Oh, Grey’s Anatomy, how you torment me so. If “This Is How We Do It,” then I’ve got a bone to pick with you. There were so many great things in last night’s episode (I’ll get to them later), but there were also three plot developments that were so heavy-handed in both their purpose and their execution that I wanted to scream.
#1: Callie and Arizona’s Car Accident
Unless you’ve been living on Jupiter, you’re probably aware that next week is GA‘s Big Musical Event, and the accident that closed this episode sets the stage for that development. Fine, but did it really have to be so blatantly obvious that Calzona’s weekend away would soon go horribly wrong? Arizona throws Callie’s cell phone into the backseat. Callie takes off her seat belt to retrieve it and neglects to refasten it immediately. Callie and Arizona (who is DRIVING THE CAR) keep looking at each other for ridiculously long periods of time. Really? On the upside, the previews for next week look and sound amazing, so maybe this will be worth it in the end.
#2: Adele Has Alzheimer’s disease
Poor Richard and Adele. After decades of tumult in their marriage, they are finally happy. So, of course, disaster is just around the corner. Let me start by saying that both James Pickens, Jr. and Loretta Devine were fabulous in this episode. My heart absolutely broke for them as the truth of Adele’s condition came to light. I get that we’re supposed to realize that bad things happen to good people and to grab happiness while you can. But did it have to be early onset Alzheimer’s? Really? The disease that destroyed Richard’s other great love, Ellis Grey? The disease at the heart of Derek’s current clinical trial? Why not keep the outcome but change the illness? The story would have been just as stirring if Adele had breast cancer or leukemia or heart disease (the number one killer of women, by the way). I’m sure it’s meant to be ironic, but it just seems cruel and contrived.
#3: Owen must decide who becomes Chief Resident
Miranda was right when she suggested that Richard should delegate the picking of the chief resident. She was also right when she begged off, saying that she’d raised those “babies.” So why on earth (other than a need for conflict in the Owen/Cristina relationship) would Owen be chosen to make this decision? Really? This was foreshadowed a few episodes back when Richard mentioned his administrative potential and I’m sure he feels for Richard, given the Adele situation. Having said that, Owen, like Bailey, has a conflict of interest and should remove himself from the equation. This being Grey’s Anatomy, however, means he probably won’t. The result is a no-win situation. His motivations and impartiality will likely be called in to question by all candidates, including his wife, who deserves a fair shot at the job, whether or not she ultimately gets it. While anything is preferable to last season’s Triangle of Doom, this just seems like a lazy choice on the part of the writers. Hopefully they’ll prove me wrong while Kevin McKidd and Sandra Oh rock the house with some meaty scenes.
As promised, some things that I loved:
– Lexie and Jackson
– Owen’s appreciation for both Cristina’s beauty and her brain
– Callie’s baby shower, complete with scrap books, glitter pens and games with sides of awkward moments, unexpected revelations and witty banter
– Alex to April regarding her date with Stark, “The only way you’ll be watching that movie is if it’s playing on his bedroom ceiling.”
– Cristina and Richard’s faces as Henry professes his feelings to Teddy
– One word: Eli
– Two more words: onesie Decorating
– Cristina’s onesie with the perfect diagram of a heart done in puffy paint
– Meredith’s Pollock-esque onesie which prompts Lexie’s question: “Are you still blind?”
– Alex’s onesie with baby scrubs. Aw …
– Meredith setting Lucy straight on Alex
– Cristina rocking her surgery and telling Teddy to shut up — about time
– Derek balancing ethics with compassion as Meredith provided both clarity and support
– Alex and Lucy
– Cristina calling carry-out pizza “real dinner”
I encourage you to share your favorite moments of the episode in the comments section.
Grey’s Anatomy returns next Thursday, March 31 on ABC with the all-new musical episode, “Song Beneath the Song.”
(Image courtesy of ABC)
Photo AlbumGrey’s Anatomy: 7.17 “This Is How We Do It”
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
