DVD Reviews

Grey's Anatomy: The Complete Sixth Season – DVD Review

By Dana Rae Sep 15, 2010, 17:30 GMT

Expect more competition, more doctors, and much more drama as Seattle Grace merges with a competing hospital in Grey\'s Anatomy\'s celebrated Sixth Season. Relive every moment in this sensational 6-disc set.Meredith, Derek, Izzie, and the rest of your favorite characters face a brand new challenge with the arrival of doctors from Mercy West. Battle lines are drawn and rivalries reach new heights in an unforgettable year at Seattle Grace.Commit yourself ...more

The sixth season of the widely popular ABC medical show Grey’s Anatomy comes to DVD. The season features the show’s trademark tales of doctors having a roller coaster of a ride both professionally and personally at Seattle Grace Hospital. 

Named for the lead character, Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), the show features more of an ensemble cast.

There’s McDreamy, aka Dr. Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey), McSteamy, aka Dr. Mark Sloan (Eric Dane), the unflappable and sarcastic Dr. Cristina Yang, aka BFF of Meredith (Sandra Oh), Dr. Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl), Dr. Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh), aka Little Grey, Dr. Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson), Dr. Alex Karev (Justin Chambers), Dr. Richard Webber (James Pickens), Dr. Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez), and a few others. 

This season sees more personal and profession conflict for all of the characters. The show blends the medical profession with a soapy feel, lots of drama, and inter personal relationships.

Meredith and Derek are finally together (married by Post-it note) and there is a lot of gazing at each other across a crowded hospital complete with music overlay. But just when it seems that they will be happy and Meredith rushes to tell her love the good news…well, that is the cliff hanger and I don’t want to give away any spoilers. 

Somewhere mid-season, the show loses Izzie, not to cancer, but she just decides it is time to walk away from the hospital, her friends, and her marriage. Her relationship with Alex (married and living in Derek’s very small trailer) was on the outs after he recommended she take time off from her job and started hooking up with Little Grey.

Although the show is set in a hospital, this season seems to basically be about sex with some medical drama in the backdrop. They practice medicine here and there and manage to help a few patients, but Meredith sums it up best when she tells her sis Lexie, “You think with you vagina.”

My favorite episode was about the fat guy. This show does not shy away from the grotesque. When Dr. Bailey hurriedly gives a seminar on temperance and objectivity in the medical work place (aka not making jokes about the patients), the audience knows something is up. Then the fat guy is delivered to the hospital in the garbage truck.  

Cristina is almost immediately thrown off the case because she can’t keep her mouth shut (I love her character! She is the best character on the show, hands down). The guy has an infection on his abdomen and they raise his fat rolls to show the sores underneath…the doctors continue to make fun of the poor guy to the point of wondering how he and his wife (a tiny, petite thing) managed to procreate. 

This episode is just an example of the callousness of the doctors. They talk over patients, make comments, discuss their love life, and basically have no professionalism. If I were a patient at Seattle Grace, I would transfer quickly to another hospital. Not to mention how quickly they break into tears when their love life tanks.

But just when you think they have no couth or sensitivity, Meredith looks across the crowded corridor at her love Derek (who is dressed in blue every episode to match his eyes) and there is a musical overlay and presto. Feelings. We have feelings. How to describe these feelings???

Dr. Derek becomes chief of surgery when Dr. Webber falls off the wagon (Meredith’s mom got him to drinking way back when, interesting flashback) and Meredith has to deal with being the new boss’s wife. 

Did I mention Callie wants a baby? I was reminded of the old Dallas episode when Pam begged Bobby for a baby. Her character continues to struggle with her relationships, and the need to become part of a family.

McSteamy also grows a tad as he discovers he is a father (surprise, surprise) and about to be a grandfather. The arrival of the daughter and grandbaby puts his relationship with Lexie to the test, but strengthens his friendship with Callie (they are probably the most stable couple on the show since they aren’t a couple).

One of the patients of McDreamy comes back to haunt them as the hospital is taken under siege. The final couple episodes are the best of the season – even if it ends without much damage being done to the show’s main characters (although those poor Mercy West docs are cannon fodder for the shooter). 

After six seasons the show is starting to show its age. There are plenty of bonus features for the die-hard fan. They include: an extended finale with over 20 additional minutes of drama, unaired scenes, outtakes, a featurette with Chandra Wilson, and six webisodes. 

Season Six shows some promise by interjecting some new blood to the cast thanks to the addition of the Mercy West doctors, but the show seems to be running on fumes.

There is some new ground being broken with the main characters (Derek and Meredith finally seem to be on the same page, Christina finds herself in a love triangle), but this season didn’t stray too far from the established formula.

Luckily, the show has a great season ending that will keep fans tuning in for more, and makes you want to see what is going to happen next at Seattle Grace Hospital.

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