"grey's anatomy" season 2

Last year, Grey's Anatomy was in Desperate Housewives's shadow, but this year, it has now joined the ranks of Housewives and Lost as ABC's top dramas. The movement is well deserved. Last year, it was an entertaining hour, but this year, Anatomy has matured into an intellectually profound program of poignant drama and crafty comedy.

The three-hour second season finale was a very nice way to conclude this amazing second season. It was a roller coaster ride with the heart "stealing," gunshots, and even a prom! The first two hours were my favorite. I love heavy drama and excitement and those two hours definitely delievered. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next. My heart was pulled, wrenched, etc. Basically I was glued to the TV. The last hour dedicated to the prom and the "falling action" of climax was less exciting, but it was still enjoyable and provided much-needed comedic relief and lighter scenes after such heavy drama. The cliff-hanger was enough to draw viewers back next season, but not so upsetting that it makes people desperate to find out what happens next.

I really like how Meredith's (Ellen Pompeo) affair with Derek (Patrick Dempsey) was mirrored by her mother's affair with the hospital chief. It serves as a nice way to explain why Addison (Kate Walsh) is staying with Derek, why Derek is trying so hard to be with his wife, and so on. I also think it foreshadows a possible conclusion for the Meredith-Derek-Addison triangle. Honestly, I'm so over Meredith and Derek now. I really don't care about them or whether or not they get back together. Meredith can be whiny sometimes though and I don't like Derek for being so indecisive. This isn't to say that I don't like their characters. I do enjoy them and the series definitely would be lacking without its leading actor and actress. I'm so glad they developed Addison as a true character instead of just Derek's wife. She's great. Meredith's opening and concluding monologues really wrap each episode nicely (similar to Mary Alice's monologues in every Housewives episode).

I was pleased that Izzie (the hot Katherine Heigl) was the pivoting character behind the season finale as she has always been a favorite character of mine. She is indeed a "pretty girl" but she's also intelligent and interesting (my kind of girl!), so I really enjoy watching her and Katherine does an amazing job. She became so involved with Denny that she risked her medical career and lied to steal a heart. Yes, she was crazy, but she loved him and love leads people to do irrational things. The storyline was a great exemplification of why doctors shouldn't have too close of a tie/relationship with their patients. I was so relieved for Izzie when Denny's transplant was successful. She was so happy and agreed to marry him. Alas - he died even with the new heart because his body was prone to clotting. This blow crushes Izzie and it was disheartening watching her hold onto Denny's corpse.

I know that what Izzie did was bad, but I'm hopeful that she will be able to stay in the program and be a doctor. It'll take her some time to get over Denny and to come into terms with what she did, but I really hope Izzie doesn't leave the hospital. She should be punished because what she did was risky and unethical, but... I guess my love for Izzie makes it hard for me to accept it if she leaves. I'll stop watching if she does though (I'm kidding, but I would seriously miss her).

Finally, George (T.R. Knight) and Meredith made up! It was funny to see them argue at first but after awhile, you just want to see them be on good terms again because they were such good friends. I've rooted for George since season one because I can relate to his character the most. I waited for him to confess his feelings for Meredith, but when they got together (ok, they slept together and she cried in the middle of it) I realized that the pairing just wasn't going to work. Yes, George loves her deeply, but I don't think Meredith will ever feel the same about him. I also now think that Meredith looks too mature for George. However, I dislike Callie - the new girl that they're seemingly pairing George with. She seems so desperate for him and she's not very... attractive.

As Cristina (the wonderful Sandra Oh) declared herself, she has truly changed. It was great watching her break down her icy, serious, business-strict exterior and (reluctantly) become more "human." She is hilarious and one of my favorites to watch. I really like her pairing with Dr. Burke (Isaiah Washington). The two share great chemistry and it's been a hoot watching the two's relationship develop. I'm worried that Burke's hand will not work well again, but seeing how Anatomy is about doctors, I'm almost sure that he will recover. How pointless will his character be to the show if he can never operate again?

Dr. Bailey (spectacular Chandra Wilson) is the most entertaining character. She is hysterical a lot of times and I really admire her. My favorite line from her? George is helping her give birth and he's commenting on the baby coming out and she says, "Stop looking at my va-jay-jay!" I still crack up to this day.

I hope next season, Alex (Justin Chambers) will continue to develop. He can be a jerk at times, but he's pretty funny and very loyal (even though he may act like he's not). I admire the fact that he pulled himself up from his poor background and I think underneath the "mean" exterior, he is not as hard as he appears. His comforting Izzie after Denny's death is a great example. I'm hopeful for a rekindling of the Izzie-Alex relationship.

The season concludes with Meredith having to choose between Derek and Finn. On a superficial level, it's a matter of who she wants to be with. On a deeper level, it's a question of whether Meredith wants to revert to a "wrong" and hurtful (yet happy) past or to go forward with a new (but pretentiously happy) future. The answer's clear to me. It will definitely be Derek. Yes, it's wrong of her to sleep with him again even though she knows he's still married. But love (and life) is crazy and that is a big point of the series.

My prediction for next season? I think that Addison will give up her fight for Derek next season. I'll be sad to see her go, but Derek just doesn't love her! With Mark returning next season, I think that Addison and Mark will get together. I've got the feeling (when Mark appeared) that it was more than sex between Addison and Mark. I honestly think that Addison loves Mark, but (like Derek) she wants to make her marriage work. I also believe that Derek and Meredith will get together next season. I'm hopeful that Burke will recover and that Izzie will come into terms with her desperate acts and remain a doctor. As for the other characters, I have no idea.

What makes Anatomy so enjoyable is the relationship between the five interns. It was great watching them help Izzie, be on "time out," and stick together in the finale. They are so different from one another and yet they are such good friends. With this chemistry, the quirky and wonderful writing, and Anatomy's always-amusing medical cases, I believe the show will keep going strong for several season. I cannot wait for season three and highly encourage anyone who hasn't seen it yet to either buy the DVD's or to watch the show when it returns on Thursdays in the fall on ABC. (It's so sad to see the perfect pairing of Housewives and Anatomy on Sunday nights being broken up!)