What a fun episode.
I’m surprised to admit that I am loving Meredith being thrown back into the dating game, even with someone who seemed as creepy as Major Thorpe at first but who turned out to be a genuinely nice guy by hour’s end. It helps that Meredith is such an incredible character to root for and their cute little scene in the car, sharing fries and medical stories, was a great way to help her move on and I, for one, cannot wait to see where this relationship goes.
Even all the buildup before was entertaining and so much fun. Whether it was Bailey and Callie’s hysterical encounter in the bathroom, Meredith shaving her legs at the last minute or all the Alex/Meredith/Maggie banter in the OR, this episode never failed to amuse me, and it was all wildly reminiscent of the good ol’ days. (Sidenote: the show did celebrate its 11th year anniversary on Sunday March 27).
Sadly, this was far from a perfect hour, and I don’t want to sound like a broken record here but April’s storyline is really sucking the life out of this season. I certainly enjoyed Arizona desperately looking for someone to forgive and/or comprehend her for spilling the beans about Kepner’s pregnancy to Jackson, but I would much rather see the badass PEDS surgeon in the OR than running around the hospital looking for consolation. For what it’s worth, I’m glad the show ended this on a semi-positive note with Amelia giving her advice she’s learned from being a recovering alcoholic.
Bits & Scalpels
– Maggie and DeLuca’s subplot is so unoriginal and boring, but it’s mostly surprising to see Maggie willingly want to favor her boyfriend intern over all the others.
– Loved seeing Meredith stretching out and jumping in the bathroom before her 17-hour surgery. How did the bathroom scenes become the best thing about this show?
– I don’t miss Callie and Arizona as a couple, but it was nevertheless touching to see them interact again in the scrub room where Callie literally tells her that what she did is unforgivable.
– Also loved Richard and Jackson’s talk about kids. Someone needs to slap Jackson and April hard, they’ve become unbearable.
– The doctors telling a patient’s family that their loved one has died is always an emotional part of the show, and while this week’s case wasn’t given much screen-time, it was touching to see the parents of the girl from the mountain accident stick to the hope that she’ll wake up one day.
– On that note, I hated the show drawing parallels from that scene to April’s crappy personal problems and the Owen/Riggs fight.
– Shout-out to Izzie! Yay!
– I love the character development Alex has gone through on this show, and it was genius of him to trick Meredith into going on the date by downplaying the whole thing (all of it quoted below). Amazing.
– Owen still lives in the trailer park? Okay.
– One minor grumble with the way this episode was directed: the camera moved in a way that made me think the scene was over (zooming in on Meredith’s face when Thorpe showed up, the wall that represented the split-screen at April’s apartment with Jackson outside the door).
Grey Banter
Callie: You’re getting back on the horse! Ooh, is it the Thorpe horse? Please tell me it’s the Thorpe horse because that is a hot horse. That is… that is Secretariat.
Amelia: What are you gonna wear?
Meredith: Uhh, sports bra and granny panties, apparently, or whatever is in my locker from yesterday.
Meredith: You stole my shoes?
Amelia: The black ones you said were too slutty for a mother of three. Plus, they pinch a little, but they are so worth it.
Richard: You’re having a child. Maybe it’s not the way you wanted. Maybe it’s not when. All right, so you found out late. I found out decades late. What’s important is now you know. It’s happening, and you need to step up. That’s what matters.
Alex: So, what’s wrong with the guy? Thorpe. What’s his deal?
Meredith: Nothing. He’s fine.
Alex: Callie said he was a jerk that night at Bauer.
Meredith: That’s not true.
Alex: Said he almost killed the surgery.
Meredith: He was just trying to protect his patient.
Alex: Oh, so he was throwing a tantrum like a toddler.
Meredith (chuckles): Shut up. He’s nice. And he’s funny.
Alex: Mm, so he’s just butt-ugly.
Meredith: Yes. He is butt-ugly.
Alex: Yeah, well. It’s hard, first time out after somebody important. First girl after Izzie left? It was pretty messy. You feel like you belong to somebody else, like you’re cheating, you know? I mean, you’re not, but man, sure feels that way. I never had a wife die, but I’ve had a few “first time afters”, Mer. There’s always something after…eventually. We lose people and then we find new ones. It’s how it works.
Meredith: I guess.
Alex: Oh, I know. Look, if you’re not into him, who cares? But if you are, it’s okay. Okay?
Meredith: Okay.
Alex: Plus, it’s gonna be weird no matter what, so you might as well get it over with.
Must-Download Tunes
Home by Sebastian Kole
If You Went Away by Daniel Wilson
Conclusion
Another lighthearted, fun episode this week.
Chris Rating
B+
“We lose people and then we find new ones. It’s how it works. ”
This line… is LIFE! Perfect review! The bathroom scene had me laughing out loud, seriously!
The April-Jackson drama is out of control. I thought for a moment near the end that they were about to put the crap of the past behind them but Jackson couldn't let go of his anger and that screwed everything up. I think it's just a matter of time before Webber has to make April and Jackson decide which of them transfer out of the hospital because them together in the same hospital makes a hostile work environment.