'Grey's Anatomy': Sorry seems to be the hardest word

April 30, 2009 7:44 PM

The line between standing up for ourselves and alienating everyone around us is a difficult one. But sometimes a person just has to take that chance if they're going to be who they are. Which sounds awfully existential for a television medical drama -- but it's definitely one of the main points of tonight's "Grey's Anatomy."

I'm putting the menu choices and the spoilers up on Meredith and Derek's wedding web site...

A child takes charge: Six-year-old Maddy has shot her father 17 times. Her mother insists she's sorry and didn't mean to hurt him. Then Maddy asks Meredith why her father won't die -- but before you worry we have a tiny sociopath here, the little girl was fighting back -- she was being abused, her mother was being abused, and she tried to stop it.

As her father heads into surgery, where Owen and George nearly lose him but for some miracle substance Owen pours into the wounds, Maddy's mother wants her to go and apologize to her father. Which is more than Meredith can take. No, she will not apologize -- she's stronger than you, and she stood up to him, Meredith says. Meredith is positively Doug Ross in this story, in addition to being a walking, talking advertisement for the effectiveness of therapy. It was almost thrilling, the same way it used to be to watch George Clooney take up arms to defend helpless kids on "ER" -- great stuff. The confrontation leaves everyone's mouths hanging open, and the Chief threatens to throw Meredith out because what she just did further abused a battered woman.

But he's using his Chief/Daddy tone, and Meredith calls BS, telling him he can't talk to her that way. She complains to Derek that the Chief won't respect the boundaries she's trying to set, and she doesn't want him at the wedding. Bless Derek, he sides with her and sets the Chief straight -- he may not be Meredith's father, but he behaves toward her like she's family, not an employee.

After the mother learns her husband will survive, Meredith apologizes -- but pleads with her not to let this be her daughter's story. Her daughter's story shouldn't be that she shot her father 17 times to protect her mother -- who went back to him. You have to change your story while you still can, she says. In the end, the woman takes Maddy and tells her husband they're leaving.

But Meredith and the Chief have the most extraordinary scene. Earlier, he'd paged her and Lexie to his office to see their father, who's newly out of rehab, sober, and wants to make amends -- and she's rightfully upset. Finally Richard apologizes for the role he played -- and didn't play -- in her life. He saw how Ellis neglected Meredith and drove Thatcher away, and he didn't stand up for her. He let himself off the hook. But now he's genuinely sorry, and she forgives him.

Izzie and her mom: Izzie's about to head in for surgery, and trying to be as normal as possible, until Sharon Lawrence breezes in, (looking great, by the way) playing the proverbial trashy mom and flirting with Alex. Izzie clearly loves her mother but finds her exasperating -- particularly when she calls her psychic to make sure Izzie will be OK. It boils down to the fact that she really doesn't understand Izzie's illness, and when Izzie tries to explain, the look of panic and anguish that crosses her face is real and wrenching.

Izzie goes for her scan, and tells Bailey that it's got to be good news or her mother will never leave. She also can't figure out who told her mother she was sick -- until Bailey cracks and admits she called. She's a great mom, Izzie says -- she's just...limited. Bailey comes back with the results, telling them how successful treatment has been. But Bailey's a terrible liar. Some of the mets have shrunk, but there are some new ones too. And despite that, she refuses to let Izzie give up, firmly declaring that she's going to operate and get out what she can, and they'll go from there.

The rest:

Up a tree: Callie and Mark's patient, "Willow," is an environmental activist who's been living up a tree until the developers bulldozed it, and she's broken every bone in her body. Her lawyer sister (Kelli Martin) has little patience for Willow's principled stand, but after Willow crashes and nearly dies, her sister files a $10 million lawsuit to go after the developers who consciously decided to bulldoze the tree her baby sister had been living in. Oh, and there's lots of discussion of a crap bucket.
Small talk: Cristina's enraged that Owen's manner toward her is matter of fact and that he's giving George all the good experience in surgery. Worse, she can't understand how he can say things like "Take care now" without even acknowledging what went on between them -- until he tells her that the lame series of niceities that he's been spouting are what he and his therapist agreed he should stick to. I still feel bad for Owen, but I think Kevin McKidd's struggle with his fragile state and his humanity is wonderful to watch.
Silent treatment: Callie's hurt and upset by her family's silence, having apparently taken her father's side. While both Cristina and Mark advise her to lie to them and say she and Arizona broke up, Callie just can't, and decides to live on her own terms.
Greys reconcile: After their scene in the Chief's office, Lexie forgives Thatcher, and over Mark's protests that he's too old (How old is Sloan supposed to be, anyway? Eric Dane's only in his mid-30s.) and that fathers don't like him, Lexie gets him to go out to dinner and meet her father.

What did you think? Did the Chief have it coming or what? Do you think Izzie did the right thing with her mom? Would you have chosen the chicken skewers for your wedding?

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| Comments (22)

22 Comments

I thought tonight's episode was good. I enjoyed getting to meet Izzie's mom. She was wacky and fun but loving and so proud of her daughter. I love the increase in Bailey and Izzie scenes and the increased airtime for Alex. Alex and Izzie are really magical together, as are Mark and Lexie. I love how nervous Mark was about meeting Lexie's dad and Lexie being crazy about Mark that she would want to introduce him to Thatcher. Eric Dane and Chyler Leigh have stunning onscreen chemistry. They can convey so much in the way they look at each other. It's better than a love scene. The hand holding at the end was beautiful. I love the increase in Grey sisters bonding and airtime but I do wish we had gotten to see more of it and Thatcher tonight. Also I enjoy the friendships between the Chief and Derek, Callie and Mark and Owen and George.

Kelly | April 30, 2009 8:04 PM

all the crap bucket stuff with callie was that, crap. what a waste of time

Anon | April 30, 2009 9:28 PM

I don't understand the supposedly huge age difference between Mark and Lexie. Mark is the same age as Derek and Lexie is only a few years younger than Meredith.

And the fact that he takes the step of meeting Lexie's dad shows that this isn't just about sex for him. He had already said that to Derek when he was helping with the rose petals but this kind of reinforces that for me.

It doesn't look like Izzy is going to make it. Meredith wants to move up the wedding date.

Amanda | May 1, 2009 2:11 AM

I thought the scenes between Katherine Heigl and Sharon Lawrence were amazing. Can you say Emmy nomination.

Eliza | May 1, 2009 3:36 AM

I thought it was pretty good, not great. Loved Izzie with Alex,Bailey, her mom. Loved Cristina and Owen. The rest was kind of blah. Meredith/Richard yet again. Meredith is sad or mad and Richard apologies has happened over and over since season 3.

Meredith like Doug Ross? No way, not even close. She may have made a speech about a child but she's no Ross.

Carly | May 1, 2009 7:02 AM

I don't understand if Meredith has such a problem with the Chief why go to that hospital in the first place. I didn't see all these issues when the show first started. I can't believe she would have declared the Chief "not invited" to the wedding in season 2.

jbw | May 1, 2009 7:58 AM

I liked that though Izzy's mom is not wealthy or educated and lives in a trailer park, they didn't make her some lousy, drunken, slutty parent. So much more refreshing to see that she loves Izzy and was a good mom, even if they do do better loving each other from afar.

I can't help it, I am still not on the Sloan-Lexie bandwagon.

That scene at the end with Owen and Cristina was the best scene in the ep.

Allie2 | May 1, 2009 8:08 AM

While Eric Dane is only in his early/mid-thirties, I think Mark Sloan is supposed to be Derek's age, (which I'm ***uming here is closer to Patrick Dempsey's real age) about early-forties. And Lexie is the younger of the tow girls in Thatcher's second marriage (right?), so I think she's supposed to be in her mid/late-twenties. which would make it pretty good amount of age... so I get the hesitancy on Mark's part. I don't love their relationship, but I'm not bothered by it either.
Thought Sharon Lawrence was great as Izzie's mom and she really needs a *good* show of her own. Every attempt she's had as a lead has been dreadful...
The Owen/Cristina scene was so awesome - really brief, but powerful. I like that.

I think the Chief/Meredith stuff has kind of been rehashed, but somehow it's different now too. I understand how low-simmering problems can resurface again and grow and change in complexity. It did feel like the show was putting that issue to bed though; which is good.
Good, solid ep for me.

Varris | May 1, 2009 9:48 AM

It was an amazing episode, one of the best I've ever seen. This show has definitely improved since the start of the season.

Ally | May 1, 2009 11:04 AM

Carly, actually, Meredith is very much like a female version of Doug Ross. They both walked away from the one they loved because they both believed themselves to be too broken. They at times used too much alcohol and slept with too many partners. Both had crap fathers. And they both happen to fight for the helpless which in last nights case was a child.

Yes, Meredith Grey IS the female version of Doug Ross and I was HIS fan too!

Great episode last night. Love love love strong Meredith Grey. Adore Mer and Der the way I always loved Doug and Carol!

knappmom | May 1, 2009 12:49 PM