TVSquad

With Grey's Anatomy and its spin-off Private Practice starting new seasons, I decided to refresh my brain with the previous seasons of these two ABC shows. So this week's Jane After Dark was all about the dreamy doctors.

I've been on board with Private Practice since the beginning, and was especially interested to see what happened with Violet and her baby in the season three premiere. Happy ending there, thank goodness! And while Grey's Anatomy has certainly ebbed and flowed since it began in 2005, I've stuck with it because I've grown to love the dysfunctional characters with all their baggage. It makes my life seem just that much better.

Grey's Anatomy, Season Five

There were parts of this season that drove me a little nuts, like Izzie having "mind-boggling sex" with dead Denny. That whole storyline made me want to jump off a roof, but there were plenty of highlights to the season, as well...

- Derek and Meredith seem to have gotten past a lot of their troubles and into a happy ending (ok, probably not, but so far, so good). They got married on a post-it note, so all is well ... for the time being anyway. I was getting tired of them being so wishy-washy all the time.

- I like the pairing of Sloan and Lexi. They seem like polar opposites, which often make for the best partners. She's growing from a girl into a woman, and she seems to ground him.

- I was really glad to see Cali find happiness (as much as she can anyway) with Arizona. I love seeing Arizona skating around the hospital on her little "heelies" (though have to say, it doesn't seem particularly safe in a hospital).

- I'm really rooting for Owen and Christina, and they had some rough patches with his post-traumatic stress after being in a battle zone. I really loved seeing him take charge and stitch up his own wounds, and I hope he gets back to that in season six.

- Wow, some heart-wrenching moments towards the end of the season, with Izzie getting sick and George being hit by a vehicle while saving someone else (that George!). It really does drive home the fact that lives can change in an instant, and we have to be grateful for each day and all that cliched stuff.

Bonus features include: Behind the scenes of the 100th episode; interview with Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers, and Jeffery Dean Morgan; extended episodes; unaired episodes; and Bloopers.

Private Practice, Season Two

This show took a little time gaining steam, but I think it's finally found its footing on Thursday night. Sure, Addison gets a little annoying with how she's always saying what a "brilliant neonatal surgeon" she is (we get it!), but overall, I like the characters and the storylines. Specifically...

- I like that Oceanside Wellness is going through some difficulties in leadership and finances, because it seems more real-world. It's not some TV universe where everything is peachy and people seem to pay their bills while hanging out at the local coffee shop all day.

- The crossover episodes with Grey's Anatomy brought Addison back with McDreamy and gave a little closure there. I also like that we got to see Addison's brother Archer and his hookup with Naomi. Much of the season, however, was devoted to the love triangle between Violet, Pete and Sheldon, and Violet's subsequent (and tragic - sort of) pregnancy.

- I wasn't all that happy with how Dell's character devolved. I really liked him at the beginning of the series, and hope he can get back to that fun, quirky person. I was glad to see his druggie ex-girlfriend move away, and I hope he gets to keep his daughter.

- This season also dealt with lots of ethical and moral issues (you could see it coming in every episode): autism, vaccinations, embryo-switching, physician-assisted suicide, siblings having sex (who don't know they're siblings) ... it was all a little too much, and I felt like they could have focused more on the characters. I hope they get some happiness in season three, and judging by the premiere, that might actually happen.

Bonus features include: Patient Confidentiality: Examining Season 2 (creator/executive producer Shonda Rhimes and executive Betsy Beers talk about focusing on moral and ethical dilemmas); Life Through the Lens: The Pictures of Chris Lowell - The actor who plays Dell showcases his photography and talks about his inspirations; extended episodes; deleted scenes; and bloopers.