I know I know. I’m constantly late to the party these days. Hopefully next review will be more timely...
I’m generally not a fan of the ‘filler’ episode. It’s seems like a waste of time and money to create 43 minutes of drama where no drama actually happens, no characters move on and the key stories are just not that key. Filler episodes only work if they offer pure entertainment. Only then can they be forgiven. Episode 11.12, The Great Pretender delivered. It was funny, engaging and familiar. It offered us nothing in the way of ‘big’ stories but it entertained. We were allowed to see some vulnerability, some new relationships bud and some old ones strain and while friendship has been key to story continuity this season, romance is now on the cards for some of our doctors.
One of the most interesting themes through this season has been the development of platonic friendships. Signaled by the departure of Cristina, the ultimate platonic soul mate to our main protagonist the writers have taken this as an opportunity to cement many characters together and build new dynamics within the cast. Callie and Owen banter about replacing limbs and mutual dating advice. Compare their body language to that of Owen and Amelia and you can see that theirs is a platonic coupling.
Meredith is using Alex and Maggie as her “go to” people and to her dissatisfaction and our amusement Alex is proving to be a very unwilling clone of Cristina. It’s endearing and in those moments when Alex is throwing out his one liners and disapproval at Meredith’s methods of getting his attention it appears that the writers have written this as an “in” joke between the viewers and Alex. We get to have a bit of a giggle with Alex at Meredith’s expense. Meredith’s friendship with Maggie is new and rather fragile. It’s something Meredith continues to have trouble negotiating, whether that is because Maggie is her sister or because, just like Alex, she’s just not Cristina. (Dear Writers – please bring back Sandra Oh for one episode with Maggie. That’s a moment I would love to see. Please). I have to be honest, I’m a little bored with Meredith at the moment. I found myself not really caring if she had a weekend to herself or not. Her story has stagnated somewhat and instead of leaving it alone for a while the writers are throwing us bread crumbs. I suspect this is because although this is an ensemble show there can’t be too many episodes which do not feature the show’s namesake. Though that thought doesn’t bother me at all.
The other character the writers have been very careful to bed in with platonic relationships is Arizona. Early season we see her bonding with April. This is confirmed through Aprils story though rather disappointingly we are told it rather than shown (Arizona telling Herman that she’s friends with April). I would have preferred to see some more positive gentle supportive interaction between Arizona and April, witnessed by Herman, rather than Arizona merely standing behind Herman nodding. The most important friendship development, however, is between Arizona and Herman herself. The writers have taken us on a journey with these two from mentor/mentee to co-professionals to friends. Their interaction during 11.12 really made the episode entertaining. Herman discovering that Arizona really is a dirty girl, winding her up, sharing confidences allowed us to see a very rare version of Arizona. Did you notice her open up to Nicole about her relationship and life? This is something she hasn’t done with anyone for a long time and even then it’s only been very briefly to Alex, a friendship that has been side stepped in recent episodes.
This filler episode did provide us with one important gem, a significant moment for Arizona. Blink and you will miss it but it is during their OR prep room chat that Herman brings Arizona back from the “cheating” abyss. Herman, with a big old smile on her face announces to Arizona:
“You can’t suddenly become interesting and then clam up...how have you been hiding this from me... the dirt...you’re dirty and here I thought you were no fun at all....you’re a dirty dirty girl.” She isn’t judging her, she doesn’t insult her, she’s teasing her in a gentle friendly way. Herman, a character we now respect and like, is telling the viewers that Arizona’s character has survived the cheating. This is important because (as I say in my previous Cheating review here) while cheating is a despicable act in real life, in Greys it is a well worn plot device where the main protagonists are never permanently vilified for it within the show.
Maybe as viewers in the real world our own moral compass cannot get past a character cheating but in Grey’s eventually the cheater is redeemed.
I confess that I was very excited to see the Owen and Amelia kiss...for about a minute. During that minute I really liked the idea of “Owen of Season 11” with Amelia. Because “Owen of Season 11” is gentle and kind and rather lovely. In fact I think I prefer him away from Cristina. However after about a minute I remembered “Owen of Seasons 5 to 10” and I am now conflicted. This previous Owen is a rather aggressive and nasty piece of work and I’m not sure I want him with Amelia. Perhaps this couple will work better than Owen Cristina. Perhaps the damaged Amelia pairs better with the damaged Owen?
Your brother is becoming your sister. That is tough news to hear. I’m not taking away from the transitioning brother, but this story is about Ben. Ben is given about two seconds to process this monumental news. Give the guy a break Miranda. He’s discovering that he’s never really known his brother and that secrets shared have only ever been one way. Cut him some slack, he’s allowed to be angry. There is no way that The Grey’s writers will make Ben a villain in this particular story. He’s a nice guy. He won’t have a problem with his brother becoming his sister but I can relate to the fact that he’s having a problem with the sense of betrayal. The introduction of a transgender character and storyline is exciting and poignant. There are very few human inner challenges that are more conceptually difficult for most of us to understand and empathise with than a boy or a man who believes and knows in his core that he is a woman or vice versa. Introducing it as a key storyline for Miranda and Ben is exciting and I hope, with respectful execution, inspirational.
And it also gives Jackson something to do at last.
Callie found her game this week. Jealous that everyone is getting some action around her Callie plunges in and goes to seek carnal release. In a move reminiscent of watching a younger more carefree Callie move in on Mark, she shimmered onto the dance floor with a handsome and willing accomplice. Good on ya girl!
There was no April – Sarah Drew presumably looking after new baby and no Derek – Patrick Dempsey presumably driving a car somewhere. Did we miss them?
I missed April. I’m looking forward to the fall out of her loss when she returns.
I didn’t miss Derek and I’m disappointed by that. I want to miss him but the show
goes on happily without him.
The problem with filler episodes is that they give me too much time to think about the stuff the writers don’t want me to think about, the daily grind, like who the hell is looking after Sofia...and why are there no nurses in the ambulance bay, and didn’t Meredith talk to her kids at all over the weekend? These questions are really unimportant to the continuity of the show. They are day to day details that don’t concern the major stories. But give me time and head space to think during the filler and these are the things I start to concern myself with.
The Great Pretender was entertaining and fun. But let’s get on with things again shall we.
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