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'Grey's Anatomy': Death Row Medicine
As good as Grey's Anatomy is when it focuses on the cooperation between the doctors of Seattle Grace, it's often even better when it focuses on the conflict between them. And heavens, there's plenty to go around this week.
Do not disturb: Spoilers ahead...
For starters, the cold war between Meredith and Cristina is continuing unabated. They're not speaking, and when they do it's tense and even nasty. And of course, they end up working on the same case together, along with Hunt and Derek. A death row inmate, played by Eric Stoltz (who's already directed a couple of episodes this season and shows up again next week), has been beaten and stabbed -- and the shiv is stuck in his spine. The chief wants the guy treated quickly and quietly, and the most interesting part is how it seems to draw battle lines among the four doctors on the case: Derek and Cristina have zero interest in managing his pain or doing anything above the basics, and Meredith and Hunt are more focused on treating the patient rather than just dealing with the case. But despite the amount of pain the guy appears to be in, no more morphine, says Derek.
Well, of course Meredith can't leave it alone, even after he seems hopeful that he could be paralyzed by his injury, because it might stay his execution (scheduled for next week -- like the cop in the buddy movie who's set to retire next week when all hell breaks loose). In addition, everyone's preoccupied with learning about his crimes. What did he do to end up on death row? Eventually, Cristina asks, and he calmly explains that one Monday he slit a woman's throat. He'd been thinking about doing it for a while, and just had to do it. And it turned out to be fun, so he did another two the next day, and two more the day after that. He'd been thinking about killing three more the next day, but then he got caught.
It's chilling, and all the more a testament to Stoltz's talent that as such a likable actor he can so thoroughly inhabit a cold, remorseless sociopath. The tension between Meredith and Cristina provides an uneasy undercurrent throughout, offset by the inability of either Derek or Hunt to adequately cope with their feud. Because who would buy these two talking about sports as a way to change the subject? Please.
But to their credit, they try. Seeing that she needs a friend because she's without her closest confidant, Hunt reaches out to Cristina, but a little clumsily, which ends in her telling him off over his running hot and cold. Derek tells Meredith why the case bothers him so much. It turns out that his dad was shot by two criminals who were trying to rob him of the watch Derek's mother saved up to buy him. It's a sad and transformative act in his life, and for a fleeting moment I'm interested in why he chose medicine rather than donning a bat costume and fighting crime. (So cynical, I know.) Then Derek asks what Cristina would do for Meredith after a bad day, and Meredith says they'd probably end up cranking up the music and dancing it out. Bless his heart (and I mean that in the Southern sense), Derek tries, but watching Patrick Dempsey flail around gives me new respect for his Enchanted dancing coach.
Speaking of friends, there's also a fantastic conversation between Sadie and Meredith that offers some perspective on Meredith's friendships. Sadie reminds Meredith that they had a fight like the one Meredith and Cristina are having. But Meredith shut her down and they never got past it -- never got the friendship back like it was, even though they still hung out. That's fine, Sadie says, I'm a rolling stone. "But you're about to do the same thing to Cristina, and that girl mates for life," she tells Meredith. "If you don't make it right, she'll never talk to you again." I apologized, Meredith says. But did you do it like you meant it, Sadie asks -- like you could imagine that she had a point? A ha. Meredith, you listening?
Bailey's case this week involves an 11-year-old boy who's in for his twelfth bowel resection. Bailey's been working with him and his single mom (Samantha Mathis, who I hope gets more to do next week) for a few years, and dotes on them. The boy, Jackson, is precocious and adorable -- and he also cannot be fooled about how sick he is. He keeps trying to get a doctor to sign off on his Make-A-Wish request. As his doctor, Jordan Kenley, sits down to talk him through the surgery, Kenley keels over and dies of a massive coronary. The chief takes the news of his colleague's death by going silent and holing up in an empty OR for the day, guarded by a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door. Which has to make you wonder: Can the chief of surgery really afford to be so self-indulgent that he hides away and makes himself unavailable all day? Come on.
Jackson's new pediatric surgeon, Dr. Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw), is blonde and bouncy and wears those roller skate tennis shoe things, and she totally disagrees with the course of treatment that Kenley and Bailey were following. After a surgery in which they find out that Jackson's liver is cirrhotic and he has practically no bowel left, Robbins argues for putting him on the transplant list. Bailey disturbs the chief's inner sanctum of mope to complain about her, and he reminds her that she's pretty much hated every attending who's been through there. What she really wants is for the chief to snap out of it and work with her on the case -- and Robbins gives Bailey the chewing out she deserves for focusing on their disagreement rather than the patient. Bailey and Karev explain to Jackson and his mom about transplant surgery and Dr. Robbins in a brilliant scene in which Bailey can barely contain her tears. After Bailey and his mother leave the room, a heartbreakingly composed Jackson finally gets Alex to sign his Make-A-Wish request, and to help him sort through the really cool stuff from the lame things.
Derek goes to interrupt the chief as well, urged on by Bailey, to try to find out what his problem is. He's not bummed about Kenley's death and he's not thinking about his own mortality; he's thinking about how the hospital is falling apart, and how he's failing at the one thing he's spent his whole life doing. He rattles off the litany of things that have gone wrong -- Burke, Hahn, the flood, the crazy interns -- and vows not to leave the OR until he can walk around without cringing. There's some leadership, Chief. Honestly. Patton this guy is not. Maybe Maj. Frank Burns.
Besides wishing Izzie a happy birthday, practically the only other time George utters a syllable this week is in dealing with Margaret (Perrey Reeves -- nice to see her in a different capacity than Mrs. Ari), a woman in her 30s who's suffering from a broken hip -- her sixth bone break in a year. Every time she gets a piece of bad news she looks skyward and yells, "Are you kidding me?" Turns out she's got a benign thyroid tumor that's been the cause of her weakened bones, and after she gets it removed she's off to Denver to reconnect with the love of her life. See that? Wish granted.
Then there's Mark Sloan, who actually seems to be having guilt pangs about sleeping with, as he puts it, his best friend's girlfriend's half sister. the real problem is that he actually felt something, and his, ahem, promiscuity gene doesn't want to let him follow what the honorable part of his brain wants to do and stay away from Lexie. He and Callie make a pact that they'll stay away from their respective intern temptations (hers is Sadie). But in the end, matter wins out over mind, and Sloan and Lexie go home together. Again, I issue my plea to the heavens above: please give Eric Dane something more to do on this show. He's bright, he's both sleazy and likable, which is not an easy thing to pull off, and he seems to have the chops to pull off something much more than man candy.
And finally, there's Izzie. Denny's still her constant companion, but she's feeling weird about having both him and Alex, and she wants to 'fess up to Alex about what's going on with her ghost love. Denny predicts that Alex will think she's nuts, but he's remarkably calm and understanding about it. It's clear he also doesn't believe her that Denny's in the room with them, but his comment about how she's obviously working through something because things get screwed up when someone we love dies is little short of remarkable for him. Izzie's point is that she doesn't want to have to choose between them -- even though Denny's jealous and she knows the situation is weird, to say the least. I like the fact that we're continuing to see Alex become a person, even if it means that he bakes Izzie a pink-frosted birthday cake. I wish they'd come to some conclusion with the Denny situation already. How many weeks until February sweeps?
What did you think? Do you think Cristina and Meredith's fight will last much longer? Do you think she and Hunt will end up getting together? Will it be up to Bailey to single-handedly rescue Seattle Grace from mediocrity? And, WWID (What Will Izzie Do?)?
I hated that scene with Meredith and Sadie. Mostly b/c for a minute there I liked her, and I just want to hate Sadie until she finally leaves. Seriously though, it was a good scene and a good episode. I enjoyed it.
Lindlee | Jan 8, 2009 11:30:41 PM | #I'm really glad that the writers chose the route they did for the death row prisoner. I was a little afraid they were going to make him an "innocent" criminal or something where we would pity him. The actor did a fantastic job-he was truly chilling when he described why he was on death row.
Dancing it out: McDreamy kind of became McDorky...I just watched that scene and thought he was such a goof. It was a very sweet gesture though. I liked it.
I liked Sadie a lot more this episode. She gave Meredith some good advice.
I agree! Give Mark something more to do than just be eye candy (though what yummy eye candy he is...)
It was nice to see the way Alex interacted with the little boy. I like that (for now) the show has moved past "moody Alex".
Very sad to watch Bailey, the mom, and maybe even Alex a little(?) hold back tears as Bailey explained about the little boy's situation. Then the silence as the boy handed the make-a-wish paper over to Alex...it was a little heartbreaking.
Ashley | Jan 9, 2009 5:11:38 AM | #I dunno, I thought this episode was rather weak. First off, what's with all the generic spunky blonde casting? It's become a cliché on this show. Would've loved for the new doc to have been a new Burke, i.e. a youngish black man, to go head to head with Bailey.
This episode made it clearer than ever that TR Knight is gonna get axed. Where was he? The hooking up of baby Grey with Sloan is a way to marginalize O'Malley even further.
Speaking of Sloan, what a travesty. Eric Dane should be pissed. His character has been given sh*t storylines for several seasons and has had zero growth as a character. He's remained a two-dimensional cartoon cut-out. Him falling for Baby Grey already feels false. What is there to fall for? How is she any different from all the other women he's bedded? Why should sleeping with her suddenly make him want to change his ways and be a one-woman man? Nah, just another example of weak writing and poor planning on Shonda's part.
Regarding Callie, another travesty. From strong, independent, knows what she wants woman when she first met George to a giggly, indecisive, immature bisexual. The fact that the show continues to play that lesbian subcontext after dumping Dr. Hahn like a bad habit is irritating.
Regarding Derek's hissy fit and lack of professionalism, I knew that later on it was going to be revealed that something bad had happened to either him or one of his family members. So predictable. Also, his behavior was out of character since I could've sworn in some past episodes Derek has been the preachy one telling other docs that they have to do the right thing, preserve life at all costs, etc. For him to be so openly scornful and bitchy was totally unprofessional and unbecoming for a doctor who is supposedly a world-class doc.
You didn't mention anything about the lame Derek dancing scene at the end. Now we know which washed-up TV star won't be appearing on "Dancing with the stars" 10 years from now.
Bitchy Cristina...get over yourself, already!! This character has gone from interesting to tiresome.
The Izzy-Denny the Ghost storyline, ENOUGH ALREADY!!! I get it, Shonda, you love Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Yeah, he's cute and lovable. Have him come back as a LIVING human being, like Denny's long-lost twin brother. This ghost storyline has gone on for way too many episodes now and it's BOOOORING!! At this point, I don't care if Izzy has a brain tumor. If that's the case, you didn't need to draw that out for an entire season.
The show needs a serious reboot.
IggyPop | Jan 9, 2009 5:18:00 AM | #I liked it for the most part- Eric Stoltz did a great job with a character that could've been cliche, and Samantha Mathis did too with the typical 'sad mom' role, having great guest stars seems to really wake up our cast. Bailey was better than ever, as was Mer/Der/Christina. I can't say the same for Slexie or D/izzie though, those stories are getting old to me. Maybe they should have Eric Stoltz escape and kill Denny (again)!?
Catherine | Jan 9, 2009 6:12:52 AM | #I believe Feb sweeps is actually moving to March due to the digital transition happening mid-Feb, so we have even longer to wait until we, hopefully, give up the ghost!
katieg | Jan 9, 2009 7:45:52 AM | #I liked the episode.
The Derek dance was sweet and dorky. So what? It showed more of the development of the relationship in a positive direction.
I thought the Sloan and Callie 1-step plan was funny. They are becoming fast friends and that's good.
Izzy-Denny: Still weird, but I am interested in how the writers will work it out. Alex is developing a good character arc. He's becoming a person who thinks of others.
To much sleeping around? Yep, but hey, it's a TV show. Lighten up.
alia | Jan 9, 2009 8:35:32 AM | #A fair episode, seems like they had the idea to do the Prisoner on death row story and just stuck some other stuff around it. What is with George, the broken bones lady would have been a great case for George to run with, and perhaps help the lady change her outlook. Heck the nurses have more storylines now. Chase on 'House' has more storylines, least he's sleeping with Cameron.
I don't think Meredith has anything left to apologize to Christina for, she didnt' do anything.
Alex when your girlfriend says she sees dead people, might want to pay more attention.
| Jan 9, 2009 9:27:00 AM | #I LOVED the comment by Sadie that Cristina mates for life! That is SO true - think back to the beginning episodes where Cristina was just out for herself (and honestly, she still kind of is) but remember how hard it was for her to let anyone in but both Burke and Meredith got past her walls and they both changed her...and we all see what it did to her when Burke walked out on their wedding. But Meredith became Cristina's "person" and their friendship has become one of the best on television, in my opinion. I love Meredith and Cristina together and it is hard to see their fight continuing - Cristina is lost with Meredith 'cause she at least has Derek but Cristina has no one to turn to...as evidenced by the cold/hot turns taken by Hunt last night. I am, however, looking forward to some of Shonda's magic that I hope will happen to bring them back together.
When Derek asked Meredith what Cristina would do to get her out of her mood (or words to that effect), I knew right away that dancing was going to be the answer - how cute were his oh-so-awkward attempts to dance with Meredith! I am not a Derek fan but I did muster up some love for him during that scene!
Ginni | Jan 9, 2009 9:28:57 AM | #OH - I have to edit my comment to say that Cristina is lost withOUT Meredith...sorry about that!
Ginni | Jan 9, 2009 9:30:36 AM | #I don't think that Meredith has anything more to apologize for. Christina has always been all about her and a real selfish person. Meredith didn't do anything wrong--even though Christina would disagree. How many times must one apologize for something that one really didn't do or know about.
Sheesh!!!
Derek should not dance--I cringed!!!!
Good episode though--
Eric Stolz was chilling as the death row convict. I'll never look at him the same way again.
Bleck, I really HATE Sloan with Lexie. Sadie is kinda growing on me. I get where Derek was coming from, but he is supposed to be such a great doc, and acting like that 1) in front of the patient and 2) in front of residents that he is supposed to be teaching is not acceptable.
No wonder the SG hospital is ranked no. 12 if the chief of surgery's hides out and tells the staff not to bother him for any reason just so he can brood. And if Perrey Reeve's character had been coming to SG everytime she broke a bone, did no one notice and think perhaps there was more to it? I'm not a doctor and before she got thru half of her injuries, it was obvious that she had something causing brittle bones.
And while I wish Alex had realized that something is wrogn with Izzie, I loved how he has matured and thinking that his declaration of love was making her feel guilty about Denny, so he was okay with her working that out. Jeffrey Dean Morgan is awesome, but Denny is dead, and I am ready for him to be gone so Alex and Izzie can proceed!
Allie | Jan 9, 2009 10:48:10 AM | #I'm confused. What caused the riff between Meredith & Christina?
yogram | Jan 9, 2009 10:57:21 AM | #Chistina is mad at Meredith for telling the Chief that Christina knew tha the interns were performing procedures on each other and didn't tell him.
Don | Jan 9, 2009 11:29:05 AM | #Chyler Leigh( Little Grey) is pregnant in real life. Wanna bet that McSteamy knocks up little Grey?
Don | Jan 9, 2009 12:45:32 PM | #I read that Leigh's pregnancy would not be incorporated into the show but that probably means that it will be.
Popcorn | Jan 9, 2009 12:56:06 PM | #I think that Derek is probably a better dancer than he was last night. Remember the whole point was to cheer Meredith up.
William | Jan 9, 2009 1:11:33 PM | #Like Margaret, I too am staring at the heavens (or, rather, my tv) without any belief in a higher power but a desperate need to blame someone, yelling "Come freaking on!"
I'm so glad sweeps is coming up. I might not like where things are going, but at least they will get somewhere. I have had enough. Enough of the Chief whining and feeling sorry for himself and his poor little #12. Enough with pseudolesbionic Callie. Enough with Mark Sloan: Man whore. The man needs some redeeming quality that he wouldn't shuck out the window for a quickie. Enough with Christina and Hunt and the magical seesaw of love. Enough with Christina and Meredith not getting along. I have not sat through countless "you're my person" moments to now have to watch them act like they hate each other. Enough with Doormat Alex. Love his sensitive side - I so hope he picks a specialty that has something to do with babies or kids - but that doesn't mean I want to watch him respond to "I'm having ghost sex" with oral sex. And dear lord, enough with Denny. JealousDeadDenny is the most annoying Denny of all.
I actually thought that Christina was mad at Meredith for not having her back when Lexie told the chief about Christina telling the interns to stop doing sutures on themselves. Meredith had no idea any of the interns were doing minor surgeries on themselves. This misplaced anger--how was Meredith to know about the interns when Christina didn't tell her to begin with--got some legs when Meredith went all high and mighty about the solo surgery that Christina was barred from for her own stupid mistake in not informing everyone what the interns were doing to begin with. In effect, they are having a fight, but the exact thing they are fighting over is murky at best and has a lot to do with professional competition.
All this to say, I really wish the show would make the lines between the residents and the interns clearer since I feel like the original cast are still interns and like the show has no real idea what to do with the new group of interns.
a LOT of stuff was crammed into this episode... and for the most part, it worked.
most likely because it was written by Debora Cahn, who has penned some of the better GA episodes.
I loved the episode. I thought the beginning scene with Mer/Der was so sweet and the ending with the dancing and kissing and holding her was so touching. He danced goofy for a reason, to cheer Mer up. I'm sure Patrick can dance alittle better than that. I thought it was very sweet of him to try to cheer Mer up. It was good to finaly see some scenes with Mer/Der together!
Mer/Der Fan | Jan 9, 2009 2:56:03 PM | #
This episode was okay. The serial killer patient was a nice edition to the hospital and his great storyline almost made up for the bad storyline between Izzie and Deny.
I understand Christina and Derricks side of the argument but I have to agree with Meredith. She is right in the sense that as doctors their job is to take care of patients no matter what their past is. And even though this serial killer did not show any regret for killing the women he killed. People make mistakes and do bad things. Anyways this is a good storyline and if he is able to give his organs to that little boy then that will could make this the most interesting storyline this show has come up with in two years.
Why is Deny still here? One of two things is happening. Izzie is crazy, which makes sense or she has something seriously wrong with her brain. She feels like she can touch and have full conversations with Deny. I do like Karev, he starting to become a punk since he started dating Izzie but it at least made her storyline slightly better.
George is leaving and aparently the show can do fine without him. would it be funny if george just walked away from the hospital and the next day no one even notices that he left. No but really how is he going to leave is he going to get an episode that surround with the fact that he is leaving or will he be fired.
In the end it was an okay episode.
Lovett U. | Jan 9, 2009 7:23:09 PM | #Why is everyone so angry with Cristina? If I were Cristina, I'd be upset too! Not about Meredith not having her back while the chief was chewing her off but for thinking rather pretentiously that Cristina HAD to pick her for the solo surgery nevermind that Alex was really the only one prepared to do it. And her little speech about how she understood that Cristina didn't picked her just because they were having a fight was irritating! Get a grip Meredith, not all decisions Cristina makes revolve around you. She actually made a decision based on what what best for the patient not on who's her bestfriend at the moment!
Melissa 2 | Jan 9, 2009 10:18:23 PM | #I'm glad that they had Arizona stand up to Bailey. I'm sick of Bailey always being made to look superior. I know that she's "the voice" of the show - or at least is in terms of what Shonda Rhimes wants us to feel - but it is really annoying to me that she always gets away with everything she does that no one else on the show would get away with. I suspect though that Bailey will continue to get away with everything for another 5 years before she gets called on it again.
Rishi | Jan 9, 2009 10:46:56 PM | #Dont let George leave the show he is an amazing actor and his life as George O'malley is so beyond awesome from the first season to the last i've been paying most attention to him.from him and Olivia, Meredith, Callie, then Izzie its awesome and in my defense the show wouldn't be that great with out him I suggest put more speaking roles for him and I would love the show even more than i do now!!!
Bring Addison back I always loved her and Mark together they made such a cute couple but this time make them have a relationship or something it would probably get the ratings higher
Boushra | Jan 12, 2009 4:52:35 PM | #Embarrassed for Callie. What are they doing with this actress? It is getting ridiculously humiliating, every scene she is in.. Totally tasteless, and by the way she looks more and more uncomfortable every week. Sorry, not buying the lesbian stuff and she is not either. She and mc steamy at bar -come on! SOPHOMORIC! Hate Sadie. Creeps me out. LET HER GO! Embarrassed for Izzy. How much longer are they going to make her talk to the dead guy. And oral sex? Hello!! She is still talking to the dead guy AND he gets to watch! WEIRD WRITERS! Seriously, I dont get how the actors can do some of this crap without either laughing or crying at the absurdity of it all. Oh...$$$$, I guess.
emma | Jan 13, 2009 7:12:33 PM | #
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