TUESDAYS 10|9c
Season 3
PRIVATE PRACTICE - "A Death in the Family" - After Pete discovers Violet dying on the floor of her home, having barely survived a violent attack from her patient, Katie, he rushes her to the hospital where Addison and Naomi fight to save her life. Meanwhile, the whereabouts and condition of Violet's stolen baby are unknown, on the season premiere of "Private Practice," THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/KAREN NEAL)KATE WALSH, TIM DALY
A Death in the Family
Season 3 | Episode 1 | Aired 10/1/09
Flash back to the opening days of the practice. Violet and Cooper, the first two doctors brought on by a very happily married Sam and Naomi, are already starting to become friends and gossip about people, like their super-happy bosses. Sam introduces them to his friend, Pete Wilder, a doctor specializing in infectious diseases who lost his wife four days ago. Sam has asked Pete to speak to Violet because he seems to be handling his wife's sudden death a little too well. Their first visit goes poorly, with Pete refusing to open up and only giving the bare details about his wife's death.

In the present, Addison and Naomi are doing everything they can to save Violet. Pete is heartbroken and frustrated that there's nothing he can do. Cooper is blaming himself for not checking on Violet when he was right at her door and he's getting frustrated as well because the hospital keeps paging him and he's not even on-call. Dell goes in to talk to Violet during surgery and so he can try to get some information for Pete, Sheldon and Cooper, but any information he had wouldn't be good news. Addison and Naomi reach an impasse in the surgery. A Hysterectomy could save her life, but it would mean she could never have another child, and with her baby still missing, possibly even dead, the situation's complicated. Addison asks Pete and Sheldon for guidance and they both tell her to do whatever she can to save Violet. Then she turns to Coop, and as hard as it is, we know he's right when he says his best friend would want Addison to try to save her uterus.

Episode Photos See all
  • PRIVATE PRACTICE - "A Death in the Family" - After Pete discovers Violet dying on the floor of her home, having barely survived a violent attack from her patient, Katie, he rushes her to the hospital where Addison and Naomi fight to save her life. Meanwhile, the whereabouts and condition of Violet's stolen baby are unknown, on the season premiere of "Private Practice," THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/KAREN NEAL) AUDRA MCDONALD, TIM DALY, PAUL ADELSTEIN, AMY BRENNEMAN, KADEE STRICKLAND
  • PRIVATE PRACTICE - "A Death in the Family" - After Pete discovers Violet dying on the floor of her home, having barely survived a violent attack from her patient, Katie, he rushes her to the hospital where Addison and Naomi fight to save her life. Meanwhile, the whereabouts and condition of Violet's stolen baby are unknown, on the season premiere of "Private Practice," THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/KAREN NEAL) TIM DALY, AMY BRENNEMAN, KADEE STRICKLAND (BACKGROUND), KATE WALSH
  • PRIVATE PRACTICE - "A Death in the Family" - After Pete discovers Violet dying on the floor of her home, having barely survived a violent attack from her patient, Katie, he rushes her to the hospital where Addison and Naomi fight to save her life. Meanwhile, the whereabouts and condition of Violet's stolen baby are unknown, on the season premiere of "Private Practice," THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/KAREN NEAL) AUDRA MCDONALD, TIM DALY, PAUL ADELSTEIN, AMY BRENNEMAN, KADEE STRICKLAND
  • PRIVATE PRACTICE - "A Death in the Family" - After Pete discovers Violet dying on the floor of her home, having barely survived a violent attack from her patient, Katie, he rushes her to the hospital where Addison and Naomi fight to save her life. Meanwhile, the whereabouts and condition of Violet's stolen baby are unknown, on the season premiere of "Private Practice," THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/KAREN NEAL) TIM DALY, AMY BRENNEMAN, AUDRA MCDONALD, KATE WALSH