"Grey's" writing and memorable cast will keep it from flatlining

As its fourth season unfolds, the award-winning ABC medical drama Grey’s Anatomy continues to dole out drama like its own life depends on it. And in fact, it does. With decreased ratings and the prolonged writer’s strike to grapple with, the hour-long show is piling on the sex and intensifying plot lines to keep viewers in their seats – hopefully, on the edge of them. Creator Shonda Rhimes has skillfully inserted new characters into Seattle Grace Hospital while continuing to build upon the lives of the doctors viewers know and love. In doing so, she and the Grey’s Anatomy writing team have strategically counteracted last season’s loss of two major characters.

The brilliance of

Grey’s lies within its intricacy – this is not a show for leisurely viewers. In order to recogni

ze the complexity of episodes like Thursday night’s “Physical Attraction … Chemical Reaction” (original air date 11/8/07), one must already be familiar with, for example, the ongoing love story of Dr. Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and Dr. Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey). However, the show is not a constant development of season-long plots – each episode incorporates the drama of multiple new patients as well as the introduction or resolution of a new character conflict.

Writers Tony Phelan and Joan Rater have exemplified this idea with “Physical Attraction …”, the seventh episode of the new season. As always, Meredith’s voice-over narration opens the show, introducin

g a theme of sorts for

the hour – chemistry. The perfect scene follows as Dr. Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl) and Dr. George O’Malley (T.R. Knight) struggle to find sexual chemistry in the bedroom. This particular subplot is a continuation from last season, when George’s marriage to Dr. Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez), another doctor at Seattle Grace, was broken as he and Izzie unsuccessfully tried to suppress their attraction. Their story, more prominent in this particular episode, is one of about five subplots following the 12 doctors/residents at the hosp

ital.

As if the ever-dramatic, and at times overly dramatic, lives of the central characters aren’t entertaining enough, what would a hospital be without patients? Grey’s avoids stagnancy by introducing new patients at Seattle Grace each episode. In “Physical Attraction …”, a cranky and constipated old man brings comic relief to the serious situation of a young mother who dies, leaving her newly adopted baby with a husband who has yet to bond with the newborn. Who knows if these patients are authentic, but their stories are convincing enough and their acting is certainly en

gaging.

The decline in popularity of a show as fast-paced and intense as Grey’s Anatomy seems inevitable, but the quality of writing and acting make this drama a standout. Every member of its diverse cast is memorable – the unyielding devotion to the medical field of Sandra Oh as Dr. Cristina Yang, the sass and ferocity of Chandra Wilson as Dr. Miranda Bailey, and the lovable sternness of James Pickens Jr. as Dr. Richard Webber, chief of surgery, are only small aspects of a talented group of actors. Their work, combined with the witty scripts of gifted writers, will continue to make Grey’s Anatomy a medical miracle. Let’s hope the show avoids a code blue for many years to come..

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A waste of my "Quarterlife"

I think it’s important to state that I am Quarterlife’s target demographic. I know exactly what these characters are feeling and going through. The only difference is that I choose to deal with my problems in a mature adult way rather than in a teen angst kind of way. Needless to say, I begrudgingly sat through the one-hour pilot of Quarterlife just so I could write a fair review for it.

Marshall Herskovitz, the producer behind the ‘90s teen angst drama My So Called Life wrote, directed and produced Quarterlife with what seems to be leftover storylines and whining scenes that Clare Danes should’ve performed. Courteney Cox look-alike Bitsie Tulloch plays the protagonist, Dylan, who is very whiny and Meredith Grey-esque. Dylan publishes her life in a video-blog called “Quarterlife.” In this blog, Dylan speaks the truth about everyone she is friends with, and yet, she can’t be honest with herself about her feelings for her friend Jed. The first blog entry sets up the basic plotline of the series. Dylan has two roommates: Lisa is a blond wannabe actress who uses sex as a confidence booster and Debra is a bookish brunette who is dating the boyish Danny. Danny lives across the street with his best friend and business partner Jed (Dylan’s crush) who is hopelessly in love with Debra. Get it? It’s a love rectangle with one extra cast member who runs around town having sex with strangers and singing emotionally charged karaoke songs at the bar she works at. It’s like Friends meets Coyote Ugly, only not entertaining, funny or musically appealing.

Forgetting the predictable plotline, the performances by the actors are, to quote Jed, “medium okay” at best. Tulloch is even more annoying and whiny than Ellen Pompeo on Grey’s Anatomy or Jennifer Aniston on Friends. Michelle Lombardo (Debra) gives a lackluster, forgettable and unconvincing performance. It’s really hard to believe that two men are in love with her, which can also be attributed to the writing. It’s painful to watch the lines come out of Lombardo’s mouth. I feel as if the original actress for the role of Debra had to drop out last minute, so Lombardo took her place without ever practicing the lines or figuring out a personality for the character. Maite Schwartz and David Walton, who play Lisa and Danny, are just as dull as Lombardo. The only silver lining to this show is Scott M. Foster who plays Jed. Foster is well known for ABC Family’s surprise hit Greek. Foster gives the most convincing performance of a lovable and emotionally torn character who can’t get the one woman he loves. However, even Foster’s newfound fame cannot save this show.

The other troubling aspect of the show is the direction, cameras and lighting. It is dimly lit and almost gritty looking—something most soap operas steer clear of. One explanation for the poor lighting and shaky camera exposure is that Quarterlife was originally supposed to be a web-only broadcast; however, NBC decided to go ahead and air it. NBC should’ve reconsidered this decision because the lighting and camera effects make it almost unbearable to watch. The show just looks like a bunch of wannabe actors filming themselves in hopes of winning amateur night at their local film festival only to lose out because they lack a crucial element to the entertainment industry: talent. This technologically challenged show looks more suitable for MTV than NBC.

There isn’t anything remotely interesting about this show. This is surprising because even the worst dramas out there have a killer soundtrack or a fashionable wardrobe so that maybe the audience can forget about the abysmal writing. Quarterlife doesn’t even have those things.

The message of the show seems to be that twenty-somethings are even whinier than teens—something that will seem highly offensive and derogatory to its target audience.

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Verbal Smackdown 2008: Piers vs. Omarosa

It was to be the showdown of the century. Every episode led up to this one moment: the battle between the cocky, British tabloid editor Piers Morgan and backstabbing, former Apprentice contestant Omarosa.

The Apprentice has seen four years of challenges, disputes and “You’re fired’s.” Now in its seventh season The Donald upped the ante with 14 headstrong celebrities left to duke it out in order to win money for charity.

In episode 10, teams Hydra and Empresario compete to sell the most art for the most money at the prestigious Moti Hasson Gallery in New York City. With Piers (Hydra) and Omarosa (Empresario) as team project managers, the battle between these two is on. Their volatile personalities and dislike for the way each other deals with people has caused a vicious rivalry between them since day one and has resulted in several verbal squabbles. The two are ready to go head-to-head.

It was impossible to envision what this episode would have in store. Sure there would be arguing and name-calling but to what extent? As the teams planned their strategies, both Piers and Omarosa remained in their respective corners; however, Omarosa seemed a bit more concerned with what Piers was doing than trying to come up with a strategy of her own. Being one of the more important challenges of the season, Omarosa definitely needed to focus on her game-plan so as to not land in Trump’s hot seat.

As the teams set up their art galleries, it seemed as if a heated altercation would arise as actor Stephen Baldwin of team Empresario began snooping on team Hydra, but nothing exciting came of it. Very disappointing. At the 20-minute mark this episode was looking to be a dud. Then the buyers came. Surprisingly, Empresario sold the most art initially. Omarosa obviously looked excited as Piers began to sweat. But their good luck faded fast as patrons quickly turned to team Hydra’s art. The customers bought plenty and team Empresario didn’t sell another piece. Supermodel Carol Alt of team Hydra even stole a few of Empresario’s customers. Piers knew victory was his.

In the board room, Trump said that Hydra creamed Empresario in the “biggest slaughter” in Apprentice history. Hydra sold 14 of 20 paintings for $164,000 while Empresario only sold three of 13 paintings generating $7,000. This was indeed a “personal win” for Piers. In the final 10-15 minutes, Piers kisses a cowboy while Omarosa calls Piers a “homosexual” and characteristically throws her team under the bus (something she is quite famous for). In the end, Omarosa lost because of poor planning and a consistent losing streak. Even though Trump said he’s a big Omarosa fan, it was time. Finally, after 10 episodes Trump fired Omarosa.

Secretly, we all wanted her fired. Everyone was just waiting for the day and it was certainly an “edge of your seat” moment. But it was almost bittersweet. Sure it was priceless to finally see her get the axe, but no longer would Apprentice fans witness Piers and Omarosa’s sensational antics. Omarosa thought she had it in the bag. She thought that if she blamed her teammates, and did a little name-calling, she could saver herself as she often did. Not this time. At some point, the childish backstabbing had to stop and Trump realized she was just not worthy any more.

As a whole, the episode lacked in the intense drama it was expected to have. There weren’t nearly as many low blows throughout the entire episode as the previews lead on. However the boardroom more than made up for it. No one could have predicted Omarosa calling Piers a homosexual. She really must have been running out of ammo.

The rivalry between Piers and Omarosa had been stewing all season. Whether you were rooting for Omarosa or Piers, it was obvious that Trump made the right decision in firing Omarosa. She is notorious for finagling her way out of situations and putting the blame on others. That’s why viewers love to hate her. We desperately want to see her get fired, but at the same time we want to keep her on the show to see what ridiculousness she will come up with next. Read more!

"American Idol" going strong in seventh season

While some reality series grow stale by the second episode, Fox’s mega-hit American Idol remains fresh even in its seventh season. This week’s pair of episodes, which featured songs by John Lennon and Paul McCartney for the second consecutive week, proved once again that the show remains exciting and unpredictable.

Tuesday’s performance show featuring the eleven finalists tended to drag a bit due to its two-hour length, since the singing portion of the show only took up about 20 minutes of air time. Nevertheless, it is the interplay between the judges, Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell, the host, Ryan Seacrest, the contestants, and often the crowd, that frequently provides the show with some of its best moments, as was the case on Tuesday night.

When the often acerbic Cowell told the first singer of the evening, Amanda Overmyer, that she is beginning to lack variety in her selections, Overmyer fired back, much to the delight of the audience, that she wants to perform songs that best suit her Janis Joplin-like rocker style. Cowell quickly reminded her that she was not famous yet, and that she should heed his advice. Shortly thereafter, Cowell also came into conflict with two of the favorites in the competition, Carly Smithson and David Cook. Cowell suggested that Smithson’s rendition of The Beatles’ classic ballad, “Blackbird,” was overly indulgent after her performance was praised by the other judges. He also labeled Cook as being overly “smug” following his rock performance of “Daytripper.”

On this evening, there were several performances that the always perky Abdul even criticized. Michael Johns’s arrangement of the Lennon-McCartney masterpiece “A Day in the Life,” was criticized by all three judges. However, it was Abdul who made the moment unforgettable with her analysis that Johns’ poor performance must have been because he was working with an earpiece for the first time. When the host Seacrest asked Abdul to explain what she was talking about, Johns revealed that he was not even wearing an earpiece, much to the obvious amusement of a smirking Cowell.

This is just another one of the classic judging moments that have become synonymous with the show, whether it is Abdul’s sometimes bizarre dancing, Jackson’s constant usage of phrases like, “We’ve got a hot one,” or Cowell’s arrogant rebukes.

However, if all of the contestants are bad enough to be strongly criticized, American Idol would not have the seemingly limitless fan base it has. Syesha Mercado’s heavy vibrato on “Yesterday” and David Archuleta’s simplified take on “The Long and Winding Road,” were met with adulation from the both the judges and the studio audience. Cowell went so far as to call Archuleta’s performance “master-class.”

American Idol’s continued credibility derives from the long list of successful recording artists the show has fostered like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. Viewership and voting numbers remain high because the show enables the viewing audience to learn the contestants’ back stories. They become emotionally invested in the result through their own participation and knowledge. The quality of the contestants (Season 7 is one of the best in this aspect) continues to bring viewers back, and though the quality of the judges and the host can be disputed at times, they really appear to be having fun. As a result, the viewer at home does too.

The Wednesday night result show often provides almost as much drama as an episode of Grey’s Anatomy. When the contestants learn whether or not they will get to stay another week, Seacrest asks for the audience to become silent and the lights to be dimmed. One by one, the contestants are forced to learn whether they will be in the bottom three or whether they are “safe” for another week.

Most of Wednesday night’s episode was filler that included a group sing-along of Beatles classics like George Harrison’s, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and the filming of a new Ford commercial featuring the Idol wannabes, however Idol watchers are almost forced into tuning in because the show remains unpredictable in the manner in which it eliminates its contestants.

The elimination is always done at the end of the program, like it was on Wednesday night when Amanda was sent packing, but the Idol producers pack just enough surprise into the show that it forces viewers to watch the entire program. One really shocking moment was the early revelation that Carly Smithson was among the bottom three vote-getters, despite the critical acclaim of the judging panel for much of the competition.

Many shows have tried to replicate Idol’s immense success, but Idol producers caught lightning in a bottle six years ago, and the show’s greatness has not waned with time.

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"One Tree Hill": an old favorite never dies

It’s kind of embarrassing to admit that, after five years, I still tune in once a week to a teen drama driven by love triangles, psycho killers and sibling rivalry. However, having been a devoted fan since high school, the characters of One Tree Hill have become part of my life. I have and will follow brooding writer Lucas (Chad Michael Murray), his cocky half-brother Nathan (James Laferty), promiscuous fashionista Brooke (Sophia Bush), troubled artist Peyton (Hilarie Burton) and good-girl Haley (Bethany Joe Galeotti) anywhere from the WB network to the CW—being a voyeur of their lives will always be a guilty pleasure of mine.

In its golden years (if you can call them that) the show, which first aired in 2003, was about a group of high school kids growing up in the small town of Tree Hill, N.C. Their lives revolved around Raven’s basketball and the latest gossip of who was sleeping with whom. Now, four years has fast-forwarded past college and instead of the pains of growing up, the plot of One Tree Hill is driven by the bends in the road, the highs and lows of being an adult.

Tuesday marked One Tree Hill’s 100th episode, and, to be perfectly honest, if it weren’t because Felicity and Gilmore Girls are off the air and that I have become entangled in the young soap, I probably would have given up watching by now.

Without any transition between seasons four and five, I felt betrayed by the fast-forward mode of the show. I guess everyone else felt the same because recently, creator Mark Schwahn (Coach Carter) started incorporating past incidents and characters to present shows. Even though the 100th episode provides a progressive storyline, it looks like Schwahn is trying to revive the old feel because the new one isn’t getting good ratings—the show lost 550,000 viewers reaching a season low of 2.45 million viewers according to TV Guide’s reports.

Tuesday’s episode revolved around the wedding of Lucas and his annoyingly perfect editor fiancée Lindsay (Michaela McManus). Peyton is forced to choose between intervening or losing Lucas, her true love, forever. In the meantime, Nathan tries to win Haley back after a misunderstanding and Brooke discovers that she needs more than money to fill her void—she needs a family.

Filled with flashbacks and daydreams, the show’s creator does nothing but pack this episode with confusing moments. When Peyton stood up before the “I do’s” and proclaimed her love to Lucas reminding him of the first time they met, I thought she was actually speaking up, but I was wrong. With one daydream after another, I’m still not sure what was fantasy and what was reality, which gives the writer an easy out if he plans on re-writing the outcome of Lucas’s wedding for the next episode.

I had expected something catalytic to happen especially in the centennial episode, but nobody chases Lindsay down the aisle when she leaves Lucas at the altar, Peyton doesn’t have a heart to heart with Lucas and Brooke doesn’t sleep with anyone to fulfill her dream of having a baby.

All these conflicts are merely secondary to the reemergence of Dan, Lucas’ and Nathan’s convict father. I’m tired of all cliff hangers ending with: what did Dan do this time? Which was the cop-out cliff hanger this episode. Hero or villain, after five years of him lingering, his devious character has been exhausted. At this point, I say, put him to sleep, literally—he killed his brother in cold blood, give him the death penalty.

Let’s face it, though, no matter how annoying I find Dan, April 14 (the start of six brand-new episodes) is too long to wait for my next fix. Plus, one thing’s for sure: One Tree Hill always manages to have great music—the kind that is solemn and sentimental and makes you smile while you are crying. The writing used to make me feel this way, but now I rely solely on the music because the plot this season is weaker than ever.

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