Tuesday, February 21, 2006

McSEXY? McYUMMY? NO, McSTEAMY: We interrupt this Olympics for a couple of quick notes on Battle of the Network Inhumanly Gorgeous Doctors and the Jack Bauer Power Hour (my thanks to whomever coined the latter term, which I have now co-opted as my own).

24: I understand that enjoying 24 is all about the suspension of disbelief. I really do. And I am one of the most eager suspenders of disbelief that has ever been born. But seriously: in what world does a president have but a single advisor? Terrorism running rampant? Talk to Mike. Marital problems? Talk to Mike. Need to decide whether to throw significant heads of state to the wolves? Talk to Mike. To quote one of the most acerbic foreign relations scholars of our time, GOB Bluth: "Come on!"

Grey's Anatomy: Except for the last 90 seconds, I adored this week's episode. (But for the fortuitous happenstance of one of our loyal readers calling me at 10:03 pm to discuss last week's Lost, which she'd finally gotten around to watching, I would have been watching it in real time. This is the mark of a show's having gotten under my skin.) I can't think of another current show that depicts relationships with such subtlety and complexity week after week. And the beauty of it is that you don't have to buy into each individual relationship -- there's something for everyone.

A couple of examples: I personally don't get the George love that so many people have expressed. I think he's had some great moments lately (the old but not "old" woman who didn't want to go to the nursing home, his role in W. George Bailey's birth, the nurses' strike), but his whole Meredith thing, to me, is just a big snooze. He's just whiny. And while I get the appeal of the Christina/Burke relationship and enjoy watching it (go iPod dancing!), it's not a driving force in my appreciation of the show. I am, however, very caught up in the Ellis/Webber story and anything having to do with Izzie. (I'm sure there are plenty of people who hate the Ellis story and love George, or are anti-Izzie pro Burketina-- that's all fine. I'm not advocating my view of the relationships as the correct one, just noting that there is an abundance of finely wrought plotlines from which to choose your own favorites.)

To me, the heartbeat of GA is Derek's Dilemma. Not "who will he choose?", but how does one reconcile the past with the future? How do you close the door on something that has brought you great joy in order to honor the vows you took so long ago with a person who has betrayed you? I only started watching the show after Addison's appearance (damn Amazon for not yet getting my DVDs to my mailbox!), so I'm curious how I'll react to the pre-oops forgot-to-mention-that-I'm-married episodes.

Oh, and one other thing: the opening sequence of this week's episode (the one culminating with the punch) was laugh-out-loud-and-rewind-three-times funny.

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