Product Details

• Actors: Ellen Pompeo, Patrick Dempsey, Sandra Oh, Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers
• Directors: Rob Corn
• Format: Box set, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 5
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: September 9, 2008
• Run Time: 740 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (131 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0018CWEXK
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,272 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Grey's Anatomy: The Complete Fourth Season" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Season four of the hit ABC medical drama was on shaky ground right from the season premiere, which left Cristina (Sandra Oh) at the altar by Burke (Isaiah Washington, fired after the press-frenzied third season); Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek (Patrick Dempsey) downgraded to no-relationship-just-sex status; and George (T.R. Knight) pondering divorce from Callie (Sara Ramirez) to pursue love with his best friend, Izzie (Katherine Heigl). That last pairing made for one of the worst decisions in the series thus far; George and Izzie always worked so well as friends without the will-they-won't-they element, but suddenly throwing them into bed and watching them fumble their way to coupledom (an attempt that mercifully doesn't last) was painful to watch, in particular because Heigl, who had won an Emmy for the previous season, was reduced to a lot of whining and fretting. Meanwhile, Meredith's family issues come to a head when her half-sister Lexie (Chyler Leigh) begins her internship at Seattle Grace and instantly tries too hard to bond. And as she once again drives away Derek with her trust issues, Meredith finally gets smart and enters therapy (one of the redeeming elements of the season, with Amy Madigan as the hard-nosed counselor) to "get healed." The writers' strike became a welcome blessing for the show, which had seriously derailed before its hiatus; during the strike, creator Shonda Rimes has said she reexamined the direction of the show, making for an ultimately satisfying second half of the season. Standout episodes include "Forever Young," in which a high school bus crash leaves the staff pontificating their own adolescent cliques; "Lay Your Hands on Me," with a standout performance by Chandra Wilson as Bailey, whose crumbling marriage comes front and center when her toddler gets in an accident; and the season finale "Freedom," in which Meredith and Derek save two brain-tumor patients in love (Jurnee Smollett and Marshall Allman), leading to their own (lasting?) reunion, Bailey heads up an effort to rescue a guy who lay in concrete to impress a girl; and Callie finds herself attracted to the new cardiac surgeon, Erica Hahn (Brooke Smith). Bonus features include "New Docs on the Block," a look at the latest members of the cast; a set tour with Dempsey and Eric "McSteamy" Dane; bonus and extended scenes; and outtakes. --Ellen A. Kim




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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A season of evolution, July 20, 2008

By 

Charleen Merced (Stamford, CT and sometimes in Puerto Rico) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Grey's Anatomy: The Complete Fourth Season (DVD)

In season 3 of Grey's Anatomy everything fell apart. Everything that could go wrong did. George and Callie split, Izzie and George made a huge mistake (in my opinion) in trying to make things work out. Meredith feared commitment and Derek wanted to commit. And in the aftermath of Meredith's near death experience, she finally broke down. And then there is Burktina (Cristina and Burke)...which never happened. Like I said, everything that could go wrong did. Season 3 was about breaking the characters, exploring them and making all the mistakes. Season 4 is about mending and fixing those mistakes.

This season started slowly, painfully slow I shall say. The characters seemed stuck, all of them. And try as they might, they were unable and unwilling to change. Then, it happened, slowly, but surely, they started to evolve. They started to look beyond themselves and their problems and they started to grow and mature.

The first half of the season (pre-Writer's Strike) was slow and all consuming within itself; it refused to be bothered with the world around it. The first half of the season brought in a lot of change, but none of the characters were equipped or willing to deal with it. Cristina refused to confront her non-wedding, Meredith was still reeling from her near-death experience and her inability to commit with Derek. Nevermind the fact that she has to deal with a new sister! Izzie and George had to deal with a new relationship and a failed one. Alex had himself and Ava to deal with. We also saw some new characters and some characters leave. All in all the first half of the season was horrible, stale, and unable to foster change.

And then the strike happened, and the creative juices must have been at their peak because what we saw in those 5 last episodes was pure brilliance. The characters finally exploded into full blooded beings in our TVs, they were finally in route to who they are supposed to become and they are finally a testament to what Grey's Anatomy is supposed to be: great, emotional and captivating.

I mark the beginning of the change with the arrival of Addison, she came in waltzing in her Zen zone and her unwillingness to get stressed out and reminded everyone of who they are supposed to be and what they are supposed to be doing, all the meanwhile getting stressed herself. The show then became magnificent; my blasé viewing of the show went out the window and FINALLY I became engaged in it once more. The second half of the season was so good that I made every other crappy episode worth it. It even made season 3 worth it because we finally got to see our characters evolve. Thus, whereas Season 3 was the breaking apart of everything, this Season 4 was the mending and evolution of Grey's Anatomy.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The season improved after the strike, June 26, 2008

By 

G. Roemhildt "Beach Mama" (Mililani, Hawaii) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Grey's Anatomy: The Complete Fourth Season (DVD)

Grey's is great...but the season premiere was pretty silly with that whole Izzie-deer thing, I mean, c'mon, I know it's TV and all, but let's have a little realism. I, too, felt she was pretty flat this whole season, but didn't we just learn that was because she is persuing more film roles (the reason she withdrew her name from the Emmy's).

Meredith and her progression with therapy was pretty cool; even with all her whininess (and her high pitched laughter), her future with Derek looks pretty promising. And who cares about Derek so long as he looks good!!

Callie and Hahn--I agree that's an interesting dynamic, but Grey's has been viewed as the multi-racial TV drama, so why not incorporate the whole lesbian thing too? It's not my cup of tea, but after what Callie's gone through (and Hahn never gave into Sloan's pursuit), that too was a natural progression.

Christina and the aftermath of Burke...you know, at the 3rd season finale, I thought the whole, "I'm free" thing was pretty powerful, but we haven't seen really anything more from Christina and how she wasn't herself when she was with Burke--but what HE made her. I think she will have some growth in the 5th season.

George is a bit of a geek--but whatever. Who didn't see him and Lexie getting together at some point?? Hasn't this show made sex with pretty much everyone standard??

Chief and Sloan--supporting characters with little weight this season (I think), but I do believe we will see Sloan's role grow more in the coming season. He doesn't do much but sleep with everyone, but that has to change at some point...?

Alex--I have yet to figure that one out, but Ava/Rebecca has to go away once and for all.

Bailey--our precious Bailey--who I think holds the show together--that was a big bummer about her and her husband, but she is trying to put her family first.

Overall, I believe the season was better after the strike was over and the writers and producers found once again what made Grey's so special in the first place. I believe they set up the end of season 4 for a great season 5....should be great to watch come the fall!!!

20 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The first half is rough going but it picks up after the strike!, July 9, 2008

By 

Theresa W (mi, usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Grey's Anatomy: The Complete Fourth Season (DVD)

Season 4 suffered because of the strike, like many shows. Although, in Grey's the first episodes of the year were just...blah, a bit of a let down after the previous 3 entertaining and exciting seasons. But not to worry, it picks up in a BIG way once the writers ended the strike and the season ends solidly and you'll be thankful you hung in there with all the ups and downs.

I, like many fans, was getting sick of Meredith and her whining. Just when you thought she was going to grow up and stop sabatoging her life...she keeps it up. But stay tuned till the end of this season! Same for George and Izzy & Alex & Ava...it was a mess, but by the end things are figured out. I think part of the reason the first episodes were rough going, was the introduction of several new characters. By the end of the season we got to know them better and I enjoyed watching them on screen more. Overall this season started a bit sour, but ended on a high note.