grey's: "chicks dig that crap..."
Oh. Goodness. Alex.
Seeing that there was a distinct lack of him this episode, I'm going to rant.
Because I can.
(warning: it's probably waaaaay tl;dr but I needed to get it off my chest!)
Disclaimer: This is entirely Alex focused. And I understand completely that the people he interacted with in this episode have their own 'issues', and I'm pretty sure that I have an opinion on each of them! Feel free to extrapolate in any which direction from this...
-
So, I'm pretty sure Alex is on a one way path to self-destruction. And I'm stunned that the writers have spent the hiatus hammering on about how 'fine' he is because NONE of what I saw in this episode makes me think he's even in the vicinity...
Yes, he was an ass to Lexie. That's because the writers decided he was the one person this episode they were going to keep in character! He has firmly reverted to 'default jerk' in the face of some pretty horrific realisations. It's totally a defense mechanism and the fact that the trauma counsellor basically let it slide is shocking (but that inadequacy is the least of the trauma counsellors problems! Oh, ethical violations, let me count thy ways!).
I think he hates the fact that Lexie ended up in psych. and absolutely sees it as a reflection of his own inability (once again) to look after her. This is such a pattern for him that, despite the fact it's a completely flawed view, I can't help but understand. Four women. Four serious mental illnesses (if you include Izzie's tumour induced hallucinations). The only common denominator? Him. Yet again he's been found wanting... because not only could he not protect Lexie... he needed HER to protect HIM.
Which brings me to point two.
I think he probably knows he's messed up. I also think he's only too acutely aware of his checkered genetic history. And he is freaking the fuck out because it's all getting a little too close to home...
Alex/Lexie. I'm torn. Lexie was written quite incoherently tonight which doesn't help and her downright cruel comment to Alex at the wedding makes me think that they really won't work as a couple. Here's why.
Yes, Alex was a complete douche to her. He needed to be brought down a peg or two. She just didn't need to be hurtful in the way that she went about it. I really don't think she understands his jerky exterior or why that's the way he is or what she can do about it (Izzie did, imo). He needs to be called on his shit occasionally, it's how he comes to respect people. Meredith does it constantly, Izzie was also good at it, even Cristina to a point. But you've gotta go about it the right way if you want to achieve anything other than being spiteful. If she'd left it at "the only reason you're alive is because I saved your life, how's that for badass?" then, go Lexie. Seriously. The fact that she was deliberately cruel was just one step too far for me.
His comment to her seemed like his nervous and awkward and typically 'Alex' way of breaking the ice... he was like that with Izzie constantly until she called him on it. Yeah, it came out all wrong, but I really don't think he meant to be mean. She, on the other hand, was calculatingly deliberate in her retaliation. Also, if that was the first time she'd told him, then, wow. Cold.
The only thing Lexie will have achieved is for Alex to never let his guard down in front of her again...
As for Mark's "run, it's what you're good at" comment. This is wrong on so many levels. Mainly because, it's NOT what he's good at. And his backstory is FULL of evidence against this comment...
- His mum. He looked after her despite the fact that he was a child and he was completely out of his depth and the end of season 4 was so gut-wrenching...
- Ava/Rebecca. He was gonna buy a house for them to live in. Him and her and their imaginary baby.
- Izzie. He married her. And bought her bananas. And "spooged" into a cup (and I died. Just a little.)
Yes, he freaks out. Yes, he becomes a jerk. Yes, he says/does things that others see as inappropriate. But he doesn't run. That he did in the face of Lexie's meltdown says bucket loads about where he is at right now, imo. He is firmly in panic mode, not to mention entrenched in the idea that he's helpless to do anything about what she's going through... helpless to help her...
Pretty much the only part of this whole, entire episode that made sense to me was Alex. His behaviour, his reactions, his bravado. All of it was so perfectly in character and so brilliantly acted. JC's face when Lexie made the psych. joke was a perfect blend of disinterested panic. The 'blink and you'll miss it' horror when Lexie told him about calling out for Izzie? So perfectly him. The mask slipped, but he's so practiced that it was back in place before you knew it... beer to lips and all... His briefly unguarded moment with Teddy where he was completely revealed in front of her was so characteristically blindsided by his "chicks dig it" comment...
The writers spent the whole hiatus convincing me they'd effed up his characterisation, and I am so relieved to discover that they've actually hit the nail on the freaking head (even if they are too oblivious to realise it).
Next week's episode looks positively awful. The only thing I'm remotely interested in is the Alex + Chief (wrong episode!) Bailey interaction.
Seeing that there was a distinct lack of him this episode, I'm going to rant.
Because I can.
(warning: it's probably waaaaay tl;dr but I needed to get it off my chest!)
Disclaimer: This is entirely Alex focused. And I understand completely that the people he interacted with in this episode have their own 'issues', and I'm pretty sure that I have an opinion on each of them! Feel free to extrapolate in any which direction from this...
-
So, I'm pretty sure Alex is on a one way path to self-destruction. And I'm stunned that the writers have spent the hiatus hammering on about how 'fine' he is because NONE of what I saw in this episode makes me think he's even in the vicinity...
Yes, he was an ass to Lexie. That's because the writers decided he was the one person this episode they were going to keep in character! He has firmly reverted to 'default jerk' in the face of some pretty horrific realisations. It's totally a defense mechanism and the fact that the trauma counsellor basically let it slide is shocking (but that inadequacy is the least of the trauma counsellors problems! Oh, ethical violations, let me count thy ways!).
I think he hates the fact that Lexie ended up in psych. and absolutely sees it as a reflection of his own inability (once again) to look after her. This is such a pattern for him that, despite the fact it's a completely flawed view, I can't help but understand. Four women. Four serious mental illnesses (if you include Izzie's tumour induced hallucinations). The only common denominator? Him. Yet again he's been found wanting... because not only could he not protect Lexie... he needed HER to protect HIM.
Which brings me to point two.
I think he probably knows he's messed up. I also think he's only too acutely aware of his checkered genetic history. And he is freaking the fuck out because it's all getting a little too close to home...
Alex/Lexie. I'm torn. Lexie was written quite incoherently tonight which doesn't help and her downright cruel comment to Alex at the wedding makes me think that they really won't work as a couple. Here's why.
Yes, Alex was a complete douche to her. He needed to be brought down a peg or two. She just didn't need to be hurtful in the way that she went about it. I really don't think she understands his jerky exterior or why that's the way he is or what she can do about it (Izzie did, imo). He needs to be called on his shit occasionally, it's how he comes to respect people. Meredith does it constantly, Izzie was also good at it, even Cristina to a point. But you've gotta go about it the right way if you want to achieve anything other than being spiteful. If she'd left it at "the only reason you're alive is because I saved your life, how's that for badass?" then, go Lexie. Seriously. The fact that she was deliberately cruel was just one step too far for me.
His comment to her seemed like his nervous and awkward and typically 'Alex' way of breaking the ice... he was like that with Izzie constantly until she called him on it. Yeah, it came out all wrong, but I really don't think he meant to be mean. She, on the other hand, was calculatingly deliberate in her retaliation. Also, if that was the first time she'd told him, then, wow. Cold.
The only thing Lexie will have achieved is for Alex to never let his guard down in front of her again...
As for Mark's "run, it's what you're good at" comment. This is wrong on so many levels. Mainly because, it's NOT what he's good at. And his backstory is FULL of evidence against this comment...
- His mum. He looked after her despite the fact that he was a child and he was completely out of his depth and the end of season 4 was so gut-wrenching...
- Ava/Rebecca. He was gonna buy a house for them to live in. Him and her and their imaginary baby.
- Izzie. He married her. And bought her bananas. And "spooged" into a cup (and I died. Just a little.)
Yes, he freaks out. Yes, he becomes a jerk. Yes, he says/does things that others see as inappropriate. But he doesn't run. That he did in the face of Lexie's meltdown says bucket loads about where he is at right now, imo. He is firmly in panic mode, not to mention entrenched in the idea that he's helpless to do anything about what she's going through... helpless to help her...
Pretty much the only part of this whole, entire episode that made sense to me was Alex. His behaviour, his reactions, his bravado. All of it was so perfectly in character and so brilliantly acted. JC's face when Lexie made the psych. joke was a perfect blend of disinterested panic. The 'blink and you'll miss it' horror when Lexie told him about calling out for Izzie? So perfectly him. The mask slipped, but he's so practiced that it was back in place before you knew it... beer to lips and all... His briefly unguarded moment with Teddy where he was completely revealed in front of her was so characteristically blindsided by his "chicks dig it" comment...
The writers spent the whole hiatus convincing me they'd effed up his characterisation, and I am so relieved to discover that they've actually hit the nail on the freaking head (even if they are too oblivious to realise it).
Next week's episode looks positively awful. The only thing I'm remotely interested in is the Alex + Chief (wrong episode!) Bailey interaction.