Grey's Anatomy

Seasons 1-5 – 100% – Back in those days this was a shot in the dark. I was not familiar with doctor shows, and watched the first episode very cautiously – except that Meredith and Derek showed me how a series can unravel me on the spot, to the point where I couldn't care less about my own worries for very long. And that was all just a cautious start. As time went on, funny and original characters were added, and unexpected episodic and long-term plots elevated Grey's Anatomy far above any of its contemporaries. The first five years in particular, with an absurdly precise cast, had a few missteps (the beginning of the third season, the hasty end of the fourth due to a vertebra), but the originality and previously unseen tension in patient, relationship, and personality dynamics not only blew awards shows and ratings out of the water, but the TV scene as a whole. I myself, in my time, couldn't stop turning on the next episode and the breaks between seasons were atrociously long. And it didn't matter if Meredith just had a monologue, Lexie was irresistibly blinking her eyes, or Alex was arguing with George. This was the start of something big, and whatever changes came after it will remain written in golden letters in history. Seasons 6-7 – 100% – A tearful and dramatically unprecedented season, with perhaps the season six finale remaining the most escalating double episode ever. The hospital, economic, and interpersonal storylines also started fraying my nerves, and then combined with the unexpected departures of actors/characters, I consider these two years quite possibly the most comprehensively dramatic. The newcomers gain a firm place in the team, the regular heroes make mistakes, not least in relationship fireworks even a teenager in his or her hormonal prime would be ashamed of, and perhaps the first-rate musical episode showed me that despite reaching a qualitative peak several times over, there's still room to rise and something to look forward to. Because it's time to start healing. Season 8 – 90% – The end of an era. The medical program is coming to an end, new possibilities are opening up, and old problems need closure. Or is it? The fact that, coincidentally, it was unclear both who would continue to work at the hospital and which of the actors would renew their contracts was an unintended parallel for the expectations of anxious fans. Aside from the occasional respite in the form of a baseball game or a ladies' night out, the morose, life-disillusioned narrative continues unabated, with every joy redeemed by a tragic punchline or pessimistic outlook. I don't mind; on the contrary, even after all this time Grey's perspective remains easily one of the absolute best I've ever seen. I just find myself wishing more and more often (and, with hindsight, understandably and inevitably in vain) that this season had ended with as beautiful and timely a happy ending as possible. Seasons 9-10 – 90% – The stronger the fear that the unmistakable atmosphere of the hospital corridors will be diluted over a high number of seasons, the more pleased I am that it hasn't happened yet. The new interns certainly haven't all grown on me (while Jo is amazing, Shane is annoying, whoever's ass he's kissing at the moment), but it's about old friends in new positions (Cristina has perhaps never been this interesting), more heartbreaking departures, and most importantly, that indestructible strength to keep going. Even after a decade of intertwined loves, cases, fates, and twists, this crew is still spinning stories that are incredibly mature and aware, but that doesn't mean they can't make a hell of a show at this age. Unfortunately, best friends can get bloody, the calmness in the main characters' relationships is there for the viewer to see, and professionally, they drop bombs surprisingly often. When my heart was still beating at a frantic pace for another half hour or so after a few perfectly stacked open ends in the Get Up, Stand Up episode, I realized that if I ever stop liking this show, something must be wrong with me. Not to mention that some of the goodbyes still feel like a last handshake to someone really close to you. Season 11 – 90% – They say all bad things are good for something, and another hospital year made me feel that in a big way. Watching Jackson and April's painful storyline, I thought it was the emotional highlight of the season, but I couldn't be further from the truth. There's no point in warning about spoilers, because just a few hours after it aired, the critical news was impossible to resist on the internet. But I (un)fortunately saw the How to Save a Life episode practically immediately after it aired, and it made probably the series' most painful devastation all that much more intense. And two months later, the information still hurts just as searingly. Derek is dead, Patrick Dempsey is gone, and MerDer, as my favorite series couple in my life, are history. They had their happy ending, their drama, their post-its, their crisis, their separation, their kids. But they've had all of this for a much shorter time than I believed. And while a few minutes after that I wanted to damn the whole series, a few hours later I just lowered the ratings, and a week later – no way. From a cruel twist, there's a strong through line, more surprising events, and perhaps to my surprise, a hint of reconciliation in the final episode. Not just on Meredith and Amelia's part, but on mine as well. And if a series can take away my favorite character in this way and still keep me on its side, it really is one of the best. Despite the fact that this is where the era of quite possibly my favorite show ever has ended. Seasons 12-13 – 90% – Meredith definitely reigns supreme on the throne of the best female series heroines of all time, and somewhat surprisingly, April joins her permanently, a marvelous phenomenon who has matured from an annoying appendage to being the soul of important twists and turns. Others, on the other hand, isn't fulfilling her earlier potential, whether it's the increasingly annoying (yet once much admired by me) bottom-feeder Jo or, sadly, Arizona, who mirrors April in her descent from her position as one of the main draws to a place where I can't stand her. It's a shame though, given that there are more and more main characters, and for the first time maybe too many. While the lack of space for Amelia and Jo is understandable given the showrunners' pregnancies, Andrew has perhaps fewer lines than the passersby in the supporting roles, and it's the most interesting April that is most similarly frosted by her gradual disappearance from the scene. It's also a period of qualitative contradictions, with the phenomenal episode The Room Where It Happens somewhat saving the autumn portion of season thirteen and, conversely, the first spring episode You Can Look (But You'd Better Not Touch) being the worst episode of the series ever. After that, thankfully, it rocketed upwards and from keeping my fingers crossed for Meredith and Nathan or April and Jackson, to the unforgettable disgust at the worm scenes, to the explosion of emotions (and more), and I'm back to considering this the best show of our time. Season 14 – 90% – The start almost took your breath away. Love triangles, the completion of long-running storylines, or unexpected doses of humor – Krista Vernoff has simply mastered her old post as head writer with bravura, and if it wasn't for one aspect, she would have had her best season in at least five years. But I can't get over the fact that, unlike most of the viewing community, she doesn't want to continue Jackson and April's bond and, in addition to leaving Jackson in a relationship both questionable and controversial with Maggie, she plots April's highway towards leaving. I gobble up everything else (the Avery affair, everything about Jo, and exceptionally everything about Owen), but I'm swallowing this bitter pill hard. Season 15 – 90% – The "Season of Love" delivers both a continuation of a refreshed concept, with Krista Vernoff outdoing herself in pitching ideas and surprises, and unfortunately, a continuation of storylines that have only held my attention due to long-standing popularity (Jackson + Maggie or the Teddy/Owen/Amelia triangle). Most pleasing are the swarming around Meredith, the space honestly taken up by Koracick or the special episodes, by contrast I find the crossovers with Station 19 frankly unfortunate, and the most noticeable thing about them is the inadequate ensemble cast of the firefighter spin-off. Even after the increased number of episodes, however, I remain utterly enthusiastic and continue to say that I don't look forward to any series this openly. The relationship dynamics work brilliantly even after all this time, but for the first time since Patrick Dempsey's departure I feel like there's a big gap, specifically where Sarah Drew used to be. April hasn't always had the most rewarding storylines, especially towards the end of her run, but I found myself several times thinking that nothing would make me as happy as her (albeit short-lived) return. Season 16 – 80% – This is the weakest season of the entire series, which is a bit unfortunate, because anything that could have fallen apart in the creators' hands did (and not always their fault). They give the umpteenth happy ending to one of the main couples, only to have to cruelly back out of it moments later due to the unexpected departure of a legendary character's actor. The pre-announced mini-crossovers with Station 19 don't result in a revival of the theme, just frequent reveals of fresh twists from the side series. And the toxic tensions I wrote about in the previous series get the most attention. So in a few places it's a decent romp that's saved by either solid stalwarts (Amelia, Jo), an exemplary escalated last third that made me feel like the show was in its prime, or the pleasant discovery that even characters of serviceable age can be the aspect that keeps me riveted (Linc, Koracick, Andrew). Perhaps an incredible serving of creative bad luck to tide the show over for years to come. Season 17 – 90% – A wonderful interplay of heartbreaking stories (more timely than ever), unexpected character departures, and strong nostalgia for long-lost characters. The COVID-19 season has done something unimaginable. It combined the educational aspect that has been a hallmark of the series for years with both urgency and insight, and as a result, it reminded me of those earlier seasons, perhaps more than anything in at least a decade. Jesse Williams, Greg Germann, and all the star comebacks enjoyed their return to the top, and I'm almost at a loss for words. Ironically, right now, when they're really succeeding in narrating with both bravado and obviousness, I have the insistent feeling that it's a good time to think about saying goodbye. There are perhaps too many changes and departures for one series (and none of them involve Owen), and for the first time in nearly two decades I feel ready to let this hospital go. Season 18 – 100% – If the very last scene of the series ended just like this, I couldn't be happier. It's not the end of Grey's Anatomy, but it's the end of an incredibly long and steady era that has produced a bunch of memorable characters, heartbreaking heartbreakers, and, even if the more cynical part of the population has refused to admit it for years, irrevocably changed the overseas and, with a bit of exaggeration, global television landscape. Meredith Grey and those close to her were, and thankfully still are, an unrepeatable phenomenon who, even after all this time, managed to reflect current affairs, make the viewer root for their favorites, and often make them laugh at the same time. There was no extraneous storyline, only the usual suspects stood in the way of the characters, and even the overused crossover with sister show Station 19 worked a class better this time around. So I in awe, I have been in awe for a good long while now. Because this has been the best season in perhaps a decade, and that's a phenomenon I've never experienced before. No matter how many more episodes we get, this was pure luck. Seasons 19-20 – 85% – Grey's Anatomy: Med School. This is perhaps where the end begins. I suspected this would be a complete reboot, dreaded it, but for quite a while I remained supremely satisfied. It was exactly the kind of Grey's Anatomy I can't get enough of, with storylines that leave me breathless. Even the cheap crutch of stitching heavily familiar plot turns onto new characters, who are also not exactly unlike the ones we cheered for so many seasons ago, ultimately doesn't matter because it doesn't fix something that works beautifully. But my complete enthusiasm only lasted for less than a season, later tipping over into cautious contentment as likable characters either change character due to changes in the writer's table (Lucas) or disappear from the plot altogether (Levi). Playing it safe doesn't hurt anything, it's just that the return to memorability was unnecessarily brief. (06/15/2008) (less) (more)