Review by Tagouga
After the disappointment which was season ten, you would expect much more from this season’s premiere. I am not sure whether it is the absence of Cristina Yang or the overall storylines but something was missing in this hour.
The introduction of Maggie Pierce, Meredith’s half-sister, definitely didn’t have the impact that the writers were hoping for. She tried to connect with Meredith at every opportunity but ended up being overreacting at every turn. I think Owen would have said something if Meredith was in fact compromising the patient’s health. And did Maggie really think she would immediately bond with her sister right away? This felt nothing more than a deja-vu; the whole sister story has been played out before with Lexie, except that Lexie’s character was very likable, and I absolutely can’t say the same about Maggie Pierce. A flashback to Meredith’s childhood also revealed Maggie’s birth as Ellis Grey demanded that the child be taken away.
With Yang gone, Meredith is now in need of a new “person”. With only Alex left from the old team, it’s admittedly nice to have him fill out this role. I’ve always liked his dynamic with Meredith and I particularly enjoyed the scene with her kicking Jo out of bed.
Bits & Scalpels
– Amy finding out Richard’s secret seems like a forced excuse to just give Amy some screen time.
– The gurney accident was a bit over-the-top. I actually thought the hospital would be facing yet another lawsuit.
– Richard, Derek, and Jackson trying to start a bromance with Owen was very funny to watch.
– Geena Davis’ introduction to the show came out of nowhere; it didn’t make sense.
– Alex and Bailey’s confrontation was the only scene I was looking forward to. Unfortunately it was a very brief one. But the two deciding to battle it out looks like it will be interesting.
– In the end, Derek chose his family over work. However, Meredith seems to be concerned, as I believe she is afraid Derek will later on resent her for making him give up this opportunity.
Grey Banter
Derek: You wanna stay here and not come with me? Why not? Seems to be a trend recently.
Owen (to Derek): Stop asking me out on dates.
Meredith: Pierce is no Yang. She’s perky and chatty. I bet she likes cats.
Alex: You can’t break into my house and wake me up to talk and then tell me to shut up!
Must-Download Tunes
Piney Gir & Correatown – Ghost of the Year
Odessa – I Will Be There
Conclusion
The premiere was a disappointment, which just goes to prove that the show has outlived its appeal. Let’s hope the next episodes will salvage whatever dignity this show has left.
Tagouga Rating
C
Nad’s Take
Tag, how weird is it that I enjoyed this hour? I guess I must have been really bored because I was surprised at how amusing this was even though Cristina is gone. I guess Grey’s is a well-oiled machine after all these years that can survive any character’s exit (and God knows they’ve had a lot of those).
But all your points made sense. Maggie is a HORRIBLY annoying and useless character. We’ve seen this all before with Lexie and it just feels pointless to visit this again.
I just want to point out this beautifully written monologue by the kid’s mom. It really resonated with me:
“When they’re babies, you spend every night by their crib, just watching them, make sure that they’re still breathing. They start walking, so you childproof every inch of your house. They start climbing trees, and you just pray that they don’t fall and crack their head open. They turn 16 and they get cancer. And just when you’re finally about to beat that, they sneak out to a parking lot to have sex and a gurney falls out of the sky! I mean, how are we supposed to do it? How are we ever supposed to keep them safe?”
Some other bits:
– Loved this line: “You’re together but living apart. Live-a-partners! See that? I gave it a name. Now it’s a thing.”
– What the hell was Geena Davis doing? Her appearance was really bizarre and she looked uncomfortable.
– The CGI helicopter was horrendous. Budget cuts perhaps?
– The tequila ending was sort of cute no? Not enough to salvage the Maggie character though.
I totally forgot about the live-a-partners line! And the monologue by the mom was indeed beautifully written.
I am so glad you agree about the Maggie character. I don't know what it was about this episode but I didn't enjoy it the least. So yes I am gonna say you must have been really really bored 😛
I have mixed feelings about this premiere, lol. I find common grounds with both reviews and I'm not sure I can even give it one rating. It was horrible in terms of Maggie (I didn't even know that was her name until this review), the CGI helicopter was HILARIOUS, I was just laughing at that part.
But I liked that scene with Meredith and Alex somewhere near the end where they hug and he says “It's just you and me” or something like that. Any scene that mentions how much our characters have been through and how many have left the show, is a good scene to me. Also, I could not care any less about whatever Callie and Arizona are going through.
Yes I loved the Alex-Meredith scene. And that's such an achievement as I never even liked Alex. A very poignant moment.
Word about Callie/Arizona. It feels so endlessly repetitive.