'Private Practice' plunges into the deep end of bummerville

It's not beginning to look anything like Christmas on Private Practice this week. The characters are all going through some seriously heavy stuff, and dealing with big, pulsing hot button issues. And unlike the last couple of weeks, this episode didn't seem to be acted by puppets, but real live people.

Violet gets a surprise phone call from a patient, Doug, who summons her to his house, only to find that he's killed his sick wife, Karen. Blown her away, in fact, and he's still hanging on to the gun. Violet calls Sam, Karen's doctor, for back-up. Doug is convinced that he did it to help her, to put her out of her misery. He feels this is a qualified defense of his actions, even though it is mentioned that they had problems in their marriage. Sam says that Karen was dying, but there were many other ways that he could have helped, other than shooting her in the head. The cops then show up, and question both Violet and Sam. Violet cites patient-client privilege, and before Sam can lose his cool, which he's close to doing, she drags him out too.

The next morning, Violet and Sam are at odds over Doug and Karen. Sam says Karen was never suicidal, and Violet says Doug was never homicidal. Both of them are convinced the other's patient is the weak link. While Violet is heading back up to the clinic, in a vile mood, she meets Sheldon, a therapist coming to interview with Charlotte. Romance alert? Or potential rival?  Or both?  Hmmm.

While visiting Doug in jail, he says that no matter what, he cared about Karen, and he killed her to save her from the pain. Violet tells Doug that Sam believes he did it for other reasons. Doug tells Violet that he waves all privilege, and he needs Violet to help clear his name. The next morning, Sam is getting Karen's medical records in order, and Violet admits that she can't get the image of Doug with the gun out of her head. She says she needs someone to talk to about this kind of thing, and Addison sends her to see Kevin, currently recuperating in her house. Violet explains the whole situation to Kevin, and says that Doug was always a timid man, and that killing Karen wouldn't have been the easy way out for him. Kevin says that in all of his years as a police officer, he's never heard of one case where a woman asked to be killed with a gun. That stops Violet cold. Back at Oceanside, she runs into Sheldon again, who tells her that the best way to cheer up is to cheer someone else up. Definite flirting going on.

Violet returns to the jail and Doug. She corners him, drawing out of him that Karen wasn't very nice to him in the end. He felt miserable and mistreated, and his own pain overrode everything. He says that he took the gun to put her out of her misery, and Violet corrects him, and says that he murdered Karen to relieve his own misery. In the end, Violet again finds herself with Sheldon, and introduces herself. Hooray hooray.

Cooper is still really smarting over Charlotte. At the elevator one morning, she says she's going to give him another day to calm down before they talk about it like adults, to which Cooper tells her to go.to.hell. Charlotte heads to Addison, with a patient needing her help. Alaina is eight months pregnant and in early labor, but comatose. Her husband, Shawn, is looking for any and every sign of responsiveness, and says that she needs to go through labor, even though the baby is breech. Addison insists that she needs to have a C-section, but Shawn believes that by going through labor, she'll wake up again. Addison tells Charlotte that she needs to be the one to convince Shawn that they need to proceed with a C-section, and Charlotte says that they can't force him, and that his rights need to be regarded. They agree to stall the labor long enough to figure out how to work together to save the baby.

Later, Addison is called to the hospital, where Alaina's parents are allowing the C-section to continue. It seems that Shawn isn't exactly married to Alaina. Uh-oh. The parents have the legal authority, but Shawn heads to court to stop the C-section. The next day, the judge comes to the hospital to hear both sides - Shawn says having a mother is best for the child; Alaina's parents say the best thing for the child is to be alive. After hearing Addison's opinion, and learning that Charlotte doesn't disagree with it, the judge asks Shawn to withdraw the objection. Addison proceeds with the C-section, but before she goes in, Shawn says that the car accident that put Alaina into the coma was his fault. He says he needs a miracle, and Addison says that the miracle he needs is the one she's about to deliver. The baby is born healthy, but Alaina dies on the operating table.

During this case, while Charlotte has Addison's ear, she asks what's going on with Cooper. Addison tells her that she's in love with Cooper, raising Charlotte's shackles. They insist they aren't becoming friends, but that's what they're well on their way to becoming. Later, Charlotte corners Cooper at his apartment, and through tears, apologizes up one side and down the other. Cooper sends her home. 

Pete and Meg are still trying to figure out what they're doing with each other. Meg is busy doing nothing, and it's driving her crazy. Meg heads to Oceanside to ask Naomi for help, surprising Pete. Meg had gone down to a family clinic that has an overflow of patients, but not enough exam room space, and Naomi is allowing her room in the clinic to see patients. She'll also be letting Dell shadow her. It's a win-win situation, but Pete doesn't seem overjoyed about having Meg there. After getting set up, and meeting with an enthusiastic Dell, they call on their first patient, Renee, who tells a stunned Dell she's looking to terminate her pregnancy. Dell heads to the lunchroom, and tells everyone about Meg performing abortions. Dell, who is completely against abortion, and Naomi, who says that running a fertility clinic and performing abortions go against everything Oceanside is about, are livid. Addison, however, says it's a legal medical procedure, and tells Naomi that she was the one who told Meg she could practice at Oceanside. Dell, in the meantime, has run Renee off.

That evening, over drinks, Violet, Naomi, and Addison discuss the situation, and Violet admits to having two abortions, and Addison one, which completely ruffles Naomi, who says as a fertility doctor, she believes life begins at conception.

Meg vents with Pete, who says that she disregarded the other practice's doctors and their opinions. Meg, the lone wolf, says she's leaving if that's how they play it at Oceanside. She also leaves Pete's house. She stays gone overnight, but comes back to tell Pete that he's different than he used to be - that before he would have shared everything with her, and not overreacted. He apologizes and asks her to come back to Oceanside. But first she has to confront Dell, who is still spitting nails. She dresses him down, and says that as medical professionals, they have to support women in her choices. Dell heads to Naomi for an ally, and asks her if it matters why a woman would want an abortion. Naomi tells him that it's only important why it bothers him - religious beliefs, personal beliefs. But she says that if it bothers him for other reasons, then there's an issue there. Dell admits that when his daughter's mom was pregnant, he tried to talk her into having an abortion. His guilt now, when he looks at his daughter, is coloring everything. Naomi tells him that he's not against a woman's right to choose; he's just punishing himself for that past.

Later, Renee comes back, and Meg performs the abortion. Naomi is appalled, but Pete doesn't say anything. Another new triangle... Meg, Naomi, and Pete! That evening, Pete explains how he changed since being with Meg - his dead wife, whom he hated. He says that the hatred he felt for her killed a piece of him.

In the end, Sam and Violet have a quiet moment, and light a candle for Karen. Cooper joins them, needing some solace as well. Naomi cries to Pete that a baby died today. And Addison heads home to the recuperating Kevin, who just holds her.

Thoughts and musings:

• Earlier today, I Twittered that I was getting bored of Private Practice. This episode was enough to make me not bored for a little while longer. But what a downer. Still, it's enough to make you think.
• Yay! Violet has a storyline! And a future boyfriend! A future boyfriend named SHELDON!
• Charlotte, why hast thou forsaken me? There's no crying from Charlotte! In love or not! I like hard Charlotte. Vulnerable Charlotte is weird. It's like vulnerable Addison.
• I just realized that Addison, Naomi, and Charlotte will end up as another friend triangle. Mark my words.
• Not to make light of the situation, but I've had two kids. If I woke up from a coma in the middle of labor, I'd punch out whoever was closest to me.
• Did you hear in the kicker that the show is moving to Thursdays after Grey's as of January 8? What do you think of that move?

What about you? Not bored for another week?

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