The Quadrangle

Issue date: 2/15/06 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Media Credit: xtraman.co.nz

Grey's Anatomy, a popular ABC show that premiered last March recently received an honor from the network last Sunday when it received the coveted post-Super Bowl spot. Though the show has met some criticism, mainly coming from those in the medical field, it has widely been praised by those in the entertainment industry and has a large following of fans. The recent nod to the show is only one bit of evidence proving that the medical interns of Grey's Anatomy are headed for even more success.

Though the hospital setting may remind many viewers of ER, Grey's Anatomy is a more personal and sometimes humorous show, and deals less with the medical side and more with the lives of both the doctors and patients.

Grey's Anatomy is the story of five surgical interns, Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh), George O'Malley (TR Knight), Alex Karev (Justin Chambers), and Isobel "Izzie" Stevens (Katherine Heigl), at the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital, and deals both with their personal lives and the difficulties that they have in learning how to balance their lives with their ever increasing workload. The show started with nine episodes in the first season, and for its second season, it included 26 episodes.

Some in the medical field have criticized the show, saying that it does not present the medical situations accurately and that it exaggerates the extent to which coworkers in the medical field become romantically involved. Supporters claim that Grey's Anatomy is not so much about medicine, but about people, and that the hospital serves as a dramatic background that allows for more emotionally and physically intense situations.

Though the entire cast gives excellent performances, the one that stands out is Sandra Oh, who has been nominated for and won several awards, most notably the Golden Globe for Best TV Supporting Actress. Though her character Cristina is brash and often lacks sympathy for her patients, she has made some real breakthroughs in the past episodes, allowing the audience to see her gentler side. Her most moving performance, however, took place at the end of the first season when she suddenly collapses from an ectopic pregnancy and loses the baby. Audiences have also been able to see more personal development as her relationship with Dr. Preston Burke, a surgeon at the hospital grows.

T.R. Knight, who portrays George O'Malley, who seems to be perpetually struggling to keep up in one way or another, also gives a wonderful performance week after week. Like his character, Knight's skills have gone largely unrecognized, and he shows great promise.

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