DVD Review: Grey’s Anatomy (Complete Ninth Season)

DVD Reviews, Reviews

The cover of Grey’s Anatomy: Complete Ninth Season promises “Everything Changes.” While a show needs a certain consistency for its devoted viewers, there does need to be those moments that stir things up so that each episode doesn’t blur together. There shall be major crisis events for the staff of Seattle’s Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital instead of the mundane events that happen to normal doctors. Nine seasons is a rather long run for any drama although it’s still six seasons short of E.R.‘s mega-run. The demise of Private Practice mid-season, also changed things up for Grey’s Anatomy since the producers only had to focus on one set of patients.

“Going, Going, Gone” begins the season with the cliffhanger of a private plane crashing containing and This is your spoiler alert in case you’ve avoided the outcome of the wreckage. Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh) is dead upon impact. Mark Sloan (Eric Dane) still has vital signs. They put him on life support. Turns out that he’s not doing that well and they painfully pull the plug on Dr. McSteamy. Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw) has issues with her leg which devolves into the fear that it needs to be removed. Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) can’t work his hand right. This seems to put an end to his surgical career. How can he work with a destroyed nerve? Well it’s up to Liz (Neve Campbell) to do a major body part donation to save her brother’s career. Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) is completely dazed by her escape from the tragic event. It’s a sad way to begin a fresh season. There’s a subplot involving investigating the company that owned the private plane. Turns out that they had a horrible record, but the hospital signed with them because they were cheap. This puts Owen Hunt (Trainspotting‘s Kevin McKidd) into hot water since he signed off on the death flight. There is a lot of anger and betrayal in the hospital.

A majority of the season is dedicated to characters dealing with the crash. There’s a massive lawsuit between the doctors and the hospital that might bankrupt the place. There are other things happening at the hospital since people in Seattle don’t stop getting sick and injured. “Can’t Fight This Feeling” explodes a gas tanker which sends burn victims into the emergency room. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention arrive to investigate an infection during “Sleeping Monster.” Is the hospital a giant germ pit? The final episodes “Readiness is All” and “Perfect Storm” has them prepare for the largest super storm ever to hit Seattle since the Sonic won the NBA championship. Even with all the precautions, the massive disaster rocks the city sending so many people rushing to the emergency room. The season starts with the staff falling from the sky and now the sky is falling on top of them.

The producers weren’t lying when they said, “Everything Changes.” None of the characters are the same during this season. They are either shocked, damaged or dead thanks to renting cheap planes. Greys Anatomy: Complete Ninth Season does rework the show to keep longtime viewers from being lulled by the same old storylines.

Episodes
“Going Going Gone,” “Remember the Time,” “Love the One You’re With,” “I Saw Her Standing There,” “Beautiful Doom,” “Second Opinion,” “I Was Made For Lovin’ You,” “Love Turns You Upside Down,” “Run, Baby, Run,” “Things We Said Today,” “The End is the Beginning is the End,” “Walking on a Dream,” “Bad Blood,” “The Face of Change,” “Hard Bargain,” “This Is Why We Fight,” “Transplant Wasteland,” “Idle Hands,” “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” “She’s Killing Me,” “Sleeping Monster,” “Do You Believe In Magic,” “Readiness Is All” and “Perfect Storm.”

The video is 1.78:1 anamorphic. The transfers bring out the messy nature of hospital work. The audio is 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound. You’ll hear beeping in all the speakers during operating room scenes. The episodes are subtitled in English, Spanish and French.


Happy Trails With Jim Pickens, Jr
(13:08) lets the actor take you out to his ranch. The actor enjoys the cowboy lifestyle. His family enjoyed watching Westerns on TV back in Cleveland. Now he has his own horse.

The Long Road Home (15:03) explores phantom limbs.

Deleted Scenes are dozens of snipped moments from the various episodes.

In Stitches: Outtakes
(2:15) are plenty of blown takes.

Greys Anatomy: Complete Ninth Season focuses on the aftermath of the plane crash that changes the lives of all its staff. Can they get over the pain? Can the hospital survive the staff’s lawyers?

ABC Studios presents Greys Anatomy: Complete Ninth Season. Starring: Eric Dane, Sandra Oh, Chandra Wilson, James Pickens Jr. and Patrick Dempsey. Boxset Content: 24 episodes on 6 DVDs. Released: August 27, 2013.

Joe Corey is the writer and director of "Danger! Health Films" currently streaming on Night Flight and Amazon Prime. He's the author of "The Seven Secrets of Great Walmart People Greeters." This is the last how to get a job book you'll ever need. He was Associate Producer of the documentary "Moving Midway." He's worked as local crew on several reality shows including Candid Camera, American's Most Wanted, Extreme Makeover Home Edition and ESPN's Gaters. He's been featured on The Today Show and CBS's 48 Hours. Dom DeLuise once said, "Joe, you look like an axe murderer." He was in charge of research and programming at the Moving Image Archive.