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T.R. Knight Speaks Out on Leaving Grey's

BuzzSugar — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:30:44 -0700

Where did George go on Grey's Anatomy last season? Why would T.R. Knight leave a hit show behind? That's what Knight himself talks about on this week's cover of Entertainment Weekly. While we won't get to read the full story till tomorrow, here are some early highlights:

Knight realized George had "expired." That's how Knight describes what happened to George at the start of season five. But he didn't talk to creator Shonda Rhimes about it, instead simply asking to leave.
He didn't like George's cheating storyline. Apparently, Knight struggled with the idea that George would be cheating on his wife, Callie (Sara Ramirez), with Izzie (Katherine Heigl).
He didn't know where George was headed. "My five-year experience proved to me that I could not trust any answer that was given [about George]," he says in the story. "And with respect, I'm going to leave it at that."
Heigl tried to talk him out of leaving. "I felt like some of the problems could be worked through," she says. "But by the time it came to fruition, I was [glad] for him because he was ready to go."

I'm curious to see more when the full story hits newsstands. Are you surprised at any of his comments? Will you miss him on Grey's?

Link Time! 6/18

BuzzSugar — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:45:12 -0700

T.R. Knight is reportedly leaving Grey's - for real. - Give Me My Remote
If Tom Cruise doesn't headline the fourth Mission Impossible movie, who should take his place? - MTV Movies Blog
Yet another new track from Modest Mouse, this one super pared-down and twangy. - Stereogum
Killer Hair is not your typical Lifetime TV movie. - PopCandy
Hugh Laurie wants to get his old buddy Stephen Fry on House. - PopSugarUK
This week, season two of Everwood is finally released on DVD: Anyone else excited? - Popwatch
Rumor has it, Christopher Nolan will not return to direct the next Batman movie. - Cinematical
Is anyone really upset by Bruno? And if so, isn't that the point? - HitFix

Grey's Anatomy Rundown: Episode 23, "Here's to the Future," and Episode 24, "Now or Never"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 15 May 2009 09:30:34 -0700

Grey's Anatomy just wouldn't be the same without an intense season finale. After all, this is the show that had Burke shot, killed Denny, and had Meredith build a house of candles. But even by Grey's standards, Thursday's finale was a doozy. Partially because of the behind-the-scenes drama and partially because of the storylines it set up, we had a lot of questions going into these final two episodes. Were any of them answered? To talk about it, read more.

George might be dying! Izzie might be dying! As the episode fades to black, the two of them are meeting - in an elevator, natch - with Izzie in her pink prom dress and George in his army uniform, while back on earth, their colleagues try furiously to save them. I suppose those of us who wanted answers about whether Katherine Heigl and TR Knight are leaving are out of luck - but wow, what an ending.

Maybe I should have seen it coming, just like last week's wedding. But when George finally managed to sign "007" into Meredith's hand, I screamed. I don't know if it was the twist itself or the the look on Meredith's face, the horror when she sees (and we see) that it's sweet little George there in the bed. George, who's signed up for the army, who saves a total stranger on his way home by throwing himself in front of a bus. He throws himself in front of a bus! And now he's hurt and maybe dying. If he goes out, at least he goes out with an act of kindness - and I'm glad the woman he saved insisted on being with him, because at least he had someone to hold his hand through the pain.

That struggle is the episode's bigger shocker; we knew Izzie's path wouldn't be easy. But I don't think I anticipated how hard it would be for Alex. Should he convince her to have the surgery? Should he let her decide on her own even when she begs for help? And when she comes back, with her long-term memory intact but her short-term recall in pieces, how is he supposed to deal with that? I actually found Izzie's story slow to unravel - until the second half of the second hour, anyway - but several scenes were just heartbreaking, including Alex pushing to get Izzie to remember things. The post-its, the potassium levels - I wanted to shake him, tell him to give her time, but I'm sure he was afraid there wasn't any. It's sad that the only thing she remembers is their fight - but sweet that she remembers anything at all. And yet, just like with Denny, the second you think Izzie's really back, she crashes, and maybe for good.

Speaking for a second of post-its, that's what Meredith and Derek's wedding turns out to be: a little sticky square of paper with vows written and signed. I'm curious to know how the hardcore Mere-Der fans take this, but I thought the whole act was touching (not to mention their actual vows: to love each other even when they hate each other, to never walk out even when they're smelly and senile). Probably they should get around to having an actual legal marriage one of these days, but for now, that post-it is enough for me.

And as for the episode's other great love story: every scene with Cristina and Owen feels so tense I can barely breathe - so I guess I know some semblance of what Cristina's feeling. Talk about hating someone and loving them still: he strangled her, he's horribly damaged, he just told his mom he's back from war, and that's a lot of burden for Cristina - but she still wants Owen. Her tortured "I love you" in the hot vent room is hard to watch, but when she finally marches up and kisses him, it's sweet relief.

So much more to say:

When Bailey cries, I cry, so that scene with her telling the Chief that she's sticking with general surgery because she can't be a single mom starting a new specialty made me lose it. Yes, it might have had more punch if we'd explored her problems with Tucker a bit more this season, but her cry of "we're all scared" is chilling.
Mark has grown up so much! I wish we could have seen more of him with Lexie these past few weeks (I assume Chyler Leigh's pregnancy had something to do with that), but it's good to see him talking about houses and creating his own future.
I hope Arizona's back next season, but I also hope they take her quirk level down just a touch. Wheelie shoes? Fine. Crying in front of authority figures when she's mad? Not fine. But her fight with Callie about George joining the army gave us some insight into her backstory, and I think there's a lot more to do with her.
The story of the patient whose healthy leg gets amputated gets lost in the grand scheme of the two hours, but wow, Zach Gilford is so much less mumbly here than he is on Friday Night Lights.
I'm glad Alex pointed out that Izzie's memory loss is just like that case earlier this season.
How do you imagine the George intervention would have gone down?
Shouldn't Owen and Cristina be meeting someplace without a whapping fan blade?

I could talk about this episode for hours, but I'll turn it over to you now. It's going to be a long Summer with a cliffhanger like that!

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?

Buzz News Roundup, 4/13

BuzzSugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:30:56 -0700

Regina Spektor's latest album is headed to stores in June. - Billboard
William Hurt will join the cast of Ridley Scott's Robin Hood as William Marshall, the Earl of Pembroke. - The Hollywood Reporter
TNT won't renew Trust Me for a second season. - TV.com
It's confirmed: Zac Efron has signed on to play the title role in the planned live-action version of the '60s Hanna-Barbera cartoon show Jonny Quest. - ComingSoon
Ray Winstone, David Thewlis, and Anna Friel are set to join Keira Knightley and Colin Farrell in the crime drama London Boulevard. - Variety
Showtime has passed on the Tim Robbins drama Possible Side Effects, which may still be shopped to other networks. - TV Guide
Maggie Gyllenhaal will star opposite Emma Thompson in the Nanny McPhee sequel, titled Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang. - ComingSoon
Spoiler alert: Is George leaving Grey's Anatomy or not? - Entertainment Weekly

Source

The Chief Says George and Izzie Are Leaving Grey's Anatomy

BuzzSugar — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:09:59 -0800

This crazy season of Grey's Anatomy just got a little weirder. James Pickens Jr. - Chief Richard Webber to you and me - has said that both Katherine Heigl and TR Knight are saying goodbye to the show.

According to the story, Us Weekly asked Pickens if Heigl was leaving, and he said, "Yes, she is" and added, "Wherever Katherine goes, I wish her nothing but the best." Then, of Knight, he said, "He's going too. He just wanted to pursue other career paths."

ABC hasn't commented, and Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello says he's hearing that Pickens may have jumped the gun, but unofficially, "all indications are that it will happen" and both Heigl and Knight will be leaving at some point.

Knight's barely been on screen this season, while Heigl's been front-and-center in the much-maligned ghost sex plotline. George and Izzie were the two original Grey's characters you wanted to ditch, but how do you want them to say goodbye?

Looks Like TR Knight Is Leaving Grey's Anatomy

BuzzSugar — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 10:01:11 -0800

Whoa - is George O'Malley really leaving Seattle Grace? It looks like the Grey's Anatomy star is on his way out, as Entertainment Weekly reports that Knight "has asked to be released from his contract, a request that both ABC and Grey's show-runner Shonda Rhimes appear poised to grant."

Knight seemed to be the target of some blind items about a TV star's discontent last week, but the rumors really picked up on Monday, when one report said Knight had walked off the set. That rumor was quickly denied by ABC, who said Knight was filming just like any other week. But that doesn't mean he doesn't want to leave. Entertainment Weekly says the details of his departure are being worked out, including how long Knight would stay with the show.

Grey's seems to be turning into a giant fireball of doom these days, with crazy departures and crazier storylines. If this turns out to be true, will you be sad to see George go? Or is his character one the show can get along just fine without? Personally, I think he should have left either a) when he broke up with Izzie or b) when he failed his intern exam - both of those would have been a lot more natural than this!

Grey's Anatomy Rumor Roundup! Killers, Ghosts, and More

BuzzSugar — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 15:30:06 -0800

Well, it's certainly been a crazy couple of days for Grey's Anatomy gossip. Just today, there's news about what might be behind the Izzie/Denny story, plus news about a wild new plot coming up later this season. And a couple of days ago, rumors and "blind items" started flying about a character possibly leaving the Grey's universe. Looking back, doesn't my most ridiculous Grey's Anatomy moment poll from '07 seem awfully tame? If only we'd known what was coming up. Anyway, to start talking about the news and rumors (it should be obvious, but there be spoilers ahead!), read more.

Story 1: What's ailing Izzie?
Over at Entertainment Weekly, Michael Ausiello has gotten multiple sources telling him what's making Izzie see Denny: not a brain tumor, but something else illness and brain related. "And although the specific name of the ailment is being kept in the safe underneath [Shonda] Rhimes's desk, I'm told it's similar to an aneurysm," he writes. "And every time it flares up, she sees Denny. And sometimes when it really flares up, she shags him." But it's not meant to be fatal, according to his sources - just meaty and maybe Emmy worthy.

Story 2: Is someone leaving?
Many of you have noted the odd absence of George O'Malley for much of this season - it's kind of hard not to notice - and so it caught my eye when E!'s Watch With Kristin posted this blind item earlier this week saying a certain character (she wouldn't say if it was male or female) hadn't been on screen much because "[he or she] has been a pain in the ass lately, trying to change scenes and dialogue, being hard to work with and putting up an attitude." Coupled with this near-simultaneous Ausiello blind item, it seemed TR Knight could be the answer. However, Kristin later noted that most commenters were guessing wrong, and most are guessing George. So, who else fits that description? Less screen time, potential for being obnoxious behind the scenes . . . ?

Story 3: A serial killer at Seattle Grace?
Back to EW for a second: Eric Stoz hltas been cast as a serial killer who needs medical attention, and he's on board for three episodes starting next year. Now, it's possible that he's just your average Grey's patient . . . but the way things are going, I wouldn't be shocked to see him take out a few Seattle Grace doctors while he's around.

For those of you who think this all sounds ridiculous, you might get a kick out of this challenge to "out-awful" the Grey's writers. And now, seriously: How do you feel about the Izzie story knowing some sort of medical problem is driving it? Who do you think is in the doghouse? And is it wrong that I'm more excited to watch the show now than I've been in years?

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?

Grey's Anatomy Rundown: Episode Four, "Brave New World"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 09:30:37 -0700

It's been a long time since Grey's Anatomy really made me laugh, but I spent the better part of this week's episode cracking up. There are a couple of "brave new worlds" to explore - dermatology, and the Wild West, and, um, Africa - and George reminds us why we liked him in the first place. To talk about it, just read more.

Derek-as-housemate was never going to be easy for anyone: Derek feels like the only adult among children with their petty problems. Meredith can't understand why Derek can't just be there without going through all of her stuff (or, more accurately, Ellis's stuff). And Izzie and Alex seem to think that having Derek as a roommate affords them a new intimacy at work. Very little of the episode actually takes place in the house, but nearly everything ties back to this new, weird living situation.

Take the Izzie/Alex feud: In this episode, he not only blows her off - he steals her patient. And that's the last straw, because she's messed with her own career enough that having someone else mess with it is really not cool. She gets some advice from Mark about treating surgery like the Wild West and shooting asses in Montana or something, but the point is, she uses her personal connections with patients for good and gets the surgery back. And then, in one of the more somber moments, she learns that Alex isn't mad at her; he just can't be mad at Rebecca, and Izzie's an easy target.

Meredith, meanwhile, is not pleased that Derek is unearthing Ellis's diary, etc. - so it's a relief when Cristina discovers dermatology. Dermatology, where the residents are bright-eyed and pink-clad, where there's water with raspberries and constant massaging. And they actually could be there, if only they could content themselves with rubbing lotion on people for a living ("We'd die of boredom." "We'd die with great skin."). Among other things, it's the private space Meredith dreams of. In the end, Derek offers up his now-empty trailer for Meredith's personal use; its new name is "Dermatology."

And George? George is awesome. George lets Meredith give him an IV to prove to a kid that it's not so bad, then gets permission to take that kid into surgery - and then picks the wrong surgery, where instead of a couple of incisions and no blood, they end up seeing a guy with his whole face taken off (which was the best possible payoff for all those nasty computer models of the procedure we had to see). And he passes his intern test! Too bad that when he gets the results, he ditches Lexie for celebrating with Meredith, Cristina, and Izzie.

Other thoughts:

Callie and Erica's relationship sure is developing slooooooowly . . . but I find it more realistic than if they were in bed together right away. And it leads to so many great Bailey moments, from her patented "I do not talk about sex" look to her long diatribe on Africa and embassies.
I still don't understand how Izzie is "running" the clinic, but I didn't ever understand how Bailey was running it, either.
George trying to motivate Izzie to get her surgery back: "There is always a woman in the saloon, and nobody messes with her, even though they all have guns." Izzie: "The woman in the saloon is a prostitute, George."

Did you also laugh at this episode? Cheer when Izzie finally grew a pair? Want to take your own vacation to dermatology?