Grey's Anatomy 6.21 - "How Insensitive"
The next episode will air in less than 24 hours, so it's about time I post my review of the last one... I don't know how the Grey's writers manage to write a rather boring/uninteresting episode in one week and then a entertaining episode in the next. I know there are various writers but shouldn't someone (Shonda?) see a "bigger picture" and be able to maintain some constant quality level? Oh, well that's probably too much to ask :-) But I shouldn't be bitching so much, because I really did enjoy this episode.
The female Mercy Westers were only seen but almost not heard and although I could have done without Dr.Percy in that scene with Lexie and Callie, he at least didn't ruin it. He just felt so dispensable to me. Anyone else could have played that part of a side-kick to Lexie. How about the characters from the earlier season, which were layed off during the merger for no reason whatsoever. Olivia. Tyler... Anway, the Mercy Westers didn't ruin anything this time.
I didn't care much for the ortho patient storyline and how she was hitting on Callie. It was so obviously written as trigger for the breakup we saw in the end. Plot device and all. I actually always liked Callie and Arizona together, so it was sad to see them end their relationship. I'm not quite sure yet, if I think the whole storyline was/is a realistic display of a relationship or not. My problem is, that I'm on the fence about the "children or not" issue myself. I don't feel and never have felt the dire need to have one. In theory I'm not totally opposed to having on either. In reality I just don't see it happening though for various reasons. But if one day (before my ovaries dry up) I might meet "the one" (and if the feeling is mutual *g*) and if he really really wants to have kids, I think I might get on board with that. But as right now I can't relate to either Callie or Arizona and maybe that's why I was rather indifferent to this storyline.
The 700 pound patient was one of the more interesting patient storylines this season, because we all read about people like him in the newspapers every once in a while, and I guess we all are a lot like Cristina, Alex, Mer, even Derek were in that episode: judgmental, insensitive, cruel. We don't even try to see the person inside this body and I think this episode was a nice reminder about how we see and treat other people and how we could treat them with more respect and kindness..
Alex was wonderful in this episode. It's so nice to see him as the great doctor that he has become since he started at SGH. He might still act like a jerk some times, but more often than that it's obvious that he cares about his patients and his friends. Ok, maybe he has just better control of his facial expressions ;-). But it was such a suprise to see him as the last remaining resident on this case, where as most the others were kicked off the case because of their insenstive bedside manner. And I was happy when he made the "thing" or whatever it is, he and Lexie have going on, public and went home with her together. In public and all. I think they'd make a nice couple and I say that even though I actually liked Mark and Lexie together. But Mark is getting on my nerves lately.
Meredith was kicked off the case not for being insensitive but for completely other reasons and my dislike for Owen grew a lot this episode. Not because of the way he treated Meredith, because I can understand that he didn't like that Derek passed on - what Owen considered confidential information - to his wife. But I can't understand and forgive that he lied to Cristina and that he doesn't admit to the feelings he obviously still has for Teddy. He's a coward!
Strictly speaking it was unprofessional of Derek, but with all the personal and romantic relationships among the hospital's staff, it was bound to happen sooner or later. And if he can't talk to his wife if something from his job is giving him troubles, who else should he talk to? The problem is that Meredith knows all the staff and all the relationships and that she has her own personal opinion about those things. She's entitled to that opinion and to act upon them, but it still makes it really difficult for Derek as chief. And ultimately for their relationship as well, but I think Meredith and Derek will find a way to handle it sooner or later. One of the sneaks for 6.22. at least makes me think that Meredith has made up her mind about it.
After this episode I honestly don't think Derek will stay chief anyway. He hates that job! The responsibilites and the tough decisions he has to make and the possible lawsuits and and and. No wonder Richard Webber started drinking again :-) But at least Derek had a taste of what living the dream (being chief) feels like and he realize that it's not worth it. And he will move on to another dream: The house on the cliff and kids and all that. If that would be the storyline for season 7, it'd be fine with me ;-)
I'm usually not a big fan of Cristina, because I just can't relate to her. Her tendency to keep her feelings to herself, her ambition, her lack of social skills every once in a while. She often seems like a robot, and even though I know she isn't, she is just nobody I can empathize with. I always enjoy her interaction with the other characters though, no question about that.
But she was awesome in this episode. The way she could relate to the little girl and that she got off the elevator to stay with her and how she talked to her about death... That was so very much Cristina, but still very very emotional. And when she broke down in Owen's arms in the end my heart broke a little for her. And I almost felt bad for hoping that Owen and her break up soon, because i don't like him and I think he's no good for her and she will end up getting hurt. Which she still probably might but in that moment, she just needed him, because he is the man she loves. It's that simple. And on the other hand it's not that simple at all...
So all in all: a very balanced and entertaining episode. I hope the remaining few of season 6 will follow that example...
The female Mercy Westers were only seen but almost not heard and although I could have done without Dr.Percy in that scene with Lexie and Callie, he at least didn't ruin it. He just felt so dispensable to me. Anyone else could have played that part of a side-kick to Lexie. How about the characters from the earlier season, which were layed off during the merger for no reason whatsoever. Olivia. Tyler... Anway, the Mercy Westers didn't ruin anything this time.
I didn't care much for the ortho patient storyline and how she was hitting on Callie. It was so obviously written as trigger for the breakup we saw in the end. Plot device and all. I actually always liked Callie and Arizona together, so it was sad to see them end their relationship. I'm not quite sure yet, if I think the whole storyline was/is a realistic display of a relationship or not. My problem is, that I'm on the fence about the "children or not" issue myself. I don't feel and never have felt the dire need to have one. In theory I'm not totally opposed to having on either. In reality I just don't see it happening though for various reasons. But if one day (before my ovaries dry up) I might meet "the one" (and if the feeling is mutual *g*) and if he really really wants to have kids, I think I might get on board with that. But as right now I can't relate to either Callie or Arizona and maybe that's why I was rather indifferent to this storyline.
The 700 pound patient was one of the more interesting patient storylines this season, because we all read about people like him in the newspapers every once in a while, and I guess we all are a lot like Cristina, Alex, Mer, even Derek were in that episode: judgmental, insensitive, cruel. We don't even try to see the person inside this body and I think this episode was a nice reminder about how we see and treat other people and how we could treat them with more respect and kindness..
Alex was wonderful in this episode. It's so nice to see him as the great doctor that he has become since he started at SGH. He might still act like a jerk some times, but more often than that it's obvious that he cares about his patients and his friends. Ok, maybe he has just better control of his facial expressions ;-). But it was such a suprise to see him as the last remaining resident on this case, where as most the others were kicked off the case because of their insenstive bedside manner. And I was happy when he made the "thing" or whatever it is, he and Lexie have going on, public and went home with her together. In public and all. I think they'd make a nice couple and I say that even though I actually liked Mark and Lexie together. But Mark is getting on my nerves lately.
Meredith was kicked off the case not for being insensitive but for completely other reasons and my dislike for Owen grew a lot this episode. Not because of the way he treated Meredith, because I can understand that he didn't like that Derek passed on - what Owen considered confidential information - to his wife. But I can't understand and forgive that he lied to Cristina and that he doesn't admit to the feelings he obviously still has for Teddy. He's a coward!
Strictly speaking it was unprofessional of Derek, but with all the personal and romantic relationships among the hospital's staff, it was bound to happen sooner or later. And if he can't talk to his wife if something from his job is giving him troubles, who else should he talk to? The problem is that Meredith knows all the staff and all the relationships and that she has her own personal opinion about those things. She's entitled to that opinion and to act upon them, but it still makes it really difficult for Derek as chief. And ultimately for their relationship as well, but I think Meredith and Derek will find a way to handle it sooner or later. One of the sneaks for 6.22. at least makes me think that Meredith has made up her mind about it.
After this episode I honestly don't think Derek will stay chief anyway. He hates that job! The responsibilites and the tough decisions he has to make and the possible lawsuits and and and. No wonder Richard Webber started drinking again :-) But at least Derek had a taste of what living the dream (being chief) feels like and he realize that it's not worth it. And he will move on to another dream: The house on the cliff and kids and all that. If that would be the storyline for season 7, it'd be fine with me ;-)
I'm usually not a big fan of Cristina, because I just can't relate to her. Her tendency to keep her feelings to herself, her ambition, her lack of social skills every once in a while. She often seems like a robot, and even though I know she isn't, she is just nobody I can empathize with. I always enjoy her interaction with the other characters though, no question about that.
But she was awesome in this episode. The way she could relate to the little girl and that she got off the elevator to stay with her and how she talked to her about death... That was so very much Cristina, but still very very emotional. And when she broke down in Owen's arms in the end my heart broke a little for her. And I almost felt bad for hoping that Owen and her break up soon, because i don't like him and I think he's no good for her and she will end up getting hurt. Which she still probably might but in that moment, she just needed him, because he is the man she loves. It's that simple. And on the other hand it's not that simple at all...
So all in all: a very balanced and entertaining episode. I hope the remaining few of season 6 will follow that example...