Medical dramas seem like a surefire success since everyone can relate to visiting the hospital or dream of marrying a doctor. Turns out they’re a risky surgery. For every ER and Marcus Welby M.D., there’s D.O.A. victims such as Trauma and Three Rivers. Like transplant surgery, there’s a major chance the audience will reject the new organ. Grey’s Anatomy seemed like a flash in the pan minor hit with a medical staff more concerned with examining each other than the patients. Off camera clashes with the cast and crew flared up each season promising self destruction. Beloved staff members turned in their scrubs to escape the set. Yet even with traumatic events, Grey’s Anatomy: The Complete Eighth Season has arrived on DVD as the ninth season is about to start. The fans have yet to transfer to a different hospital drama.
The series has suffered a drop in ratings over the last few years. “Free Falling” appears to reflect the show when a giant sinkhole opens up in Seattle. The hospital must act in the wake of the natural disaster. The first bit of order is for April (Sarah Drew) to take over as chief resident. Somebody has to be in control. Cristina (Sandra Oh) and Owen (Kevin McKidd) finally deal with their unexpected pregnancy. Will they go through with having the baby? “She’s Gone” keeps up the sinkhole crisis. Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek (Patrick Dempsey) continue to bicker, but they can’t break up. They want to adopt. “What Is It About Men” finds another creative medical emergency. This time there’s a riot at a comic book convention. The hospital is overwhelmed with injured nerds in super hero outfits. At least it wasn’t an ER convention since then the staff would be confused by the medical garb wearing attendees. “This Magic Moment” has the surgeons team up to saw conjoined twins in half.
“Hope For the Hopeless” celebrates the 10,000th surgical operation by Mark (Eric Dane). What do you give a man for such an event? The best guess is steak knives. His big surgery is a liver transplant between sisters. “If/Then” makes the hospital happier when Meredith changes her attitude in a dream. Can it really be that simple? “All You Need Is Love” turns the ER into a sickly pick up bar. Nothing like “how we met” stories that involve triage and co-pays. “If Only You Were Lonely” has a coffee shop blow up. Oh the Mochachino! Dozens of people are rushed to the hospital with massive cups and scones sticking to their wounds. What about the free wifi? Did that get hurt? This is the greatest fear of anyone in Seattle. “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” puts a big cat on the prowl. A lion escapes from the zoo and puts people into the hospital. “Moment of Truth” is a very special episode when April goes all the way. Adding to the pressure is plenty of the staff going through their oral exams. The test results dominate “Let the Bad Times Roll.” “Flight” gives the mega-cliffhanger when a plane filled with the doctors crashes in the wilderness. Who will survive their injuries? Will they treat each other without a referral?
Grey’s Anatomy: The Complete Eighth Season ramps up the soap opera qualities of the show. The doctors’ libidos are wrapped in outrageous emergencies. Lion attacks, injured super heroes, explosive coffee and sinkholes are a lot to experience even a busy town like Seattle. The show seems bent on outdoing General Hospital. The outrageous elements didn’t flatline the series. Grey’s Anatomy has now joined the rank of medical drama miracles that survive for nearly a decade on the air.
The video is 1.78:1 anamorphic. The transfers look fine with medical details shining in the operating rooms. Audio is Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround. The mix lets you hear all the steamy passion and painful heartbreak without boosting the volume. The episodes are subtitled in English, Spanish and French.
A Journey Home with Kevin Kidd (14:25) is a tour of Scotland from the Trainspotting star. He even has time to record a record with his old pals.
Deleted Scenes includes snips from 9 episodes. Nothing too startling in the selections.
In Stitches: Outtakes (2:23) proves talking medical words can be tongue twisting.
Grey’s Anatomy: The Complete Eighth Season pumps up the medical emergencies while complicating the romantic relationships between the doctors. The show goes all out to excite viewers including a heartbreaking plane crash cliffhanger.
ABC Studios present Grey’s Anatomy: Complete Eighth Season. Starring: Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh, Eric Dane, Kevin McKidd and Patrick Dempsey. Boxset Contents: 24 episodes on 6 DVDs. Released: September 4, 2012. Available at Amazon.com.
