A lifetime is made up of choices – one decision after another that shapes who we are and what we become. Some of the choices are mundane and others are momentous. As often as not, the decisions that turn out to be the most significant aren’t necessarily clear as they are happening. Instead, they come into focus only in retrospect. So it is with Ben Warren who, in this week’s double episodes of Grey’s Anatomy [“It’s a Fine, Fine Line” and “It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)”], makes a fateful decision that will alter the course of his career and his marriage.
Code Pink
As we begin, Miranda is reviewing video footage with the head of security at the hospital. A child is missing and a decision needs to be made whether to continue searching for the boy in a traditional way or to issue a “code pink” which will lock down the entire hospital. Karev, the patient’s doctor, implores Miranda, “What if it was Tuck?” That’s all it takes. Miranda calls the code pink and immediately doors are locked, elevators stop working…the whole nine yards. Fortunately the boy is found quickly (he was hiding because he was scared), but it becomes immediately apparent that something is very wrong. What follows is a story that moves backwards and forwards in time as Miranda tries to piece everything together and find out the truth about what happened.
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Who DID This?
During the lock down, Warren and DeLuca were transporting a patient (a pregnant car accident victim) when she went into distress. Warren made the decision to do an emergency C-section in the hallway (!) in hopes of saving both mother and baby. As Miranda arrives on the scene, there is blood everywhere and the team springs into action. In a heartbreaking turn of events, things go downhill fast and both patients are lost. With two patients dead and a resident who may have been reckless (remember, this is not Ben’s first offense when it comes to iffy on-the-fly surgeries), Miranda sequesters Ben until she can figure out what to do. She tries to press Richard into making the call (since he is head of the resident program), but Webber (rightly) flat out refuses. He is no longer the Chief. She is. Husband or not, Ben’s outcome is Miranda’s responsibility. Recognizing her impossible position (Wife or Boss? Church or State?), Miranda (who has found damning video evidence against Ben) assembles an advisory committee to help her decide what action is appropriate for Dr. Warren.
Out of Control?
Maggie, Meredith, and Owen are selected to serve as the advisory committee. In speaking with Ben and all of the other doctors involved, they determine that Ben didn’t do anything wrong medically speaking. The real question is: should he have cut at all? Bailey’s video clearly shows that Ben saw the elevator open and then close (meaning the lock down was over) before he began to cut. Ben argues that he was so absorbed in the patient’s care that his brain didn’t even register the door opening. The committee believes him, as does Bailey, but the fact remains that two people still died. In the end, Miranda suspends Ben for six months. When he protests about not getting special treatment, she shouts that the suspension IS special treatment. Anyone else would have been fired without question. In fact, she wanted to fire him. The others talked her out of it. Whoa. Thus, despite their pledge to keep home and work separate, that is proving impossible to do in this case. Can this marriage be saved? Because right now it is on ropes in a big way.
In Other News
*Jackson tells April that he wants them to remember that they used to be each other’s best friend and favorite person. He doesn’t like what this conflict is doing to them. April responds by letting Jackson feel the baby kick. Awww…
*Penny has to decide whether or not to accept the Preminger Grant. Callie can’t ask her to stay in Seattle, so Callie decides to pack up Sofia and move to New York with Penny. This doesn’t go over well with Arizona, who consults an attorney to fight for custody. (Really, Callie? I’m not a fan of Arizona, but that was a really dumb call, Torres. Yikes.)
*After Maggie learns that Nathan lied to Meredith about what happened to Megan Hunt, Pierce confronts her colleague. He’s a good guy and a great surgeon. Why would he lie like that? Nathan maintains that he didn’t lie to Meredith, but he didn’t tell the whole truth. He made a mistake and he’s paid for it since. (Why can’t he have this conversation with OWEN? Owen is a fair man and Nathan was once his best friend. If Nathan would just admit the mistake he made and apologize, Owen would forgive him, I think. These guys need to be friends again. Bromance, people! Bromance.)
*In an outrageous turn, Bailey (guilty over the mom and baby who died) resuscitates the husband/father (also in the accident) despite a “do not resuscitate” order. And the man lives! REALLY? Come on, writers. Bailey’s actions were both inappropriate and illegal and the man coming back was, according to Amelia “one in a million.” I call foul. Weak. Very weak.
*Finally, Stephanie is getting her flirt on with Guitar Hero, Kyle Diaz. They’re exchanging steamy texts (with the help of Jo, from whom Penny wants instruction). He’ll be back soon I’m sure.
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Memorable Moments and Quotes
Bailey: “Who butchered this woman?”
Stephanie (wistfully): “How many times do you get to operate outside an operating room?”
Richard: “For the record, it sounds fun, until you do it.”
Bailey (to DeLuca): “I need to know everything. I need to know what you two were doing. I need to know how and exactly why this happened.”
Stephanie (about Ben): “Surgery is a drug. And doing operating outside the OR? That is mainlining.”
Jo: “But he’s a level head. He’s Gramps!”
Stephanie: “We are talking about the same person who used a clipboard to slice open a patient in the psych ward. Gramps goes rogue.”
Jackson (to Ben): “You get ten minutes. Anything you tell me in those ten minutes, you never told me. You have ten minutes and I’m out. I was never here. Go.”
Is is just me or does young Jasmine have a way more level-head than any of the adults?
Random, but, I got so nostalgic seeing the Chief’s office. Why did the writers take away the Chief’s office when Owen was Chief? So ridiculous. Okay. I’m done now.
Penny, Jo, and Stephanie were hilarious dealing with Kyle’s texts and, well, everything. I was actually reminded (just a little) of the early days with Meredith, Cristina, and Izzie.
Jackson: “I don’t know if we can fix us. I don’t know if we should. But I know I don’t like who I’m turning into.”
Ben: “When you are responsible for that life, you don’t see, hear, or feel anything else. The rest of the world just disappears. You know that. You all do. You can’t tell me you don’t.”
Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursday at 8 p.m. on ABC.
(photo courtesy of ABC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
