'Grey's Anatomy': The McDaughter brings a case of holiday whiplash

I've always been an easy sell when it comes to holiday episodes. There's nothing like a "Felicity" Thanksgiving, and "The Office" always has the best Christmas parties.  I'm a sucker for big makeshift-family dinners and people playing in the snow and a miracle or two.

So I guess it's no surprise that Thursday's "Grey's Anatomy" episode, "Holidaze," tugged on my heartstrings quite a bit. I've been rather cynical when it comes to reviewing "Grey's" so far this season, but after this episode, I do believe that the writers are getting back on their feet. They've had a lot of obstacles to work around this season -- and by "obstacles" I mean "maternity leave" -- but they seem to be finding their groove again.

As the second episode with some major time-lapse this season, "Holidaze" covered six weeks of Seattle Grace time in only an hour of real time.

There are definitely some positive things about an episode in warp speed. It gives viewers the opportunity to follow the "patient of the week" all the way through their hospital stay. This week we met Kelsey (Danielle Panabaker), a young woman who had to have her heart removed from her body due to an aneurysm that developed during a transplant. Maybe it's just that holiday spirit, but I loved watching her relationship with her boyfriend develop from a brand-new infatuation to an engagement ring the morning after she finally got a new heart.

We also followed Derek and Sloane through their development of an instrument to treat the untreatable AVM in Arizona's pediatric patient, Nicholas. I liked that they sped us through this process, because when things like this are drawn out too long, they lose their impact. Again, I got the holiday warm-and-fuzzies when Derek, Arizona and Sloane donated their own money (hard-earned, as there were no Christmas bonuses this year ... surprise, surprise) when the project went over budget.

'Grey's Anatomy': Izzie's not-so-triumphant return

Thursday night's "Grey's Anatomy" marked the arrival of Teddy Altman (Kim Raver), a face from Owen Hunt's past.  She's a cardio surgeon who served alongside Hunt in Iraq after losing her best friend in the World Trade Center on 9/11.  I find myself a bit peeved that Hunt implies that the war in Iraq is the direct result of the events of 9/11.

It's very odd that Hunt kind of ... presented Altman as some kind of offering for Cristina. Altman is a drop-dead gorgeous, tall blond from Hunt's past. Somehow I don't think this is the early Christmas gift that Cristina had been hoping for.

Cristina is painfully transparent, checking Altman's references like she's giving a job interview. When she vocally doubts Altman's proficiency -- even going so far as to tattle to the Chief -- I rolled my eyes. At least Bailey did her Bailey thing and more or less told Cristina to sit down and shut up.

As for Altman... I don't care how long she's been in the desert. Enjoying the rain is fine. Standing in the rain is fine. But Desert Storm Barbie was two seconds away from bursting into song when it rained. In Seattle.

I liked the way Altman had confidence in Cristina during the surgery, handing her the reins and, even after Cristina makes a mistake, demanding that Cristina fix it herself.  She doesn't even know Cristina, but she puts more faith in her than Hunt and Callie did last week.

In addition to the arrival of a new face, we also saw the return of an old favorite. Katherine Heigl's Izzie Stevens came back to Seattle Grace. Within the first minute, Meredith Grey (also back to rounds after the end of Ellen Pompeo's maternity leave) did what I wish I could've done: she gave Izzie a couple of firm punches. It's frustrating to me that Izzie is looking to place blame on everyone but herself for her firing. 

'Grey's Anatomy' cast news: Heigl takes another hiatus

Tonight's episode of "Grey's Anatomy" will not only see Ellen Pompeo's Meredith returning to her regular duties after Pompeo's maternity leave, but will also feature Katherine Heigl returning to Seattle Grace as Izzie Stevens after taking a three-episode hiatus to shoot a movie.

However, don't expect Izzie to settle back in too comfortably. ABC has confirmed that Heigl will be taking another leave -- this time of the maternity kind.  Heigl will take time off to be with her husband, Josh Kelley, and their newly adopted daughter, Naleigh. Heigl is expected to return to "Grey's Anatomy" in early 2010.

Fans of the series may be distracted from Izzie's absence by the arrival of a few new faces. In tonight's episode, "24" alum Kim Raver will become Seattle Grace's latest "Cardio God," Dr. Teddy Altman. Altman, a veteran who worked with Dr. Hunt in Iraq, will stir things up in Hunt's already-rocky relationship with Dr. Yang.

The Nov. 19 "Grey's" episode, titled "Holidaze," will introduce 19-year-old "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" actress Leven Rambin as Riley, a face from Dr. Mark "McSteamy" Sloane's past -- possibly his long-lost daughter.

Rambin, in a recurring role, will not only feature heavily on "Grey's," but will instigate another "Private Practice" crossover in early January, bringing McSteamy and Addison (Kate Walsh) together again.

--Carina MacKenzie (follow me on Twitter @cadlymack)

Related:

Jessica Capshaw shines as Arizona Robbins

McDreamy tackles 'the great white of tumors'

Whodunit mystery rocks Seattle Grace

Photo: Kim Ravin and Leven Rambin in "Holidaze" Credit:ABC

'Grey's Anatomy': Jessica Capshaw shines as Arizona Robbins

In tonight's episode, "Invest in Love," Meredith's voiceover returned after last week's brief surrender to Derek. I was hoping that Ellen Pompeo's maternity leave would give us a longer break from that ever-monotonous introduction, but, oh well.

The focus of this episode is children in distress.  My mom works with very sick children, and for years I've heard her incredible stories about the children her team saves, and about the ones who succumb to their illnesses. It's a subject very, very close to my heart, so, in my defense, I was ultra-sensitive to tonight's subject matter. Don't judge me for crying ... a lot!

The first child was a preemie baby, born to Laura, a mother suffering from major head trauma after a car accident.  After sustaining injuries and gestating only 30 weeks, the baby doesn't have much hope for survival, but Laura is too injured to meet her. "What if she dies before she's ever been held?" Laura cries.

Alex is feeling despondent after being served (by the always warm and fuzzy Chief Webber) with an enormous medical bill for his MIA wife, who still isn't coming in for her IL-2 treatments. He's resigned to the fact that the baby is going to die, but not so resigned that he doesn't make sure she gets held before she dies. "You're not alone," he whispers to the baby.  "You're not alone." (That 'awww' you just heard was the sound of millions of women melting all over the country.)  When the baby's condition suddenly improves, Bailey says that skin-to-skin contact could save her, and demands in a very Bailey-like fashion that Alex remove his shirt. (That 'oooh' you just heard... Well, you get it.)

Not only do we get half-naked Alex for an entire episode, but his shirtlessness leaves room for some nice one-liners from the McBFFs. "Have you started to lactate yet?" Derek asks, before Sloane bursts into the room asking: "Is this the room for the calendar shoot? They said it was downstairs."  

'Grey's Anatomy': McDreamy tackles 'the great white of tumors'

For the second week in a row, "Grey's Anatomy" changed up the usual episode format. Usually, there are several different medical cases addressed by doctors with different specialties. In  Thursday night's episode, there was just one case, epic enough to capture the attention of the entire surgical team. 

It's a rare occasion when an episode begins without a pearl of wisdom in the form of a Meredith voiceover, but this week it was Derek's turn. Dr. McDreamy hasn't had much going on for him this season, other than being the voice of reason in the middle of the Seattle Grace Three Ring Circus. Unfortunately, the voice of reason, while necessary, just isn't all that interesting. 

How many times is Derek going to have to point out the Chief's failings? I'm tired of that conversation happening over and over again.  The more kind-hearted and generous and human Derek is, the more the Chief seems like a giant calculator. Of course, as an administrator, part of his job is to crunch the numbers and figure out where to put the money.  But he's working at a hospital, not a Hollywood talent agency. The numbers shouldn't come first. The ethical and medical issues should come first, and then the financial situation can be assessed. He's just turned into a robot.

'Grey's Anatomy': Whodunit mystery rocks Seattle Grace

Thursday night's "Grey's Anatomy" episode was called "I Saw What I Saw," and I saw something that I haven't seen from "Grey's" in quite a while: promise.

Usually I don't like episodes that feel really gimmicky, but tonight's film noir style of storytelling worked for me.  Maybe it's because Halloween is coming, but I was digging the dark and stormy night and the Seattle Grace twist on the classic whodunit puzzle.

The eerie feeling began from the very first second of the episode, with thunder crashing outside the hospital as a janitor mopped up a slough of blood from a dark trauma room, a bloody axe resting on a cart nearby.

It's immediately clear that something has gone horribly wrong, and the Chief and his board are on a mission to find out who is to blame. I was initially skeptical of the whole concept. Do we really need yet another excuse to pit these docs against one another? The merger and subsequent firings have made "Grey's Anatomy" resemble a reality show.  Who is getting kicked off the island this week?

'Grey's Anatomy': Mercy West is in, Izzie Stevens is out

In Thursday night's "Grey's Anatomy," we finally met the enemy: Mercy West interns and residents stormed Seattle Grace.

I'll get this little rant over with right from the start: Why does Shonda Rhimes love to pit her doctors against one another? In the beginning the interns were fighting over surgeries. Then they fought over solo surgeries. Then they fought over specialties. There was even a storyline where the top surgeons in the hospital were grappling for the Chief's job like kindergarten kids fight over the coolest toy on the playground.

I'm sick of it! It's childish and they're compromising their patients. I rolled my eyes when Alex stole lab results in order to hijack a patient. It's such childish behavior. Someone send these people to the time-out chair, please.

Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about the Mercy West influx! Meredith compares them to multiplying bacteria in her voice-over intro, but I have to say, I kind of like the little germs.

'Grey's Anatomy': Bears, bones and big sad eyes

"Grey's Anatomy" episodes are always a careful balancing act.  The poignant, emotional moments are always the most memorable, but the comic relief is also necessary to cut some of the tension.

Thursday's episode, "Tainted Obligation," definitely had plenty of the latter.  We kicked off with Alex heading out of the trailer he's sharing with Izzie... only to encounter a bear.

Yes, a bear. A giant, lumbering, roaring bear, just hanging out outside the trailer.  Alex's high-pitched, girly yowl of distress was the first laugh of the episode ... but certainly not the last.  His panic attack upon discovering a tick on his neck was excellent too.  Justin Chambers must have been relieved to have some more lighthearted fare to work with after Karev's difficult few months.

Mark Sloan's patient of the week was Irving Waller (Ralph Waite), an elderly man interested in the AMS 700.  While that may sound like a jet or a car or a gun, it's actually ... a penis pump.  The 82-year-old Irving is determined to have sex for the first time since his wife died 20 years ago.  As he says, "There's got to be more to life than eating pudding and watching 'CSI.'"  (A not-so-subtle dig at "Grey's Anatomy's" biggest Thursday-night competitor.)

His son Charlie (Tom Amandes) is less than enthused about the idea.  Tom Amandes was brilliantly cast -- he adds a little extra awesome to every role he takes, but this one was especially perfect.  Hearing him crow about his father's inappropriate affair with a younger woman was hysterical.  I loved how the case brought out the softer side of Sloan (after all, he won't be McSteamy forever) while still showcasing his crude frat-boy sense of humor.

'Grey's Anatomy': Paranoid schizophrenic meets paranoid residents

At the end of last week's season premiere episode of "Grey's Anatomy," Chief of Surgery Webber announced that Seattle Grace would be merging with its rival hospital, Mercy West, to ease financial strain caused by the recession. The shake-up has put everyone's job at risk, and the ensuing panic means there's no more time for sex in the on-call room as everyone fights for employment.

Thursday's paranoia-themed episode, "I Always Feel Like Somebody's Watchin' Me," certainly had some high points ... but where there are peaks, there are always valleys.

'Grey's Anatomy' premiere: Saying goodbye to George O'Malley

"Grey's Anatomy" viewers were left with one question after last season's cliffhanger finale: Would Izzie and George live or die? 

We got our answer within the first minute of Thursday's season premiere, as George (T.R. Knight) died on the operating table and Izzie (Katherine Heigl) opened her eyes.

Of course, most "Grey's" fans were unsurprised. Both Knight's release from his contract and Heigl's return to the set (for those grueling 17-hour workdays) were well-publicized over the summer. 

As the eternal underdog in everything from his love life to his career, George O'Malley remained a favorite of mine despite his weak story lines in the series' lackluster fifth season. Although his death wasn't a shocker, the panic attack Callie (Sara Ramirez) had when George flat-lined gave the scene the emotional impact it deserved. 

Thursday night's two-hour season opener followed the Seattle Grace staff over the 40 days after George's death, as they struggled through the five stages of grief (helpfully laid out during one of Meredith's famous monotone voice-overs). The time-lapse episode was an interesting choice, and though we sped through six weeks of mourning in two hours, it didn't feel rushed to me.