SPOILERS---DO NOT READ IF YOU WANT TO BE SURPRISED
Somewhere halfway through this 5th season, I decided it would be my last. I was even tempted to stop right then and there. I think this happened around the same time that Izzie was having mind-boggling sex with Denny (the dead ex). But I decided to wait until the end. Who knows why?

And I am so glad I did. I have just finished watching the season finale. I have been downloading the episodes from iTunes since the season will not be out in DVD for a while. I still wanted to write a review in case you are hesitating to buy this season.

So without further delay or hesitation I say BUY IT. The 2nd half of the season more than makes up for the weaknesses in the first half, and the season finale is so good that it's worth to get it just for this. Well, to be honest, the season finale is devastating. So much so that it reignites your desire to watch the show and come back for the 6th Season.
But getting back to Season 5....there are a few reasons why this season is very good:

1. The Derek/Meredith situation is resolved and this is great. It is good to see a happy ending to these 2, especially after 4 years of following their ups and downs. The show's creator wanted to deliver this to the fans and she made the right call on this. I think people would have been turned off if Meredith and Derek had split permanently or if their story would have kept being dragged on.

2. What started as the unlikely couple of Sloan and Lexi, has developed into a really nice story line where he sheds his playboy lifestyle for a more committed relationship. Lexi's character is also growing quite nicely, from an almost defenseless "little girl" to a mature woman that centers Sloan. They are also quite beautiful together as a couple, and well I'm really rooting for them....

3. Cali is finding happiness with Arizona. I love the Arizona character, and the actress that plays her is absolutely great. It is a treat to see this couple blossoming. It was a great decision to get rid of Cali's ex girlfriend...she was a bitter and sad person and not at all matched to Cali's lighthearted nature. Arizona's bubbly personality is great for Cali. I love how they wrote in her skating around the hospital....On the other hand she has been instrumental in Dr. Bailey's discovery of her softer side and her preference for pediatrics as her specialty.

4. Christina and Owen are going through major bumps, but there's an intensity to their relationship that is great to watch, and by the end of the season, it's nice to see how their story evolves.

5. While I was annoyed with Izzie's and Denny's story line, Katherine Heigl gives a great performance towards the end of the season, and so does the actor that plays Alex Karev. Alex's character, so rough at times, shows an increased sensitivity as Izzie gets sicker, and well, it's heart-wrenching to see his pain.

THE BIGGEST SPOILERS FOLLOW....STOP READING....OR ELSE.....

6. The fact that George walks Izzie down the aisle is sweet and poignant.

7. The moment when Meredith realizes that George is John Doe is one of the most powerful scenes I have seen on TV. I had to watch it a couple of times and plan to go back to it. She was amazing in that scene.

8. When Izzie faces George, you realize that this could very well be the last time you see these 2 actors together. One of them will surely die, perhaps both..... and this is just devastating.....
Now, apparently in real life, Katherine Heigl has stated that she wants to come back to the show, while Knight has stayed quiet on the subject. So it's very likely George will die and Izzie will make it.....but it would just be wonderful if they both make it. It's a credit to the writing that after being fed up with one and indifferent to the other, I now desperately wish for their return.

9. Finally, the most amazing part of this season is that in watching events unfold and listening to Meredith's voice over in the season finale, you realize what a powerful lesson you are learning from the show. We must tell the people we love how we feel, how important they are to us, how they have changed our lives; because everything can change in a second. I plan to do just that as soon as my husband walks in the door tonight.

If this can be done by a TV show, then there is greatness in it.

I am hooked all over again. You will be too.

I have worshiped and adored Grey's Anatomy since the second season. It's been a ritual for me to turn off my phones and other electronic devices to glue myself to the television to watch this tantalizing series unfold. Although the show fell off the track in seasons 3, 4, and to some extent in the early part of this season; I watched every moment of it. The storyline with Izzie was just hard to deal with at times, but i stuck by it. I am so glad I did; the last half of the season was brilliant. SPOILERS follow: If you are a Meredith and Derek fan they have worked their issues out and are truly great this season. The addition of Owen Hunt has brought new life back to the series, and to Christina. While I wasn't to crazy about the pairing of Sloane and Lexie, they have really grown on me. The crossover episodes with Private Practice were wonderful. The hundredth episode is one of the best, but the finale is what left me with chills. From start to finish it is easily one of the most powerful episodes of the series. Meredith's realization of "John Doe's" identity as George was nothing short of incredible, the moment Izzie's memory returns and the she flat lines took my breath away, and Meredith's voice over telling the audience to say "I love you" to the people in our lives before they are gone makes you realize the importance of those three words. However the final scene is what really makes the episode, with Izzie going into the elevator with her "prom" dress, and the door opening to George dressed in his army uniform, as they both flat-line, you realize it is very likely that one of them will not come out of this alive. That scene is truly haunting, and the song that plays in that scene "Off I Go" by Greg Laswell makes the scene truly unforgettable. One thing I noticed is that the premiere, in terms of Izzie, mirrors the finale. Izzie, at the end of "Dream a Little Dream of Me (part 2)", gets into the elevator in her dress and it opens to Denny, who is major part of her story line for the season, and in "Now or Never" the elevator opens to George. Heartbreaking, heartwarming, and full of just plain heart Grey's does not disappoint. Buy this season of Grey's and watch every moment, even though at times it is frustrating, I promise when you get to the end it will all be worth it. If you're anything like me, you will want to watch it again and again to see what you missed the first time around.

There are more detailed, in-depth reviews already on this page, so I will keep this short. The first half of the fifth season is lacking, with weak plot lines trying to tie up loose ends. The second half brings Grey's Anatomy back to what it used to be, with interesting developments that make you care about certain characters. The end is a cliffhanger that is sad, yet deals with a character that has suffered in the writing since season 3.