"Grey's Anatomy" season check-up

I recently caught up on all of "Grey's Anatomy" this season and realized how much I missed this show. Because when "Grey's" is good, it's really darn enjoyable. Recent episodes have managed to include the drama of the past few seasons but also the humor of the early seasons that was sorely lacking in recent seasons. I really miss the time when this show was all anyone ever talked about and the one thing everyone watched, but I guess I'll just enjoy it on my own now since it really has experienced a resurgence of creativity. The cast shake-ups have finally evened out and, with the exception of the pointless Kim Raver, the new staff is really coming together and getting back to the friendships and interactions we knew in the early days. Also, characters have grown into adults over the seasons and several are in stable relationships. It's refreshing to see stable adult relationships on TV, especially since you can forget that they're possible on shows.
The hospital staff is still dealing with the trauma of last season's shooting finale. Most suffer in subtle ways (Avery off his game, Alex not taking the elevator, etc.) but Christina is by far the most affected. And rightly so, since she had to operate on her best friend's husband while she had a gun to her head and people were getting shot all around her. PTSD Christina is barely recognizable, but Derek is fighting for her to stay at the hospital since she did save his life under considerable duress. I'm waiting for the moment she comes back, because we all know she will, and since it's Christina as played by Sandra Oh she will roar back in a great moment...eventually. I love her and Owen together married and I never really thought I would. But he made a great point a few episodes ago when he told Christina he would be there for her and she could take it out on him because he loves her and Christina took his problems when he was suffering from PTSD because she loved him. Meredith was right that they're going through the "for worse" part first and the "for better" part will come later. If Isaiah Washington wasn't such a douchebag I'd almost wish Burke would come back and see how much more awesome Owen is with her. I am loving Christina and Meredith's friendship as well and it's great to see Meredith as the stable, lighter one for once (even if she does have a hostile uterus).

Derek and Meredith as a happy couple is fantastic, although I'm hoping the Alzheimers thing was just a one-time plot point. It was a valid concern, and utterly terrifying to think about, but this hospital has had enough misery for now and we really don't want a repeat of Derek's clinical trials a few seasons ago where he lost a ton of people and had a breakdown. What "Grey's" needs to do right now, amidst the trauma recovery, is go back to the simple days of fascinating surgeries and cases with touching and humorous relationship drama. That's exactly what it's been doing lately and it's been fantastic. I'm loving Callie and Arizona reunited and I'm hoping Lexie will eventually go back to Mark. I do feel bad for Alex, though. Once again, if Katherine Heigl hadn't gone on to be the awful RomCom star she is now, I wish Izzie wouldn't have experienced such character assassination. Izzie and Alex were great together and Alex was there for her through the cancer, and Izzie ups and leaves him just because he inadvertently got her fired while the hospital was doing cutbacks anyway. No, I'm totally not bitter about this still at all.

The new people are doing better since they're attempting to make April more interesting. She still has that undercurrent of psycho killer like she could snap at any minute, but she's less of an annoying irritant these days. Jackson looked damn good without his shirt on, but I hope they give him more to do on a deeper level since I think he really is an interesting character. Teddy's rejection of his flirting to get ahead scored her major points when she really needs it. I was terrified that they were going to make them sleep together and she would be an even worse female character on the show, but no, they gave her some balls and she acted like a professional. You're not an intern in Season 1, Teddy. No need to bed the young hottie.

All in all, I wish "Grey's" would get more attention this season for having a creative resurgence. It's out of the super dark and twisty place it got bogged down in and it's really a fun hour again. I highly recommend revisiting it for any viewers who tuned out.