An: I loved Amelia from start to finish because she’s played by Caterina Scorsone who I absolutely LOVED in SyFy’s Alice miniseries. Also, she had a natural chemistry with Addison. I still don’t understand why they swapped Merrin for Audra. I loved both ladies and thought both had chemistry with Kate Walsh. AM just brought a more mature energy to the role. It took me awhile to warm up to nebbish Sheldon.
Although I wanted Cooper to wind up with Violet and Sheldon with Charlotte, the writing and acting made me fall in love with Violet and Pete. I loved Private Practice‘s first season because of the candy coated fun and the third season because it maintained the warmth, but added even more focus.
However, the seasons in between showed miserable people arguing with each other miserably. How many people in this clinic can have horrific pregnancies from Violet and her stalker to Addison’s struggles to Naomi’s daughter to Amelia and her brainless fetus? And, hello, can someone actually consider getting married or using sexual protection in that office of doctors who specialize in fertility and planned parenthood? And, don’t get me started on the plot hole of Naomi’s daughter’s pregnancy. Considering the girl watched her best friend undergo horrendous STDs in season two, it seems odd that she’d engage in unprotected sex the next season.
This season I hope Addison gets the fairytale ending. In reality, no one would turn down amazing, normal, hunky guy after amazing, normal, hunky guy. Eventually, people do learn. The show needs to stop pushing Addison into post-adolescence and let her grow up. According to Liz’s boyfriend, Criss, on 30 Rock, single women in their 30s/40s are either “uggos,” “crazy,” or “bailers.” Addison isn’t ugly or crazy, but she’s a bailer. And, it’s time for the writers to let her step up … with Sam.
Final thoughts?
Jaylen: An, you made a lot of good points. I disagree about Sheldon though. He’s cool. In fact, I think I like him more than Violet. I never wanted to see Cooper and Violet together. I prefer them as best friends. I think one of the smartest things that the writers did was pair Cooper up with Charlotte. This gave KaDee Strickland a heck of a lot more screentime which is nice. You know, even on a bad day, I still think this show trumps Grey’s Anatomy. That’s just my opinion. My hope for the final season of Private Practice — if this actually is the final season — is that Addison grows the hell up. I understand that people make mistakes, but as smart as Addison is, I feel it’s time for her to adjust and make some positive changes. It would be awesome if Audra McDonald could return for an episode or two. I’d also like a flashback with Dell and Pete since, you know, Tim Daly was fired and all.
If Addison ends up with Sam, I’m shooting my TV with the rifle I keep in my closet … well, maybe not. That TV was pretty expensive. However, I’d like to see everyone end up in happy places. They all deserve it considering what they’ve been through.
——
So, what were your best/worst memories of Private Practice? And, what are your hopes for the future? I loved season three, but hated that Naomi couldn’t decide what she wanted until William decided for her. Despite the finale ending with Naomi in Fife’s arms, in the season four premiere she inexplicably returned to William. What?! While I wouldn’t call a woman comfortable with her sexuality, a slut (come on, Mark’s a slut, Addison just makes bad choices), do you want Addison to end up with Sam or alone?
How do YOU want Private Practice to end? Sound off in the comments!
Clacked by An Nicholson 
on Jun 19, 2012 @ 12:00 EST5EDT
Addison was never as good on PP as she was on GA. didn’t mind her with Sam but when she was going after that married guy whose wife was a patient of hers… ugh. Hadn’t she learned her lesson about cheating already?
I agree that Audra is awesome, and pretty much stopped watching after she was gone. I am a huge fan of hers, and you haven’t lived until you’ve seen her on stage, but I actually think she didn’t fit in well on the show anyway. I think it was the way her character was written to be so judgmental. Audra McDonald has a real warmth that should be allowed to come across more than it did on this show, I think.
I won’t miss Pete at all and I wish he would take Violet with him. The biggest problem I have with PP is that most of the fortysomethings act like they are fourteen and that gets really old after a while. Pete and Violet are the worst but Cooper, Sam and Addison are also too immature for their ages.
No was ever celibate for long enough. Addison especially should have been celibate for six months so she could learn to live as an adult without a man around but she always had the choice of a number of men and always gave in to her urges too easily.
I gave up on the characters when Dell (whom I liked a lot) died and no one would take in Betsy. Addison wanted to adopt but she only wanted a baby, not a young girl who desperately needed a home, which made her unredeemable to me. Violet and Pete were the parents of a toddler and it wouldn’t have taken a lot to extend their home to Betsy, who was demonstrating that she would have been a help with their son. And Sam and Coop just turned their backs on her, a hurt child who had lost both her parents and now had to be in the heartless state system. I give Sheldon, Amelia and Charlotte a pass since they didn’t know Dell that well but I wonder if Charlotte had already had Madison whether she would have taken Betsy too.