Grey’s Anatomy fans who were put off by last weeks bucolic tangents will be happy to know that Addison has landed squarely back into the sterile world of Seattle Grace.  While this Grey's Anatomy was little more than the typical shenanigans, it at least did not cry out for plot-Ritalin.  Not to say that the episode was without a gimmick; the week before the finale belongs to the interns to set the pace.  But don’t worry, there is plenty going down with our cast of ‘real’ doctors as well.

This week in the New York Times, TV critic Alessandra Stanley writes that both Grey’s Anatomy and its new spinoff starring Kate Walsh are silly and “sex-obsessed” shows in which “even the most successful women are left behind in life.”

Blaming Ally McBeal for starting a trend for female characters on TV, she says the show “marked a turning point in the devolution of women’s roles in television comedy — the moment when competent-but-flaky hardened into basket case.”

Grey’s Anatomy, Stanley says, is “admittedly over-the-top escapist fantasy for women, except that it is troubling that even in escapist fantasies, today’s heroines have to be weak, needy and oversexed to be liked by women and desired by men.”

The departure of Dr. Addison Forbes Montgomery, played by Kate Walsh, from Grey’s Anatomy for the spin off series, Private Practice, has certainly left viewers with mixed feelings but has given Derek and Meredith fans some level of comfort in knowing that the “McHot,” of Seattle Grace Hospital will soon be out of the picture. Although Addison’s exit sounds reassuring, that doesn’t mean that Meredith’s relationship with Derek is out of harm's way.

Enter Chyler Leigh, another possible troublemaker for the Derek-Meredith love affair. According to E! Online, Leigh, who plays the woman in the bar in the previews for this week, has just been offered a role in a multiple-episode arc for next season. Though it hasn’t been confirmed many entertainment sources have speculated that her participation on the series spells trouble.

Despite being embedded in a typically well performing episode of Grey’s Anatomy, the proposed pilot of the Addison led spin off Private Practice was almost universally panned by critics and fans alike.  A quick tour through the Grey’s Anatomy fan sites this morning was like stepping onto a battlefield, with the anti-Private Practice troops possessing superior firepower.   On a personal note, I liked the segments but felt they clashed with a-typical motifs of Grey’s Anatomy. 

Last night gave us the two-hour spin-off episode for the new Kate Walsh medical drama.  I've always liked Addison as a character, and am confident that she can hold her own as the main character of a popular show.  I'm still skeptical as to the kind of audience her show will receive.  The cast is good (Taye Diggs and Tim Daly are solid veterans), but I fear that the show will always be compared against Grey's Anatomy, and likely in an unfavorable manner.  We'll see next season.

The reaction to last night's spin-off has been largely favorable, as far as I can tell.  This bodes well.  Now, there are only two more episodes left in Grey's season, and we've got some spoilers for the penultimate episode set to air next week, entitled “Testing 1-2-3”.  The spoilers are provided, as always, by the Don Nelson of spoiler gathering, Isabelle of SpoilerFix:

ABC brought us a sample of what a Kate Walsh led Grey’s Anatomy spin-off might hold with a bit of Seattle Grace as-usual thrown in with the two hour “The Other Side of Life.”  How did the experiment turn out?  Does Addison have enough presence to shine through against a star-studded backdrop?  In a word, the prospects for an Addison led Grey's Anatomy spin-off are fantastic.  You are struck immediately by how well this star studded cast blends together.

  

After the fiery controversy over his anti-gay slur that nearly ended his acting career, Grey’s Anatomy’ Isaiah Washington is out to prove that he is more than willing to make up for his distasteful deed. While getting into a rehab facility makes up for his slur to some extent, he has decided to further more prove his eagerness to recover, especially in the public’s eye. Now, the controversial actor will be representing the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network by appearing in a public service announcement for the gay right advocates.

The third season of Grey’s Anatomy became the grounds for some controversial matters when Washington grabbed costar Patrick Dempsey, who plays Dr. Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd, by the throat related to Washington’s use of an anti-gay slur towards costar T.R Knight, who plays Dr. George O'Malley. The incident also caused some unpleasant air among other cast members of popular medical drama series. Initially, Washington denied the slur but after much criticisms from gay right groups like GLAAD, Washington issued a statement, apologizing for his unfortunate use of words, and also sought counseling.

The finale of Grey’s Anatomy is just a few weeks away and already a lot of information has leaked from the byways of Hollywood as to just what to expect from the episode titled “Didn’t we Almost Have it all?”  Will Cristina and Burke make it to the altar?  Which interns will pass, and which will fail?  Will Jane Doe ever discover her identity? Will Addison still be around after her soul searching trip to California?  And who will be named the new Chief of Seattle Grace?