{alltv} Private Practice's Amelia Heads for a Downward Spiral

Friday, May 6, 2011

{alltv} Private Practice's Amelia Heads for a Downward Spiral

It was only a matter of time before Private Practice's Amelia Shepherd unraveled. After a season focusing on the sexual assault of Charlotte, the suicide of Addison's mother, the release of Violet's tell-all book and the death of Pete's mom, the character always ready to give advice in the form of a quip is finally going to face her own demons, says her portrayer, Caterina Scorsone.

"Amelia was coming from a pretty dark place when she started the show, and then she really got herself together in a very tangible way. But as the season comes to a close, things have gotten pretty stressful for her. The end of the season leaves her in an interesting place — and leaves me excited for next year," Scorsone told TV Guide Magazine at the fourth annual Television Academy Honors "Television with a Conscience" event on May 5.

The staff of Oceanside Wellness Center is going to have to deal with the return of a character "we know very well," which will push Amelia, a recovering addict, over the edge. "We have to deal with this character again, and it becomes a case that Amelia is involved in," says Scorsone. "It's a pretty emotionally loaded case for her."

When it comes to the developments of the finale, which airs May 19, the cast is staying mum, but KaDee Strickland (Charlotte) says to stay glued to your screen until the very end. "Do not leave the room!" she warns. "Do not leave the room in the last 10 minutes of the show unless you really want to be lost."

"It's very shocking," adds executive producer Betsy Beers. "There are going to be a couple of very surprising events and one shocking event. The thing I can say is that it's filled with choices. There are a lot of very large choices which will get made in the finale."