"Grey's" needs better stories, less whining. Seriously.

Apparently I jumped the gun a little bit yesterday (see previous post) on renewing interest in "Grey's Anatomy." Last night's episode was the final straw in a long list of grievances with that show.

According to Nielsen's ratings, people still love "Grey's." I'm not sure who those people are, but I know it's not me.

I jumped on the bandwagon early in season 1 and stuck with it through the improbable storylines in seasons 2 and 3 - seriously, how is it possible for someone to survive two near-death experiences in the span of a year?

Last night's two-part episode began like "ER" as two ambulances crashed into each other in the bay, resulting in mayhem. In the middle of rescuing a set of dying paramedics, title character and resident whiner Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) found time to share her deep thoughts on death that had more to do with her than the paramedics, of course. The only plus in the entire episode, other than Dr. Miranda Bailey's genuine outrage when a white supremacist refuses her help, was a guest role from Austin Powers alum Seth Green as a patient with an exposed carotid artery.

Lesson here? Leave the freak accidents to "ER." What made "Grey's" unique from other hospital-themed shows were the characters, those flawed and funny people trying to figure out their soap opera lives. If viewers end up despising everyone, including the title character, you've strayed from what made the show enjoyable in the first place.

With the departure of Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) and Preston Burke (Isaiah Washington) - two of the more grounded characters - the show's whining has reached unbearable levels. The addition of new characters like Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh) - Meredith's half-sister - hasn't done anything except spread the self-pity around even more.

Of course, I could be wrong. About 20+ million people a week keep watching, although I guess I'm not sure why. Thoughts?

-- Malavika Jagannathan, mjaganna@greenbaypressgazette.com