What was once America's preeminent water-cooler show took a significant turn for the worse in its fourth year. In fact, if Grey's Anatomy were one of the patients at Seattle Grace Hospital, life support would be in order, as missed opportunities and mishandled story arcs abound in the 17 episodes compiled here from the 2007-08 season. The third-season cliffhanger found Cristina (Sandra Oh) literally left at the altar by fleeing bridegroom Preston (Isaiah Washington, whose contract wasn't renewed), which makes her dispirited and morose for a sizable chunk of this season. Katherine Heigl's Izzie, the show's most interesting and popular character during the second and third seasons, takes a backseat here, and her troubled relationship with George (T.R. Knight) remains unresolved. Alex (Justin Chambers) takes up with his old patient “Jane Doe” (Elizabeth Reaser), whose sanity comes into question (so she can be written out of the series—which is a shame). As always, Grey's Anatomy's least compelling character continues to be its ostensible lead, Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), whose star-crossed relationship with Derek (Patrick Dempsey) takes another hit when he begins seeing nurse Rose (Lauren Stamile). Meredith also continues to keep her stepsister Lexie (Chyler Leigh) at arm's length, both physically and emotionally. None of the fourth season's plot threads were all that interesting, and it's highly unlikely that this once excellent series will regain its stature. DVD extras include two extended episodes, audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes featurettes, unaired scenes, and outtakes. Unless you're committed to collecting the series, this is not a necessary purchase. (E. Hulse)
Grey's Anatomy: Season Four—Expanded
Buena Vista, 5 discs, 740 min., TV-14, DVD: $59.99, Blu-ray: $96.99 (4 discs) Volume 23, Issue 6
Grey's Anatomy: Season Four—Expanded
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