'Grey's Anatomy': Your heart lives ... where?

Was tonight's "Grey's Anatomy" episode, titled "Perfect Little Accident," much more fast-paced than usual? The action and especially the dialogue were particularly rapid-fire.  I felt like everyone had suddenly turned into Lorelai Gilmore without warning.

The episode opened with a bunch of hilariously cheesy shots of Lexie trying to arrange herself into the perfect seductive pose on Alex's bed. Unfortunately, just as she pulled the sheet off herself ... Derek burst into the room.  The perils of having casual sex with your married sister's roommate, I suppose.

Alex and Lexie's relationship was a focal point of the episode, though ultimately not much development occurs: They more or less go from being in an unspoken casual sexual relationship to being in a spoken casual sexual relationship.  "I can't have feelings for Alex Karev. Emotionally he's like Meredith, three years ago," Lexie says, echoing her sister's advice.  She's changed a lot more than her hair color since she and Sloan broke up, but Meredith and Cristina doubt she can handle the whole colleagues-with-benefits game, because her heart lives in her ... um, pants.

Pilot season: First look at ABC's 2010 drama pilots

Editor's note: Over the next several days, Show Tracker will cover the pilots under contention for the fall season at the five broadcast networks, in the following order: ABC, CBS, CW, Fox and NBC. (Yes, it's alphabetical).

It definitely seems that ABC is banking on (hoping?) that "Flash Forward" or "V" (probably the latter) winds up as its next mind-boggling pop-culture sensation a la "Lost," because none of the 11 dramas the network has in development is marked by any of the qualities that made the island mystery an international hit.

In fact, ABC's crop of dramas largely signals a return to the basics, with four crime shows, two legal shows and one medical show among the 11 dramas under consideration for the new fall season. Where do the other four dramas fit?

Let's begin with those:

"No Ordinary Family" is basically "The Incredibles" in live action with (pictured left) Michael Chiklis ("The Shield") as the lead and the writing-producing team of Greg Berlanti and Jon Harmon Feldman. Do we need to know anything else? I'm in.

"Cutthroat" stars Roselyn Sanchez ("Without A Trace") in a dramedy about an ambitious single mother who finds that running her own international drug cartel is perfect training for navigating the "cutthroat" -- get it? -- world of Beverly Hills high society. So, it's like Nancy Botwin goes "90210." Hmm. I don't know. But wait! It might be worth noting that "Dollhouse" executive producers Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters are the writer-producers. That's something.

"Edgar Floats" centers on a police psychologist who, looking for more money and some excitement, becomes a bounty hunter at a company run by his ex-wife and her dad. Although he has none of the physical skills of a traditional bounty hunter, he has a special talent for getting people to talk. I wonder if this guy will like fruit and have red hair. The writer is Rand Ravich of "Life," and his partner, Far Shariat, is producing it. No one has been cast, but isn't Damian Lewis available?

"Generation Y" is a documentary-style dramedy that follows a group of high school classmates, tracking their paths over the last 10 years and the events that helped shape their lives. Why does this sound so familiar? Oh, yes, because Fox tried this in 2005 with "Reunion," which chronicled 20 years in the lives of a group of six high school friends, one of whom had been murdered. The ABC pilot was written by Noah Hawley ("Bones" and "The Unusuals"). So far, the only two cast members are Michael Stahl David ("Cloverfield") and Kier O'Donnell ("Wedding Crashers") and it's shooting in Austin, Texas.

'Grey's Anatomy': Stage fright, bad hair and AIDS in the '80s

Thursday's episode of "Grey's Anatomy" was called "The Time Warp," and it delivered on that promise.  Arguably one of the strongest episodes of the season, "Time Warp" didn't offer us any current character development but did give us a glimpse into what made some characters into the surgeons they are today.

Webber, after rehab and 45 days of sobriety, returns to Seattle Grace expecting to get his job back.  Shepherd makes noise about needing board approval but suggests that Webber give one last lecture for the newly reinstated Lecture Day, so that he can go out on a higher note than he did before.

Lecture Day features Webber, Torrez and Bailey on stage, recounting pivotal cases from the entire course of their careers in front of a room full of their colleagues. Though many of our favorite doctors were missing from this episode -- notably Hunt, Altman and Sloan, the focus on individual stories was a welcome departure from the usual busy relationship drama. 

'Grey's Anatomy': Derek's first day doesn't go as planned

To be honest, I've been dreading tonight's "Grey's Anatomy" since the promo aired after last week's episode.  For lack of a better term, the idea of waking up in the middle of invasive surgery... freaks me out.  Luckily, that part was over within the first few minutes of the episode, titled "State of Love and Trust," so I could take my hands off of my eyes and sit back to enjoy Derek's first day as chief of surgery.

The major issue in tonight's episode was, of course, the fall-out from Derek turning Webber in.  While Meredith is still angry about Derek's decision, she puts her own feelings aside and does her best to support him.  I think that deep down, she knows Derek did the right thing.  Webber, on the other hand, doesn't appear to be ready to forgive Derek any time soon. He gets Derek to admit that Derek wanted to be Chief, but Derek also makes it very clear that if and when Webber gets sober, he can have his job back.

You'd think that when faced with the choice between rehab or surrendering his medical license permanently, Webber would choose rehab without question.  It speaks to how far he's fallen that he feels the need to "think about it." I wish that his wife would have made an appearance in this episode; he really needed an ally.  It was reassuring when he finally admitted to Dr. Bailey that he's an alcoholic.  Admitting you have a problem is the first step toward recovery, right?

It wasn't exactly smooth sailing on Derek's first day in his new position.  Leslie (Chastity Dotson), the patient who woke up during Dr. Bailey's surgery, remembers everything about those horrifying moments, much to the dismay of Derek, Bailey, and the new Mercy West anesthesiologist, also known as "The Gas Man," played by Jason George.  While the mishap winds up being unpreventable, the result of a rare condition, the patient still refuses to let Bailey anywhere near her, so Meredith has to perform the follow-up surgery.  It does, however, allow an initial connection to form between the anesthesiologist (whose name I couldn't figure out) and Dr. Bailey.  After a rocky divorce and some family trouble, I hope that connection turns into something more meaningful for Bailey.

Cristina and Owen's relationship was really front and center this week.  Showtracker readers have frequently commented on their roughness with each other, so Cristina's "sex injury" this week - a burn from the grates in the boiler room - shouldn't have come as much of a surprise.  Still, I was glad to see Cristina finally confront Owen about their obvious issues, just as I was glad to see Owen demand information from Cristina about Burke.  In a show where no one seems to be able to say what they mean, Cristina and Owen have the worst communication issues of anyone.  Now that it's all out in the open, perhaps they'll be able to connect on a deeper level.

Elsewhere in the hospital, Arizona was exploring something we've all known for years: Karev is great with kids.  I do think that he's going to be an excellent pediatric surgeon once he gets his hair-trigger temper under control.  He made it very clear that he works well under pressure, and considering what's been going on at home for him, it's great that he can leave that behind and do his job to the best of his ability.  Speaking of his problems outside the hospital... I expected to see Izzie again, but she wasn't back this week.  Katherine Heigl's name is still in the regular credits, but there are guest stars who have appeared more frequently than she has this season.

I have to say, I'm thrilled that Derek hired back April (Sarah Drew).  She was my favorite of the Mercy West insurgents and I can't wait to see more from her character.

How do you think Derek's first day as chief of surgery went?  Let's discuss it in the comments below, and don't forget to come on back to Showtracker after next week's new episode!

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

Photo: Derek (Patrick Dempsey) addresses the hospital as chief for the first time. (Credit: ABC)

Related Articles:
The choice between surgery and love
The Family Sloan flips the switch
Kim Raver gets comfortable at Seattle Grace

'Grey's Anatomy': The choice between surgery and love

"In surgery, the healing process begins with a cut." 

So began Meredith's closing comments on Thursday night's "Grey's Anatomy" episode, titled "I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked."  The metaphorical incision she was referring to was the inevitable removal of Dr. Webber from his position as Seattle Grace's chief of surgery.

The stresses of his hospital's declining ranking and the subsequent merger with Mercy West threw Webber off the wagon this year, and ultimately, he was no longer able to hide his drinking problem.  This season, he's made crucial mistakes during surgery, forcing Bailey to cover for him.  He's got a code with the local bartender: When he orders a "club soda," Joe pours him straight vodka. And in this episode, he passed on a complicated surgery in favor of the glass of scotch Derek tested him with.

I'm glad that Derek made the decision to go to the board about Webber's drinking problem, regardless of whether he did it for his own benefit or not.  Seattle Grace is falling apart, and the Chief has come dangerously close to putting patients' lives in danger. If Derek turned Webber in because of a selfish agenda, so be it!  The hospital needed the change.  I was disappointed that Meredith couldn't see that. Her relationship with Webber, who has become her mentor this season, took precedence.  She wasn't acting like a doctor when she "called post-it" and asked Derek to keep quiet.

I'm really interested to see how Webber's ousting is going to affect the hospital's routine.  I doubt that everyone will feel as loyal to Derek as chief of surgery as they felt to Webber. Not to mention, he's now got authority over people like Mark, who has always operated as Derek's equal.

'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Private Practice': The Family Sloan flips the switch

After a long holiday hiatus, "Grey's Anatomy" returned tonight with a game-changing hour, and some bonus crossover drama on sister series "Private Practice."

The "Grey's" episode, titled "Blink," began with Meredith's voiceover explaining how a person's life can be transformed in an instant. In the blink of an eye (get it?) you can become an entirely new version of yourself. Several characters and relationships were transformed by pivotal moments. Though the episode probably could have benefited from a little bit of streamlining, it was one of the stronger ones so far this season, especially in comparison with "Holidaze," the rushed fall finale.

I think the writers have struck gold with the characters' living situations at the moment -- particularly having Callie, Arizona, Christina, Owen, Mark, and Lexie all living in the same apartment building.  With the latest addition to the mix -- Mark's pregnant teenage daughter, Sloan -- there's an open-door-policy dorm vibe, not unlike what made "Friends" so much fun to watch.  It's a nice reminder that outside of the hospital, these people aren't just occasional sex partners, they're a haphazard, makeshift family as well.

I've been looking forward to this episode because of its focus on Mark. He's one of my favorite characters -- I'm always happy to see him get a story line of his own, because he injects even the most melodramatic moments with a cocky sense of humor. He's the eternal high school yearbook "most popular," so he's incredibly charming, but he's also the type of guy who expects to get what he wants. He's not used to anyone telling him that something can't be done or that a situation is hopeless.

'Grey's Anatomy': Kim Raver gets comfortable at Seattle Grace

Despite her rocky start, it looks like Kim Raver's character, 'cardio god' Dr. Teddy Altman, is here to stay.  Raver, who was brought into the "Grey's Anatomy" fold as a recurring character, has been promoted to the much coveted status of series regular.

Best known for her run as Audrey on "24" and Nico on the short-lived Brooke Shields vehicle, "Lipstick Jungle," Raver is expected to appear in 11 out of this season's expected 12 remaining episodes.

Though she's only been in two aired episodes, Dr. Teddy Altman has already made some waves for the Seattle Grace doctors. She arrived in pursuit of Dr. Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd), whom she worked with when she enlisted after losing a close friend during 9/11. Despite their history, it appears that her profession of love has only brought Hunt closer to girlfriend Christina Yang (Sandra Oh).

Raver is not the first guest star to be promoted to series regular on "Grey's" -- Kevin McKidd and fan favorite Jessica Capshaw were also brought in as recurring guests who ended up sticking around. 

Let us know your two cents on Dr. Altman's new permanent status, and check back here after "Grey's" returns in a "Private Practice" crossover on January 14.

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

Photo: Kim Raver as Dr. Teddy Altman. Credit: ABC

RELATED:

The McDaughter brings a case of holiday whiplash
Izzie's not-so-triumphant return
Heigl takes another hiatus

'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.