I didn't want to like Grey's Anatomy, I really and truly didn't. I felt like I'd fought it off successfully, deflected its charms in its abbreviated first season, a handful of episodes (a mere nine) that didn't make too much of an impact - but it came back for a second, longer season, one with a leisurely time frame in which to explore the tangled loves and lives of the quirky, often bitingly sarcastic characters created by Shonda Rhimes (whom I'm just now forgiving for writing Britney Spears' ill-fated cinematic bomb Crossroads). I could hold out - I still won't admit to fully embracing this guilty pleasure, but I don't run screaming as soon it comes on either; Grey's Anatomy isn't life-changing television, but you could definitely do worse with an hour of your time. Admittedly, Ellen Pompeo is a slight choice with which to anchor a sudsy drama such as this, but somehow, it works - as the lovelorn Dr. Meredith Grey, Pompeo functions as the quiet eye of the hurricane, calmly narrating her winsomely cynical world views as life twists and turns in often surprising ways, unfolding day by day at Seattle Grace Hospital.

As I mentioned in my review of the second season, Grey's Anatomy hit big in its expanded second season, going from "Who?" to "Wow!" in the span of just a few weeks; fans who had a taste of the snappy banter, palpable chemistry and stuffed-to-bursting storylines (replete with bosom-heaving, will-she-won't she, unrequited love) clamored for more and along with "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost," became part of ABC's breakout trifecta. Boasting a cast brimming with energy and well-suited to their roles, Grey's Anatomy not only served as a comeback vehicle for Eighties heartthrob Patrick Dempsey, but also a showcase for the exceptional acting talents of Sandra Oh and Isaiah Washington, as well as a proving ground for largely untested up-and-comers T.R. Knight, Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers and Pompeo herself, whose pre-Grey's resume is littered with bit parts and one-off TV roles, who has blossomed into a low-key, unassuming star.

But if season two was the breakout year, the third season was the collection of episodes in which the show stumbled, not least of which because of the ugly T.R. Knight/Isaiah Washington flare-up that found Washington out of a job, Knight out of the closet and the showrunners struggling to bring the focus back to their creation. Many of the episode arcs feel a bit redundant, leaning on more sprightly storytelling from earlier seasons; unsurprisingly, Dr. Addison Shepherd (Kate Walsh) has been excised from the show, creating the first Grey's spinoff ("Private Practice") and a chance for the show's creative minds to focus on maintaining one brand while building up a new one. While the storylines go where they need to, there's an unshakeable sense of finality to the last few episodes, particularly the emotionally brutal finale, which can't help but feel inevitable taken in context with the season's off-screen drama.

Nevertheless, emotional rawness and uncertainty lead to a season-long tug-of-war that ebbs and flows, serving as the backbone of the other, equally compelling arcs - the other interns fall in and out of bed, learn hard lessons and work to please the irascible Dr. Miranda Bailey (a winning Chandra Wilson), the physician in charge of these up-and-coming caregivers. With a few moments of "ER"-level gore and kinetic set pieces, the medical aspect of the show is given equal play with affairs of the heart; there are sequences that might the more squeamish unsettled, but those scenes are fleeting, lending just enough veracity to ground the show in a tangible realism. The third season concludes on a somber note, but it's questionable whether there's enough forward momentum so that those unsure of where they sit with Grey's Anatomy will want to tune in on Sept. 27 and tag along for the further adventures of Ms. Grey and company.

The third season of Grey's Anatomy is spread across seven discs by Buena Vista; screener discs were provided for this review, so I cannot comment on final packaging. I'd imagine, however, that this third season will be packaged in a cardboard slipcase housing a tri-fold foldout case, similar to the second season. Should this not be the case, I'll amend my review accordingly. Material for the episode synopses is taken from ABC's Web site and for those who want their Grey's Anatomy experience untainted by advance knowledge, be aware that some spoilers can be found below.

Disc One:

Episode One: Time Has Come Today
The pieces of shattered lives are picked up and put back together in this, the third season premiere. The fall-out from Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek Shepherd's second season-ending tryst devastates Addison Shepherd (Kate Walsh), while a mysterious plague quarantines a few of the staff. (Extended episode; features audio commentary from Kate Walsh and Chandra Wilson.)

Episode Two: I Am a Tree
Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) has an awkward meeting with Preston Burke's (Isaiah Washington) parents, while Meredith continues to hem and haw over whether to date the dashing vet Finn Dandridge (Chris O'Donnell) or Derek.

Episode Three: Sometimes a Fantasy
Finn and Derek spar over Meredith, while George O'Malley (T.R. Knight) and Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez) find that living in the same space can be trying. The Chief (James Pickens, Jr.) is faced with a difficult decision, while Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl) cannot bring herself to return to a normal routine just yet.

Episode Four: What I Am
Mark Sloan (Eric Dane), Addison's former lover, joins the staff at Seattle Grace, causing her to question her abilities. Burke is finally cleared for surgery, but still has his doubts. Izzie meets up with Denny's father to discuss his son's death; Meredith has a breakthrough in her thinking between Finn and Derek.

Disc Two:

Episode Five: Oh, the Guilt
Izzie, still grieving the loss of Denny, joins the other interns for a conference on morbidity and mortality; Burke fights to share with the Chief the status of his shaky hand. Derek and Addision finalize their divorce while Dr. Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) struggles to stay objective while treating a woman with stage 2B breast cancer.

Episode Six: Let the Angels Commit
Meredith arrives at Derek's trailer only to discover his sister in bed (guest star Embeth Davidtz); Izzie wrestles with work, finding many things different than when she left. Cristina forces Burke into a complicated surgery against his wishes.

Episode Seven: Where the Boys Are
Derek, Burke, George, the Chief, Alex and Joe head for the mountains on a camping trip, while Izzie begins counseling and George's father is admitted to Seattle Grace. (Extended episode)

Episode Eight: Staring at the Sun
Derek and Meredith resolve to be happier people as Bailey lets George decide who will care for his father. Bailey realizes how much she takes her son for granted, while Dr. Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) and Izzie reconcile their differences.

Disc Three:

Episode Nine: From a Whisper to a Scream
A Cristina-centric episode finds Derek and Meredith still taking their relationship slowly, while Addison tends to a badly hurt pregnant woman. Burke and Cristina's relationship becomes increasingly strained.

Episode Ten: Don't Stand So Close to Me
The fall-out from Burke and Cristina's hiding Burke's injury spreads to the staff, as the Chief must decide how to punish the doctors. Meredith sticks up for Cristina, as George continues to watch over his ailing father.

Episode Eleven: Six Days - Part 1
George's father undergoes risky surgery, while Izzie finds herself in charge of a teenager with scoliosis. Meredith and Derek struggle to find some middle ground in the bedroom.

Episode Twelve: Six Days - Part 2
Cristina and Burke continue to fight in full view of the staff, while George is forced to make a grim decision about his father.

Disc Four:

Episode Thirteen: Great Expectations
George continues to wrestle with his father's death, while the Chief makes a surprising decision, leading to some jostling among the staff. Alex and Addison confront each other after an awkward exchange at Joe's Bar. Burke asks Cristina to marry him. (Extended episode.)

Episode Fourteen: Wishin' and Hopin'
A free clinic, organized by Bailey and Izzie, opens up as Meredith's mom asks for her at the nursing home. The Chief deals with his decisions. (Extended episode; features commentary from Ellen Pompeo and Kate Burton.)

Episode Fifteen: Walk on Water
News of Burke and Cristina's engagement begins to trickle out, while the interns undergo triage drills -- but a real-life disaster pulls them away. Alex discovers a pregnant woman under a collapsed pylon and a little girl follows Meredith around the hospital.

Episode Sixteen: Drowning on Dry Land
Alex finds himself overwhelmed by families, and all of the interns deal with the aftermath of the ferry disaster. Meredith is recovered and brought back to the hospital, only to take a turn for the worse.

Disc Five:

Episode Seventeen: Some Kind of Miracle
Meredith experiences the afterlife while the team at Seattle Grace races to save her life. Callie is put in charge of the remaining interns, while Derek confronts Meredith's mother and Izzie enjoys a brief reunion with a long-lost lover.

Episode Eighteen: Scars and Souvenirs
Derek treats an old friend for a tumor, while Meredith receives bad news from her father. Izzie finds herself consoling a drunken George, who is kicked out of Callie's apartment after a fight.

Episode Nineteen: My Favorite Mistake
Izzie and George deal with the fall-out from the previous evening, while Meredith must help perform a bone graft on the mysterious Jane Doe. Cristina and Burke strive to make their relationship work.

Episode Twenty: Time After Time
George and Izzie continue to fight, while Izzie's daughter, who she gave up for adoption 16 years ago, learns she has leukemia. Derek meets with the Chief to discuss the hospital's future.

Disc Six:

Episode Twenty-one: Desire
The Seattle Grace interns are studying hard for the impending exams, while the chairman of the hospital board is admitted for swollen testicles. Derek is afraid that his relationship with Meredith will hurt his chances of becoming chief of surgery. (Features commentary from Sandra Oh.)

Episode Twenty-two: The Other Side of This Life - Part 1
Addison takes leave from Seattle Grace to head south, to Los Angeles, where she visits with old friends. Meredith's step-mother dies, as Cristina plans her wedding.

Episode Twenty-three: The Other Side of This Life - Part 2
Addison takes leave from Seattle Grace to head south, to Los Angeles, where she visits with old friends. Meredith's step-mother dies, as Cristina plans her wedding.

Disc Seven:

Episode Twenty-four: Testing 1-2-3
The first-year medical exams are upon the interns of Seattle Grace, as Meredith deals with her step-mother's death and Addison finds herself being stalked by pregnant women.

Episode Twenty-five: Didn't We Almost Have It All
In this third season finale, the interns learn the results of their exams, as the Chief makes a final, controversial decision about who should replace him. Cristina and Burke's wedding takes an unexpected turn and Derek helps a group of mountain climbers.

The Video:

Each episode of Grey's Anatomy is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen - as befits a recently filmed TV program, the show looks sleek, sharp and crisp, with colors warmly and accurately represented, no signs of edge enhancement or other visual defects. The show often has a bit of a blue tinge to it, but that's apparently by design.

Boasting a fairly active Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, Grey's Anatomy sounds as good as it looks, with plenty of immersive surround activity, as well as clearly rendered dialogue and those well-chosen pop songs feel smooth, full and free of distortion. Optional English, French and Spanish subtitles are also on board.

The supplemental material is equally fluffy and informative, a reflection of the show itself - while only three of the 25 episodes have commentary tracks (a pretty pathetic showing), the tracks are fast moving, imparting plenty of behind the scenes information as well as nifty trivia tidbits. Four episodes, as noted above, also run a few minutes longer than their broadcast versions; having not memorized the shows upon their initial airing, I'd be hard pressed to point out precisely what's been reinstated. Aside from the extended episodes and audio commentaries, all of the bonus features are housed on the seventh disc. The 10 minute, 23 second featurette "Making Rounds with Patrick Dempsey" is a swooning valentine to the actor, presented in anamorphic widescreen; the eight minute, 39 second featurette "Shades of Grey: One on One with Ellen Pompeo" allows some insight to the actress and her role and is also presented in anamorphic widescreen. The eight minute, 33 second featurette "Prescription For Success: Jane Doe Unmasked" follows the casting and creation of a supporting player in season three, presented in anamorphic widescreen. Eleven deleted scenes (titled "Dissecting Grey's Anatomy: Unaired Scenes") run for an aggregate of 13 minutes, 28 seconds, are playable separately or all together and are presented in anamorphic widescreen. "Good Medicine," a nine minute, 25 second collection of the cast's favorite moments is included as are four minutes and 19 seconds of outtakes, with trailers for The Game Plan, Brothers and Sisters, Ugly Betty, SoapNet, What About Brian, Desperate Housewives, Lost and Grey's Anatomy completing the set.

Wobbly but still standing, the third season of Grey's Anatomy was wracked by iffy scripts, real-life drama and the departure of some vivid characters. The show still isn't life-changing television, but you could definitely do worse with an hour of your time. Creator Shonda Rhimes has wrought a compulsively watchable soap opera that fuses wit and heart to charming effect, making this ABC hit one to watch as its fourth season begins. Recommended.