Private Practice – When will Addison have her nervous breakdown?

Last week I was complaining that recent episodes of Private Practice have started to alienate me from most of the characters, making me dislike them (sometimes intensely), with the exceptions of Charlotte and Sheldon.

This week those feelings were confirmed when I found myself feeling absolutely nothing more than irritation as I watched a tragedy befall Addison’s abusive mother Bizzy.

Honestly, when Bizzy blamed Addison for letting Susan die — even though Susan had expressly told Addison not to resuscitate her — then she continued to be harshly, emotionally cutting toward Addison, I loathed her even more than I did a few episodes ago when she slapped Addison across the face. When Bizzy committed suicide and Addison discovered her body lying on the hotel bed, I was dry-eyed, which is unusual as I’m apt to get teary-eyed pretty easily when watching tear-jerker moments.

Then there was that emotionless suicide letter in which Bizzy issued yet one more dictate for her daughter to carry out: Lie to everyone and say that she died in her sleep because the truth was “too embarrassing.” Addison just busted her hump to try to save her mother’s lover, withstanding public humiliation and scorn from Bizzy to get Addison to use experimental treatments which Addison didn’t think would save Susan. Addison just threw her mother a wedding. She adhered to her patient’s request to not use extraordinary measures, and now she’s got to plan her mother’s funeral and lie about how she died. Addison seems like she’s in a fog through which she cannot see straight, blinded by her mother’s irrational and dictatorial behavior, even in death, if you go by the previews where the mourning Addison is struggling to keep her mother’s secret. I didn’t feel saddened by all of this, instead, I was highly annoyed.

While I could feel sorry yet dry-eyed watching Addison’s scenes, I was aggravated while watching Pete and Amelia intervene in a patient’s personal life to pursue their own agendas and then argue and posture over who’s agenda was the morally right one. These two, when working in concert, are so sanctimonious that I can barely stand to watch them any more.

The only redeeming part of this episode was the way in which Charlotte handled the fact that animal who brutally raped and wounded her was in the hospital with a knife sticking out of his chest. She could’ve easily arranged for him to die “naturally” but she didn’t. Charlotte displayed amazing courage and intestinal fortitude and declared that he could no longer hurt her, no longer had any power over her, setting herself free.

Sheldon too did his best to try to keep Charlotte’s friends calm as they wondered aloud if they should seek vengeance on him.

I honestly don’t know if I have it in me to watch next week’s episode where Addison is destined to walk around carrying three tons of emotional angst and guilt on her shoulders, because I anticipate that, true to their recent form, her co-workers will likely be inconsiderate, self-absorbed morons.

Clacked by Meredith O'Brien
on Feb 11, 2011 @ 12:00 EST5EDT