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Post by S5fan on Sept 10, 2012 23:49:15 GMT -5
philip casnoff as Dr. Mel Barnett! cool! love him! I´ve never heard of him to be honest. I have to look at his bio.
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Post by ella1967 on Sept 11, 2012 3:21:02 GMT -5
Have you read the press release? What are your initial reactions? Mine is, after reading it for 3 or 4 times is whether this should make me watch the premiere? Just the focus on the verb choice - learn to adapt, cope with losses, move forward.... This sounds really "exciting" - if I translate it for what it might mean for CO, not something that would make me feel excited to watch. Well, except as much as we may watch the show for Owen and Cristina, there are other characters involved too,lol. This epi will, IMO, be a lot about how people are attempting to move on past the crash and introducing a few new recurring characters yet it will mostly be about saying goodbye to Mark. I remain optimistic for Cristina and Owen because of the growth we saw in each of them by end of S.8. They were each finally able to find some words to explain themselves - Cristina told off Mer who was trying to decide her life for her by saying 'He's (Owen's) my person' and Owen was able to say out loud how he missed Cristina, showing viewers there was more to him than the mopey looks he had on his face 19-24. The opening epi will give us a little insight which won't be followed up on until 9.3 - remember folks, this is just the beginning of the season...
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Post by S5fan on Sept 11, 2012 10:42:17 GMT -5
Bless you Ella for having this hope!
I do honestly believe Sandra and Kevin are fighting for CO to get back together and the only thing I can still be sure about and hopeful for is that they deliver all the time and create miracles, whatever "amazing" staff the writers give them. But it is still HER show and she will do whatever she wants. What makes sense and makes it all worth watching despite everything the writers had thrown at them is Sandra´s and Kevin´s portrayal.
I will not watch live anymore with the exception of Kevin´s directing. To get up at 3 a.m. and then go to work with 4 hours of sleep for the disaster Season 8 was (as usual I could never go back to sleep after the episode aired as I was so distracted and annoyed). That was enough, the drive I had is almost gone with Shonda´s "beautiful" storyline with no real pay off whatsoever. No, I´ll just watch COforever´s clips if she decides to upload them or I´ll just read reviews and then decide if I watch some scenes. I guess this will be my way for season 9.
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Post by justine on Sept 11, 2012 15:21:21 GMT -5
No, I´ll just watch COforever´s clips if she decides to upload them or I´ll just read reviews and then decide if I watch some scenes. I guess this will be my way for season 9. I did it all season 8 long ! Did not even watched entirely most of the episodes of season 8, excepted episode 14...And I must admit...have not yet watched The SF of season 8...excepted Cristina's scenes and Owen's scene in YT, thanks to our great and wonderful Coforever ! After viewing the quoted scenes and some more, decided that it was the worst SF ever produced by the show ! LOL ! I just prey for Shonda not to write something like this again, ever again!Oh, my God ! Please, pretty please Shonda, never try again ! Will keep it this way for this season. No watching in live, just reading reviews and after seeing scenes in YT I decide if it is worth or not to spend my time with the episode or not. And I sleep well !
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Post by ella1967 on Sept 12, 2012 8:11:01 GMT -5
Bless you Ella for having this hope! I do honestly believe Sandra and Kevin are fighting for CO to get back together and the only thing I can still be sure about and hopeful for is that they deliver all the time and create miracles, whatever "amazing" staff the writers give them. But it is still HER show and she will do whatever she wants. What makes sense and makes it all worth watching despite everything the writers had thrown at them is Sandra´s and Kevin´s portrayal. I will not watch live anymore with the exception of Kevin´s directing. To get up at 3 a.m. and then go to work with 4 hours of sleep for the disaster Season 8 was (as usual I could never go back to sleep after the episode aired as I was so distracted and annoyed). That was enough, the drive I had is almost gone with Shonda´s "beautiful" storyline with no real pay off whatsoever. No, I´ll just watch COforever´s clips if she decides to upload them or I´ll just read reviews and then decide if I watch some scenes. I guess this will be my way for season 9. Thx - I'll take the blessing - do what you've got to do, yet I'll watch the show live. It's just the way I'm wired, to have faith in Owen and Cristina. These characters are so multi-faceted and so charming to me even amidst their flaws and mistakes because what is omnipresent for me is their passion for each other, their love for each other, that they have now gotten past the pain they inflicted upon each other last season and are ready for next steps together - that's the pay off to me. I still can't wait to see how they rebuild, how they are still each others' person, how they are still the person who truly sees the other, is truly their connection to life even as they are trying to figure things out post-crash. They will still stumble sometimes yet they will pick themselves back up via their love for each other, it's from that that I derive my hope for them, my faith in them.
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rskel
Trainspotter
Posts: 2
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Post by rskel on Sept 15, 2012 14:47:25 GMT -5
Hi! First time poster here....mind if I try my hand at sharing? I would also like to add here that I am a new Kevin fan and I love the discussions on this forum!
I've found myself in a tough place. I started watching the show around the time of season 5 and I started at the beginning, so I've only recently actually been somewhat caught up with recent developments (to a certain extent). I was an indifferent viewer for the first 4 seasons. I thought the show was fun, but never really found a character that I invested in. Then season 5 introduces this amazingly attractive new Army doctor and I was HOOKED from the first glimpse. What can I say? I'm biased for rugged handsome dudes :-) But more than that, I was actually really enjoying the storyline....the PTSD, the tragic hero, even the love interest for Cristina (remember, I was previously indifferent to everyone so she had never really interested me before). For the first time, I was actually looking forward to seeing what would come next.
Season 6 and 7 were....still good, in the context of me not really watching the show for anything except seeing Owen and Cristina together. I'm of a simple mind, really (LOL). Once I really like a character, nothing they do can really make me NOT like them. And although I do like the C/O pairing, for me I really just watch for Owen because I think he's an awesome character. In fact, I think I'm in the real minority when I say that a lot of what happened in season 7 made me really start to dislike Cristina's character.
So because I was catching up on seasons, I didn't watch season 8 when it aired. After the season 7 finale, I was really starting to get nervous for the future of Owen. And then someone in my family decided to tell me about some things that happen in the end of season 8...(mostly Owen cheating) and I was so shocked. I just couldn't believe it. How could the man I had come to adore on my screen do that? It made me nervous to watch it so I put off doing it...and then I decided to peruse some other internet sites just to get an idea of the overall season and what I found actually stunned me. I actually see that some people have started to dislike Kevin the actor and person because of what his character has done in the season! That was SO disheartening to me....this is a SHOW, isn't it? Fantasy? For as much as I love Owen, I know he's not real! It just made me feel really badly for Kevin's fanbase because from what I've seen (and still believe wholeheartedly), KMK seems like a really down-to-earth, sincerely charming person. So because of all THAT, I haven't actually watched season 8. Since I've basically seen so much negative backlash on Owen and KMK in different places, I'm actually kind of scared to catch up on season 8 and watch season 9. Even though it's fantasy, it still feels good to root for a character and feel excited by his developments like I had done during season 5.
So I thought I'd ask the advice of veteran fans here....in your opinion, if you were someone like me who had only started liking the show BECAUSE of Owen, will watching season 8 and tuning in when season 9 comes destroy my view on this character? Because I have to be honest....I would rather not have my naivity shattered in this case. I REALLY love the Owen I was first introduced to and I would hate to see his character assassinated.
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Post by S5fan on Sept 15, 2012 15:09:03 GMT -5
Hi rskel,
warm welcome to you!
If I were you, I´d watch season 8. You will see Owen´s journey and you will create your own attitude. I don´t think anything can destroy Owen as a character, deep down he will always be the Owen from season 5 for me. Take the risk. The truth is you will see him sad a lot. JMHO
I find your comment about season 7 interesting. What aspect of Cristina did you start to dislike?
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Post by princessleah on Sept 15, 2012 17:41:39 GMT -5
Hi and welcome, rskel. I'm sure there will be others that will answer your very interesting question better than I can, but I thought I'd try to provide my POV for you to take or leave as you wish. First, with or without the events of season 8, Owen is a polarizing character for the Grey's fandom for whatever reason, so it's kind of necessary to take some of the criticism of the character with a grain of salt. Or, in some cases, an entire cupful-at some point it stops being about the character or actor and is more reflective of the person posting and their own bias/projections. I wouldn't base my opinion of Owen this past season on what you've read on other sites, honestly. If people didn't like the character before, this season wasn't going to help, but even if the character did everything right and perfectly...those people still wouldn't like him. That said, season 8 is a tough one and I think a divisive one among fans. Context is everything, so if nothing else, I would recommend watching the episodes of season 8 (at least the O/C scenes) to get a sense of how the cheating happened. I can't answer whether your opinion of the character will change-my experience in reading opinons of other fans has been if you liked the character of Owen before, you will won't like what he did but you won't hate the character. Character assassination...well...the writers had a storyline in mind this season for Owen and Cristina. Whether certain aspects of the storyline were in keeping with the characters as we've known them so far to be is a very touchy subject among fans. I guess the cheating was in keeping with the context of the story the writers were trying to tell for this pairing. Whether it was in character for Owen, the character I've watched onscreen since season 5? ...In my opinion, no, I don't think it was for reasons I won't list here. I think the writing did a disservice to Owen in this season, and to Cristina as well. The writing (but more importantly, the acting) succeeded in strictly showing the breakdown of a marriage, but I don't think, personally, the writing succeeded in tailoring that breakdown and the events leading up to that breakdown and the cheating in a way that fit the characters of Owen and Cristina and the relationship they've had for four seasons now. Others will disagree with me and that's fine, it's just my interpretation of the season and what I've seen in the characters onscreen. I don't know if season 8 will destroy your view on the character, but I will say the season is hard to watch if you are a fan of Owen. KmK, as well as Sandra Oh, do amazing acting, so there is that and it makes the scenes far more watchable than they should have been, but it is hard to watch as fans of the characters because there was just a lot of moments that were hard to accept. Angst I can handle, angst that is manufactured and not always what I think to be true to the characters...that's harder, in my opinion. ...And yet I'm still a fan of Owen, of Cristina, and of Owen/Cristina. Call me a masochist. The writers have a lot of work to do in season 9 to fully engage me again as a viewer, but I do still root for the characters and pairing in spite of season 8. I don't think that answered any of your question, sorry! Hopefully it gave you a perspective on season 8, though.
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rskel
Trainspotter
Posts: 2
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Post by rskel on Sept 15, 2012 18:37:18 GMT -5
No, no...thank you so much! It's so nice to see people responding honestly and thoughtfully. It's what I had hoped to see. I've been on other forums for other shows I've been a fan of in the past that didn't really discuss anything other than "OMGZ, your so meen for saying that about my baby (insert name of fictional character here)." I like discussions, not brewing trouble. So thank you Tania and PrincessLeah for making me feel at ease as a newbie :-)
To answer your question, Tania...now that I think about it, I really don't think there was anything that Cristina did or didn't do that made me start to dislike her. I think actually, my dislike for her was starting to come from the way I had started letting the opinions of fans influence my views. That was the wrong thing to do on my part. It seemed like everywhere I looked, people were at two extremes about Cristina's character (and I'm paraphrasing just to get the point across, this isn't anything verbatim): 1) bastardizing Owen because Cristina is a perfect angel who deserves happiness and rainbows and she never does anything wrong, or 2) Bastardizing Cristina because Owen is a perfect angel who has just been a victim of circumstance and never does anything wrong. I don't think EITHER character is perfect, nor do I think either of them is evil. It's like the only way some fans could argue their point was by making the character they like a victim and the character they don't like a jerk. So, Tania, I appreciate your question! It made me stop and really think about my previous opinion about Cristina :-)
Sheesh. When did being a fan become so complicated? I think I'm more angry about the direction of O and C as a couple. I'm bitter because to me they seemed like the ones most likely to make it and really have something awesome....and now I feel like there is a hopeless rift that will never mend. I just want my shallow season 5 feels back....feeling good watching hottie Hunt seduce cutie Cristina :-)
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Post by trinity on Sept 15, 2012 20:26:03 GMT -5
I don't think EITHER character is perfect, nor do I think either of them is evil. It's like the only way some fans could argue their point was by making the character they like a victim and the character they don't like a jerk. So, Tania, I appreciate your question! It made me stop and really think about my previous opinion about Cristina :-) Sheesh. When did being a fan become so complicated? I think I'm more angry about the direction of O and C as a couple. I'm bitter because to me they seemed like the ones most likely to make it and really have something awesome....and now I feel like there is a hopeless rift that will never mend. I just want my shallow season 5 feels back....feeling good watching hottie Hunt seduce cutie Cristina :-) First of all welcome. And happy posting. The biggest mistake is to let your opinion be influenced by other people's comments. To form your own opinion is to watch the season. In terms of a Cristina/Owen fan, yes it was a very hard season to watch. But only by watching at least the C/O scenes you will form your own opinion about about what happened there. Whether it was in character or not - I totally agree with what PrincessLeah said, in terms of where they wanted to take the story it might have been - but for Owen's character that I have known for 4 seasons now and for Cristina's as well, no it wasn't. I don't mind the angst, GA is a drama and we all get that, but fabricated drama, made for just giving the conflict for the sake of it, that is very hard to handle. If you have loved Owen's character till now, what happened last season it won't make you hate him, you won't like what he did, you know he did wrong but you will also understand to some point what happened there that had made him do such a thing. It's not an excuse, but you can understand it. Whether it was in character, nope absolutely not, but neither the way Cristina has been portrayted this season has been in character to me. This is the saddest part. And yes, I absolutely agree with you, they seem they WOULD BE the most likely to make it, because of the way the were portrayed especially throughout season 5, but this is Shondaland, where apparently a relationship started as a one night stand (Mer/Der) had more chances of survical than one built on a deep and meaningful connection. We'd have to guess that her world is just upside down like that. Despite of what happened in S8, C/O fans that are still left out there, still have hope for this paring in S9. Because they have just through too much together to end it now. Owen has made mistakes, he is human - people who bash his character had to live on another planet and consider everything Cristina does perfect and flawless. She has made mistakes as well, but it happens that some part of this GA fandom is very one sided and characters, especially the male ones are held on different standards. They cannot be less than perfect. That is why I say watch the season and then decide for yourself about what you saw, not based on what some other people said.
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Post by S5fan on Sept 18, 2012 12:45:14 GMT -5
Shonda and her "promising" tweets... I think we heard those same exact words from her last year and CO are separated now. So we can expect 2 really dark episodes and then from 903 it should only be all romance! She swears it will be so, but her words leave me empty. No effect really. Call me a fool, but I kind of hoped what she said about what we would see would be beautiful last season until I actually saw the devastating tragedy of CO unfold. I remember she said the same about CO´s wedding at the beginning of Season 7 that it is hopeful and just look how she finished Season 7. She warns us. Against what? What else can she do to CO in 2 episodes? We know Cristina is leaving, we know they stay separated, Owen stays living and working in Seattle. I am not afraid, there is nothing worse she can do in those two episodes. Those two characters are already so emotionally wrecked and broken and their relationship has been completely damaged by the writers. It can´t get worse, can it? Unless there is a divorce but Owen is wearing a wedding band in 901. Cristina´s PTSD can make it worse though.
Interesting how Ellen Pompeo says in her latest interview Meredith manages to persuade everyone to stay but Cristina whose main reason to leave seems to be SGMDEATH. If Owen is truly Cristina´s person as she said, she is leaving him there all alone in fact and we know he was already shot there.
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Post by oystersandco on Sept 19, 2012 14:30:38 GMT -5
Welcome rskel!! Season 8 is definitely hard to bear if you're a Crowen fan. As Princessleah said, some storyline choices made by the writers and especially SR did a lot of disservice to Owen, especially for this character, who was so different than the other male characters of the show (anyway he's still different). To be honest I'm still not over the cheating storyline which I think was so out of character, because the Owen that I've created in my mind has never been this kind of guy, whatever happens to him. Anyway I think you should watch it because KMK is still doing a great job playing Owen and I think it'll be easier for you, you'll not have to wait for weeks for a new episode and finding it disappointing again, you will quickly finish the season and start the new one which I hope will be better!
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Post by kaz on Sept 20, 2012 18:50:33 GMT -5
Re the latest spoiler, I am looking forward to seeing more Derek/Owen bromance!
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Post by drwyatt on Sept 21, 2012 6:07:04 GMT -5
Me too, but I wonder what Mer will think about that
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Post by mesilla on Sept 21, 2012 6:21:40 GMT -5
Me too, but I wonder what Mer will think about that That is the first thing that I thought. Especially with this new attitude she has. We know Owen, when pushed to far, will put her in her place. But I wonder if the writers will gloss over this part of the storyline because the plane crash gave them "perspective". I would be sorely disappointed if that were the case. I am starting to get excited!!! We are down to days now!
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Post by trinity on Sept 21, 2012 8:51:14 GMT -5
Me too, but I wonder what Mer will think about that Mer is NOT the center of the Universe and NOT all revolves around her. She is Cristina's best friend - one who meddles a lot btw in other people's lives - both Owen and Derek do not have a problem with that. Whether she likes it or not, that is her personal problem that she has to deal with. Not everything is about her. And I really don't understand what relevance has if Mer likes it or not... Owen is too much of a gentleman and has far way too much good sense when it comes to Mer. He let her get away with a lot because she is a woman and she is Cristina's best friend. Only when pushed way too far, he says something.
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Post by drwyatt on Sept 21, 2012 13:15:36 GMT -5
Whoa Down girl, I forgot the smirk! It might be a means to ameliorating her hostility to Owen , which I would think would be welcome. Maybe it will be part of her finally learning to back off.
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Post by trinity on Sept 21, 2012 13:55:41 GMT -5
Whoa Down girl, I forgot the smirk! It might be a means to ameliorating her hostility to Owen , which I would think would be welcome. Maybe it will be part of her finally learning to back off. I don't think she will ever like Owen. It's too implanted in her DNA to criticize and control people. Ameliorating her hostility towards Owen, that might happen only if Cristina repeatedly and expressly demands it from her.
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Post by MarryMeOwen on Sept 21, 2012 15:53:30 GMT -5
I agree with trinity. Mer is very manipulative when it comes to Cristina, and what's worse Cristina allows her to be. Mer's jealous of Owen because he understands cristina in ways that she can't and sees Cristina's potential as a person, while Mer just sees Cristina as a mommy substitute.
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Post by drwyatt on Sept 21, 2012 15:55:20 GMT -5
Trinity, one could make an identical argument about your opinion of Mer. Not that it is invalid, I have read many of your posts and your arguments about her dysfunctional behavior were crystal clear. It is interesting that before I visited this and some other forums, I hadn't really thought about Mer's behavior that deeply. I just saw her as standing up for what she thought Cristina wanted, but I never really thought about how twisted and intrusive it was. Funny because I would never expect or accept that behavior in anyone I knew, but I was just blithely going along in Shonda's universe. I for one continue to take at face value 1) Mer doesn't get that Owen is Cristina's person YET, 2) we are going to see CO make their way back to each other and so for me, call me naive if you like, 1+2=3 -- Mer will eventually come to accept Owen as Cristina's person because there is no other way that this story can go. I'm totally excited for the season to begin. Edited because Marry me Owen responded while I was typing and it was no longer clear who I was responding to
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