The first rule of television viewing is to take promos with a grain (or bucket) of salt. The promos for this episode, “Do You Believe in Magic?”, posed a number of tantalizing questions. Was the fallout from the CDC investigation making Bailey’s life unbearable? Was Owen feeling unfulfilled because he wants a child? Was Arizona unfaithful to Callie? The answers to these questions and more fell somewhere on a scale from wildly misleading to dead-on accurate.
This installment was directed by Kevin McKidd (Owen Hunt) and he did a terrific job, particularly with a number of very complicated surgical scenes. It was written by Dan Bucatinsky (James from Scandal) and to be honest I found the writing to be uneven with some scenes really sparkling and others falling completely flat. It also didn’t help that I could barely hear the dialogue for most of the episode. Memo to the post-production team: the music and the sound effects are TOO LOUD. Please turn them down. As my husband said, “I’m sure they’re saying very nice things to each other. Too bad I can’t hear them.”
Also, was it just me or were the cases this week particularly horrific and gory? There was the infant with the brain outside of his head. And the little girl whose skull was completely open for her brain surgery. And the drunken teen whose stomach was removed in the most graphic way possible. And the magician’s assistant/wife who was literally cut in half. It was a bloodbath the entire night and I’m not sure we should have to feel perpetually nauseated when watching TV.
Relationship Roundup
Meredith/Derek: What can I say? We didn’t see much of them but that tea party was pretty darn adorable and I loved how Zola is a daddy’s girl. Too cute.
Cristina/Owen: The anvils regarding children continue to fall at an alarming rate for this couple. Cristina can clearly see how Owen is being affected by Ethan. Meanwhile, Owen is going further and further down the rabbit hole since Ethan’s dad still hasn’t woken up and Ethan’s Grandma can not (by her own admission) care for him. Conveniently (or not) there are no other relatives or friends on the planet who could care for Ethan. Ay yi yi.
In a line I didn’t fully understand, Cristina tells Owen he’s changed. He wants kids. Um, Cristina, you have always been and will always be my favorite character on this show, but … seriously? It is no secret that Owen has always wanted kids. The only question is whether or not he’s willing to live without them.
Cristina’s finally asks the question out loud, “You want a kid, don’t you?” Owen’s reply? “I want you.” And I believe him. Yet it’s not quite that simple. In his heart of hearts I think Owen would like a child, but only if he can raise that child with Cristina. Does he want a life with Cristina more than being a dad? In my opinion, yes, but I’m not writing this show and, thus, have no idea how this will all turn out in the end.
April/Jackson (and Stephanie and Matthew): Regarding Japril, I will quote my husband for the second time in one recap and say simply, “They’re so not done.”
Alex/Jo: They spent the whole episode dancing around each other. She and Chest Pecwell fought. At episode’s end Jo showed up at Alex’s place with a black eye and cut lip. Really? Fine. The writers are clearly going to put Jolex together despite my very vocal objection but again … REALLY? Moving on…
Bailey/Richard: No, not like that. But my favorite protegee and mentor duo (not to mention work spouses) are in a bad way after last week’s major blowup. Richard secretly called Miranda’s husband, Ben, and apparently told him to get to Seattle stat which is a very good thing because Bailey, paralyzed by fear and panic, shut herself into her genome lab and wouldn’t talk to anyone. She also tested herself for infection numerous times as evidenced by the alarming number of Petri dishes on the counter. Whoa.
Callie/Arizona: Did you think I forgot about Calzona? I didn’t. I just like messing with you. Kind of like those promo people. Arizona did not cheat on Callie per se, but she did spend the episode kinda flirting with and being charmed by visiting craniofacial specialist, Lauren Boswell (Hilarie Burton). I honestly don’t know what that means but it’s probably not good.
Setting Up The Season Finale
Overall, “Do You Believe in Magic?” seemed to serve as the de facto penultimate episode of season nine. While two episodes technically remain, it is my inference that they will in reality serve as a two-part finale airing over two weeks. So brace yourself, peeps. The end is near and by all indications, it’s going to be a long summer. Well done, Promo Department. I tip my hat to you.
Grey’s Anatomy returns next week with an all-new episode, “Readiness is All,” airing Thursday, May 9 on ABC.
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(image courtesy of ABC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
