DVD Review: Grey’s Anatomy Season Five

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Grey’s Anatomy‘s fifth season had a lot riding on it. The fans knew what they wanted, more than any other season to date, and they wanted to see what they wanted to happen. Unfortunately for the fans, they didn’t get what they want. Fortunately for the show, Shonda Rhimes provided the very best season of Grey’s Anatomy to date.

Shonda has always said that things always come back around on Grey’s Anatomy, and no other season proves this more than season five. Nothing happens without a reason and even past events play into the show’s present timeline. It wasn’t a lie when Shonda wrote at the end of season four that season five would be the most exciting, edge-of-your-seat season yet.

The first half of the season does prove to be a little rocky. There are some episodes that are gems, such as “Brave New World” and “There’s No ‘I’ in Team,” but it is with “Wish You Were Here” that the season really picks up and becomes some of the best drama on television. Going from one three-week arc involving a serial killer to a second three-week arc involving a crossover with Private Practice, then bursting into Izzie’s cancer storyline and Meredith and Derek’s wedding, which is when the show totally shines with greatness. Nothing is easy on Grey’s Anatomy, and the show provides one of the most shocking season finales proving just that. The season finale features a huge twist that pulls the rug out from under the viewers and sets up what is sure to be the best and most changed season of Grey’s Anatomy. It’s getting to the point where the only place Grey’s can go is up, and I’m so glad to be along for the ride.

The DVD

Grey’s Anatomy: Complete Fifth Season – More Moments is a strangely titled package, but is a beautiful looking package at that. Don’t be fooled by the picture of the cover, because it doesn’t do the actual thing justice. The actual package is actually very beautiful and the silver elements of the design are shiny – very, very shiny. The design elements inside of the package are a bit different this time around, but are reminiscent of the cover, and it looks really, really good. After looking at all of the sets side-by-side, it’s easy to say that this fifth season set is my favorite one to date. The menu design is the same as all of the previous sets, and it looks great. The DVD makers picked some of the season’s best – and lightest – scenes, so the menu is actually fun to watch all the way through, especially if you’ve already seen the whole season already.

Audio & Video

Grey’s Anatomy looks really, really good. It’s one of the two ABC shows that gets a Blu-ray release, so that means that the DVD looks and sounds the absolute best that it can, even better than when it airs in HD on ABC.

The Extras

The extras are actually the one detractor to this set, because although ABC included an entire extra disc just for extras, the set is actually pretty light on them this time around. There’s only one extended episode this time, episode thirteen “Stairway to Heaven,” which is extended by about four minutes. The only noticeable extensions I noticed where two amazing new scenes between Owen and Callie, one of which involves an almost completely naked Kevin McKidd. Yes, these scenes are basically awesome and adds a whole new dynamic to both characters. On the seventh disc is housed a large collection of deleted scenes. I only watch a few – just the ones from “What a Difference a Day Makes,” “Here’s to the Future,” and “Now or Never.” Out of the few I watched, there was only one I actually liked – one between Mark and Callie from “Here’s to the Future” – so I understood why they were cut. Most, but not all, of the scenes come with optional commentary by Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers, who provide insight into the scenes. The ladies are fun to listen to, as always. “In Stitches” is season five’s blooper reel, and although it’s short and sweet at four minutes, it shows just how much fun the actors have on the set. There are adorable moments with Ellen and Katie, and there’s lots of Patrick goofing off. It’s an incredibly fun thing to watch. Next up is “Heaven Sent,” a feature examining the character of Denny Duquette. It discusses, with the help of Shonda, Betsy, and Jefferey Dean Morgan, the legacy of Denny and how he just keeps on coming back. I suppose it’s semi-interesting to watch, certainly to see what Shonda & JDM have to say, but it wasn’t my favorite feature on the set.

My favorite feature on the set, by far, is the feature on the 100th episode milestone. Within this feature, we even get a tiny tidbit from Ellen, thanking the fans for keeping her around for one hundred episodes. She’s great and cute and adorable all at once, and that right there is worth the money for the set in my opinion. But that’s not all you get. Remember that picture with the whole cast in front of the giant 100th episode cake? This feature takes you behind the scenes of that shoot, which includes interviews with Katie, Kevin McKidd, and more of the cast including a great moment between Patrick and Chandra Wilson. There’s also a lot of interviews with Shonda and Betsy, as well as what went on behind the scenes of the one hundredth episode itself. One of the best parts of all, however, is the look we get into the table reads, where the actors read the episodes aloud for the first time. It’s an amazing look into behind what makes the show tick, and it is awesome to watch.

Final Thoughts

Maybe the fifth season of Grey’s Anatomy wasn’t your favorite, but it certainly was mine. A lot of strong storylines are provided, which in turn, provides a very strong season. The features and packaging of this set should make it a no-brainer to purchase. The blooper reel, the extended episode, and the one hundredth episode feature make this set well worth the purchase because, although there are unfortunately no commentaries to be found, this set manages to take viewers into the workings of Grey’s Anatomy better than any of the sets before. Grey’s Anatomy: Complete Fifth Season – More Moments Edition comes Highly Recommended. You better make sure you add it to your collection. Click here to buy this DVD!

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