Private Practice (2007-2013) is terrible, but I cannot stop watching it

Photo courtesy of GDilemma at English Wikimedia/Wikimedia Commons

Spoilers ahead!

If you have ever watched Grey’s Anatomy (2005- ), you may have heard of the spinoff series Private Practice (2007-2013), which follows Addison Montgomery, the ex-wife of Derek Shepard. Addison was a regular of Grey’s Anatomy (2005- ) until the end of its third season, where in the episode “The Other Side of This Life,” the spinoff was introduced when Addison visited Los Angeles—the setting of Private Practice (2007-2013). 

Anyone familiar with Grey’s Anatomy (2005- ), or who even has heard about it, probably knows that the plotline is tumultuous at best, evil at worst. Fan-favorite characters are killed off, such as Mark Sloane and Lexi Grey, while others remain intact through every traumatic event, such as Owen Hunt. Last week, Apr. 17, 2026, The Lamron had plenty to say about Hunt’s character in particular in the staff editorial. 

So, if you are familiar with Grey’s Anatomy (2005- ) and its habit of traumatizing or killing off its characters, prepare yourself for the drama of Private Practice (2007-2013). Addison joins, as you can probably guess, a private practice called Oceanside Wellness Group in Los Angeles with ex-husband and wife Sam and Naomi Bennett, alternative medicine guru Pete Wilder, pediatrician Cooper Freedman, psychiatrist Violet Turner, and receptionist Dell Parker. The Chief of Surgery at the local hospital, Charlotte King, later joins the practice alongside another psychiatrist, Sheldon Wallace, and neurosurgeon Amelia Shepard. 

Starting with the Bennetts, who have a “will they, won’t they” on officially becoming a married couple again: in season one, the show suggests that these two getting back together is the long-term objective, but instead, we watch as they fall apart. Sam is hung up on Naomi, then the reverse, and Naomi dates her older boss who has Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). On top of all of this, Sam and Naomi’s 15-year-old daughter gets pregnant and marries her boyfriend, Dink. Yes, his name is actually Dink. I myself have only made it through a little over half of the seasons, but rumor has it that Naomi also gets pregnant and then remarries Sam by the end of the show. 

Second, Pete Wilder: he is the heartthrob of the production, and the suggested love interest of Addison in their appearance together in Grey’s Anatomy (2005- ). The first season of Private Practice (2007-2013) follows this narrative but quickly veers off course. Pete is hot and cold with Addison, eventually revealing that his ex-wife died of a brain aneurysm in their bed—and that he hated her. Pete and Addison eventually part ways, with Pete falling in love with Violet Turner, one of the psychologists. For a brief period, Pete raises a child with Addison (who stands in place of Violet as the mother), but we will get to that. 

Third, Cooper Freedman: I have the least qualms with Cooper, and I honestly think that of all the characters, he has the least twists to his plotline. Almost everything that happens in his plotline are really events happening to other people. However, I would like to point out that it seemed he and Violet would be together in the long term, but that plotline was quickly abandoned after the first season. 

Fourth, Violet Turner: her plotline was the most traumatizing of all the characters. At first, she did not know who the father of her baby was—Pete or Sheldon—but that became the least of her problems. Violet was treating a patient, Katie Kent, who miscarried and was prone to delusions, and one day Katie arrived on Violet’s doorstep with surgical tools, believing Violet’s baby was hers. Paralyzing Violet with an injection, Katie performed a rudimentary C-section on Violet and stole the baby. Both mom and baby fought for their lives, lived, and recovered, but the trauma led Violet to flee the practice and the country. Hence, Addison stepped into the role of the baby’s mother and briefly enjoyed a nuclear family with Pete. 

Fifth, Dell Parker: Dell started as the receptionist but quickly became an adored central character. Eventually, it was revealed that he had a baby as a teenager with a girl named Heather, who is a recurring drug addict. While Heather is “recovered,” Dell marries her, but Heather causes their house to explode due to a relapse. Betsey, their daughter, lives through the accident, but Heather passes away. A short while later, Dell dies because of an injury caused by a car accident while driving the Bennetts’ daughter to the hospital to give birth. 

And finally, Addison herself: her plotline is the one I dislike the most. By the end of her time in Grey’s Anatomy (2005- ), she had transformed from the evil ex-wife into a lovable, understandable character. However, Private Practice (2007-2013) ruins this. Addison is terrible in relationships over and over again in this show, and I wish they would have done more for her character. Notably, she briefly entertained an affair with her patient’s husband, and she proposed to Sam Bennett during their serious relationship. In both, Addison had no chemistry with any of the love interests and failed to grow as a character. 

Essentially, Private Practice (2007-2013) became a testing ground for Grey’s Anatomy (2005- ), with almost every twist, relationship, and trauma explored in quick succession. If your favorite part about Grey’s Anatomy (2005- ) was the drama, then this is the show for you!