Ask Matt Column: My Q about the Grey's Anatomy Premiere

Question: Just wondering what your thoughts are on the Grey's Anatomy premiere? I thought it was one of the most well-rounded episodes they have had in a long time. Loved the premise of the five stages of grief; the structure reminded me of that episode of Lost when the losties catch up with the other survivors. I first wanted to mention the standout performance of Sara Ramirez. Having followed her since Broadway, I know what a great actress she is onstage, but she really blew me away. Callie is kind of like the middle child that people forget about, but when something big happens, she's the one that seems to know what to do, even when she's in such grief. I think the most powerful scene was when she i.d.'d George and you felt the emotion just by watching her reaction in silence. Loved the confrontation with the Chief, also good were the scenes with Callie, Lexie and Mark. I think I like the idea of Mark and Lexie across the hall. I also wanted to say how much I loved the scenes with Owen and Cristina. The therapy sessions were very well done. I loved how the second session was constructed and made you think they were having a private conversation, then the camera pans and shows you that they are in a session with Dr. Wyatt. Kevin McKidd and Sandra Oh can deliver an amazing scene even with little or no words spoken. Both are just amazing to watch. Pretty much all the characters had high points. I loved the use of multiple voice-overs at the end, It will be interesting to see how everyone fares by the end of the season. Thoughts?—Maya

Matt Roush: For me, it was one of premiere week’s most deservedly successful openers. Devoting two hours to putting George to rest paid the character and actor proper respect, and as you said, gave much of the ensemble a chance to shine (although Callie’s third go-round of hysterics may have gone a bit too far for my taste, and the laughing at the funeral became overdone, not unusual for this show). The mix of sorrow with humor kept the emotion of it all from becoming too maudling, and I liked the way the episode also weaved in what’s going to be one of the season’s biggest stories: the impending merger with Mercy West and how that will shake up the status quo for each of these doctors. Even when Grey’s drives you crazy, it’s still one of TV’s most enjoyable series.

Ask Matt Q's from the past: Owen Hunt

Question: Welcome back! I'm curious to see what your thoughts are on Owen Hunt and his development on Grey's Anatomy so far? I personally am very impressed with Kevin McKidd and Sandra Oh's work. Their acting styles complement each other and I find the material concerning Owen and Cristina well written, even though it may not amount to much screen time. I was concerned at first with how the PSTD story line would play out, but I find that it has just the right balance and I am more interested in Owen and Cristina in every episode. The episode where Owen is in Cristina's shower recounting his past surgery still haunts me, as well as his recent panic attack. The fact that he has become completely dependent on Cristina for support is also a testament to how Cristina has evolved as a character. Owen on the surface is a tough, badass surgeon, but at the end of the day he's a lost little boy that just needs to be taken care of. Kevin McKidd is impeccable at honing into the raw emotions of his characters. We see that in Owen's emotionally charged scenes, but also in scenes like the recent episode with Faye Dunaway (which was amazing) where he has a very observant/mature quality to his personality. As his PSTD becomes more prominent, which seems to be in the next new episodes, it will be interesting to see how this takes a toll on Owen and Cristina's relationship, but they seem to have a level of maturity that is rare on Grey's. Your thoughts?—Maya

Matt Roush: I think you nailed it, that on a show where even characters like the Chief act like mewling cry-babies too often, there’s a maturity and gravity—and drama that transcends soap opera—in the Owen-Cristina relationship. They’re playing the hell out of it. And hasn’t the show gotten better since the ghost of Denny dropped out of the picture? (I’m liking the show enough again that I didn’t even mind being called a “douche” by association in last week’s hilarious South Park episode, associating Grey’s in a demonic plot by Disney involving the Jonas Brothers and their purity pledge as a front to sell sex to minors.)

Ask Matt Q's from the past: Grey's Anatomy

Question: After reading your “finale watch” review about the Grey's Anatomy finale, I have to say as a long-time fan I was very satisfied in spite of the cliffhangers. The show basically came back from the dead. I loved the fact that Meredith and Derek are past all the crap and are just happy together and don't even need a real wedding to prove it. I was especially happy with how Cristina and Owen turned out. I've said this before, but I think Kevin McKidd and Sandra Oh kept fans like me watching this year. I was wondering your views on the shortness of the scene with Owen and Cristina visiting his mother for the first time. I have to say as a fan I felt kind of robbed of the conversation, especially seeing a great actress like Debra Mooney only getting one line. I realize it’s a finale, but it was a major goal that Owen had been preparing for, and it could have been handled better, although I was impressed that Cristina went with him and basically stuck up for his mother. On the flip side, I think we really got to see how much Cristina has evolved. I honestly don't remember seeing her smile so much in one episode. Many of her situations with Owen reminded me of scenes with Burke from earlier seasons, such as the "I don't want you to die" and "I love you" moments. Her speech to him in the vent was just amazing. Sandra Oh is such a master of mixing drama and comedy, and Owen's reactions to Cristina reminded me a lot of the "before" Owen in the season premiere. Only this time around, Cristina was able to save him from getting wrecked again. I also took note of the parallels between the characters and the accident victims in the season premiere, for some of them coming around full circle. There was also an interesting parallel with Cristina and Bailey: two of the most vocal and brutally honest characters on the show, both struggling when they realize what they have to do to get to that happy ending, or just have peace of mind. Also, what do you think the chances are for Sandra Oh and Kevin McKidd getting Emmy nominations this year? On a side note, regarding Brothers & Sisters, I know you have commented previously that the Ryan character was not working on the show, I have to say I agree as well. I think it’s just the personality of the actor with me. If Ryan was played by someone else, I am sure it could be a bit more interesting. My favorite moment in the whole series has to be that "silent" breakfast table scene with the Walkers in Mexico. It reminded me of a warped version of Woody Allen's dinner scenes. I hope next year for both shows the writing is more balanced than it has been.—Maya 

Matt Roush: You and me both. I’ve made no secret about how impressed I’ve been by the Cristina-Owen arc: painful, powerful, passionate and finally redemptive for both emotionally repressed characters. Can’t wait to see what’s next for them, and I’m betting that we’ll see much more of Owen’s mom, now that it’s established she’s being played by someone as wonderful as Debra Mooney. (I also wondered if maybe part of their reunion scene was cut, but maybe her appearance was just a tease of things to come. I can only imagine the sparks between her and Sandra Oh.) As for Emmy nominations: It’s possible. Sandra Oh is accustomed to Emmy attention, and this was a strong season for her. Kevin McKidd’s a little more of an outsider, but he’s a solid choice, and may carry some industry cred from his Rome stint on HBO. Fingers crossed. Read on for a fan’s all-encompassing perspective on Grey’s fifth season. It’s long, but I promise you I trimmed it by about half.

Old Ask Matt Q's "Grey's Anatomy"/Owen Hunt

Question: I am absolutely fascinated with Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) on Grey's Anatomy. I love the dynamic between Hunt and Yang and also how we are able to see him at two different points in his life in reference to his posttraumatic stress disorder. He was literally the walking dead in last week's episode until Yang snapped him out of it with her own personal story involving her father's death. Hunt's PTSD will be an interesting thing for Yang and the rest of the hospital staff to deal with. Yang and Hunt also seem to jump past certain areas in terms of how they connect with each other, but I hope that it is not a slow-building relationship. When they first met, there was an instant attraction, they made out and they have already "fixed" each other at one point or another physically. Mentally, both are complete chaos. Derek's comparison of Yang to single malt scotch was a cool analogy, considering that single malt scotch is the snowflake of whisky, Did anyone notice in Hunt's "cameo" the week before, he orders whiskey at Joe's but changes his mind. Foreshadowing? There are some things about Yang that Meredith will never understand, and I think Yang is the only one who can help Hunt come to grips with his PTSD. I also think that Hunt will help Yang get over the debacle that was Burke, but he will force her to be more personal than she has been even with Meredith in order to get through to him. I have high hopes for this character, in spite of all the irregular writing that has plagued others like Izzie and Callie. It is also great to see Kevin McKidd back on television. I thoughtJourneyman was prematurely cancelled and loved him in Rome. At the same time, I hope the Grey'swriters will explore Hunt's PTSD responsibly and not glamorize it for the sake of ratings. — Maya

Matt Roush: I agree that Hunt/McKidd is the most encouraging thing to happen to Grey's Anatomy in quite a while. I'm not sure I want the show to explore so fully the PTSD angle that it would be at the expense of the more combative and charismatic sides of his personality, but the instant sparks between him and Yang were electrifying — and I really enjoyed the scene where he humbled himself before Derek and Sloan to say he needed their guidance to operate on a different sort of battlefield. And who wouldn't love someone who has no use for all the hanky-panky going on in this oversexed hospital? Finally, a grown-up! More, more, more of this guy. And by the way, single malt scotch "the snowflake of whisky?" Niiiice.

Ask Matt Q's from the past: Mad Men

Question: Being such a fan of Mad Men, I envision certain filmmakers directing an episode or two. I have always thought that a director like Martin Scorsese or even the amazing Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai would have interesting takes on NY in the early 1960s. In particular, Wong Kar Wai's style is rich in voyeurism, and he has such a fascination with the early 1960s. If you have seen his film In the Mood for Love, it is shot similarly like Mad Men, but he has an interesting way of incorporating music and movement. The Coen brothers would also be an interesting choice for obvious reasons. I was wondering if you thinkMad Men would benefit from different directorial styles, or would it make the show's style too jumbled, as I consider it more like art television rather than an ordinary TV drama.--Maya

Answer: An interesting idea, especially considering the show airs on AMC (the middle initial standing for "Movie"). It's a very seductive notion to have masters of cinema take a crack at a show that looks (more than most) like a classic movie each week, but given the tight budget and schedule on which this show operates, and the tight control Matthew Weiner exercises over each detail in each episode, it's hard for me to imagine this working logistically. Besides, as Weiner would be the first to say, he's working with a stable of some of the best directors in TV today. Still, what a cool idea.--Matt Roush

My Recent "Ask Matt" on True Blood and Nurse Jackie

Question: This season of True Blood has been truly amazing. At first I was just happy that Lafayette was alive, but as the season went on, I am kind of glad that we were able to get out of Sookie and Bill's head a bit, and get more than one-dimensional versions of the other characters. I liked how they split up the time between Dallas, the Fellowship and Bon Temps. These last few episodes with all the black-eyed zombie likenesses of Bon Temps citizens is an obvious reference to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. One of the things I love most about the show is how allegorical it is while also breaking the conventions of what we thought we knew about vampires and such. The unlikely bond of Jason and Andy has been hilarious to watch. Two people that have done nothing but loathe each other are on a mission, totally reminiscent of the rednecks with shotguns in all those zombie movies. As far as Sookie and Bill go, like you mentioned last week, Eric is there to make you want to choose sides, but like many I love the banter between Eric and Bill and don't want it to end. Also whoever says they don't want to see a Lafayette/Eric dream sequence is not being honest. Hoyt and Jessica are completely adorable. How tragic a realization that you will be a virgin the rest of your days even though you're not. I like that she is kind of the teenage daughter Bill never got to raise. It’s one of the relationships in the show I have enjoyed watching most, because like Tara and Eggs were once, they seem too good to be true. I am secretly hoping that Hoyt will get Jessica to turn him. What a great way to get back at Mamma. I also wanted to mention Nurse Jackie. I really enjoyed the show this summer. I am always drawn to characters that have a double life such as Don Draper in Mad Menand Walt in Breaking Bad. Jackie is one of the best conflicted female characters to come along in a while. You almost hate her because of the things she does, but then she does things that totally conflict with your original opinion, especially when you see her with her adorable husband and children. With Nurse Jackie, I love the other characters just as much, especially O'Hara (Eve Best, who I now wish I had seen on Broadway), and Zoey (Merritt Wever) who is just laugh-out-loud funny with perfect comedic timing. I think what I like most is that unlike other medical shows, like ER, it is less rushed and more concerned with the character development. It’s not ramming style down your throat, just telling the story, which I can't get enough of. Thoughts?—Maya

Matt Roush: A lot to digest there. I agree with most of your points, but don’t really see a link with post-Katrina except for the fact that it’s set in Louisiana and there is much chaos (albeit of an orgiastic nature as opposed to post-disaster despair). Hoyt and Jessica may be my favorite relationship on the show right now, but the new buddy team of Jason and Andy brings me great joy as well. As for Nurse Jackie, we’re very much on the same page, and I liked how you put her in the same company as those AMC anti-heroes. She is at least as big a mess as those guys.