Grey's Anatomy: Season 1 - Thoughts

I remember first having a conversation about Grey’s Anatomy way back in 2006. My friend who was telling me about it, said that it was worth the watch, was quite popular, that his girlfriend loved it, and that it had some hot women. As much as I’ve been putting it off, sometime mid-March 2010, I figured it’s about time I get around to it. The show follows the lives of interns, and resident doctors practicing at Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital. It’s currently in its 6th season and rumors have it that it’s gonna be around till the 8th season at least.


Look for reviews online and you’ll mostly hear good things. Check for viewing statistics and you’ll see that it’s hugely popular, and is one of the most watched primetime TV shows. So what is the deal with Grey’s Anatomy? I watched the pilot episode, ‘A Hard Day’s Night’, and surprisingly liked it more than I’d expected to. As much as it was set in a hospital, and thus had tones of death and suffering, it also had a sense of energy to it. Thanks to effective characterization a sense of pep was brought into the mix. While I will admit that the drive to watch additional episodes back to back has dropped some, I wouldn’t tag it mediocre in the least. I’d expect that the level of appeal amongst women to be quite high, with the show being narrated from the point of view of the female lead, Meredith Grey. As you get into it, you’ll notice a ‘Sex And The City’ sort of narration style to the episodes. The attempted cliffhanger ending at the end of the first season was weak; far lesser than what viewers have probably come to expect for TV serials.

As I’d mentioned earlier, the success of Grey’s Anatomy rests primarily in its strong and dynamic characters. Ellen Pompeo as Meredit Grey is brilliant; expect to be in love with her character in very little time. Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang is dislikable yet likable; don’t be surprised if you feel like taking a jab at her every now and then. Katherine Heigl as Izzie Stevens plays the hot ex-model turned surgeon; interestingly she’s not as stereotypically annoying as you’d expect her to be. She adds to the mix, just like George O’Malley played by T.R. Knight; the geeky ‘girls best girl friend’ sorta guy. Derek Shepherd played by Patrick Dempsey has an interesting dreamy excellence, and Preston Burke played by Isaiah Washington helps to keep the show serious. All together its one tightly wound, well oiled machine; it works well together, answering efficiently to many entertainment necessities.

From a tech analysis perspective there isn’t much to say. I was watching a lossy DivX rip, which was average to acceptable in quality. Sound was audible, but nothing special. The soundtrack was good, and added a lot of soul to the show. Technically speaking, Grey’s Anatomy is nothing outstanding, just everyday television.

My Recommendation: Watch It (Better than most hospital dramas)