For a show perceived as standard medical soap, PRIVATE PRACTICEhas gone through quite a few permutations in style and focus over its 5 seasons.
Conceived originally as a light-hearted spinoff to Grey’s Anatomy, built around Grey’s character Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh), aka Derek’s first wife, the show tried to pull humor from Addison’s move to Santa Monica, joining a clinic populated by a group of laid-back LA specialists. Pete Wilder (Tim Daly) practiced herbalism and other new-age cures, psychiatrist Violet Turner (Amy Brenneman) and pediatrician Cooper Friedman (Paul Adelstein) had a rom-com best friends relationship, Addison’s long-time friends Sam and Naomi Bennett (Taye Diggs and Audra McDonald) were trying to practice together despite being divorced, the receptionist (Chris Lowell) was a midwife, and local hospital administrator Charlotte King (KaDee Strickland) was a harridan. Later on, additional shrink Sheldon Wallace (Brian Benben) was introduced as pure comedy relief.
The dynamic didn’t work. Practice didn’t have the engine that Grey’s did of all the doctors being in the same internship program, helping and competing with each other, and the result was that the storylines felt disconnected. The comedy was too broad, and the mix of sex, medical crisis and humor didn’t work as well with established middle-aged actors as it had with twentysomething unknowns. The show was shaky, both creatively and in the ratings.
To its credit, Practice (through its creator Shonda Rhimes) kept re-inventing itself. The practice re-formed and then re-formed again (even their offices changed). McDonald and Lowell left, Benben was made a regular, and new characters Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone), aka Derek’s sister, and Jake Reilly (Benjamin Bratt) were brought in. Most important were shifts in tone: the show became much more of a true ensemble than a vehicle centering on Addison, other characters were toned down (Sheldon became less silly, Charlotte became much more nuanced and ended up marrying Cooper), and the show overall became significantly darker and more serious.
Although along with the rest of primetime TV its ratings have been declining (and it was never a breakout hit to begin with), Private Practice has hit its stride dramatically in the past couple of seasons. A lot of that had to do with central, ambitious story arcs. Last year, Strickland was remarkable in a rape storyline that (until late in the season, when it became gimmicky) played out with brutal emotional honesty for Charlotte and Cooper.
This year has been dominated by two such stories. In one, Cooper discovered that he had a son (Griffin Gluck) from a one-night stand whose mother had never contacted him, but did now because, as it turned out, she was dying. The relationship between the boy, his mother, and Cooper and Charlotte, has been developed very well, with Strickland again particularly superb in depicting Charlotte’s slow emotional journey to motherhood.
The major story arc, though, has belonged this year to Scorsone, whose Amelia lapsed into drug addiction, went through rehab, cratered again, then had to endure a horrifying pregnancy with a baby who would be born without a frontal lobe to his brain. The conclusion to that story was at the center of tonight’s season finale, written by Rhimes herself and directed by Co-Executive Producer Ann Kindberg. As is not unusual in the episodes credited to Rhimes (she also wrote last year’s rape episode), the hour didn’t stint on the gamut of grim emotions faced by Amelia and the other characters. Scorsone, who’s been strong throughout the storyline, did yeoman work in this final chapter.
Private Practice, of course, will never not be about Addison, and this year, to the relief of viewers, the show finally resolved her lengthy struggle to have a baby (which she did, through adoption). The romantic triangle of Addison, Sam and Jake is perhaps the show’s weakest part, but at least it’s not the series’ centerpiece anymore. The season’s other weak piece of narrative, about the disintegration (and now reintegration?) of Violet and Pete’s marriage, may also mercifully have reached its melodramatic conclusion, although next season has a cliffhanger mercy-killing murder charge hanging over Pete’s head.
Word has it that the upcoming season of Private Practice will be its last (the ratings are just OK, the cast is expensive, and after 6 years, contract extensions for such prominent actors get pricey). It’s a show that’s worked very hard to last as long as it has, and while no one will be putting it on Emmy short lists, that’s a genuine accomplishment in the immediate-gratification world of network TV.
The Private Practice finale neatly wraps up several story threads while offering a tear-jerking conclusion in ‘Gone, Baby, Gone’ (Season 5, Episode 22) on May 15. As the title suggests, Amelia finally has to make a decision whether to carry through on donating her baby’s organs after it was discovered the baby doesn’t have a brain and has no chance of survival.
Some of the scenes in the finale are moving, but become bit heavy-handed to the point tender moments almost seem forced. If there is any message to be taken from ‘Gone, Baby, Gone’ it’s to hold your children close because you never know what might happen. That message is hammered home again and again first with Charlotte and later with Addison.
Amelia gives a long speech on how horrific and awful it is that she’s a mother and is asking doctors to remove her baby’s organs. Actually, Amelia, it’s quite selfless and noble. Any parent who makes such a sacrifice of their doomed child so that other babies might live is never “horrific.”
The one thing lacking in the finale is Amelia displaying more of a breakdown. Amelia cries when Jake massages her back during labor, but we hardly see any hesitation in her decision or an emotional crack in Amelia’s stoic armor. Perhaps it’s her way of dealing with such an awful situation, but when Addison sheds more tears it is a bit odd.
Private Practice also doesn’t shy away from showing Amelia’s baby dissected piecemeal during a scene where the baby’s organs are harvested. As an organ is taken out it’s announced which city the organ is going to before it’s whisked away in a cold storage container. The scene should be moving, but somehow watching the organ harvest scene seemed heavy handed and meant to turn on the water works.
The finale was good, but not great. The end scene where Addison hooks up with Jake, then is proposed to by Sam is too rushed and seems meant for a very different episode.Private Practice could have ended the series better without a proposal/booty call.
“Private Practice” aired its season 5 finale, Gone, Baby, Goneon May 15, 2012 in a series of tear-filled moments. The doctors rallied around Amelia as the hellacious journey she has been on throughout this entire fifth season reached a conclusion of sorts with the tragic birth and death of her baby; monumental decisions were made, while Addison’s got a choice of her own to make.
Fear not, “Private Practice” fans, we won’t be left wondering, as news of the medical drama’s season 6 renewal hit the web on May 11. But for now, let’s get to our picks of the most memorable moments from Gone, Baby, Gone.
Top 10 moments from “Private Practice’s” season finale:
10. Pete’s legal issues: When facing the judge, Pete makes matters worse for himself by refusing to apologize, which had the judge make a fast decision on denying bail. As a result, Violet gets a taste of Pete’s “prison humor,” and it’s safe to say she’s less than impressed.
9. A practice divided: Sam and Charlotte have major issues with Amelia’s plans to donate her baby’s organs, “As far as I’m concerned, this is killing a baby!” Add to that Sheldon’s belief that this is Amelia’s way of getting around coping with her grief, and you’ve got the docs split down the middle.
8. Amelia’s plea to Sam to be a part of the transplant team by listing off the children’s lives her baby’s organs could save. “I’m his mom. And I’m asking you to do this. If I can get there, why can’t you?” Seriously, how could you say no in the face of that?
7. Sheldon’s near hysteria brings a small moment of levity while he and Cooper discuss the potential complications of labor for Amelia because of her drug use:
Cooper: “It was oxy…Amelia’s drug of choice [not cocaine]. So maybe things will be okay.”
Sheldon: “Well, sure, because oxy is like a prenatal vitamin.”
6. Amelia: “I’m not praying. This is the only position that doesn’t make me insane. Whoever decided a baby is supposed to tunnel its way out of my body through my vagina, I would like to have a serious conversation with them.”
Jake: “I think the only way to actually have that conversation is in fact by praying.”
5. Charlotte discovers how overwhelming a mother’s love can be: “I’m shocked. Genuinely just…shocked by how much I love him. I want to take his pain away, and I know I can’t. And it kills me. It kills me.”
“I don’t know what to call you…How about mama? I already have a mom, but how about I call you mama, like you call your mom?” -Mason
4. Amelia: “Addie…Addie…My baby’s gonna die.”
Addison: “I know. And I am so, so sorry.”
Amelia: “I’m calling him my unicorn baby.”
Addison: “You are? That’s great.”
3. What does that mean, “unicorn baby?” When Amelia was 12 she was obsessed with unicorns because they were magical and could do great things. The baby’s organs going all over the country and doing great things is magical, thus, her unicorn baby.
2. Tragic. Amelia changes her mind about seeing her baby before the transplant team does their work – “He’s beautiful. He’s the most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen.”
Amelia: “For a few minutes there, I was someone’s mom.”
Sheldon: “You’re still someone’s mom; he’s just not here anymore.”
1. The cliffhanger: Jake vs. Sam – who will Addison choose? Chinese food and a bouquet of flowers vs. “Look, you were right, I didn’t want a baby. I don’t want a baby. I wantthis baby. I want Henry. And I want…You, and me, and Henry to be a family.” All topped off with a surprise proposal.
Fans seem to be split down the middle regarding which man Addie should choose, on one side they’re saying, “Hey Sam, you snooze, you lose,” while the other half are of the, “It’s about time,” frame of mind. Who do you think Addison should choose?
“Private Practice” will return to ABC with new episodes and a sixth season this fall. Stay tuned…
Wow. Let’s all together take a deep breath and sigh in relief for two reasons.
First, that was one heck of a season finale! Seriously, talk about intense. Secondly, we really ought to celebrate news of the renewal of Private Practice together. Although we can’t actually high five, rest assured that I’m just as enthused as you are to know we’ll see our favorite doctors once again.
“Gone, Baby, Gone“ mainly focused on Amelia going into labor. The Seaside Wellness doctors were at odds after all learning about Amelia’s controversial decision regarding her child’s organs. The doctors questioned whether what Amelia wanted was actually murder and if it was ethical.
At first, I felt like what Amelia wanted was just what needed to be done. However, I slowly understood that what I thought appeared to be clearly black and white was indeed a very gray area. Nevertheless, I thought that Amelia’s choice was brave and amazing as her “unicorn baby” was very much a miracle.
When Amelia held her child and had only a couple of seconds to decide what to do next, I simply couldn’t hold the tears back. I thought to myself how incredibly difficult it must be and realized how incredibly strong she has been as she’s overcome such a great deal throughout this season.
I’ve said it before and I need to say it again: Caterina Scorsone was absolutely fantastic tonight. Every ounce of her pain and angst was perfectly expressed. This girl needs to totally be honored for her work.
Elsewhere: There was lots of touching, making out and even more with Jaddison this week. However, as we all know, nothing ever comes easy for our girl, Addie. In fact, Sam definitely through a wrench into Addie’s new plans with Jake by professing his love for her and even proposing. Where did that come from?!?
Sure, it was nice that he finally manned up and decided to fight for her, but I’m with Addie. She responded to his rant by saying it was simply too little and too late. However, with Sam claiming he was all in and Jake on his way with flowers and Chinese food, we were left not knowing who she chose.
Who would you like to see Addison pick? I, for one, still want her to choose neither. She’s hardly ever been truly single and I hope she chooses only Henry. The men can wait.
Meanwhile, Charlotte and Cooper shared some incredible scenes as usual. It’s evident that their love has never been stronger than ever. Every scene with Mason was also perfect, and I just love their family dynamic. I am really looking forward to what happens next for this family. Maybe Charlotte will be pregnant soon enough.
Thanks to the recklessly annoying Pete, there won’t be a Violet Annoyance Scale this week. Though he finally realized that he needed to cooperate and do whatever it takes to get back to his family, I hated how stubborn he was and thought he was absolutely ridiculous when he told Violet to just tell Lucas the truth about his whereabouts. Seriously? If that type of behavior persists, we might have to consider a Pete Annoyance Scale.
Other Memorable Moments
- Sheldon and Amelia finally made up. They really are best friends, aren’t they?
- As Cooper was speaking to Pete about stepping up and being a parent and husband first, I couldn’t help but to be so proud of Cooper. He’s come such a long way.
- How many of you smiled when Mason asked Charlotte if he could call her “Mama” the way that she calls her mother?
Private Practice
Gone, Baby, Gone
Original Air Date: May 15, 2012
Karen Belgrad – Senior Editor
karenbelgrad@thetwocentscorp.com
Before we break out our industrial size boxes of Kleenex to discuss the season finale, let’s all let our hoots, hollers, and cheers! Private Practice has been officially renewed for season six! And per ABC’s fall schedule announcement, it will remain on Tuesday nights, at 10/9c. Let the celebrating commence…
In a few minutes, because seriously that was one heck of a depressing finale! And that “cliffhanger” is bound to ruffle a few feathers and spark some conversations. And I definitely want all of your opinions below, because I most certainly plan to share mine! But before we get to that, let’s go over how we got there…
Amelia: Amelia was the patient of the week and star of the hour all rolled into one. I realize that Private Practice doesn’t get any Emmy love, but Caterina Scorsone really ought to be nominated for Supporting Actress this year. Amelia goes into, slightly early labor, and Caterina absolutely slays it in these scenes. Amelia opts for natural delivery, sans drugs, and has very specific instructions for Jake. She doesn’t want to see her “unicorn baby”, she wants to leave the OB floor right away. She reflects on have seen an anencephalic birth before and how the baby doesn’t cry (no frontal lobe), but squeaks. Jake advises the other doctors about Amelia’s choice of organ donation, and while Addison is supportive, Sheldon and Sam are openly opposed. Charlotte, after all the Pete drama (more on that later) is determined to have the hospital lawyers give the OK. Jake tells everyone not to see Amelia if they can’t support her, but reminds Addison that Amelia doesn’t want to see her at all. Sheldon goes to see Amelia and opines that her choice is her way of not dealing with her feelings, but Amelia shuts him down admonishing him that she is swimming in the reality of this. Sam goes the “baby is still alive” route, declining Jake and Addison’s request that he help harvest the baby’s heart. As Amelia’s labor gets more intense, she pushes away Jake’s comforting touch, determined not to feel or cry. Jake holds her anyways, ordering her to cry.
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Taye Diggs (the Private Practice season finale airs on ABC Tuesday at 10 p.m.), shares the 25 things you don’t know about him with Us Weekly.
1. I love scaring people.
2. I can’t see a movie without getting peanut M&Ms.
3. When my wife [actress Idina Menzel, 40] and I first met, we didn’t like each other.
4. Growing up, I was a nerd. With actual taped eyeglasses.
5. When I was a child, my family danced to Michael Jackson. Now we do the same with my son [Walker, 2].
6. I failed chemistry.
7. I almost failed algebra.
8. I got straight A’s in dance, voice and theater. Go figure.
9. I was conceived in L.A., so that was my nickname as a baby.
10. I didn’t learn to drive till I was in my thirties. It shows.
11. One of my favorite films is Pretty Woman.
12. Sometimes I confuse my left with my right.
13. I hate the smell of beets!
14. I worked as a performer at Tokyo Disneyland for almost a year.
15. I want my son to grow up happy, healthy and strong.
16. And be a professional basketball player.
17. I can’t wait for him to be older so we can prank his mother.
18. I’m 41 but feel like I’m 15 — and probably act like it, too.
19. I used to glance in the mirror while I was crying to see what it looked like.
20. I also used to think schedule was pronounced “shedool.”
21. I still get stage fright.
22. I love apple juice.
23. I get equally excited about courtside seats at a basketball game and great seats on Broadway.
24. One of the most gratifying things I’ve done is read my kids’ book, Chocolate Me!, to my little boy.
25. I have more tattoos than you think.
In tonight’s season finale of Private Practice, the Sam-Addison-Jake love triangle will “come to a head big time.” That’s at least what Paul Adelstein promises.
“There are a couple of cliffhangers — one really big one that had a lot of us gasping at the table read,” he reveals. “And it’s a very emotional episode across the board and definitely wraps some stories up and opens up a lot of new directions.”
And because of the show’s recent renewal, fans will get a chance to see those new storylines take flight. The show’s future was in limbo until Friday, when the network picked it up for another season.
Just a few weeks ago, Private Practice moved to Tuesday, and the move resulted in a ratings decline; though, it has still averaged 8.1 million viewers and a 3.0 rating this season.
Creatively, however, this season has surged, and Adelstein says it has been “really fun” exploring Cooper’s life as a father to son Mason, who the character was only introduced to this season. The end of the season, he adds, will find Cooper, Mason, and Charlotte finding their way as a trio. “In the finale, I think you really see them coming through the other side a bit and starting to gel as a family unit,” he says.
But after this season has seen Charlotte taking to motherhood with Mason more than she — and the audience — ever expected, could next season find the couple wanting to start a brood of their own? Adelstein says it could go either way. “I know that Cooper has always expressed a desire to have his own children and Charlotte, as I said, has always been ambivalent about that. I think the question becomes if having Mason will fulfill that desire on Cooper’s part fully or make him want kids with Charlotte. And from Charlotte’s perspective, she’s surprised herself with how well she’s taken to motherhood but whether that means going on to have a biological child of her own and do all that with Cooper is a big question mark,” he says. “That’s yet to be determined.”
This just in: Despite a season that culminates in a controversial birth for Amelia and a Sophie’s Choice of sorts for Addison, it’s not all doom and gloom on tonight’s PRIVATE PRACTICE season finale! Case in point, Charlotte and Cooper will finally get to bask in the glow that is the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel following one helluva roller-coaster ride of a season. At least according to actor Paul Adelstein (Cooper), who was only to happy to take some time to fill fans in on what’s in store for what has arguably become the show’s most popular couple. See for yourself, after the jump.
With tonight’s PRIVATE PRACTICE season finale being very Amelia and Addison focused, is it safe to assume that Cooper, Charlotte and Mason might get a much-deserved moment of happiness following this season’s harrowing loss of Mason’s mother Erica?
Paul Adelstein: There’s definitely not as many fireworks in the Charlotte/Cooper/Mason storyline tonight, especially in comparison to Pete and Violet , Amelia, and the Addison love triangle involving Sam (Taye Diggs) and Jake (Benjamin Bratt). But we’re all pretty well served in the finale seeing as though Shonda [PRIVATE PRACTICE showrunner Shonda Rhimes] does a really good job of weaving story lines together. But in the finale when you go to Charlotte, Cooper and Mason, it’s a little bit of a respite from all the upheaval.
Sounds good! After-all, if there is one couple that deserves a bit of a break following an emotionally gut-wrenching season it’s Charlotte and Cooper.
I think so. They’ve weathered the season pretty well, there’s been ups and downs obviously with Erica’s death being horrible and horrible for Mason primarily who’s been really struggling. But I think that what you’ll see in the finale is that Charlotte, Cooper and Mason start to come through the other side of it. They start to bond, form a family unit and begin the healing process. And you see Charlotte, who we’ve already seen develop really deep feelings for Mason and vice versa, you see that emerging into the light more as well. Which I think does at least hint at some happiness for them, seeing them become a cohesive family unite that’s healthy and running along smoothly.
One of the things PRIVATE PRACTICE showrunner Shonda Rhimes is so adept at is ending off her seasons on a doozy of a cliffhanger. How would you say tonight’s stacks up, say, in comparison to the time Violet was left on the floor to die following Katie’s attempt to steal her baby out of her belly in the second season finale?
It’s emotionally equivalent. There are a lot that hangs in the balance and there are a couple of cliffhangers here. I don’t want to say anything beyond that for fear of getting in trouble. But once what Amelia is planning to do with the baby is revealed to everybody it really throws the practice into an upheaval. There’s some “Come to Jesus” moments for a bunch of different characters on a bunch of different fronts.
Having weathered so much adversity, what challenges would you like to see Charlotte and Cooper face next season?
Gosh. There’s a lot of stuff to be mined with them raising this boy and seeing that they’re going to become biological parents to their own child, and how they’re going to adjust to this new family unit. It’s a big adjustment to them and right now they’re focused on the grief that comes with losing Erica and Mason losing his mother. But then how it moves forward there are a lot of land mines there that could go in many different directions.
And lastly, seeing as though your real-life wife is SCANDAL star Liza Weil, I’m just curious how you reacted when you found out that PRIVATE PRACTICE was being moved off its cushy post-GREY’S ANATOMY timeslot to Tuesday to make room for SCANDAL?!
She became really friendly with a bunch of people on SCANDAL, I’ve hung out with them and I thought the move was exciting. It gave SCANDAL a great opportunity and I think we’re [PRIVATE PRACTICE] strong enough that we can hold our own slot. It was fun to have her in the family and everybody kind of rooting for one another. There was no real competition, other than me giving her a hard time for having an affair with the President of the United States! I get to kiss Kadee Strickland but she’s you-know-whating the President of the United States!
In early December I got a call from my client, Kate Walsh, sharing with me the news that she was going to be on the cover of the March issue of Shape Magazine! This was wonderful news, but I sensed from the giggle in her voice there was more to story. And boy was there more.
My jaw dropped and I nearly dropped the phone! Just as quickly though I exclaimed, “This is AMAZING!” We both started to laugh, thrilled at opportunity ahead. Of course the first order of business as her Pilates Teacher/Personal Trainer was to create the regimen to get her shoot ready.
Now preparing someone for a nude photo shoot is much much much different from getting them ready for a special event or the Red Carpet ready or even just feeling fit and fabulous. The hardest part of a nude shoot is the actual shoot.
Imagine that you are in your birthday suit in a cold photography studio in front of a bunch of strangers both male and female, and everyone is there to look at YOU! Yikes!
We continued with our workouts right up to the day of the shoot.
On the day of the Shape shoot, I was nervous for Kate, in retrospect this was a projection of how I would have felt if the roles were reversed. But then there’s Kate. She was playful, relaxed and stunningly beautiful. Despite all eyes being on her and her bare body, she was a true pro throughout the entire process. Funny enough I think she was the one that made he rest of us all relax.
Kate wanted me right there with her as they went through the shoot to give her and the photographer input on poses, body alignment and positioning. Because of this the photographer let me look in on the shots as he was taking them and when I tell you every shot was a stunner, I am not lying! Kate is beautiful and her body is in great shape, but I think the secret to her success that day was her lightness and calm self assurance. After working with her for years, I had even more respect and admiration for her than ever.
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