Commercials--The New Methodone? Grey's Anatomy

So. I watched the last two episodes of Grey's Anatomy in real time. That is, I watched them on TV, at the regular broadcast time. Complete. With commercials.

I know this isn't really news, but god! Commercials suck! I got GA on DVD and watched 2 season's worth in under a week. No commercials, skipped all the "previously on Grey'sAnatomy" recaps, went straight for the emotional kick of the stories themselves, and got physically addicted to the tone and pace and big emotions of the show.

Then, I saw it on TV. With commercials. (Which suck, BTW.) And I may be over my addiction.

Because, seriously? Switching back and forth between Blue Meredith getting CPR and ads for Chevy Trucks. Kind of ruins the mood, you know? It's much much harder to get into that space where the storytelling gains momentum, and the emotions build on the ones that came before. At least, that was my experience. Your mileage may vary.

So, what about the Very Special Three Part Sweeps Month episodes, you ask? Has the show in fact jumped the shark, as so many posters at TWoP claim? I'd have to say no. But. (That's a qualified "no.") Let's start with the bad:

The Bad:

1. What happened to all the patients and victims of this 1500 passenger ferryboat? Geez--Meredith turns blue and suddenly all these surgery hungry interns have nothing else to do but help in the free clinic? Surely someone has a compound fracture--and what happened to Izzy's guy who was crushed by the cars? Surely he needed some surgery.
2. Um--the Seattle Grace of Meredith's mind? Hottie McBomby could come and go because his life had a completed feel to it. Denny was trapped because he couldn't move on. What about the dog? Why is the dog unfinished? Or moving around the various dimensions? On the other hand--Meredith wakes up to the twin yumminess that are Dylan and Denny, and she totally disses them. "No offense, guys, but the one I'd really want to see is . . ." Cue dog here. HA!
3. Bonnie? Bonnie? She was a great story, heartbreaking for her bravery. Why does Meredith need to see her again? Why do we? I think it cheapened her story to show her dead and mad about it.
4. Ellis's scrub nurse? That's who Meredith wants to see?
5. Ellis shows up and makes it all better with a hug? Yeah, right.
   
6. For a three part episode (that's, um 2, carry the 1) that's 129 minutes of story. So why did the big emotional moments get so rushed?
   

The Good:

1. The point of the episode minimized the "Lead Character In Jeopardy (but you never actually kill the lead character)" cliches. Sure, there was the requisite hospital dramatics--"charge the paddles to 200. . .clear!" "Still no heart beat" you can't seem to avoid. BUT the point of the episode was to show Meredith acknowledging her own despair. "What's the point?" that lead to her drowning rather than still fighting.
   
2. ALSO the reaction of the people around her: Cristina's fear and inability to watch her friend die shows sensitivity we don't see from our gung ho surgeon. I loved that at her moment of crisis she went shopping--at the DOLLAR STORE.
   
3. Burke's response to Cristina--"If your person dies and you aren't there, I don't see you coming back from that." He doesn't really get their friendship, but he's trying. He does understand that she is more important to Cristina than her other friends, and he truly cares about her.
4. Izzie being served a strong dose of Shut The Fuck Up by GEORGE! Izzie: "I can't lie about how I feel." George: "Yes you can, and you should. If you're wrong, you'll just look like a jerk. If I'm making a mistake, I'm going to need you and you're taking that away from me." Way to stand up for your woman, George.
5. Derek going all judgmental on Ellis. "You broke her." Totally not Hippocratic Oath, dude. But finally some real fire to your mopey love.
6. Denny, the epitome of a woman's man, getting the thing about Mere and Dere. "If you don't come back from this, you are going to change him." She isn't going to choose to live for her own sake, but for the sake of the toll it will take on her friends and especially the man she loves.

So, I think I might stick with Grey's, but I won't make a point of watching it on Thursday nights. I'll wait for the DVD, or catch four episodes at once on the website instead.

Did I mention that I hate commercials? I think they did help me kick my addiction though.