Grey's Anatomy (season 2)

Grey's Anatomy (season 2)

The second season of the American television medical drama Grey's Anatomy commenced airing on the American Broadcasting Company on September 25, 2005, and concluded on May 15, 2006. The season was produced by Touchstone Television, in association with Shondaland production company and The Mark Gordon Company, the showrunner being Shonda Rhimes. Actors Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh, Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers and T.R. Knight reprised their roles as surgical interns Meredith Grey, Cristina Yang, Izzie Stevens, Alex Karev and George O'Malley, respectively. Previous main cast members Chandra Wilson, James Pickens, Jr., Isaiah Washington and Patrick Dempsey also returned, while Kate Walsh, who began the season in a recurring capacity, was promoted to series regular status, after appearing in seven episodes as a guest star.

The season continued to focus on the surgical residency of five young interns as they try to balance to the challenges of their competitive careers, with the difficulties that determine their personal lives. It was set in the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital, located in the city of Seattle, Washington. Whereas the first season put the emphasis mainly on the unexpected impact the surgical field has on the main characters, the second one provides a detailed perspective on the personal background of each character, focusing on the consequences that their decisions have on their careers. Throughout the season, new story lines were introduced, including the love triangle between Meredith Grey, Derek Shepherd and Addison Montgomery, the main arc of the season. Also heavily developed was the story line involving Izzie Stevens' relationship with patient Denny Duquette, which resulted in critical acclaimed and positive fan response.

The season kept its original airtime from the previous season, taking over Boston Legal's time slot at 10:00 pm on Sundays, while airing as a lead-out to the already successful ABC series, Desperate Housewives. It contained 27 episodes, out of which five were originally produced for the first season. In addition to the regular episodes, two clip shows recapped previous events of the show, both narrated by Steven W. Bailey in his recently-introduced role as Joe the Bartender. "Straight to Heart" aired one week before the winter-holiday hiatus ended, recapping the most memorable events of the first season and the first half of the second. "Under Pressure" aired before the twenty-third episode. The season finale was conceived as a three-part story arc, the first of this kind in the series, and was scheduled to air in two consecutive nights.

The show ended its second with 19.440 million total viewers and a 6.9 ratings share in the 18–49 demographic. The season opened up to generally positive reviews from critics, as most agreed on a significant improvement in story lines, compared to the previous season. The season saw numerous cast and crew members receive awards and nominations at ceremonies like the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards and the 64th Golden Globe Awards. Katherine Heigl and Chandra Wilson were the cast members with the most nominations for their portrayals of Izzie Stevens and Miranda Bailey, respectively. The series was chosen in the top ten for a number of 2006 "best of television" lists, including USA Today, San Jose Mercury News, TV Guide and Orlando Sentinel.