grey's reconciliation

I almost hate to admit it because I've been in a fight with this show since after the writer's strike last spring, but I'm going to say it. Grey's Anatomy and I almost are best friends again. Here's why:

Good cases. This has always been writer/creator Shonda Rhimes' bread and butter, but the cases have been particularly strong lately. The pregnant mom with the brain aneurysm (the Private Practice crossover worked really well here - Addison and Derek had some great scenes), amazing Eric Stoltz as the death row inmate (seems Shonda wrote this storyline specifically for Ellen Pompeo's Emmy submission reel), the short guy with a botched leg lengthening surgery, and even the band geek with Karev.

Dizzie Izzie. I hated the dead Denny storyline. It was just asking too much of the viewer. We already put Denny behind us and lost much of the emotional connection that made his first return (when Merideth drowned) really effective. That said, the last Denny episode with Izzie trying to "break up" with him and Denny trying to make her see why he was there was really well done. I would have liked that whole storyline to be cut down to just that one episode. But, since then, I've loved what they have done with Izzie and her relationship with the interns. Last week's episode with the diagnosis of Patient X was so good.

New pairings. With all the Denny/Izzie fatigue, it's nice to have some interesting new couples. Lexie and Sloane are fun and cute. Callie and Arizona have some good potential too. But Christina and Owen really get me. I heard Shonda Rhimes describe their relationship as almost Victorian, with Owen protecting Christina and trying to hide his vulnerability while Christina hangs back in the beginning waiting to be "courted." The chemistry between the two makes it difficult not to stare at the screen.

Bailey's hair. So glad Bailey finally got a new 'do. That Dutch boy style had been bugging me for years.

Mer and Der. I've never been a fan of this couple. Just too annoying and dramatic. But following Mer's therapy and breakthrough that allowed her to somewhat get past her mother's suicide attempt, I've liked her character a lot more. I've already mentioned the Eric Stoltz story, which I loved. And Tyne Daly coming in as Derek's mom (perfect casting by the way) explaining to Derek that, while he sees the world as black and white, Merideth sees the greys - such a great way to explain this couple. In the past few episodes, we've seen Mer really showing her new found strength with Derek acting as the "broken" one culminating in this scene from last week, which I though was so well done:



All this is to say, I've liked the latter half of this season so far. There are still many areas of concern, including tragically absent George, whiny Chief, useless Sadie, and what I understand to be an unfortunate portrayal of a women living with Asperger's Syndrome. But I'm looking forward to Thursday nights more these days.