Guest Review by Tagouga
After 10 seasons, Cristina Yang’s journey on Grey’s Anatomy has come to an end. This was the hour where we said our goodbyes to Cristina Yang and the extremely talented Sandra Oh. And for the first time on this show, we finally have a character leaving with a proper sendoff. Cristina’s goodbyes were true to her character and it was a very emotional farewell. I cried when she said goodbye to Derek, I cried when she said goodbye to Bailey and Webber, I cried when she had that perfect unspoken moment with Owen, and yes I definitely cried (and smiled) when she danced it out with Meredith. Cristina’s character is not the emotional type that is big on goodbyes so this was beautifully executed in my opinion. However I was a tad disappointed that she was not the sole focus of this hour. But since we had several episodes dedicated to her previously, it was acceptable. And at least she was not killed off in the explosion!
Speaking of that. Was it really necessary? I understand that this is a finale so something big MUST happen but the whole storyline felt forced and this did not feel like a Grey‘s finale. (Again I am definitely thankful that no one died). Nevertheless, the events of the hour led to several developments: Catherine and April shared a nice moment, Leah is finally gone for good, and Callie and Arizona are having another baby after all, but this time via surrogate.
As for the cliffhanger for this season, this was unexpected but in a “made me roll my eyes” way: Another half-sister for Meredith who also happens to be Webber’s daughter. Seriously? Seriously. And I know we should at least give her a chance but I already dislike the character. I am not the least bit intrigued by this new addition.
Bits & Scalpels
– As expected, Shane asked Cristina to take him with her to Switzerland which she did. Goodbye Shane!
– I loved Cristina image collage at the beginning. The episode also closed on Cristina’s name at the end.
– Webber is recommending Bailey to take Yang’s place on the board which she actually left for Alex. Can’t wait to see what happens when these two figure this out.
– Speaking of Alex, Cristina’s acknowledgment of his surgical skills was her way of saying goodbye to him and it was remarkably nice when she asked Meredith to look after him.
– The envelope Cristina left for Alex had the nickname “Evil Spawn” on it. This brought a smile to my face.
– After her talk with Cristina, Meredith puts her foot down and rejects the idea of leaving everything behind and flying with Derek to DC. I am bit biased when it comes to McDreamy but I definitely understand where Meredith is coming from.
– The song “where does the good go” first heard on Season one was a very nice touch.
Grey Banter
Arizona: Are you looking to buy a road-penis?
Arizona: Are you gonna be Dr. Junior Butthole?
Homeland Security Guy: Ma’am, please!
Meredith: It’s “doctor.” You’re the boss out there. I’m the boss in here. Get out of my way.
Cristina: How are you gonna cope with it?
Alex: With what?
Cristina: The boredom. Making buttholes will be your whole career. How will you not stick your head in the oven?
Alex: Screw you. I’ll cry about it on my boat.
Cristina: You and I are not finished. George is dead, and Izzie is gone, and it is supposed to be you and me and Alex. And now nothing is finished. I am not finished.
Cristina: Take care of Alex. He needs to be mocked at least once a day, or he’ll be insufferable.
Cristina: Don’t let what he wants eclipse what you need. He’s very dreamy. But he is not the sun.
Cristina: Don’t get on any little, tiny planes that can crash or stick your hand in a body cavity that has a bomb in it. Or offer your life to a gunman!
Must-Download Tunes
Aqualung – Take On Me
Sleeping At Last – Ruby Blue
Tegan and Sara – Where Does the Good Go
Sleeping at Last – 99 Red Balloons
Conclusion
Cristina’s farewell was very well executed but the episode was undermined by subplots which won’t allow me to give this hour the rating I imagined I would be giving for a Grey’s finale.
Tagouga Rating
B
I must say, Cristina's farewell was absolutely perfect in my eyes. Every single moment Sandra Oh was involved in was beautifully executed. I loved all the mini-goodbyes and I adored Cristina telling Meredith to stand up to Derek just before leaving. That was just an incredible moment for the character to end with. I just wonder how the show will function without her next year. I truly hope they just end Grey's next year and Oh returns for the series finale (she mentioned she'd loved to). I really don't want the show to continue for long without her as she's such an integral part of its DNA.
Webber's daughter twist was bizarre. Haven't we had enough half-sisters for Meredith? I hope it's not a terrible subplot but it did surprise me.
Can't wait to see Bailey and Alex fight over the board-member spot. This is gonna get good!
Thanks for finishing up the season and taking over the reviews from me Tag. Much appreciated 🙂
The show will not be the same without Cristina that is for sure. And having her in the series finale seems like a must! Honestly I am not that excited for the next couple of seasons mainly because as we said before the show should have ended already.
Anyway let's see what Shonda Rhimes has in store for next seasons.
And it has been a pleasure writing those reviews. Glad to be part of the team 🙂