Grey's Anatomy: Complete Ninth Season

The ninth season of Grey's Anatomy revolves around the fallout from last year's plane crash, which took the lives of Lexie and (in short order) Mark. That leaves Derek (Patrick Dempsey) to recover from hand surgery, Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) to deal with the loss of her leg, and Cristina (Sandra Oh) to adjust to a new assignment in Minnesota, where she clashes with one doctor (Steven Culp) and learns from another (William Daniels), but eventually returns to Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital. Given the choice between settling with the airline and filing suit, the survivors choose the latter option, which pits them against chief of staff Owen (Kevin McKidd), who joins forces with a consultant (Constance Zimmer) to cut costs and save the hospital. Five new interns join the fray, including Wilson (Camilla Luddington), who draws the eye of Karev (Justin Chambers), while April (Sarah Drew) and Jackson (Jesse Williams) move on to new relationships. By the end of the season, Bailey (Chandra Wilson) marries, Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) gives birth, Callie (Sara Ramirez) receives some bad news, and the fate of Richard (James Pickens Jr.) hangs in the balance. While there are some touching moments here, Grey's Anatomy is losing its fresh qualities. Since Oh has announced that she won't be returning, creator Shonda Rhimes might want to wrap things up while the show remains mostly engaging. Compiling all 24 episodes from 2012–13, extras include behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, and outtakes. A strong optional purchase. (K. Fennessy)