After a couple of serious hours, Grey’s Anatomy returned to form with a fun and very solid episode.
But first, that ending. I’ve been debating for a while what’s in store for Derek’s character on this show. After last week’s powerful Derek/Amelia scene and his realization that he loves his family above everything else (not to mention this week’s opening scene where he flirted with Meredith before going to Washington), I became slightly worried. And then there was that stunning moment between Amelia and Meredith – a scene that is undoubtedly the highlight of this episode as the former told the latter that she doesn’t know what it’s like to lose the person she loves most. Is she about to, though? Could this be true: is Shonda Rhimes about to kill off Derek?
It would definitely be a game-changing move, but I’m not sure ShondaLand is ready to be that risky even though Patrick Dempsey might not return for season twelve. I can’t be the only one speculating here, though, because all the signs are there (except for the “mistress” in D.C. who is still a no-show), including the slightly hilarious yet simultaneously startling “Derek?” doodle that Meredith scribbled at the end of the episode. So yeah, something is wrong with Derek, and I don’t know which is better: a cheating McDreamy or a dead one.
Apart from that, we had a pretty generic hour from Grey’s this week where the word “penis” was uttered repeatedly. I’ve only recently started watching Scandal, but I’ve come to realize (with the help of Nad’s Reviews) how awfully similar the two shows are when it comes to their dreadful monologues. It’s not always annoying, but it can become a bit exhausting to watch sometimes.
I’m disappointed to see that Callie’s off-screen date with the officer was a bad one, and honestly couldn’t really care any less about Maggie’s love-life. However, Alex caring for her was very amusing to watch. I’m not sure if he’s starting to like her more than just a friend, but that final scene of him watching her get in an elevator with her date was definitely intriguing. Maybe that would at least give Jo/Alex a solid storyline? They have been way too boring this season.
Bits & Scalpels
– Beautiful teaser of Meredith and Derek all happy and cute together at home. And how adorable is baby Bailey?
– Catherine Avery returned this week and it was a good one. I think she’s perfect for Richard. Hope to see more of these two together.
– The lyrics to the closing song literally say “the worst is yet to come, we’ll be lucky if we ever see the sun”. Damn you, Shonda.
– More amazing MerDer flashbacks in the opening moments of the episode! Ok, I am definitely worried about Derek now.
– I think it’s hard to enjoy the lighthearted “fun” parts of this show now. Cristina (and by that I mean Sandra Oh) was a comedic genius, and no one can fill her shoes when it comes to fun. So I’m definitely enjoying the dark and dramatic Grey’s more these days.
– The case this week wasn’t anything special, really. I did love Callie and Arizona’s faceoff in the OR gallery about cutting off a man’s penis though.
– Loved Catherine and April’s hug. It was a tender moment that spoke volumes.
Grey Banter
Arizona: You know, cutting off a penis isn’t actually that big of a deal. I mean, it’s not like he needs it for survival or, I don’t know, to walk.
Maggie: All my orgasms are gonna be self-made, hand-crafted ones.
Meredith (closing v.o.): The thing about love is, when it’s good, it’s so very good. And when it’s bad, it hurts so much. And if you can’t find a way to balance all those ups and downs, it will make you crazy.
Must-Download Tunes
How I Want Ya (feat. Dev) by Thames
Smile by Mikky Ekko
Time by Mikky Ekko
Conclusion
A solid albeit quite uneventful installment this week. The ending will surely make the final few episodes of the season much more riveting.
Chris Rating
B