Grey’s Anatomy – The Complete Third Season

This was my first ever exposure to Grey’s Anatomy. Certainly I’ve followed the buzz the show has generated with its multiple awards and the feuding between two of the show’s actors. My first impression was not altogether a very good one. You see, season three begins with the aftermath of an obviously big ending from the previous year. From what I can gather, a character died and it left a void for a couple of the characters. I immediately began to feel like an outsider, a feeling I wasn’t very comfortable with. Fortunately, before I could give up feeling frustrated and hounded by an impending review deadline, something quite remarkable happened. Simply stated, I didn’t stop watching. In that moment of hesitation, I began to catch a glimpse of what everybody’s been going on about. The acting is surprisingly rock solid and not at all the flirty surface performances I had expected. So, for a short time, I was able to put aside my outsider feelings and begin to appreciate what I was watching. Before too long I was beginning to recognize the strong production values and clever writing which have been responsible for all that buzz I was hearing. While I avoided the needle scenes like the plague that spread through the hospital’s opening episodes, there is still a lot of high resolution f/x when it comes to wounds and surgery bits. This is by far the most realistic look I’ve seen in any medical show so far. The offbeat banter of the interns works well to offset the rather dramatic storylines hidden beneath this somewhat light series.

Grey’s Anatomy follows the life and tribulations of a group of interns at Seattle Grace Hospital. There’s certainly nothing original about the premise except that the story is told by one of the more unlikely characters, Dr. Meredith Grey (Pompeo). As a lead she’s really not all that remarkable, but the show doesn’t put everything on her narrow shoulders. The series is populated by a solid supporting cast, giving it all a far more ensemble feel despite the title. I’m not sure what these characters did in the preceding two years, but there are some standouts in season three. T.R. Knight and Isaiah Washington got entirely too much attention for the “did he or didn’t he use the ‘f’ word” in a gay bashing tirade. Their characters compelled me the least, and I suspect fans won’t miss Washington’s departure all that much. James Pickens, Jr. is perhaps the most extraordinary actor in the show. He’s underused, but steals every scene he’s in. His Dr. Webber is a powerfully serious voice in an otherwise often frivolous world. Chandra Wilson as the intern teacher Dr. Baily is another standout performance, offering tremendous range. Her character, often referred to as a Nazi by her interns, is capable of outstanding empathy just when it’s required. Too many of the characters serve as eye candy, but I can’t say that any of them don’t have some good acting chops. The medical cases are all pretty cool. I loved the little girl with “super powers”.

With all of that said, season three is not the way to have your first Grey’s Anatomy experience. I strongly recommend you begin at the start if you are not sure about this show. While I was able to gain some appreciation for the show, I had to work harder for it by starting so late. If you already like the show, nothing I could say would keep you from continuing your collection here.

The show has pulled in an impressive amount of awards and honors. Buena Vista has provided me with a list of these awards along with a description of the show that I thought I’d pass along to you:

“Grey’s Anatomy’s 2007 Golden Globe nominees Ellen Pompeo (Meredith Grey) and Patrick Dempsey (Derek Shepherd), as well as 2007 Emmy nominee for Outstanding Supporting Actress, Sandra Oh (Cristina Yang), 2007 Emmy nominee for Outstanding Supporting Actress and SAG winner, Isaiah Washington (Preston Burke), Katherine Heigl (Izzie Stevens), 2007 Emmy nominee for Outstanding Supporting Actor, T.R. Knight (George O’Malley), SAG Award recipient, Chandra Wilson (Miranda Bailey), James Pickens Jr. (Chief Webber), Kate Walsh (Addison Sheperd), Sara Ramirez (Callie Torres), and Eric Dane (Mark Sloan), work overtime to keep the romance, drama and, of course, the patients, alive at Seattle Grace Hospital.”

Video

Each episode of Grey’s Anatomy is presented in a sweet 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Again, I can’t compare to broadcast versions of the series, but these DVD transfers are quite nice. The sharpness is excellent. Black levels are well above average for television, even in the HD age. Colors aren’t necessarily bright at all, but remain constant and solid throughout. Flesh tones are dead on reference.

Audio

The Dolby Digital 5.1 track is more aggressive than I expected going in. There are not a lot of dynamic opportunities for an audio track to particularly shine here, but it does a wonderful job of immersing the viewer in the show. The plentiful musical numbers are well placed, usually not interfering with the action. Dialog is always easy to hear and placement is spot on. Not much for the subs here, but who cares?

Special Features

Audio Commentaries: Three episodes sport engaging tracks with the likes of: Kate Walsh, Chandra Wilson, and Sandra Oh.

Seriously Extended…: Four episodes have a couple of minutes added on. Being unfamiliar with the originals, I can’t tell you what exactly has been added, but my bet is that there’s nothing earth-shattering here at all.

Making Rounds with Patrick Dempsey: This is a chicks only feature showing off the dashing good looks and charm of Dempsey. Eye candy anyone? Plenty of race car action.

Shades Of Grey: One On One With Ellen Pompeo: For someone who has never seen the show before, I discovered some insight into this actress and character profile.

Prescription For Success: Jane Doe Unmasked: This is a nice idea to allow you to get to know the guest star a little. Casting is such an integral part of a good show; this is a must little feature.

Good Medicine: The cast relive their favorite moments.

Dissecting Grey’s Anatomy: Unaired Scenes: You guessed it. There are a few deleted scenes for your continued enjoyment.

Final Thoughts

Here’s the deal. I ended up liking Grey’s Anatomy, but not for the reasons you should like a show. I developed a genuine appreciation for the quality put into each and every episode. I still doubt I’ll be looking for it on my network listings any time soon. It’s just not my kind of program. I can understand why so many of you out there enjoy it. For what it is, there’s likely little better out there. If you enjoy the show, this is a solid set and you want to jump on it. A new season of television is upon us, and there are many changes in store for Grey’s Anatomy fans. The show will have to continue to provide a high level of quality if it is to continue. Remember that today’s top show is tomorrow’s cancelled dog. September is upon us. Grey’s Anatomy: “Meet your brand new competition.”

Buena Vista gives us a cool clip from that episode: “Super Powers Clip“

and an “Outtakes Clip“