Grey's Anatomy conquers the small screen, yet falls short on the big one

This week's Grey's Anatomy was wonderful. I've been saying all season that what the show really needs in order to rekindle its flame is Addison Montgomery. The warmth, heart, comedy and wardrobe that Kate Walsh brings to the show is truly missed when she's off in spinoff land.This week (with Private Practice not set to return until the fall) Addison returned to Seattle Grace and her influence was immediately felt. Her joint surgery with Hahn and Sloan was, unlike most surgeries, actually engaging. Her influence on Izzy was exactly what Izzy needed. Her conversation with Bailey was heartbreaking. Her friendship with Callie was nice to see again. Her observation about Callie and Hahn was intriguing and her questioning Meredith in the bar at the end was perfect. Addison infused the show with the energy it had been lacking since her departure and brought Grey's back to its roots in more ways than one. 

As for the rest of the episode, it was nice to see the Izzy and George friendship back to the loveliness that it once

was. Even though they are having to deal with chain of command issues that are seemingly pulling them apart, Izzy and George's friendship is truly back on track from its pathetic dalliance in unfounded and chemistry-less "love". On a somewhat related note, I understand that it might be an interesting dynamic to explore having Hahn be interested in Callie romantically but in doing so the show is tearing apart another really great friendship. 

That said, Derek & Mark and Meredith & Christina arealready holding down that particular fort so it might be interesting to take Erica & Callie somewhere else. I also like that they are giving Meredith a long term medical project to focus on (her clinical trial on brain tumors), it might give the medical aspects of the show a slightly less procedural tone. I also like the direction they are taking with Christina and that they've begun to explore what's happened to Bailey since the hiatus began. 

Also: there was some truly exemplary comedy writing in this episode. 

Most notably: 

1) Mark Sloan comparing himself to God and obsessing over the skin flap he grew from the stem cells of the baby he was operating on

2) Addison asking about Derek's rebound girl while Rose is handing her surgical tools ("McRebound... what is the Mc thing over?")

3) Izzy Stevens: "I was so Gandhi I kicked Gandhi's ass"

4) Derek in the elevator with the rest of his love square (Addison, Meredith and Rose)

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST,  

5) Christina asking about people's feelings during lunch, trying to learn how to "speak girl". 

but what are they getting at with this whole 'Eva's pretending to be pregnant' thing?

AND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE INDUSTRY, 

The stars of Grey's Anatomy have been trying, and failing, to make cute romantic comedies. 

I saw Made of Honor (starring Patrick Dempsey) today and, like when I saw 27 Dresses (starring Katherine Heigl), I was expecting very little. And yet, somehow I was still disappointed. The movie was so bad that I could literally guess what line was coming next and the only real emotion I felt at the end of it was pity for the 3rd wheel (played by Kevin McKidd). Though 27 Dresses has many of the same problems (plus of few of its own that were unique), at least I didn't feel guilty at the end because some poor schlub was used as a plot device and then cast aside. It's a good thing this week's episode of Grey's was so good because Made of Honor just stripped Patrick Dempsey of all the credit he won for being in Enchanted.