AdoptTV

So we're watching Grey's Anatomy the other night (I know, it's bad for us, like fish 'n' chips) and Izzy the hot/kind med student is talking to this teen mom-to-be from her hometown of Chehalis, whom she'd seen reading Shakespear to her tummy -- sign of ambition about to be stifled by trailer-park motherhood -- and suddenly Izzy pulls out a photograph of a girl of about five years old from her pocket.

"She's a birthmom!" I said to Eric, who just huffed, but then of course I was right, causing my mate to marvel at my great adoption radar/insane obsessiveness.

How did Grey's Anatomy do on the subject? I'd give them a B-. The main reason the show's not geting into med school is that no mention was made of openness -- a huge opportunity missed. Izzy does know where her daughter landed after being entrusted, but she doesn't know where she is now. Bad adoptive parents? Or was that Izzy's choice, to let the openness drift? No clarification is given.

"They're supposed to be in Seattle!" I shouted. "OA&FS could have had a cameo! Katie could have been a walk-on (that's our wonderful social worker, except she couldn't have, because she's on leave in Japan.)

Oh well. The good part was that Izzy offered a totally heartfelt and reasonable view of how adoption benefitted her, and when her teen-mom friend asked, Do you ever wish you kept her? She says, honestly, no. It's totally clear that she misses her daughter and that it's a weight on her shoulders, but it's also clear that she still trusts herself and her decision, as she did when she made it. Thanks for that, Grey's Anatomy. Now how about a big ol' reunion where Izzy can "hug it out" with her daughter and her daughter's parents? Bring on the Kleenex!

In other AdoptTV news, Clark's dad died on Smallville. A loss for those of us seeking positive portraits of adoption on the tube. The Kents are (were?) perhaps the only example of a truly healthy adoptive family on primetime -- it's sad that we had to go into fantasy to make that a viable scenario, but I'll take it. I do wonder if one reason they killed Daddy Kent is because Clark's birthdad, Jor-El, is slated to make a bodily appearance (beyond his lustrous voiceovers) next season. Two dads in the same room too much for you, Smallville creators?