I know what you’re thinking – where has she
been? What’s happened to the reviews? Is she coming back? Or you’re not
thinking any such thing and just wondering what this rambling post is all
about.
Season 9 is on the cusp of starting, hiatus
is a hairs breadth from being over and I’m ‘jazzed’ (to quote the Chief – the
one and only Chief, not the imposter Chief). Here’s a summary of where we left off at the
end of S8 to warm us up for S9 (and to make up a little bit for the lack of
reviews at the end of last season – yeah, sorry about that – my bad).
In what must surely make up for the woeful and
dull end to Season 7, Shonda et al have left things in a dramatically bad way
for some of our doctors. You might say, in the case of Lexie, a very bad way.
As finales go, this certainly was one of the better ones, if nothing else
because Cristina was gold dust and Lexie’s death was touching yet devastating. But though I enjoyed it immensely it was not
the best and it lacked depth in many areas.
824, Flight, started in the woods with the
wreckage still smoking and the doctors screaming (one of them in ways we should
never be subjected to again). Within the first few minutes we realize that most
of them survived the impact but Derek is missing. Reality is set aside here as
is often the case with Grey’s as we swallow the point that this would be
improbable. By the end of the 42 minutes one of our favourite characters is
dead, the rest are in deep peril and I was left thinking if only the producers
had kept this entire episode in the woods. The idea of a parallel story was a
good one; Callie treating a fractured femur whilst her wife is suffering with
the same in the woods, Teddy treating a tamponade in tandem with Cristina and
Meredith, both were very nicely executed. It fully reinforced the dangerous
situation these crash victims were in. It also reminded us of just how far the
residents had come in the past 5 or 8 years since starting out as interns – how
long is residency anyway? Cristina and Meredith - the junior doctors treating
the senior. Watching Sandra Oh at work is always entertaining but she stole the
show once again, whether it’s her missing shoe or ‘this is NOT HAPPENING AGAIN’
attitude she never fails to deliver quality. But I think her best moment was
not delivering her comic lines but when she understood that Lexie was going to
die. For a character low on compassion she showed it in spades, and illustrated
to us all the full range of the character and the actress.
Not since the death under a bus of George have
we seen such tragedy on the show (sorry Teddy, Henry’s death was sad an’ all
but nothing compared to this). Hands up
if you cried when Mark held Lexie’s hand as she died (my hand is raised).
Perhaps we should’ve seen it coming with her unapologetic declaration of love,
challenging Mark’s new found love for the eye surgeon. Perhaps we should’ve
seen it coming with Chyler Leigh’s lack of screen and story in the second half
of the season and the lack of relationship development with anyone other than
Derek – well I guess she needed someone to talk to. I have the utmost respect
for actors who leave a successful character and show and move on with their
lives in a respectful private way (unlike certain other Grey’s alumni). An unlike
a large part of twitterati or the forums I believe that killing Lexie was the
right exit for this character. It allowed us to see the passion between her and
Mark, and bring that couple to a definitive conclusion. It’s a shame Eric Dane
has also opted out of the show because a grieving, broken Mark would have made
a very good storyline.
Back in the forest Meredith has to deal
with the loss and trauma surrounding her and as with Cristina turns into one of
the hero doctors treating the other survivors, even going as far as safety
pinning her husbands arm together. Nice. It remains to be seen what will happen
to Derek’s arm. Spoilers indicate it is a device used for him and Callie –
though if I’m honest I believe that the PR surrounding that story is more about
trying not to talk about Callie and Arizona than it is trying to convince us
that Callie and Derek become best buddies. Other spoilers also say that Hunt
and Derek become best buddies too.
The good news of course being the Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh and Patrick Dempsey are all coming back for S9.
Meredith also managed to achieve the very
worst cry ever to be broadcast on national television. It competed effectively
with Arizona’s screaming, and when Cristina told her to shut up we were all
eternally grateful. If I could say one thing to Shonda for S9 it would be this
– “Shonda, Ellen cannot do crying but
does good screaming, Jessica cannot do screaming but does good crying.”
And what of Arizona...
She’s in a whole heap of trouble what with
that bloody leg and that bloody cough. The greatest mystery hangs over the
future of Arizona and Jessica Capshaw’s presence in the show. It seems as if
after the contract renewals of the original actors and Eric Dane’s departure
were made public Shonda only had one trick up her sleeve which was
“ooohhheeerrr what’s going on with Arizona?”
Well it was all very hush hush until Kevin
McKidd tweeted a picture of her confirming that she is at least in four episodes
and other TV journalists hinting that Arizona is not only alive but may also be
eligible for the Paralympics in Rio 2016. We shall see. My guess is JCap’s
signed up for another two years. Arizona being one of the characters Shonda
says she could never kill.
Speaking of injuries – did anyone notice
that all the injuries were on the same side – Meredith’s left leg, Arizona’s
left leg, Cristina’s left arm, Derek’s left arm, Lexie’s left arm....Anyway...
As the sun set and the fires burned out,
including the one and only camp fire, they were all still stuck in the woods. A
very sick Arizona comforting a very sick Mark in a scene, which proves, just
how much those two have moved on since Season 7.
Of course that wasn’t the entire episode.
The rest of the action took place back at SGMW where our other doctors were
ignorant of the tragedy unfolding with their loved ones. And it is back at SGMW
where the writers started their own hiatus.
Everyone’s leaving; the great ‘cliffhanger’
being “who is going to return for S9?” But what a disappointment it was. Whilst
the Chief (the one and only Chief, not the imposter Chief) is desperately
trying to ‘jazz’ up the 5th years for their final dinner we are left
with the overwhelming feeling of being utterly underwhelmed. Alex has taken a
job at Hopkins and did his usual “I don’t give a crap about anyone else”. I am
tired of 8 years immaturity. I don’t want Justin Chambers to go but surely he’s
bored with this constant character regurgitation. Alex will be back in S9,
probably feeling horrendously guilty, probably sleeping his way through his
guilt and probably falling for another blonde doctor yet to be introduced to
us. Jackson’s going to Idontcarewhere hospital,
somewhere else. Apparently he’s coming back for S9 to fill the shoes left empty
by Eric Dane – so says Shonda. Oh Shonda,
you know not what you say and you know not Eric. No one can fill his shoes, least
of all the rather soggy seaweed that is Jessie Williams. April’s been
fired, but I guess there’s a spot open for her now Lexie’s died. What a
disappointment April’s S8 storyline was...
Shonda
– if you must bring these two characters back then please give us a reason to
love them.
One character we do know the fate of is
Teddy. Perhaps we should have seen this coming too. Her friendship with Arizona
was killed back in Season 7 and her only storyline of note ended mid season. Why
on earth they left it to her last episode to give us Kim Raver’s best work I’ll
never understand. Finally we saw the neglected depth of the friendship between
Hunt and Altman. I shall miss Teddy. She was not crucial to the success of this
show but she did help develop depth to one side of Cristina’s character. Let’s
hope a new recruit continues that.
As for Owen – well he’s in a heap of trouble
for ignoring his messages. And seriously how is it that Callie didn’t suspect
something was wrong – not to hear from either Arizona or Mark....oh
well...guess it’s that Grey’s suspension of belief again.
Finally, what of Bailey? Who would begrudge
our lovely Bailey her moment of utter happiness? Not me. Hopefully we will get
to see happy Bailey for a good few episodes of S9.
Season 8 finale was at it’s best in the
woods, with Cristina and a dying Lexie and at it’s worst with Justin Chambers
over-acting and us pretending to care if Jackson leaves April to go somewhere we simply don’t care about. However, over all as finales go it was peach. I look
forward to Season 9 more than I did Season 8, which perhaps illustrates that
the shine may have died but there is life in the old dog yet.
Bring it.
The very best lines were delivered by the
outstanding Sandra Oh -
“I’ve got PTSD, so, you know I’m not
reliable”
“I only have one shoe!....oh I found
it.....my shoe!”
“Shut up. Shut up. Shut UP!”
And my favourite line is from Chyler Leigh -
“Meant to be”
But the most unforgivable moment, blink and you might miss it:
Realising Meredith is
wearing Ugg Boots. Whose idea was that fashion disaster?
Written by brouhaha aka @pipmaxine.
