Movie Info:
Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh, Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers, T.R. Knight, Chandra Wilson, James Pickens Jr., Patrick Dempsey, Kate Walsh, Sara Ramirez, Eric Dane, Chyler Leigh, Brooke Smith, Elizabeth Reaser
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Release Info:
Original Air Dates: March 27, 2005 – present
DVD Release Date: September 9, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $36.99
In recent years television has just continued to get better and better. There was a time when I barely watched television and now it seems that I cannot get enough. My DVR has a full schedule each week and on some nights its working overtime. I don’t often have time to watch television when it appears and I am somewhat thankful for that because I don’t know how I would schedule all of the shows that I watch. I definitely don’t know which shows I would pick to watch, when they were scheduled, and which to put off for another time with the DVR.
Grey’s Anatomy is one of the shows that I never miss. I have been watching it since the beginning and it never seems to get boring. This was an especially exciting season thanks to the inclusion of Meredith’s (Ellen Pompeo) half sister and Meredith and Derek (Patrick Dempsey) breaking and making up. I have always watched the medical dramas, I was a big fan of ER for over a decade, and I am keeping my eye on new options such as Private Practice.
The writing on the show is solid, the characters are real and multilayered, and the acting is top notch. The storylines have a way of sucking you in. I have had friends come over to watch Grey’s that were new to the show and would leave afterwards, unable to wait for next week’s episode. I think one of the main reasons for that is that people can relate to the characters.
Everyone has had an Izzie (Katherine Heigl) moment where they mean well, but things don’t work out the way they want or a George (TR Knight) moment where they make the wrong decisions for the right reasons. People want to be able to hang with McSteamy (Eric Dane) and have a beer with him. The cast just has a way of making you feel at home. This leads to high ratings and some highly addicted fans.
Season four brought on some intense stories that some people loved and others hated. Derek began dating his surgical nurse Rosen (Lauren Stamile), which didn’t go over so well with MerDer fans. Other huge storylines involve Lexi Grey (Chyler Leigh) and her almost relationship with Alex, and the desperate need for the relationship with half-sister, Meredith. Then there is Ava/Rebecca and the complications and emotions she brings to Alex’s life.
The DVD Review: Grey’s Anatomy: Season Four – Expanded Plot
Ashtyn previously reviewed the Blu-Ray version of DVD Review: Grey’s Anatomy: Season Four – Expanded. In her review she offers a plot synopsis for each episode in the box set. While we strive to do that whenever possible, since it’s already been done I am just going to stick with my favorite episodes for the season.
In no uncertain order, here are some of my favorite episodes from the fourth season.
“Kung Fu Fighting”: Two women refuse to be treated at the hospital because being treated means they would lose a contest for a dream wedding. A man survives a parachute accident and it’s looked at as a miracle when he escapes any form of major injury. Hahn (Brooke Smith) plays center stage for Cristina (Sandra Oh) and Izzie when they try to convince her to let them in on her surgeries.
“Physical Attraction/Chemical Reaction”: Hahn refuses to have anything to do with Cristina being a part of her surgical team. Bailey (Chandra Wilson) tends to more of Callie’s (Sara Ramirez) duties, which makes her satisfied, considering she was better suited for the job anyway. George and Izzie do everything in their power to rekindle that sensual moment they once had, though it doesn’t turn out exactly as planned.
“Crash Into Me”: In this two part episode, there is an accident in the ER bay that causes several paramedics to need medical attention. Two of the paramedics are in critical condition and the third refuses to let Bailey care for him due to his prejudice beliefs. Rebecca/Ava returns to Alex’s (Justin Chambers) side, while Cristina heads to Hahn’s side even though she has been ordered elsewhere.
“Where the Wild Things Are”: Meredith decides to enter therapy when she realizes that her unhappiness and unwillingness to commit to a man that she knows loves her has gone too far. The residents enter a competition to find rare diseases with the prize being a sparkle pager that allows them power to participate in or toss out any surgery that comes into the hospital. This causes them to look for problems that might not be there. Meanwhile, there is a bear attack that is treated that is just the surface to the problems of the victim.
“Freedom”: In the season finale, Meredith and Derek have one more shot to make a success out of their clinical trial with two patients that are in love. While this is going on, the surgical team needs to find a way to save a boy that has been trapped in cement because he was afraid the girl he likes wouldn’t like him back if he appeared to show fear. Alex is unable to see what was in front of him because of things clouding his judgment from the past.
These are just some of the great episodes in the fourth season. Even the ones that aren’t considered my favorite are still pretty good. Meredith being in therapy is absolutely amusing and a guest appearance from Amy Madigan is a welcome addition to the Seattle Grace Hospital, too. Fans of the show will love this season. If you love <em>Grey’s</em>, you will want to own this (as well as the other <em>Grey’s</em> box sets) for leisurely watching and to catch up on anything you might have missed.
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Audio/Visual:
Grey’s Anatomy is shot in High Definition and it comes out looking clean and gorgeous in every possible way. The specs include an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 in anamorphic widescreen. The end result is a beautifully rich color palette, little or no graininess or compression errors, and a solid picture from start to finish. This is about as good as it gets when it’s not Blu-Ray.
The audio is available in Dolby Digital 5.1. The sound levels are mainly in the front thanks to the dialogue driven drama. Things sound on par for what you would expect from a new show. The sound remains level despite the switch from dialogue to sound effects or music.
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Bonus Features:
Grey’s Anatomy offers a plethora of bonus features in this fourth season boxset. Beyond the previews that fill most all DVD bonus slots, there are commentaries, featurettes, extended episodes, unaired scenes, and outtakes. A fan of the show really couldn’t ask for more. All of the most important elements of a television box set have been included.
Only a couple of the episodes offer commentary this time around. The commentaries aren’t that great, though they do offer some interesting listening moments if you bother to stick with them. If you want to get into the writers, directors, and actors that participated in the commentaries, this is a good way to do it. The featurette, “New Docs on the Block,” puts the spotlight on Dr. Hahn (Brooke Smith), Lexie (Chyler Leigh) and Rose (Lauren Stamile), even though she’s not a doctor. The cast talks about the characters and offer their thoughts on each addition to the show.
“On Set With Patrick And Eric” lasts for about six minutes and gives you plenty of time to fawn over Dreamy and Steamy. The featurette is one of the most amusing, as it shows them messing around with the cast, which is fun. “Good Medicine: Favorite Scenes” offers up the favorite scenes for many of the actors. This feature lasts for about 14 minutes with each cast member picking their favorite scene in the fourth season. “Dissecting Grey’s Anatomy: Unaired Scenes” offers a number of unaired scenes. These aren’t all worth watching, though some of them are pretty good. The last feature is “In Stitches: Season Four Outtakes” and blooper fans will just love watching these outtakes as there are a few funny moments here. Grey’s offers a good set of bonuses for its fourth season, which only adds to the worthiness of this box set.
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Bottom Line:
As a Grey’s fan I couldn’t be happier to own this set. The show is fabulous and I have been anxiously awaiting the new season to begin. In the meantime, it’s nice to have these sets so I can look back on the seasons that have happened and the various storylines that have become some of my favorites over the years. Fans won’t want to miss out on this. Both the Blu-Ray and this Standard Definition set come highly rated so if you love the show you should pick one up today!
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Technorati Tags: Grey’s Anatomy, Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh, Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers, T.R. Knight, Chandra Wilson, Patrick Dempsey, ABC, Drama, TV on DVD, DVD Box Set Review
