Private Practice

Private Practice - Season Six Episode Thirteen - In Which We Say Goodbye

In the final ever episode of Private Practice Addison finally marries Jake with Naomi by her side.  Seeing Naomi again sparks some old feelings for Sam and they end up hooking up.  Naomi makes a surprise visit a few months later with surprising news for Addison that leads to her meddling in her relationship with Sam.  Cooper is stressing out as a stay at home dad and tells Charlotte to get a nanny.  Sheldon tries to take care of his girlfriend who is coming close to the end and does not want him to see her like that.  He fights back though and quits his job to take her away and care for her.  Violet starts writing her new book and at the end of the episode has finished it and decides to call it unsurprisingly 'Private Practice', awww ain't that sweet.  It was a nice send off for Private Practice but in some ways it did feel a little rushed as there was so much involved in only 40 minutes.  That said I was glad that they closed all the narratives in a satisfying way with not necessarily a happy ending but an appropriate conclusion to the story.  I was a little surprised by Sam and Naomi getting back together but after I realised it actually made a lot of sense as like Addison points out Sam never understood why he walked away from the marriage and throughout the series they have been drawn back together a few times.  There was not a lot involved for Amelia in the episode other than a few comments from James to remind us that she is happy and they are together, just in case we had suffered some memory loss since episode eleven.  Although I was happy with how it ended I do think there were so many more stories to tell and I would love for some of the characters to go into Grey's Anatomy even if it was just as a guest appearance, I mean can you imagine Charlotte bossing the Grey's doctors around.  The most logical characters to make appearances would be Addison or Amelia as they both have connections to Derek and others.  The issue when series end is that you are always left feeling a little unsatisfied no matter how much you liked the episode as if you enjoy a series you get invested in the characters and want to see what happens, that is what keeps you coming back week after week.  That said, I really liked the final scene that reminded us of the signature moments of Private Practice where the doctors discuss an issue or problem in the kitchen.  This discussion involving Violet's new book and her chosen title of Private Practice which some think is a stupid title and that it could be about anything for example a law firm.  I liked the self-referential humour and it was a nice ending that showed although the series is over the lives are, to quote the bookshop owner from last week, a work in progress and unfinished.  

Private Practice - Season Six Episode Twelve - Full Release

As much as I have been enjoying the episodes that focus on a particular character it was nice to go back to usual and have all the characters being explored in one episode.  This week Charlotte finally gives birth to the other two babies and Georgia is out of the woods too.  Cooper does his best to win the dream house from another couple who seem to be perfect and Violet makes a connection with an attractive book store owner. James asks Amelia if she wants kids and although at first she is adamant that she doesn't after Charlotte gives birth she realises she wants to.  Jake puts Addison's adoption of Henry in jeopardy when the social worker raises concerns at the final hearing but he stands up and talks to the judge.  Sheldon tells Sam about his treatments and how he really met Melinda.  There was a lot going on in this episode and I cannot believe there is only one episode left as it still feels that there are so many more stories to tell.  

Private Practice - Season Six Episode Eleven - Good Fries Are Hard to Come By

Amelia decides to get back in the saddle and after several miserable blind dates set up by Violet and Addison she takes James up on his offer for fries.  This is not exactly surprising as from the minute he showed up it was inevitable they would end up together.  As in the style of the past episodes this season it shows what has been going on with Amelia through the past few months and she finally gets some happiness.  It was so nice to see her have a nice and positive story line for once as it has been a while.  Amelia struggles with intimacy as the last time she woke up after and found Ryan dead but James is very sweet and patient with her.  They have a bit of a tumultuous courtship but come out of it the other end stronger for it.  

Private Practice - Season Six Episode Ten - Georgia on My Mind

This week the episode focuses on Charlotte who is still on bed rest and is just hoping for two days with no contractions so she can lie straight rather than in Trendelenburg position.  Just because she is bed ridden does not mean that she is taking it easy as Charlotte does her best to reunite Sam and Stephanie who has been recruited to be her nurse as she does not trust any of the other nurses skills.  All of the doctors spend time with Charlotte while Cooper is keeping an eye on their little girl in the NICU.  One of the sweetest moments was when Sheldon came very close to telling Charlotte about his cancer but lost his nerve at the last minute.  Mason begins acting out at school until Charlotte sets him straight about his behavior.  Charlotte is under a lot of stress being stuck in bed and not being able to see her little girl and to top it off it is Christmas and all her plans are not to be.  Mason and Cooper bring Christmas to her though and they celebrate in her room Christmas tree and all.  The episode ends with Charlotte going into labor and finally getting to see her daughter on the way to delivery.  You can probably guess what she calls her from the episode title but it is a sweet moment and one that she had been waiting for.  It is nice that with this being the final season that they are devoting episodes to each character in order to sum up their story lines.  With only three episodes left I look forward to seeing what happens.  

Private Practice - Season Six Episode Nine - I'm Fine

This week it was Sheldon's turn to take centre stage and the episode took much the same format as last week's with the narrative covering a few months, from the night Sarah was abducted to the present.  It began with Sheldon telling his ex-wife about his cancer and her leaving him, nice right?  There were then two strands to the narrative, Sheldon trying to deal with his cancer and his suspicion of his patients involvement in Sarah's disappearance.  Firstly the cancer narrative was so sweet with Sheldon falling for a fellow cancer patient over their five minute chats before treatment.  I am looking forward to where they take this narrative as I think they are so good together.  Secondly, the narrative of the missing girl finally came to an end and for one moment there I thought I was watching an episode of Law and Order: Special Victim's Unit.  This is the second week in a row that Shonda Rhimes has brought me to tears as there were two times that I had to reach for a tissue; once when the father confessed he needed to think his daughter was dead as he could not bear her calling out for her Daddy to save her from the horror she was going through and secondly when Sheldon talks to Sarah under the bed and he gains her trust.  I was really impressed with both the writing and the acting in this episode as I think both were superb.  Another great episode.

Private Practice - Season Six Episode Eight - Life Support

This week was a tearjerker of an episode as Charlotte goes into labour early and one of the triplets gets delivered at only 26 weeks.  The episode also explores Cooper's feelings and thoughts on the whole of the pregnancy and his guilt over being too busy for Violet even though she does not feel that way.  Elsewhere Violet becomes friends with a woman from her support group who has a girlfriend on life support.  They help each other though their respective grief and to come to terms with their loss.  This was an interesting episode as Cooper's character breaks the fourth wall by addressing the audience with his thoughts and feelings about what is going on.  This was a very interesting choice on Shonda Rhimes part as it could have been terribly wrong.  When using a voice-over or having a character address the audience directly it can be seen to be taking the easier option in communicating information to the audience as that is what the casts acting abilities are for.  A talented actor can communicate many things with just a single look and so by breaking the fourth wall it can be seen to be a method in dealing with limited acting capabilities.  I am glad to say that was not the case here as the acting ability demonstrated by Paul Adelstein was very impressive.  The narrative was similarly refreshing, as when Cooper takes you through the stages of the pregnancy even though he is glowing with excitement Charlotte is less that enthused.  It does not show pregnancy as the glamorous experience it is often showed in films and television but rather as an experience with both positive and negative side effects.  This reminded me of the recent film What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012) which showed all sides of the experience of pregnancy.  It was not all scenes leading to tears as there was one very funny scene when Cooper and Charlotte get kicked out of a Lamaze class for causing a ruckus.  Overall a great episode that made me laugh and cry, what more could you want.    

Private Practice - Season Six Episode Seven - The World According to Jake

Addison is insecure after Jake does not respond to her proposal.  However, Jake has a lot on his mind; his daughter is dating her professor, he is worried about his past affecting Addison's adoption of Henry and he has to deal with a difficult patient.  Meanwhile Violet continues to counsel Sarah's parents and James continues to pursue Amelia.  It was a good episode and it was nice to see Jake taking centre stage.  It is obvious that they are trying to wrap up Addison's story line as well as several others such as Amelia where they are finally giving her a happier story line.  

Private Practice - Season Six Episode Six - Apron Strings

This was a really good episode and it was what Private Practice does best those episode where they deal with a situation that no one truly knows the right answer too as there are many shades of gray in the majority of life's issues.  Here we had Addison having several issues with the sudden arrival of her mentor who is suffering from terminal cancer, Henry's biological mother who is getting a bit too involved and a patient from the past who is suing her for the wrongful life of her child who she claims she should have terminated.  It is needless to say a stressful weak for Addison but Jake is there to offer support.  This episode really made me like Jake even more as I was always more on team Sam but he was so sweet and thoughtful that I must say I am finally understanding the appeal of team Jake.  It was nice to see the whole gang having a debate in the kitchen about adoption which was one of the things that I have always enjoyed about the show which is very similar to what the Law and Order franchise do where various characters with differing viewpoints debate a particular issue.  What I always find interesting with shows that do this is it highlights that many issues have many viewpoints and there is rarely an absolute right answer.  An interesting episode with a surprise at the end which I think is paving the way for the final chapter of Addison Montgomery.

Private Practice - Season Six Episode Five - The Next Episode

Sam is filming a pilot for a his own reality show and is being followed around with cameras while he has to deal with some personal issues with his visiting mother.  It was an interesting episode as the majority of of the scenes were shown through the camera filming the pilot a style which is not exactly original as it has been done in many shows such as ER (4x01 Ambush), CSI (6x17 I Like to Watch) and Shonda Rhimes' other show Grey's Anatomy (7x06 These Arms of Mine).  That said I did enjoy the episode and it allowed Sam to take the forefront in the narrative which is something he has not done for a while.  The episode also continued the narrative of the missing girl from the previous episode but that will likely be a while before the story line has a conclusion.  Overall a decent episode and it was nice to see more of Taye Diggs as he is a good actor and has been underused so far this season.    

Private Practice - Season Six Episode Four - You Don't Know What You've Got Till It's Gone

Charlotte hires a new ER Attending to replace Pete and everyone is dealing with their issues surrounding his hiring and he finds himself butting heads with most of the cast.  That said he seems like a really good guy and I am hopeful for his character within the show.  As soon as he entered I said to myself, love interest for Amelia and shock horror by episode end he asked her out.  Whether they do get together or not I can see him fitting in well.  All the characters found themselves called into the hospital on a rainy night for various reasons.  Addison has a patient in labour, Cooper calls Violet in to help with his patient a little girl who hurt her arm and Sheldon gets called in to assist his patient from episode two who tried to commit suicide after dreaming about a little girl.  When Cooper's patient goes missing all hell breaks loose and Sheldon immediately fears the worse involving his patient.  Otherwise this episode saw Sam's relationship with Stephanie end when Addison talks to her not realising she had no knowledge of her past with Sam and Amelia works to save the life of Addison's patients husband.  I really enjoyed this episode, the narrative was engaging and interesting and it was Private Practice at its best.    

Private Practice - Season Six Episode Three - Good Grief

This week's episode dealt with the characters dealing with their grief of the loss of Pete. Violet is having trouble moving on and gets caught up in dealing with a patient with Sheldon's help. Addison tries to hide her grief while Cooper and Charlotte try to adjust to their changing lives. This episode was more aftermath of Pete's and Mark's death and how the character's were dealing with it which obviously was heavy on Violet. Violet was working her way through the stages of grief which is difficult to do with a three year old son who doesn't understand but the little boy who plays Lucas is brilliant and so adorable. Addison was insecure about telling Jake about her past with Mark and why she is so upset while Sam struggles to open up to Stephanie about his past relationships. The storyline I enjoyed the most was Charlotte and Cooper's which is so often the case these days as I think they have great chemistry and play off each other so well. This week Charlotte was working a lot in the ER because she cannot bring herself to replace Pete who was her work husband. The one thing that has been bugging me about Private Practice recently is Amelia's storyline or lack there of. It seems like she is only there now to make comment about other people's lives or remind us that she lost the love of her life that she knew for a few weeks. I don't want to negate her loss but Violet lost her husband and the father of her child and in two episodes she seems to have moved on more. When Amelia started as a character she was a strong independent woman who was a nice add on for the series but I'm not sure if they've given up on her character or what but she has now seems to be more of a whining weak character. Hopefully they will give her something fun and happy to do and get her out of her melancholy because otherwise she will continue to depress me. Overall a fair episode that again brought a tear to my eye. The next episode is not for another two weeks but the promo looks pretty good and there is a new ER doctor to check out too although that might be more for the ladies.