Private Practice: The Complete Second Season Review

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(More customer reviews)In 2007, Shonda Rhimes (creator/executive producer of "Grey's Anatomy" and writer of "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement") developed a spin-off of "Grey's Anatomy" titled "Private Practice" based on the life of Dr. Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh). For the most part, "Private Practice" Season One lasted about nine episodes and received a so/so reception from fans.
For the second season, viewers were promised a much more exciting season and sure enough, Shondra Rhimes and crew were able to take the series to different heights this time around.
"Private Practice - The Complete Second Season" features 22 episodes (Episode 10-31) on six discs.
VIDEO & AUDIO:
"Private Practice - The Complete Second Season" is presented in Widescreen (1:78:1) - Enhanced for 16×9 televisions. Whereas "Grey's Anatomy" tends to be focused indoors, inside the hospital, "Private Practice" has a slick California look. Indoor scenes are well-lit and outdoor scenes are quite vibrant but viewers will notice the grain in the series. Even during the low-light scenes, you do see a bit of noise but compared to other drama series on television, the series is above average in terms of picture quality on DVD.
As for audio, the series is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. The series similar is primarily dialogue driven, so it's pretty much front and center channel driven. There is no accidents or any major sound effects or even a lot of music like "Grey's Anatomy" in "Private Practice" but for the most part, audio is clear and understandable.
The show is presented in English SDH, Spanish and French subtitles.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
"Private Practice - The Complete Second Season" includes the following special features:
DISC 6:
* Patient Confidentiality: Examining Season 2 - (12:52) Creator/Executive Producer Shonda Rhimes and Executive Betsy Beers talk about wanting to focus on the moral and ethical dilemma as doctors for Season 2. The talents also chime in on the various season 2 storylines and add their own personal feelings.
* Life Through the Lens: The Pictures of Chris Lowell - (8:10) Actor Chris Lowell (who plays William "Dell" Parker") showcases his photography and he talks about his inspirations and the cast talk about how he is a talented photographer. While the talents are complimentary, Lowell is more comedic when describing his photography.
* Extended Episodes and Deleted Scenes - 14 deleted scenes with optional audio commentary by Creator/Executive Producer Shondra Rhimes and Executive Producer Betsy Beers.
* Bloopers - (4:17) "Private Practice Season 2' bloopers
JUDGMENT CALL:
With the first season of "Private Practice" receiving so-so reviews, the "Grey's Anatomy" spin-off needed to make sure that the second season was significant enough to captivate the audience's attention enough to stay for all 22 episodes.
So, what better with the country's economy affecting private practices, to show Oceanside Wellness Center in a similar predicament. The early episodes tend to focus on the company on the verge of bankruptcy and the Addison doing what she can to prevent the company from bankruptcy and hoping for the private practice to emerge from its problems.
But along with the company problems, each of the main characters have their own major issues.
Addison deals with major issues with the company (and eventually leading the company), problems with men, the return of her brother (and her brother working for the rival practice), her relationship with her friend Naomi starts to grow apart and we get to see Addison and McDreamy once again during the "Grey's Anatomy" cross-over.
This season's love triangle appears to be between Pete-Violet-Sheldon. As Violet becomes pregnant, she is not sure who the father of the baby is and both men makes things more complicated when each want to be with her. But if anything, the most significant part of season two is Violet's character at the season finale and to say the least, it will be interesting to find out if a major character does not make it for the rest of season three.
As for Naomi and Sam, things get quite interesting with them as Naomi now finally moves on with her life and starts to date other men (including Addison's brother Archer), while Sam starts to show more concern over Naomi as she is seen sneaking off quite often from the practice.
As for Cooper, his storyline becomes the Cooper-Charlotte storyline and Cooper now wanting to be there for his good friend Violet and move in with her and support her during her pregnancy, while Charlotte being the cold-hearted doctor of St. Ambrose and later on developing a rival practice against Oceanside Wellness, she becomes more jealous of the time Cooper spends with Violet.
And as for Dell, he has to deal with his ex-girlfriend's drug problems and finding out that he has a daughter and gets into an even more complicated situation. Talk about a character who's likability seems to have fallen.
And as the characters face their major issues, on the medical end, the series deals with ethical and moral issues. The series definitely received some controversy with episodes such as episode 20 titled "Contamination" which dealt with autism and whether or not vaccinations do cause autism, another that dealt with sexual relationship between a woman and a young teenage boy, accidental switching of embryos, physician-assisted suicide and siblings who have sex with each other and more. Needless to say, both Shondra Rhimes and Betsy Beers definitely wanted to push the button on certain medical issues.
But part of the problem with "Private Practice" is that it seems as if the writers can not keep up the quality of writing with many of their characters and some are not getting the time that they need. I felt that this was an angsty season and a season where characters storylines were a bit uneven. Writers...please find Addison a decent man instead of having her fall for someone that is always taken. Also, remember... Sam? He needs a storyline. And Dell, this character is really being jerked around quite a bit. "Angsty" seems to be my word to describe season 2. And to cap it off, a season finale that takes a story from what we see in the front page and definitely a dark and twisted finale that I was surely not expecting.
Overall, "Private Practice - The Complete Second Season" had a good number of entertaining episodes and the chemistry of the characters are pretty good and overall, I enjoy the problems and rivalry among the private practices but when it comes to the characters and their storylines, I'm hoping Season 3 is less angsty.
If "Grey's Anatomy" stars can have its up and downs but yet find some happiness, I hope the characters of "Private Practice" at least get some of that for season 3.

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Private Practice is a spin off of the highly popular ABC series Grey's Anatomy. Dr. Addison Forbes Montgomery, a renowned neonatal surgeon realizes that her life isn't advancing at Seattle Grace and packs her bags and heads off to Santa Monica to start a new life. She reunites with her newly divorced med school friends and joins them in their chic private practice.

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Grey's Anatomy: The Complete Fifth Season Review

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(More customer reviews)SPOILERS---DO NOT READ IF YOU WANT TO BE SURPRISED
Somewhere halfway through this 5th season, I decided it would be my last. I was even tempted to stop right then and there. I think this happened around the same time that Izzie was having mind-boggling sex with Denny (the dead ex).But I decided to wait until the end. Who knows why?
And I am so glad I did. I have just finished watching the season finale. I have been downloading the episodes from iTunes since the season will not be out in DVD for a while. I still wanted to write a review in case you are hesitating to buy this season.
So without further delay or hesitation I say BUY IT. The 2nd half of the season more than makes up for the weaknesses in the first half, and the season finale is so good that it's worth to get it just for this. Well, to be honest, the season finale is devastating. So much so that it reignites your desire to watch the show and come back for the 6th Season.
But getting back to Season 5....there are a few reasons why this season is very good:
1. The Derek/Meredith situation is resolved and this is great. It is good to see a happy ending to these 2, especially after 4 years of following their ups and downs. The show's creator wanted to deliver this to the fans and she made the right call on this. I think people would have been turned off if Meredith and Derek had split permanently or if their story would have kept being dragged on.
2. What started as the unlikely couple of Sloan and Lexi, has developed into a really nice story line where he sheds his playboy lifestyle for a more committed relationship. Lexi's character is also growing quite nicely, from an almost defenseless "little girl" to a mature woman that centers Sloan. They are also quite beautiful together as a couple, and well I'm really rooting for them....
3. Cali is finding happiness with Arizona. I love the Arizona character, and the actress that plays her is absolutely great. It is a treat to see this couple blossoming. It was a great decision to get rid of Cali's ex girlfriend...she was a bitter and sad person and not at all matched to Cali's lighthearted nature. Arizona's bubbly personality is great for Cali. I love how they wrote in her skating around the hospital....On the other hand she has been instrumental in Dr. Bailey's discovery of her softer side and her preference for pediatrics as her specialty.
4. Christina and Owen are going through major bumps, but there's an intensity to their relationship that is great to watch, and by the end of the season, it's nice to see how their story evolves.
5. While I was annoyed with Izzie's and Denny's story line, Katherine Heigl gives a great performance towards the end of the season, and so does the actor that plays Alex Karev. Alex's character, so rough at times, shows an increased sensitivity as Izzie gets sicker, and well, it's heart-wrenching to see his pain.
THE BIGGEST SPOILERS FOLLOW....STOP READING....OR ELSE.....
6. The fact that George walks Izzie down the aisle is sweet and poignant.
7. The moment when Meredith realizes that George is John Doe is one of the most powerful scenes I have seen on TV. I had to watch it a couple of times and plan to go back to it. She was amazing in that scene.
8. When Izzie faces George, you realize that this could very well be the last time you see these 2 actors together. One of them will surely die, perhaps both..... and this is just devastating.....
Now, apparently in real life, Katherine Heigl has stated that she wants to come back to the show, while Knight has stayed quiet on the subject. So it's very likely George will die and Izzie will make it.....but it would just be wonderful if they both make it.It's a credit to the writing that after being fed up with one and indifferent to the other, I now desperately wish for their return.
9. Finally, the most amazing part of this season is that in watching events unfold and listening to Meredith's voice over in the season finale, you realize what a powerful lesson you are learning from the show. We must tell the people we love how we feel, how important they are to us, how they have changed our lives; because everything can change in a second. I plan to do just that as soon as my husband walks in the door tonight.
If this can be done by a TV show, then there is greatness in it.
I am hooked all over again. You will be too.

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It's all about the moments at Seattle Grace Hospital, life saing and life changing moments. Grey's Anatomy: The Complete Fifth Season is the relationship drama with heartfelt emotion that focuses on moments in the balance of life and death, love and relationships and astounding medical cases.Bonus Features Include: Behind the scenes of the 100th episode, interview with Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers, Jeffery Dean Morgan, extended episodes, unaired episodes, bloopers

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Grey's Anatomy: The Complete Fourth Season (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)In season 3 of Grey's Anatomy everything fell apart. Everything that could go wrong did. George and Callie split, Izzie and George made a huge mistake (in my opinion) in trying to make things work out. Meredith feared commitment and Derek wanted to commit. And in the aftermath of Meredith's near death experience, she finally broke down. And then there is Burktina (Cristina and Burke)...which never happened. Like I said, everything that could go wrong did. Season 3 was about breaking the characters, exploring them and making all the mistakes. Season 4 is about mending and fixing those mistakes.
This season started slowly, painfully slow I shall say. The characters seemed stuck, all of them. And try as they might, they were unable and unwilling to change. Then, it happened, slowly, but surely, they started to evolve. They started to look beyond themselves and their problems and they started to grow and mature.
The first half of the season (pre-Writer's Strike) was slow and all consuming within itself; it refused to be bothered with the world around it. The first half of the season brought in a lot of change, but none of the characters were equipped or willing to deal with it. Cristina refused to confront her non-wedding, Meredith was still reeling from her near-death experience and her inability to commit with Derek. Nevermind the fact that she has to deal with a new sister! Izzie and George had to deal with a new relationship and a failed one. Alex had himself and Ava to deal with. We also saw some new characters and some characters leave. All in all the first half of the season was horrible, stale, and unable to foster change.
And then the strike happened, and the creative juices must have been at their peak because what we saw in those 5 last episodes was pure brilliance. The characters finally exploded into full blooded beings in our TVs, they were finally in route to who they are supposed to become and they are finally a testament to what Grey's Anatomy is supposed to be: great, emotional and captivating.
I mark the beginning of the change with the arrival of Addison, she came in waltzing in her Zen zone and her unwillingness to get stressed out and reminded everyone of who they are supposed to be and what they are supposed to be doing, all the meanwhile getting stressed herself. The show then became magnificent; my blasé viewing of the show went out the window and FINALLY I became engaged in it once more. The second half of the season was so good that I made every other crappy episode worth it. It even made season 3 worth it because we finally got to see our characters evolve. Thus, whereas Season 3 was the breaking apart of everything, this Season 4 was the mending and evolution of Grey's Anatomy.

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Grey's Anatomy is a drama about the intensity of medial training mixed with the funny, sexy and sometimes painful lives of people who are about to discover that neither medicine nor relationships can be defined in black and white. Real life only comes in shades of grey.

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House, M.D.: Season One (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)"House, M.D." is one of the best shows on television right now. It has brilliant writing, great stories, and an amazing cast lead by the incredible Hugh Laurie.
What's it about?
"House, M.D." is about a brilliant doctor (named "House") who treats patients with ailments that other doctors have failed to cure. House is aided in his search for what is wrong with his patients by a skilled team of doctors. Among the more interesting cases are people suffering from hepatitus, rabies, and a tape worm.
While the medical cases are facinating, the heart of the show is Hugh Laurie's performance as Dr. House. Dr. House is brilliant and damaged in soul and in body. He walks with a limp caused by muscle death in his leg. This ailment combined with his natural propensity for sarcasm make Dr. House a grumpy and blunt man who is not afraid to say what he thinks. Here are some of the most popular:
From..."Mob Rules"
MobsterLawyer: My brother's not gay!
House: No, but he's certainly delightful.
From..."Three Stories"
"I'm sure this goes against everything you've been taught, but right and wrong do exist. Just because you don't know what the right answer is - maybe there's even no way you could know what the right answer is - doesn't make your answer right or even okay. It's much simpler than that. It's just plain wrong."
From..."Pilot"
House: "Ah, yes, but as the philosopher Jagger once said, 'You can't always get what you want.'"
Cuddy (later in the episode): "I looked up that philosopher, Jagger, you mentioned, and you're right, you can't always get what you want. But as it turns out, if you try sometimes, you get what you need."
From..."Paternity"
Hello, sick people and their loved ones! In the interest of saving time and avoiding a lot of boring chitchat later, I'm Doctor Gregory House; you can call me "Greg." I'm one of three doctors staffing this clinic this morning. This ray of sunshine is Doctor Lisa Cuddy. Doctor Cuddy runs this whole hospital, so unfortunately she's much too busy to deal with you. I am a board certified diagnostician with a double specialty of infectious disease and nephrology. I am also the only doctor currently employed at this hospital who is forced to be here against his will. That is true, isn't it? But not to worry, because for most of you, this job could be done by a monkey with a bottle of Motrin. Speaking of which, if you're particularly annoying, you may see me reach for this: this is Vicodin. It's mine! You can't have any! And no, I do not have a pain management problem, I have a pain problem... but who knows? Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm too stoned to tell. So, who wants me?
If you watch this show, you won't be disappointed.

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Go deeper into the medical mysteries of House, TV's most compelling new drama, as all 22 Season One episodes and exclusive bonus features come to DVD! Hugh Laurie stars as the brilliant, but sarcastic Dr. Gregory House, a maverick physician who is devoid of bedside manner. While his behavior can border on antisocial, Dr. House thrives on the challenge of solving the medical puzzles that other doctors give up on. Together with his hand-picked team of young medical experts, he'll do whatever it takes in the race against the clock to solve the case. Check out each gripping episode featuring some of TV's hottest guest stars, including Carmen Electra, Chi McBride, Scott Foley and Sela Ward. It's the intriguing new series TV Guide's Matt Roush hails as "the uncommon cure for the common medical drama."

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Grey's Anatomy: The Complete Sixth Season Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been a follower of this show since the very beginning, and it's definitely had its ups and downs. Seasons 4 and 5 weren't my favourites, but Season 6 was MUCH more like the Grey's I'd come to know and love. I actually cared about what was happening. Can't wait for next year!

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Expect more competition, more doctors, and much more drama as Seattle Grace merges with a competing hospital in Grey’s Anatomy’s celebrated Sixth Season. Relive every moment in this sensational 6-disc set.Meredith, Derek, Izzie, and the rest of your favorite characters face a brand new challenge with the arrival of doctors from Mercy West. Battle lines are drawn and rivalries reach new heights in an unforgettable year at Seattle Grace.Commit yourself to one of primetime’s most popular shows, complete with exclusive bonus features – including two extended episodes available only on DVD. It’s the perfect addition to your Grey’s Anatomy collection!

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House, M.D.: Season Three (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)You have to give the "House" production team credit. Your show has the "American Idol" lead-in and is often the highest-rated scripted drama on TV. However, instead of playing it safe with disease-of-the week plots, "House" swung for the fences several times: putting its main character in jail and threatening him with prison; ramping up the conflicts between all six of the main characters; and ending the year with a big cliffhanger that threatened to cut the main cast in half. Even when a given episode wasn't advancing the progressive storyline, the writers attempted to push the envelope with several politically themed episodes.
Early in Season 3, the big storyline revolved around recurring guest star David Morse, a detective out to get House and his questionable supply of Vicodin. In previous years, lengthy story arcs were given to Chi McBride and Sela Ward: would House lose his job? would House get married? This year, the theme was: would House go to prison? Morse dominated his episodes by playing the rare character that wouldn't back down to House. Although some media critics grew tired of the plot, which perhaps went on 2-3 episodes too long, the resolution was clever and allowed House to keep his dignity (and his job) without having to sacrifice... anything.
Several subplots emerged throughout the season, such as the romance between Drs. Chase and Cameron (first shown in season 2), and Dr. Foreman's growing dissatisfaction with having House as his mentor. House's fascination (or, some might say, obsession) with his boss, Dr. Cuddy, reached new levels. By the end of the season, House faced near mutiny from his underlings... and still didn't seem all that bothered. Perhaps House was too busy counseling a patient to end his life, or faking cancer in order to get a supply of pain medications. Perhaps he was dodging the romantic advances of a teenager, or trading in his case for a wheelchair in order to recover his handicapped parking spot. The more outrageous the behavior, the better Hugh Laurie was in the role. He even upgraded his cane to a model decorated with stars.
Standout guest stars this season included John Larroquette as a man waking up from a decade-long coma, Joel Grey as an ailing doctor, Dave Matthews as a stunted piano prodigy, and the return of Charles S. Dutton as Foreman's dad.
While the "House" season DVDs are never what you'd call packed with extras, the tightly knotted plots and the rapid-fire dialogue makes this a great show to watch more than once. Also try and track down plot-lines that never quite went anywhere, like Cuddy's rumored pregnancy or her not-quite romance with Wilson.
"House" season 3 drew top ratings while continuing with the show's unflinching dialogue and medical situations. This may not have been a great year for "Grey's Anatomy" or "E.R.", so cruise on over to Princeton Plainsborough for a few hours of intense hospital drama.

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HOUSE:SEASON THREE - DVD Movie

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