Suggested Reading: 14+
Review:
(Note: There are two different versions of the reviews. Use the table of contents below to navigate to your preferred review. )
SIMPLIFIED
ORIGINAL
SIMPLIFIED
Rating: 9/10
Recommended Audience: TV-14 (gore, moderate violence, language, drinking, sexual content)
Disclaimer: will be a [simple_tooltip content=’tendency or favoritism (liking one side more than the other)]biased[/simple_tooltip] review because I am a huge fan
Grey’s Anatomy. You have probably heard the name before or seen a friend upset over an emotional episode in the series (don’t worry, we’ve all been there), but what makes it so special? How has this show remained so popular? Is it worth the watch?
The short answer is yes, it is absolutely worth the watch. I know the 16 seasons seem like a lot (and trust me, I hesitated to start watching it myself) however since so many of my friends loved it, I decided to give it a try. I am so glad I did. This show has changed how I think of TV, love, and as silly as it may sound–life. But enough about me, let’s talk about the show.
Written by Shonda Rhimes, Grey’s Anatomy is a medical drama that is centered around the professional and personal lives of a group of doctors that work in Seattle Grace Hospital. The show begins by following the journeys of interns, fresh out of medical school, when they are suddenly faced with the excitement and unfortunate realities of working in a real hospital.
Over the 15 years that this series has been running, many characters come and go, so it’s hard to give an introduction of each without giving away details in the story (and we’d be here for years), but here are the five interns.
Alex Karev is arrogant and rude, yet a loyal friend and talented surgeon. Another boastful intern is Cristina Yang. Graduating first in her class at Stanford, Cristina is an incredibly intelligentand motivated student, with some of the most hilarious lines in the show. Next, we have George O’Malley, a much kinder character. He’s the one that’s easy to pick on, underestimated, and there when you need him. His best friend? Izzie Stevens. Often made fun of for her prior modeling career, Izzie is tough underneath her beauty. The most positive of the five, she brings a little joy to the group and prevents them from becoming boring old doctors, consumed with only their jobs. Last but not least, we have Meredith Grey. The daughter of the famous Dr. Ellis Grey, Meredith somehow manages to remain kind and giving even when she is faced with difficulties time and time again. She is the most rational, and sees life not in black and white, but rather all in shades of grey (hence, Meredith Grey–or that’s what I like to think).
The more you watch, the more you see the different layers of each character and begin to understand their flaws. One of the greatest parts of this show? Character development. Throughout the series, you get to experience each person’s growth.
You will learn to love these characters with their unique personalities and incredible on-screen chemistry. Soon, their achievements will start to feel like your own, and their losses will feel like your pain. They make you laugh and make you cry. They are the reason why you stay interested in the show.
Episode after episode, you may think that the show would become boring. After all, it is a medical drama. There’s a new patient or another surgery… but this show is more than that. It manages to tell deep, touching stories and delivers beautiful lines that are often quoted by Grey’s fans. Additionally, many of the storylines in the show highlight important modern day issues. At the end of the day, it is much more likely that you’ll find yourself wanting “just one more episode” for the day than being bored.
Yet you will notice that I didn’t give the show a perfect rating. As much as I love Grey’s, I’m the first to admit that it does have flaws of its own–particularly in the later seasons–which led me to stop watching the show after season 13 ended.
SPOILER ALERT (kind of).
In my opinion, the show begins to become a lot less interesting as it goes on since most of the best characters are written off and replaced. For example, at the end of season 16, only three members of the original cast remain. The part that saddens me most, however, is how or why these characters leave the show. I feel as though many of their stories that are developed with so much time and effort are left incomplete. Furthermore, those who do remain on the show usually get destroyed by the writers, and knowing this, I left before my thoughts on the show became toonegative.
SPOILER ALERT OVER
Also, I don’t know how accurate the show is medically, but I’m sure there are parts that are inaccurate because it is a TV show and the actors are not real doctors. There is a lot of blood in the show, although I didn’t find it to be too overwhelming (and I’m a pretty squeamish person). If there was a particularly bad scene, I usually just looked away for a moment and then continued watching.
With all this being said, Grey’s Anatomy really is a fantastic show. The first 10 seasons (especially the first 8) are SO GOOD and I wish I could experience them for the first time again. The excitement, thrill, joy, twists, and turns… So really, even if you think it isn’t something you would normally be interested in, just give a try. Who knows? Maybe you’ll start to love it as much as I do.
ORIGINAL
Rating: 9/10
Recommended Audience: TV-14 (gore, moderate violence, language, drinking, sexual content)
Disclaimer: will be a simple_tooltip content=’tendency or favoritism (liking one side more than the other)]biased[/simple_tooltip] review because I am a huge fan
Grey’s Anatomy. It is likely that you have heard the name thrown around or perhaps seen a friend grieving over a particularly emotional episode in the series (don’t worry, we’ve all been there), but what makes it so special? How has this show captured the attention of audiences for 16 seasons and why has it become one of the highest grossing modern day TV shows? Is it worth the watch?
The short answer is yes, it is absolutely worth the watch. I know the 16 seasons seem daunting (and trust me, I was reluctant to start watching it myself) however after hearing so many of my friends rave about it, I decided to give it a try. I am so glad I did. This show has completely changed my perception of TV, love, and as insane and far-fetched as it may sound–life. But enough about me, let’s talk about the show.
Written by Shonda Rhimes, Grey’s Anatomy is a medical drama that is centered around the professional and personal lives of a group of doctors that work in Seattle Grace Hospital (later becoming the Seattle Grace Mercy West and then the Sloan-Grey Memorial hospital). The show begins by following the journeys of young interns, fresh out of medical school, when they are suddenly faced with the euphoria and grim realities of working in a real hospital.
Over the 15 years that this series has been running, many characters come and go, so it’s hard to give an introduction of each without spoiling details in the plot (and we’d be here for years), but here are some of the originals.
Let’s begin with the one and only, Miranda Bailey. Nicknamed “the Nazi” because of her infamous tough love and brutal honesty, Dr. Bailey is the mentor and mother figure of the naive and eager-to-learn interns (Alex Karev, Cristina Yang, George O’Malley, Izzie Stevens, and Meredith Grey). Alex Karev is your stereotypical playground bully. Having struggled with a difficult childhood, Alex is outwardly arrogant and rude and yet a loyal friend and talented surgeon. Another intern with a striking ego is Cristina Yang. Graduating first in her class at Stanford, Cristina is an incredibly quick-witted and driven student, with some of the most hilarious lines in the show. Next we have George O’Malley, a much more mellow and down-to-earth character. He’s the runt of the litter–easy to pick on, underestimated, and there when you need it. His best friend? Izzie Stevens. Often belittled for her prior modeling career, Izzie is tough and determined underneath her beauty. The most positive of the five, she’s the one who brings a little light to the group and prevents them from becoming boring old doctors, consumed with only their jobs. Last but not least, we have Meredith Grey. The daughter of the legendary Dr. Ellis Grey, Meredith is the backbone of the interns and the show itself. Often self-proclaimed as “dark and twisty,” Mer somehow manages to remain good-natured even when confronted with grief time and time again. She is the most rational, and sees life not in black and white, but rather all in shades of grey (hence, Meredith Grey–or that’s what I like to think).
The more you watch, the more you begin to see the different layers of each character, where you learn to appreciate their quirks and understand their flaws. One of the greatest assets of this show? Character development. Throughout the series, you get to experience each person’s growth, as you watch them struggle to find themselves by means of the obstacles they face and lessons they learn. You will slowly but surely (or quickly if you’re like me) succumb to loving these ingeniously written characters with their unique personalities and incredible on-screen chemistry. Soon, their achievements will start to feel like your own, and their losses will feel like your pain. They make you laugh and make you cry. They are the reason why you stay hooked on the show.
Episode after episode, you may think that the show would get dull and predictable. After all, it is a medical drama. There’s a new patient, a historical surgery, another hookup… but this show is more than that. It manages to convey deep, touching stories that leave you hungry for more and delivers beautiful lines that are often quoted by Grey’s fans (some favorites being: “pick me, choose me, love me” and “he is not the sun, you are”). Additionally, many of the storylines in the show help highlight important modern day issues–including but not limited to mental health, self expression, and feminism–in realistic settings and scenarios. At the end of the day, Grey’s is not any old TV show, and it’s much more likely that you’ll find yourself wanting “just one more episode” for the day than being bored.
Yet you will notice that I didn’t give the show a perfect rating. As much as I love Grey’s, I’m the first to admit that it does have flaws of its own–particularly in the later seasons–which led me to stop watching the show after the conclusion of season 13.
SPOILER ALERT (kind of)
In my opinion, the show begins to become a lot less interesting while it progresses, as most of the best characters are written off and replaced with new “wannabes” (as I like to think of them). To put it in perspective, upon the completion of season 16, only three members of the original cast remain. The part that disheartens me most, however, is not always the physical departure of these characters from the show. It is how or why they leave the show. I feel as though many of the character arcs that are developed with so much time and effort are left incomplete. In fact, there is only one character who I believe truly had a respectable ending. Furthermore, those who do remain on the show usually get destroyed by the writers, and knowing this, I left before my outlook on the show was able to be turned upside down.
SPOILER ALERT OVER
Also, I cannot personally speak on the accuracy of the show in terms of the medical standpoint, but I’m sure it is to a certain extent for entertainment purposes. On another note, there is a tendency for blood and gore in the show, however I didn’t find it to be too overwhelming (and I’m a pretty squeamish person). If there was a particularly unsettling scene, I usually just looked away for a moment and then continued watching.
With all this being said, Grey’s Anatomy really is a fantastic show. The first 10 seasons (especially the first 8) are SO GOOD and I wish I could experience them for the first time again. The excitement, thrill, joy, twists, and turns… So really, even if you think it might not be your cup of tea, just give a try. Who knows? Maybe you’ll learn to love it as much as I do.
