Disturbing yet strangely beautiful, this was a return to form for Grey’s Anatomy and a truly outstanding hour. The kidnap victim storyline was both haunting and completely fascinating in the manner in which it weaved Holly’s traumatizing tale and the various effects the ordeal had on her. Several moments stood out from her casually mentioning the “baby” to her confession to Meredith that she actually misses her captor. The storyline was simply superbly written and managed to paint such a vivid picture of this horrible event. I loved that she imprinted on Mer as their growing relationship over the course of the hour was a joy to watch. Ellen Pompeo has been wonderful this season and I’m truly falling for the character again for the first time since the show’s premier season.
In other news, we got an entertaining subplot with our residents and their various interviews. Obviously I enjoyed Christina being wooed by the nation’s top hospitals the most, particularly her dinner date as she binged on butter and wine.
Moreover, there was a hint of sadness with all our residents as Meredith for once had a poignant voicover over moving on. I guess if Shonda does indeed lose a few cast members by the end of the season as a result of the recent contract negotiations, this would be a fitting excuse. However, I seriously hope we don’t witness any big changes within the cast for next year as I really don’t want anything to change (further echoing Meredith’s excellent voiceover).
In addition, Webber continued with his heartbreaking Adele storyline as he found her in bed with another patient suffering from Alzheimers. It was both amusing and sad (Grey’s most potent combo) and I quite liked him letting her go at the end and letting her enjoy her new found “relationship”.
Finally, I’d like to mention Bailey as she probably had the episode’s strongest scene when her fears over losing Chuck came to fruition. I was literally on the edge of my seat as she ordered a code pink and hopelessly searched for her son. Of course it was obvious Chuck wasn’t really kidnapped, but it’s a testament to Chandra Wilson’s sensational acting talent that I found myself so unnerved. Brilliant.
All in all, with a highly engaging storyline and some wonderful moments, this was an utterly marvelous episode.
Nad Rating
A