“Infections are like sleeping monsters. You can’t see them. You can’t feel them. But you must do everything in your power to contain them because when the monsters wake up, they’re out of control…” intoned Dr. Miranda Bailey in the opening voice over. In yet another terrific outing (this show is on fire!), “Sleeping Monster,” the ground is crumbling beneath Bailey’s feet as she becomes the focus of a CDC investigation. Meanwhile, several other GSMH docs are forced to face their deepest fears as well.
Things That Go Bump In The Night
Two of Bailey’s patients are dead and another is circling the drain. The hospital board is in full-on-damage-control mode as the Center for Disease Control arrives to launch a full inquiry as to the source of the staph infection which as caused the outbreak. Miranda isn’t handling things well. She’s defensive and defiant with pretty much everyone but at the root of that behavior is the devastation she feels by a number of unanswered questions. How could this have happened? Is this really my fault? Did I kill these people? Do I still have a career? Why are my friends throwing me under the bus?
Unbeknownst to Miranda her friends and colleagues are actually in her corner, protecting her as best they can …from a distance. Jackson (who seems to be stepping right into this leadership role) rightly insists that they must handle the situation both professionally and with utmost care, lest it become a full-blown crisis. The others (including Alex and Richard in addition to the board members) know he’s right on some level. Even though their human instinct is to protect Bailey, their responsibility as administrators and surgeons must temporarily override that impulse.
Fortunately, although the repercussions of it all will likely be felt for some time to come, the CDC released its report by episode’s end. Bailey was, technically, the source of the staph infection but the real problem was defective gloves used during the surgeries. Miranda was deemed not at fault and still has a job, but her wounds are deep. In a scene that broke my heart, she turned on Richard, whom she mistakenly thought had betrayed her, declaring that he was not the man she thought he was.
Interview with Chandra Wilson: Bailey ‘Didn’t Do Anything Wrong!” >>>
“I Think I’m Losing Owen…”
Owen and Cristina have been back on track since the middle of the season. They agreed to divorce but stayed together anyway and have been doing better than ever, except for one thing. There’s a monster under their bed. Owen wants kids. Cristina does not. It’s the same issue that served as the catalyst for the implosion of their marriage. It’s the one topic they don’t touch because both know it is so volatile, but circumstances unleashed the beast.
Owen has bonded with Ethan, whose mother died in this episode and whose father is on death’s door. Grandma arrived to help but she’s an emotional basket case and Owen just keeps getting sucked in deeper and deeper into this boy’s life, illuminating his deep desire to be a dad. Meanwhile, anvils involving children keep falling on Cristina’s head. Meredith wants her present when Fetus is born. Cristina calms a terrified mother-to-be before surgery. And, most significantly of all, Cristina has noticed how Owen is being affected by Ethan’s plight and it scares her to death. What if Owen wants to be a father more than he wants to be with her? What will they do? Can they be together?
“I’ll Be Nice!”
Alex is having a bad day. After calling Jason Meyers aka Chest Pecwell a d-bag for the umpteenth time, Karev promises to play nicely with others, despite finding out that Jo (in yet another idiotic move) plans to move in with the aforementioned jerk. True to his word, when Alex, Cristina, and Jason end up on the same case together, Karev does his level best to get along with the guy, even reminding Jason that Jo needs to be treated with extra care and compassion due to her hard upbringing. Problem is, Jo never told Jason about her life of foster care and homelessness. Whoops.
A furious Jo never wants to speak to Alex ever again, just as Karev realizes…wait for it…that he is in love with Jo. Regular readers of this column know how I feel about that, but I don’t want to dwell on the negative. Instead, can we all agree that scenes that feature the Alex/Cristina friendship are made of awesomeness? We can? Excellent. And we got a Big Three (Alex, Cristina, Meredith) gem in this episode, too. Made of win. Hollah!
Not a Virgin, Not Board-Certified
Finally, April spends the day feeling sorry for herself. Apparently it’s all Jackson’s fault that A) she is no longer a virgin B) she failed her boards and C) Matthew broke up with her. Jackson, who’s done being called the Bad Guy by all of his friends and co-workers, isn’t having it. Just then, Matthew appears and asks April’s forgiveness and grants her a “do-over” if she will do the same for him. They reconcile, but I’m pretty sure this whole April/Jackson thing isn’t over by a long shot.
Three…Two…One…
There are just three more episodes left this season. Are Miranda’s relationships irrevocably broken? Can Cristina and Owen figure out a way to be together? Has Alex lost Jo for good? Is April really over Jackson? Will Meredith ever have that baby? And what mayhem does GA creator Shonda Rhimes have in store for us in the season finale? Fasten your seat belts. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.
Grey’s Anatomy returns next week with an all-new episode, “Do You Believe In Magic?”, directed by Kevin McKidd (Owen Hunt), airing May 2 at 9pm on ABC.
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(Image courtesy of ABC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
