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May 9th, 2008

Grey’s Anatomy 4×14

greystitle.jpg Last night’s all-new episode of Grey’s Anatomy was called “The Becoming”, and dealt with a whole bunch of different storylines. I actually felt it was one of the better efforts this season. It was fast-paced, enjoyable, and not at all eye roll inducing. That’s progress!

Since I am pressed for time today and am already late getting this post up, I’m not going to write an entire recap. Instead, I’m just going to list a few of my thoughts/reactions for this episode.

– I liked Mark Sloane’s storyline, right up to the point where Dr. Bailey was addressing the nurses on his behalf. When she called him a “whore” in front of all the nurses, my jaw literally dropped at how inappropriate and unprofessional that was. Imagine the scene if the gender roles were reversed. What if it was a roomful of male doctors addressing a problem with a female colleague. If the authority figure in that situation had called the female doctor a whore, that would open up the hospital to a HELL of a lawsuit. I hate double standards like that, no matter which way they go. Bailey was wrong to call Sloane a whore, even if the shoe fits.

– Meredith and Derek were tolerable for the first time in a very long time. I like them together when they’re not a couple and they’re not flirting. Yes, they’re both thinking about each other and probably want to get back together, but when none of that stuff is out in the open, when they’re just doctors, then they’re ok in my book. More of this, please!

– George is annoying. No matter what he does, he’s annoying. I think it’s the way T.R. Knight has turned him into a stumbling, bumbling loser. Has George always been like that? Wasn’t he just a bit more confident in previous seasons? I know he has never been as arrogant or assertive as Karev, but jeebus, he was normal at one point, wasn’t he?

– Izzie is frustrating. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the character last night, but her decision not to tell Alex about Ava’s fake pregnancy was frustrating. After all the moral and ethical lines Izzie has crossed in the past 4 seasons, she’s just now deciding to honor doctor-patient confidentiality? Ugh. I guess it’s better this way in the long run. If she told Alex herself, he would probably end up resenting her in some way. At least now he’ll be able to focus all of his wrath on Ava when he does find out.

– Cristina finally let it all out (as much as is possible for that character, anyway). Wow, that was fantastic! I particularly liked two things about her storyline last night: first, the way she refused to use the Burke thing to finally get “in” with Hahn. Hahn is a bitch through and through, so I’m glad Cristina didn’t sink to her level of Burke bashing.

Second, I’m so glad she FINALLY told the chief what’s going on with Hahn. Everything she said was right on the money: She was the one who performed Burke’s surgeries when his hand shook too much to get the job done. She was the one who helped preserve his reputation and allowed him to subsequently go on to win the prestigious award. And for Hahn to keep her out of surgeries for stupid reasons is absolute bullshit, so the chief better damn well address this problem ASAP.

— The scene where Alex was filling out his sex partner survey and forgot to include Lexie (even though she was sitting RIGHT THERE) was hilarious!! Her reaction to it was pure gold as well, and I loved how she said she called a few past boyfriends just to make sure she wasn’t as forgettable as Alex seemed to think.

– The chief and Adele were kind of boring. Their personal lives have never been a huge part of the show, so I didn’t think it was necessary to start up now.

– I liked the gay soldiers, and have to admit that I teared up when the one guy didn’t make it through his surgery.

– The prospect of Callie and Hahn getting it on? Gross. I just find Hahn unattractive on so many different levels that the last thing I want to see is her in a sexual relationship. Blech!

At any rate, I think there are two more eps left this season. Let’s hope they’re good ones!

May 9th, 2008

Frontier(s): Can you handle it?

Unknown I have to admit that one of the reasons I don’t watch many horror films is because I can’t stand the sight of copious amounts of blood and gore. I can handle psychological fare such as The Silence of the Lambs, but when filmmakers go for graphic kill scenes… well, all bets are off with me.

That’s why I’m convinced I would pass out if I attempted to sit through a screening of the French horror flick Frontier(s). I just viewed the official trailer for the film, and that was enough to turn my stomach! Let me tell you, it looks very intense!

In fact, this film is so utterly brutal in parts that it has apparently stirred up quite a bit of controversy in several countries. Of course, that will probably just serve to make Frontier(s) all the more attractive to potential viewers, including my husband who can’t get enough of films like Saw and Hostel. I’m sure he’s going to want to see this one as well!

Frontier(s) was originally supposed to be screened at Horrofest 2007, but was ultimately pulled because of the NC-17 rating that the MPAA slapped on it. So instead, an unrated and uncut version will play in limited cities this weekend, with the DVD scheduled to be released on May 13th. I just checked the select theater listings for the film, and saw that the closest one is Detroit, which obviously means we’ll have to wait a few extra days for the DVD.

At any rate, if you think you can handle extreme, over-the-top, and utterly sadistic violence, then check out Frontier(s) this weekend if it’s playing in a city near you or buy the DVD on May 13!

Sponsored by Frontier(s)

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