Community Chat

[keri]

Did anyone watch? Were you satified with the ending? What did you find frustrating?

I was so surprised to learn recently that PRIVATE PRACTICE was still on and was wrapping up a six-season run on Tuesday. As a spin-off of GREY'S ANATOMY, it never seemed quite as interesting as the original. In fact, after watching a couple of episodes during the first season, I wondered how these libidinous, highly flawed and desperately dysfunctional doctors ever managed to keep it together long enough to practice medicine. Pity their poor patients!

After years of not watching at all or watching only the occassional GREY'S crossovers, I must admit the story arc of Dr. Amelia Shepherd's drug addiction and subsequent downward spiral was well-done, as was the heartbreaking storyline about her doomed baby. The other interesting plot involved Dr. Sam Bennett's emotionally fragile sister, Corrine. She was superbly portrayed by the incredibly gifted and extremely versatile Anika Noni Rose, in a role that was a 180-degree turn from the polished lawyer and State's Attorney candidate, Wendy Scott-Carr on THE GOOD WIFE and the beautiful back-up singer, Lorrell Robinson in DREAMGIRLS.

From interviews I've read and seen with Shonda Rhimes, the creator and executive producer of GREY'S, PP and SCANDAL, as the driving force and creative spirit, she's intensely hands-on. It's difficult to determine whether the formidable workload mandated by this trio of primetime network shows became too much or whether - unwisely - she delegated responsibility to others, resulting in a diminuation of quality. Did PP die of creative malpractice or benign neglect? You be the judge. IMO - PP suffered, ran out of steam and had to be euthanized.

The PP finale had some satisfying moments: Addison - happy at last with new husband Jake and baby Henry; Sheldon quitting the practice to be with cancer-stricken Miranda in her final days; Naomi and Sam back together at last. Overall, PP continued to be often more annoying than entertaining. Charlotte was abrasive to the end; Violet remained in dire need of a personality transplant to fill a congenital void.

PP lost me years ago when they killed Dell, the sensitive midwife and single parent. The final straw was when they killed Pete. Combine that with the deaths of Lexi Grey and Mark Sloan on GREY'S, and it appeared to be part of a wholesale, one-woman primetime massacre: thinning the herd on both shows. Please, Shonda, please - leave SCANDAL alone!