''Private Practice'': Labor Intensive

Go, Private Practice, it's your birth day! With three births, one hostage situation, two attempts at sex, one revelation, one re-consummation, two beloved guest stars, and — finally! — something for Dr. Feelgood to do, there was plenty of action, both uteral and otherwise, last night. I think Addison described it best: ''It's babypalooza!''

But wait, there's more: Addison was (again, she said it best) ''on fuego.'' I think it was the dress. She looked hot in that slinky, colorful, low-cut number. And Pete noticed. But he wasn't the only one. Officer Kevin Nelson noticed. In fact, he came all the way from Stars Hollow to check her out. (Officer Nelson was played by David Sutcliffe, who was Gilmore Girls' Christopher, a.k.a. Rory's dad and Lorelai's ill-chosen husband. Man, I miss that show — except for its terrible final season.)

So let's talk about all those babies being borned. There was the panic-attack-prone policeman's widow, who was going to deliver in a birthing tub, despite Addison's objections. Then there was Ashley (where have I seen that actress before? Grey's?), whose husband doesn't do anything to control their rambunctious boys and is unexpectedly in labor (she is, not the husband, silly!) — but she doesn't seem to be too bothered by that. And then we had Sara Gilbert, the second of the evening's great guest stars (how can I resist this?), as a gun-wielding pregnant woman holding up a convenience store. Not very...convenient (yes, another thing I couldn't resist).

The three births gave the writers fertile ground for comparisons and contrasts, and gave the editors plenty to play with. You're either prepared for a baby to arrive or not — but either way, it's coming. And Susan, the widow, needed to know that she was prepared. Sara Gilbert certainly wasn't — hence the holdup. And Ashley was ready, but for the wrong gender. Ashley's chaotic kids contrasted with the calm that Susan was trying desperately to achieve, and Susan's prolonged labor in the birthing tub was a good counterpoint to Ashley's baby popping out (''You have to catch the baby!''). The projectile baby gave Dell some great moments, in addition to his early ''locked in the Dell vault'' line. And then the births left everyone ''hormonal,'' as they kept saying. Ashley needed an intervention — which looked like group therapy of a different sort: All the doctors gathered around her, some perched on the arm of the couch, others standing. Sara Gilbert had to go to jail. And Susan had to accept that her husband was gone. (I bet Sam even had a realization of his own: No more house calls.)

It was moving to see this woman sob, really get out the feelings about her husband's death, as she was giving birth. And then to see Addison climb into the tub to hold her. Talk about unconventional birthing methods. Addison, it is your birth day! Beautifully done.

Cops kept arriving at Oceanside Wellness to check on Susan and her baby. Maybe that explains why no cops showed up at the convenience store where Dr. Feelgood was performing an emergency birth.

(Ever notice that people don't really say hello on this show? Every conversation begins as if already in progress. I love that — it's how I tend to be, as if it's all just one ongoing conversation. And, isn't it, really?)

NEXT: The lovelorn couples almost do it

You Might Also Like

• Television News Another writer's strike? | Vanessa Juarez
• Spotlight Spotlight on Audra McDonald | Vanessa Juarez