The latest installment of Grey’s Anatomy reminded me, in a multitude of ways, of some of the series’ best work during its first and second seasons. It skillfully balanced the serious (the Meredith-Owen clash, Cristina’s just-beneath-the-surface pain, Callie’s loneliness, the impact of having no health insurance), with the lighthearted (the delicious Bailey-Eli flirtation and Callie trying to mold Alex into “the male me”) and tossed in a few shockers for good measure (Callie’s door shutting and Teddy’s stunning proposal).
I surprised myself because I didn’t find it all too conspicuously over the top. In fact, it left me eager for the next episode.
Where to start with this overflowing episode? How ’bout with one of the two big shockers: Arizona appearing at Callie’s door — after having dumped Callie at the airport — saying she quit her Africa gig to be with Callie, only to have Callie shut the door in Arizona’s face. Callie has been flailing since Arizona left, doing impetuous things like leaping into bed with McSteamy and brazenly telling him that having sex with him makes her sad. She even tried to convert Alex into a mini-Callie ortho god by offering to mentor him after they talked smack together about Arizona who left them both in the lurch. The decision to have Callie rebuff Arizona’s tearful appearance was unexpected, yet intriguing. The writers didn’t take the easy route here.
The other shocker was what some critics have been calling Denny Duquette 2.0: Scott Foley checked into Seattle Grace as Henry, a man who’s got a fatal disease but no health insurance to pay for the treatment he needs. The lost and defeated Teddy — whose star resident has quit medicine and was fishing with McDreamy — took up Henry’s cause and tried to persuade the hospital’s administrators to swallow the costs and treat him. When that effort failed, Teddy impulsively offered to marry him so he could join her health insurance policy. Anyone else see the red flags aflyin’? This could prove interesting … or it could become a horrific, soap opera-ish farce. Let’s just hope that Teddy doesn’t own any pink satin prom gowns and that Henry doesn’t require any LVAD wires.
The Owen-Meredith clash over how they’re dealing with Cristina’s post-traumatic stress disorder was raw and hurtful and rang true. I didn’t expect to hear Owen say that he doesn’t want his wife around Meredith, whom he described as “reckless” with her life, specifically referring to last season’s shooting. “You told a guy with a gun to shoot you; that is who you are,” Owen said, red faced, scared. ” … You are fearless, and I don’t mean that in a good way.” For her part, Meredith lashed out at Owen, saying that his marrying Cristina, who’s not speaking to Meredith whom she resents for making her operate on Derek, gave Cristina permission to drop out of medicine, fall to pieces and rely on him to keep her afloat, because she’s certainly not going to make a living as a cocktail waitress.
And, though my feelings about Derek have run hot and cold over the years — for a long time I thought he was selfish and manipulative in leaving Meredith dangling, then by not having sufficient patience with her after she nearly died, and her mother died — as of late, I’ve loved his character. He was pitch perfect in his rugged fisherman mode, taking the nervous Nellie, chatterbox Cristina fishing in the middle of a picturesque lake. The scene where Cristina was posing for a photo with her 28-pound fish and Derek agreed with the photographer that she was something special … ’twas beautiful, on so many levels. Moby Dick and “Call me Ishmael” references kept running through my head.
As for Nurse Eli (Daniel Sunjata from Rescue Me), I hope he becomes a series regular, or at least semi-regular. Everything about his character was fantastic, including his amusing yet principled banter with McSteamy, as well as his decision to ask Bailey — who literally jumped for joy because she won a battle in her war against fistulas — out on a date.
So what did you think of this jam-packed episode? Of Teddy’s proposal? Callie’s door slamming? Owen’s assertion that Meredith is bad for Cristina?
Clacked by Meredith O'Brien 
on Dec 03, 2010 @ 13:00 EST5EDT
I loved the Cristina/Derek fishing trip. That’s what happens when you give good writing to two actors who can carry it.
Surprisingly, I liked Mark this episode.
I’d like Eli back although I was annoyed with Bailey for not giving him credit for realizing that 3 days was better than 5. She may be the doctor but he was the one who figured out they were leaving the tubes in for too long and at least deserves second author on her paper.
Favorite moment: when Callie shut the door in Arizona’s face. On a show full of self-centered people, Arizona is the worst of all. Even her speech to Callie when she came back was all about how she felt missing Callie and nothing about how Callie must have been hurt by her actions.