"Grey's Anatomy" barely passes first check-up

The popular series "Grey's Anatomy" premiered on ABC Sept. 27 missing one key element: excitement. Fans of the show were left in awe at the end of the previous season from all the drama that had occurred within the one-hour finale. All those who tuned in on Thursday, however, found that the show's signature sparkle that had been put on pause over the summer hiatus failed to ignite as the series geared up for season four.

Recapping the chaos

True fans think of "Grey's Anatomy" as a synonym for drama, and last season's spectacular finale did not disappoint. For those suffering from amnesia, here's what went down at Seattle Grace Hospital last spring. First off, there's George (T.R. Knight). Not only did Izzie (Katherine Heigl) profess her love for him, but he also failed his intern exam. Dr. Bailey (Chandra Wilson) didn't get the job as Chief Resident, so she and George ended up commiserating about their failures. Cristina (Sandra Oh) also found her dreams crushed after Burke ditched her at the altar and showed a previously unseen emotional side. After Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) helped Cristina cope, she decided to ruin her own life by telling Derek (Patrick Dempsey) that they're in need of yet another break. As all this went on, Burke and Addison quietly went in their own directions, leaving the show for good.

The madness does not ensue

After the numerous momentous events in the season's finale, fans expected a premiere packing just as many punches. The writers, however, must have changed their minds about continuing the show's crazy streak.

Within the first moments of the premire, the writers introduced Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh), who turns out to be Meredith's long-lost half-sister. Sure, this is intriguing, but none of the regular characters give any out-of-the-ordinary responses to her arrival, downplaying the importance of this new development. Lexie forms a friendship with George, who spends most of his screen time whining about the fact that he has to be an intern all over again. George is still his typical whining self from last season, except this time, his friends feel annoyed instead of sorry for him.

The old interns of last season find themselves assigned to new groups of interns, whom they must train and instruct. Izzie finds that her group thinks that she's a dud doctor – the crazy one who freaked out and killed a guy. She teaches them a lesson later on in the episode about saving wildlife and couples it with some harsh criticism.

All in all, the day at Seattle Grace goes by without much to-do, making the viewer wonder if maybe (hopefully) the writers are saving up to pack the awaited drama and action into later episodes this season.

The greatness that did return

Despite the fact that "Grey's" hasn't been as dramatic and exciting as in previous seasons, the characters are back with their witty banter and snide remarks. No one makes better conversation than the fab five: Meredith, Cristina, Izzie, Alex (Justin Chambers) and George. Together, they are humorously unstoppable and provide copious amounts of entertainment.

The confusion over Meredith and Derek Shepard's relationship status is back and still unsolvable. It's always fun to ponder whether Grey and Shepard are together or not. This season starts off with them not speaking but then ends with them embracing for some "break-up sex." Who knows what will come as the season picks up steam? The possibilities are endless.

The actors: some good, some bad, some ugly

Let's start with the good: Sandra Oh, portrayed as cold-hearted and un-friendly, presents an overall great character. Oh displays a series of facial expressions that make her Cristina exciting, funny and inspired. She always stands out in the cast because everything she says has a certain zing to it.

Then there's the bad. Justin Chambers is humorous and definitely throws out funnier one-liners than Cristina. But whenever he tries to get serious, he ends up looking like an unhappy little kid crying crocodile tears.

And of course, the ugly. As Meredith Grey, Ellen Pompeo may be the main character of the series, but she tends to be selfish and downright annoying most of the time. Pompeo never changes her tone of voice or expression, always lurking with a bored appearance and speaking in dull tones. She could leave the show and no one would notice because her lack of energy makes her invisible in every scene.

The disappointing plot details of the season premiere of "Grey's Anatomy" don't mean too much in terms of the rest of the season; there can't always be episodes with people who have bombs inside their bodies. Hopefully the writers will pick it up and create amazing new premises to keep viewers intrigued and excited as in previous seasons (let's all cross our fingers for some more heart operations inside elevators and ferry boat crashes).