'Private Practice': Roadtrip!

February 12, 2009 8:59 PM

Oceanside Wellness gets a nice jolt of Seattle's best drama this week during Part Two of The Crossover Event between Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice. Like a high school reunion, everyone dances around each other, posturing and checking their own internal checklists, but when asked point-blank by one of Seattle Grace's doctors if she's happy, Addison can't answer.

Not to start off with a non-Private Practice character, but Meredith got to be in the middle of Addison's Welcome Home to Seattle Party as old friends Derek and Addison, Sam, Naomi, and Mark Sloan gathered around Archer's bedside. With Sam's help, Derek was able to figure out a way to get each of the eight wormy cysts out of Archer's brain. But after the successful surgery, Archer starts complaining of blurred vision and pain, but Derek refuses to do another CT. So Addison goes over Derek's head and gets the Chief to do it. There's a moment that everyone thinks Archer is going to die, which makes him come clean to everyone about the ass he's been, but turns out he's misread his own CT. He's going to be fine. He's going to be with Naomi for the time being too.

Addison then scratches Derek's back by helping diagnose a complication suffered by his aneurysm patient. Addison demands the baby be delivered at 24-weeks to save his life, but Derek overrides her by saying Addison should do an in-utero procedure to repair the baby's heart issue. Derek admits that he nicked the aneurysm, leading to the complication. The procedure is at first a success, but goes wrong. We'll find out what happens next week.

The most interesting part of this two-hour episode of Grey's Private Practice Anatomy was the mutual respect Addison and Derek have for each other. And I mean have, present tense. They may have gone through the messiest of divorces, but they were good together for a while, and as Meredith points out, they had lives and friends. Addison doesn't have that now. She, and most of the doctors at Oceanside, seem to be stuck in some kind of post-adolescent limbo. When she's in Seattle though, like an adult, Addison and Derek are able to laugh about it all, wistfully. And their professional dance was riveting. It looks like that will continue next week when issues come to a head.

When Addison is unable to admit to Karev that she is happy she "walked away" and started over again in L.A., it addresses the Private Practice rollercoaster we're all riding. Addison's walking away is why we're watching, but sometimes, we need a few more glimpses of the fun, happy ending to be sure it's worth it. We know she's worth "The Ring" but we want someone else to see that too.

Other plot points:

- Cooper's patient suffers from postpartum psychosis breakdown due to lack of sleep and admits to pushing her baby underwater in the bath (yet again, motherhood is really, really hard, Violet. Really hard. Scary, scary hard.)

- Violet and Cooper are forced by Pete and Charlotte to see that their relationship is a little too close, and their best-friend selfishness is pushing others out.

Favorite lines... from both episodes... or is it one...

"You're an amazing doctor, you save babies. God knows who you are." -Torres, to Addison
"I always liked Addison. I don't always like everyone, but I always liked her. She smells nice, she's polite, and she saves babies. So what happened to the brother?" - Bailey, on Addison
"Coward." - Derek, to Archer
"If she were a guy, she'd be on 20/20 for being pregnant." -Charlotte, on Violet
"I am not pathetic. I am a man. I am a man with asthma. So, ha." - Sam

What about you? Are you back to watching Grey's? Did you ever stop? Is this kind of thing fun or annoying?

15 Comments

I think the crossover is fantastic. I still won't watch Greys on its own merit, but the LA folks made Seattle much more tolerable. But man... putting Alex near Addison just made me regret again how they got thrown under the bus once PrP got announced. So much potential just wasted.

I loved Bailey's interaction with the PrP folks as well... Mark and Sam teasing her about the Peds Fellowship was great as was her attitude with Naomi. And the Callie/Addison chapel scene was just lovely.

I also loved seeing the old group of friends face how their lives have turned out. The song was fantastically awful... omg, so much cheese... and yet adorable in the way it conveyed how young they were and how different. And I'm sorry... if Derek's mother could be that judgmental about Addison, who works just as hard as her precious son, just because she grew up with money, then Addison is much better off without the Shepherds in total. She'll get a better ring from a better man. The Thanksgiving story was awesome, though.

I'm anxious to see how things play out next week. Great, great work. Even Izzie didn't bother me (much) during the GA hour.

Olivia | February 12, 2009 10:37 PM

"Ha!"
"Excuse me?"
"Ha! Ha, because I was right! Ha because it was an allergic reaction. So ha to Mark and Addison, and to YOU if you believed them. It was NOT a panic attack, it was an asthma attack. I am NOT pathetic. I am a MAN. I am a man with asthma. So, Ha! Heh! Gimme some, Dr. Bailey."

*fist bump*

Sam's victory speech was awesome! It had me rolling! Let's have Sam continue to embrace his new, confident self. (It's like I'm seeing glimpses of Kevin Hill, thanks Taye.) =)

quisquilian | February 12, 2009 11:10 PM

Oh! And can we have Pete NOT be the dad? He's being an ***. She's like a month in and he's all hot and bothered about not being involved? Get over yourself dude and give her a chance to just come to terms with being preggers in the first place. It's not like he didn't know Violet was a little unstable when he macked all over her with his "I'm lonely, too," line.
*grrr*
I'm sure the producers/writers are gonna have the kid be his, but his righteous attitude still irks the crap out of me.

Okay, done now. =)

quisquilian | February 12, 2009 11:18 PM

I really want Addison to be happy. I don't get how Derek's mom can like Meredith(emotional draining and crazy) but not Addison. Addison is far more likable. I think Addison is better off with out him and his mom because it seems like Derek is always going to think he is better than whoever he is with.

T | February 13, 2009 4:43 AM

Surem Addison deserves "THE RING." The woman who shagged her husbands BF in his own bed. I mean it was all Derek's fault right? Guess it was Swat guys fault that Addi shagged skanky doc as well. Or Mark's fault that she jumped Alex. Yeah, Mama Shep didn't have a CLUE about Addison. And having watched PRP I have too noticed Addison to be whiney, complaining and seriously self centered. She can always do no wrong.

THE RING belongs to Meredith. Always has, always will. Addison's friends were extremely insensitive to Meredith in Archer's room, but who showed the most cl***? Dr. Grey, AS USUAL.

If only Addison hadn't caught Mark cheating ON HER back in NY, you know while they were shacking up together in Derek's house, she wouldn't have left NY to go to Seattle to fix her joke of a marraige.

Addison needs to head back to LA and stay there. Can't wait for this crossover to be finished.

Savvy | February 13, 2009 5:38 AM

I love Addison as a character and miss her on Greys. But I find it funny that the writers make her more sympathetic when talking about the divorce, like shes hurt more, and the viewers think she's too good for Derek. Hello she started their problems by cheating! And continuing to do so. Derek isn't perfect and he has ego (what world cl*** brain surgeon wouldnt?) but he is a good guy. They just weren't right for each other though they are good characters and people apart. That's what Dereks mom knew. His mom also can see Meredith isn't perfect but she's just a better match for her son.

Meredith should get some credit for finally growing up and becoming more stable this season. So many have commented that she needed to grow and finally she has.

Greys has been much better lately than it has been in a long time. Enjoyed the crossover for the character interaction but actually still like the Greys cast better as a group.

Erin | February 13, 2009 6:57 AM

Addison and her crew better never show up at SGH again...

Addison is an annoying, self-righteous manipulator and her friends are obnoxious. If their idea was to get more fans for PrP, I don't see the point...I didn't want to watch "Addison's Anatomy" during GA so I sure wouldn't want to watch her swanning around her own show. Vomit.

Mare | February 13, 2009 7:10 AM

I would like to see Addison, Sam, and Naomi all move to Grey's. I really don't like "Private Practice" at all. It seems like a silly soap opera to me with all sorts of events happening that wouldn't happen in a small clinic.
I really have come to dislike Lexie on Greys. She seems like a agressive but silly immature girl and I really can't see Dr. McSteamy falling for her.
I also feel like the silly interns are uninteresting and take time away from the show.
I do like the more mature Meredith. The old one was very whiny and I couldn't see why Derek would even be interested.

Alvern | February 13, 2009 9:59 AM

I would have to agree with Alvern. Addison, Sam and Naomi were good on Grey's. Although the others are good actors, I just can't stand their characters.

JC | February 13, 2009 10:19 AM

I have to say, I would have enjoyed it a whole lot more if Meredith had a bit more screen time, Addison and friends were brilliant and they all shined with chemistry. But they were (mostly Addie) walking around like they owned the hospital while the title character (Meredith) hasn't got enough time.

Sam was awesome with his asthsma, and Violet and Cooper are a bit too close for liking.

Mind you, my fav is Addie and Derek with their Hot Dog Thanksgiving.

p.s. Archer is such an ***!!!

lisa | February 13, 2009 11:50 AM