'Grey's Anatomy': The incredible shrinking 'Grey's'

The problem with having a real-life publicity problem plaguing your hit television show is that it tears down the fourth wall, allowing the viewer to engage in way too much actor-analysis and general sub-texting, which, no matter what Us Weekly may tell you, is never a good thing. Especially for a relationship-driven quasi-soap opera like “Grey’s Anatomy” where the lovability of the characters is key.

Unfortunately, last night’s episode was one of the weakest in a while: runaway Amish girls coped with cervical cancer (allowing Dr. Bailey to give one of her famous operating table lectures—ladies, get those pap smears). George attempted to find solace for his father’s death by having lots of sex (worth it just to hear partner Callie’s heaving I-can’t-take-it monologue—“I’m tired of having my legs bent in ways my legs don’t go”). The Chief of Surgery officially announced his retirement and all the leads at Seattle Grace suddenly began vying to fill his shoes.

Meanwhile all the various couples hit their various marks, culminating in Burke and George proposing to their respective love partners. This last was, one assumes, an attempt to meet the needs of this week’s theme—that reality often exceeds expectation, but neither proposal made much sense except in a must-have-stunning-conclusion way.

So the Devoted Viewer was forced to amuse herself, and the recent announcement that Isaiah Washington (Dr. Preston Burke) in an effort to atone for using the word “faggot” had checked himself into a recovery facility (they have recovery facilities for homophobia?) did nicely. Was the rage George felt during his father’s decline really actor T.R. Knight’s anger at Washington, or did the incident occur later in the shooting schedule? Did showrunner Shonda Rhimes read her actor the riot act in a manner that would make Miranda “the Nazi” Bailey proud? Has the cast taken sides or have they ganged up on him like they did Christine?

Speaking of Christine, is Sandra Oh finding it hard to feign passion for a man who has checked himself into a recovery facility to deal with homophobia? Viewer, she can’t possibly marry him, though if she jilts him that will give the writers plenty to work with in terms of getting him off the show. I just hope they bring back Brooke Smith as the other number one heart surgeon in the country (who knew Seattle was such a blazing medical firmament?) because she is one of my favorite actresses and, like Julie Kavner before her, never gets near enough screen time.

For my money, the best thing that happened Thursday night was when Chief of Surgery Richard Weber goes a’courtin’ at his estranged wife’s house only to find someone is there before him. For all its reliance the preternaturally thin and pretty Ellen Pompeo for voice-over and McDreamy action, “Grey’s” is groundbreaking in its recognition of the fact that people who are not young and thin also can have great sex too.

Which reminds me, is anyone else concerned that Sara Ramirez, who plays Callie, is getting thinner? Why does this always happen? On any ensemble show, the women always wind up paring themselves down to the size of the smallest member, no matter how anorexic she may be. It happened on “Friends,” it happened on “Ally McBeal,” please God don’t let “Grey’s Anatomy” follow this template, too.

-- Mary McNamara