such an awkward plot (Callie begging Mark for oral sex advice) that I'll just drop it.

Some other thoughts:

I'm glad Alex and Izzie kiss, but I don't expect things to be all fine and dandy for them after this, because Alex still can't talk about his feelings, and Izzie is all about feelings.
Meredith's still reading her mom's diary and feeling inadequate. And yet, it doesn't seem to be getting her down the way it would have a couple of years ago. Progress?
Also, Meredith and Derek drifting off to sleep by the light of a kidney in a jar is hilarious. Kidneys glow?
Lexie (sorta) grows a backbone and tells George she's tired of being ignored. The girl does go over the top (balloons on the locker? Yeah, that's going to get him respect from his new interns), but she so desperately wants George to notice her.
I loved Bailey's snide remark to Izzie: "Well, as someone who stole an organ herself not that long ago, you should know . . . "

Your thoughts? Glad to see McArmy back in the picture, about to start work and raise hell in Seattle? And did anyone else think this episode's soundtrack rocked?

TCA Time! Gavin and Stacey, Heigl, and More

BuzzSugar — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:39:18 -0700

It's time again for the Television Critics Association's Summer press tour, when the networks trot out their shows and stars for reporters in LA. Pop and I will be bringing you reports live from the Beverly Hilton once the network portion of the tour kicks off on Monday (you can get a taste of what you're in for by looking at last year's posts), but until then, I'm watching the Web to see what comes out of the first few days of cable network presentations. Some goodies so far:

The British show Gavin and Stacey, one of PopUK's favorites, totally won over the room at Tuesday's BBC America session, even prompting critics who didn't like it on first watch to give it another shot. I've been excited to check out the show for a while - even more so since NBC is plotting a remake - and now I'm even more looking forward to its Aug. 26 premiere.
In a session for the Hallmark Channel, Grey's Anatomy's Chandra Wilson (who's starring in an upcoming Hallmark movie) ended up addressing the Katherine Heigl controversy and her perceived slam at the Grey's writers. "It kind of got blown out of proportion," she said. "Some years you submit. Some years you don't."
Apparently today, there was a session featuring Sean Young, Mikalah Gordon, and Lorenzo Lamas. I would have loved to be in that room.

A couple more items, so read more.

Here's some inspiration for FitSugar devotees: The Style Network is producing a show in which a 500-pound woman tries to lose weight.
No surprise here: The Soup's Joel McHale never worries about a lack of celebrities to skewer.
If you're into journalists hand-wringing about the sorry state of . . . everything, there's a whole spate of stories this year about whether the TCA tour is still relevant. As one of the bloggers supposedly detracting from the quality of the audience in the room, I appreciate the views of this guy, a newspaper critic who came from the online world.

Mad Men was among the shows scheduled to take the stage today, so I'll keep my eyes open for any interesting reports!

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Grey's Anatomy Rundown: Episode 11, "Lay Your Hands On Me"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 09:39:22 -0800

If Grey's Anatomy was going to go out early this season because of the writers' strike, at least it went out with a strong episode. "Lay Your Hands On Me" even felt like a finale, with several stories resolved, several mild cliffhangers to keep us guessing, and one emotional plot that brought all the characters together. To read my thoughts and add your own, just read more.

From the promos for this episode, I knew Bailey's baby would come into the ER hurt; I also assumed the doctors would find a way to save little Tuck. But what made this story different for me than, say, Meredith not dying was how thoroughly it rocked everyone. Ultimately, the entire episode was a story about faith - in yourself, in your marriage, in higher powers, in medicine.

Bailey's marriage has seemed doomed for a while, and so I'm not surprised to see her and Tucker driven apart. What I loved about this story was how clearly it revealed Bailey's code. Things don't just happen; people make priorities; they should be held responsible. If anyone ever doubted Chandra Wilson's acting range, they shouldn't: She was frenzied (frantically replaying her morning to see if she closed the baby gate), hardened (her "poor you" speech to Tucker), hopeful (saying the two of them could get Tuck baptized together now), and resolved (knowing Tucker was gone).

That mother/son story was set against another: George and his mom. At the start, this was one of the episode's lighter story lines, with Izzie accidentally revealing George's indiscretions while his mom was still thinking about baby clothes. But it turned into one of George's finer moments, realizing that he hasn't been making good decisions. I loved him saying he wants to go back to being the person Bailey named her son after; I hope he does.

Weirdly, the other story I loved was the continuation of Izzie's feud with Cristina. I think I say this every time it happens, but I love when Izzie gets to be a competent doctor. It seems odd to me that Izzie's recent flirtation with cardio would come after the episode with the bird man, but regardless, I like the truce between Alex and Izzie and the fact that Izzie could put her optimism to good medical use.

Some other thoughts:

Are we ever going to find out why Alex is so damaged? I think this is the second time in less than a year that some woman has literally said the words "What happened to you?" to him. I'm surprised his voice chakra is the one that's black, given that his sharp tongue has never been lacking.
Derek and Rose: feeling the spark yet? I can't say I am. It's interesting that Derek used the house plans as a test to see if Meredith would freak out - but of course she was going to freak out! Mere has never wanted the same things Derek does, so I'm not sure why he's had this sudden change of heart about waiting for her.

Callie made me laugh more than anyone last night, both because of her sudden friendship with Hahn - "anyone who can out-drink me and still kick my ass at the dart board gets to call me Callie" - and because of her assertion that Elvis was at her wedding, but she's not so sure about God.

And, well, that's that - all we've got for now, and maybe all we'll get this season. But even if the season ended now, I'd still consider it an improvement over season three. What about you?

TV Tonight: Grey's Anatomy

BuzzSugar — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 07:30:00 -0800

Who knows why TV networks do what they do. I was confused when ABC wasted one of its few remaining episodes of Grey's Anatomy on Thanksgiving Day, then made us wait two weeks for the conclusion to those stories; I'm even more baffled that they put off the show's final remaining episode until tonight. I thought I'd be so excited, but I'm actually having a tough time being enthusiastic knowing that whatever happens tonight is all we'll get till the strike ends.

That said, though, tonight's episode looks like a doozy. I've said before that Grey's is only as good as it lets Bailey be, and this episode is a showcase for her (and for newly minted People's Choice winner Chandra Wilson). Bailey takes over for Meredith as narrator tonight, and her story - a personal tragedy that's partially revealed in the promo below - serves as the episode's centerpiece. Meanwhile, George's mother shows up at Seattle Grace, and Derek has to deal with the fallout from his kiss with Rose. It sounds like a packed hour, and I hope it's satisfying enough to tide me over for a while. To watch that preview I mentioned, plus another emotional scene from the episode, just read more.

The Results Are In: Recast "Family Matters"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 14:30:15 -0700

Every Wednesday on BuzzSugar, I post a Recast challenge, where I ask you to choose new actors for a classic TV show or movie. The reader who submits the best cast wins a BuzzSugar t-shirt!

It's true, "Family Matters" is one of those shows that is difficult to recast, since the performances - especially that of Steve Urkel - have become so iconic. I really liked some of the suggestions put forth by everyone this week, though, like La-Ma's idea of Wanda Sykes playing Harriette Winslow and mrspiven's suggestion of Eddie Murphy dressing in drag to play Mother Winslow (a la The Nutty Professor).

Yet my favorite list this week comes from laneylaney. I like it mostly because without even seeing this cast in action they're making me laugh. To see who laneylaney picked along with a new cast photo, read more

laneylaney's cast:
Harriett Winslow - Chandra Wilson
Carl Winslow - Tracy Morgan
Eddie Winslow - Chris Brown
Laura Winslow - Keke Palmer
Rachel Crawford - Tyra Banks
Richie Crawford - Brandon Ratliff
Mother Winslow - Irma P. Hall
Steve Urkel - Jeremy Suarez

"Grey's" Fans: Here's a Taste of Season Four

BuzzSugar — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 05:30:00 -0700

We already know things are going to look a little different at Seattle Grace when "Grey's Anatomy" returns to the air Sept. 27. But now, thanks to an update on the show's media site and a story in Us Weekly, I've got a few more details about what the new season holds. If you want some spoilers - more like teasers, really - then you just have to read more

According to ABC, the newly minted residents will be getting their own interns to mentor. Among the interns: George, repeating his internship after failing the exam (an executive producer told Us that he'd be Meredith's intern), and Lexie Grey, Mere's half-sister.
Cristina takes Meredith on her "honeymoon" after being left at the altar; according to Us, when Cristina returns two weeks later, Burke is mysteriously nowhere to be found. As for Mere and Der, they're at what ABC calls "an emotional impasse."
The crew doesn't adjust well to taking orders from Callie instead of Bailey. Bailey, meanwhile, has to find a whole new place in the hospital hierarchy after being passed over for chief resident.
The Chief returns to his position, but this time he's attempting to keep a better work/life balance for the sake of Adele, with whom he has officially reunited.
Mark tries to rekindle his friendship with Derek; apparently, the guy's lonely after Burke and Addison both leave.

It's not much to go on, but it's a start, especially considering how tightly Shonda Rhimes guards her spoilers. What else would you like to see happen in season four?