I know. I’m right up against the wire. But in my defense I had to re-watch twice to drum up the enthusiasm to write. It’s not that this episode was dull. It wasn’t. It was entertaining. But it was forgettable. Which is just not what you want of a penultimate episode.
We are almost there, season finale, and this down to the wire visit to Grey Sloan Memorial provided a teasing set up for the big finish. Though how much bigger than knocking off Derek can you get I don’t know. Time Stops stopped the mahoosive time jump as motion sickness abated and we start to move on from McDreamy. It was, and I know I’m now sounding boring in my praise, an enjoyable episode and barring the finale I can say categorically that this season of Grey’s has been wonderful....but more on that another day.
We pick up at the beginning of a new intern year as Arizona merrily enthuses about the arrival of the baby chicks and ducks triggering flashbacks to Richard giving the very same lecture x years ago. X = insert whatever number of ‘Grey’s’ years you’ve calculated have passed by. I’ve lost count. The chicks and ducks present themselves in the usual inept, clownish fashion familiar to us seasoned pseudo doctors. One particular chick announcing himself as a hero, leaping in like a swashbuckler only to be slammed down by the newly empowered Stephanie. And suddenly Stephanie gets interesting. Who saw that coming? Our new Errol Flynn, who could also be mistaken for a young Pierce Brosnan, comes fully laden with thick lush McDreamy hair and dashing Hollywood 1940’s looks. Okay, I’m dwelling on the new fella too much...I’ll move on.
...to the couples....
Let’s get something out the way, which is important to note. The couples are all in trouble. Meredith and Derek are no more. And will never be again. Richard and Catherine (is it a C or a K?) have broken up again. Seriously those two are worse than high school students. April and Jackson are drifting apart on account of April becoming a new super hero and Jackson being left on the shelf. Alex and Jo have spotted the biggest flaw in their relationship – he’s on the up and up and found some roots and she’s determined to get back in her car. By the way...did you know that Jo used to live in her car? No? Well she did. Or at least she tells us during every single episode, twice even in this episode, and I’m boring myself pointing it out. Where were we...oh yes...couples....Owen and Amelia, spent a year apart and are still looking at each other with dopey rejecting eyes. Callie and Arizona are living in separate domestic bliss only to find themselves finally in treatment cubicle together for the first time in what appears to be two years. Which leaves us with Ben and Bailey....the only couple currently enjoying the benefits of love. Don’t get comfortable Ben, after pontificating for a year on what to put in your living will I have an ominous feeling we may be seeing the fruits of that in the coming season – surely that was foreshadowing? So all but one couple is okay. What can they possibly do to us in the finale to make things worse?
Amelia finally had it out with Meredith. We all knew it was coming but let’s get this straight...it’s not about whether or not Amelia could save Derek. It’s not. Yes Amelia is a God when it comes to neuro surgery. The writers have taken care to build her to this status prior to killing off the previous God. This argument between Meredith and Amelia was about the fact that Amelia never got to say goodbye to her brother. Everything else is a smoke screen. And this is Meredith’s fault.
But really they are both right and they are both wrong because there is no right way of dealing with someone attached to a breathing machine with little brain function. If you’ve ever been in that situation you will know that every person reacts differently. Should Meredith have phoned Derek’s mother and sisters? Yes absolutely. Would it cross Meredith’s mind to do so? No. Her track record of family matters is woefully poor. She has no sense of ‘social convention’ when it comes to mothers and siblings. And who cares what Amelia thinks anyway. Mama Shepherd would surely be steaming mad at Meredith. However Mama Shepherd also understands Meredith and we have to as well. Grey’s always balances out these stories. Conflict between characters rarely lasts long and we are usually shown that both are at fault. I enjoyed seeing Meredith breakdown as Amelia left the room. Her grief was tangible as feelings of loss, let down and loneliness overwhelmed her. This is not the end of this particular drama, nor should it be. Derek was a pivotal person in Amelia’s life, let’s see her deal with this.
We knew that April would return from ‘war’ a changed woman. Her superwoman attack and clever direction and cinematography allowed us to see a powerful formidable woman at the end. She is no longer the wilting flower waiting to be asked to dance. This girl means business. I hope Sarah Drew is signed on for season twelve. This could be her best season yet.
Having already covered earthquakes, car crashes and plane crashes this season it’s not surprising that the writers just gave up on actually categorizing their latest disaster and just concluded that ‘something happened, there’s lots of dead people but also some alive people so let’s save them’. Okay, we did find out eventually but I didn’t need to know. What I know now however is that I’m not going to ever live in Seattle. That city is a disaster.
Episode 11.23, Time Stops was a functional enjoyable episode. But it confused and bothered me at the same time. I was really bothered when Richard claimed he owned the hospital – when did that happen? It also bothered me when Catherine started putting her nose into hospital business – hang on a minute, the board has been without three members for a year and now they’re back she’s suddenly sticking her oar in? It bothers me that Owen is all gung ho about the experimental technique and Jackson just moans about it. It is worth mentioning here that Kevin McKidd must surely be considering his options. He’s out of cycle with the cast on contract signing so if the seven year rule applies then this season finale could have him on a knife edge to leave. He signed on as a series regular during season 5.
Within an hour we’ll be through season finale. I predict it will be good but in order to live up to the season it needs to be bloody brilliant.
Here’s hoping.
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There is no title lol
ReplyDeletecorrected :)
ReplyDeleteThis is what happens when they kill Derek: Last minute Recaps of "Oh yes Another Episode", (sarcasm intended) as frankly I was late on responding last week.)
ReplyDeleteLet's see what the Lord of Dark and Twisty can help you with in this lighter than Dark and Twisty Recap.
To begin with looks a newest intern and sees resemblance to Derek as Stephanie is still looking for true love. At least this one is not 17. But the new guy knows his hair products just not his brain surgery yet.
An advantage of the year in a day is of course residents are now all 4th year and after hiatus expect that to be 5th year.Disadvantage is that Meredith's group got interns year 2, so they too are phoning things in as only Stephanie had interns and she did not know here 5 rules so she made up her own and they are not as funny.
As for Richard's speech it reminds me of season one and how I knew when I heard it one of the writers liked to steal from movies "Gross Anatomy" almost the same numbers and intent to scare off people.
Skipping over relationship stuff as all Grey's Anatomy relation ships should be expected to be channeling Nicholas Sparks, they all lead in to tragedy or death.
I do not see April as a changed woman but Jackson is a changed man, thanks to Derek dying.
Get used to the episodes being classified Before Crash(BC) and After Derek(AD), as it will happen that anything AD will reflect the change. The Ghost will cause Jackson to worry his wife will die on him.
As for Amelia cry me a river...did she ever tell Meredith about the call to the OR that morning where she actually got time to say goodbye to Derek? ...No. As some one who has pulled the plug the decision to do so lies squarely on one person. The notifications are dumb luck. You may have time to let the person say goodbye, you may not, you may get through, you may not, they may say no , they may change their minds, once you say pull the plug it is irrelevant. Some patients like Mark may live on for hours. Some patients like Derek will die instantly. If you wanted to say goodbye to them you should have done it while they were alive. Derek saw his family before returning to town so goodbyes said there. He last spoke to Amy so bye there. i saw this coming and wish I had not as it brings up all these memories but I will tell you the same thing I told the person who said "tell them you love them while they are breathing", it does not matter. That last goodbye is better spent trying to keep them alive. Had Amy told Derek to turn around and help her like she meant it he would not be dead now would he?
Now for your confusion: when the hospital was purchased Meredith, Derek, Lexie, Mark, Arizona, Christina invested at least 12 million dollars each. Richard invested 4 million, and the Harper Avery Foundation ponied up the rest, with each investor getting a board seat and the Avery foundation member would be Chairman.Nothing says who the Avery Member will be. Meredith has 2 votes as she represents both herself and Lexie, Derek had one vote now Meredith's as well; Callie via Sophia has Mark's vote, Arizona has a Vote, Richard has a vote, Christina's vote is crazy thing as apparently quitting loses her a vote as her proxy was not accepted or else Alex would have a vote and Christina's shares. They gave a vote to Bailey in her taking Christina's place but that was a crime. At any rate it looks like Meredith has enough votes to get whatever she wants from now on.
AND there is no way Grey's AD gets renewed so contracts be damned next season is it.
You sound rather tired of it all and a little bitter. There is no right way or wrong way of dealing with the situation that Meredith was in, there are just many ways. Your way is not better or worse than my way for example. I would've called his mother and given her the opportunity to visit. I would've called Amelia. Another person, you or Meredith would not. Neither way is better or worse depending on the person. Your rather black and white analysis of it is your experience but it is only your experience. I'm sorry you were in that position. THat must have been very difficult.
ReplyDeleteAnother way Meredith could've done it was to wait before pulling the plug to allow for his extended family to visit him. But as I say in my piece Meredith doesn't have that family 'gene' so it would not occur to her. Whether or not Amelia told her about a phone call is not relevant to the point about whether Meredith could've waited. She's admitted in the finale now that she forgot that she's Amelia's sister. That's the way she rolls. Not everyone rolls that way.
I didn't know or I'd forgotten that Richard put in money. I thought he got a seat on the board later on account of him being chief of the residency programme.
I simply don't agree with you. Your opinion is interesting, sad, but you fail to make allowances for other experiences and you appear to believe that your experience of events is the only one that is right.
ReplyDeleteI have three brothers. They are all married. If one of my sister-in-law's turned off the machines without allowing me or my parents the opportunity of visiting and saying goodbye even to someone who is unable to respond and effectively brain dead when the sister-in-law has time to do this as Meredith did I would be beside myself with anger. This is not about Amelia's ego, in the end that was her method of dealing. This is about a sister wanting to say goodbye to a brother.
Regarding ICU....
I don't agree with you that the rules regarding ICU's are fixed. In my deeply personal experience it is hospital specific and in these unpleasant situations where death is inevitable within a specific time doctors and nurses can be very generous with more flexible visiting and more people allowed.
Agreed, Except for the part where "That's simply how she rolls" is not a good enough excuse. Meredith may not have been all about family, but Derek was close to his. And, unless he's estranged from his mom (maybe not even then), you simply don't pull the plug without calling her, period! How complicated would it have been to show a one-sided phone conversation and some shadowy person who looked like Derek's mom on the other end while "Chasing Cars" played? It was a very thoughtless way to compose the situation. He's not Charles Percy, he's Derek Shepherd! We've known him, about his family, for 11 seasons! Yes, Mer's the wife, and she gets to make the final call, no one's disputing that- But a sixty/seventy something woman lost her only son! And no one told her! Borderline sociopathic!
ReplyDelete"It was a very thoughtless way to compose the situation." agree and I can't help thinking this is linked to Shonda's feelings about Derek exiting (as I point out in the finale review which is sheduled to be posted in a few minutes).
ReplyDeleteYou still talk a lot about systems and processes and fail to recognise that behind all of this are humans with emotions. All over the country, world even, systems and processes are changed, flouted, broken, overruled to account for empathy, compassion and love. Meredith's turning off the machines had to do with Meredith. It had nothing to do with any pain Derek might be feeling and that's okay by me because it fit with her character.
ReplyDeleteShonda chose to exclude Derek's family, including Amelia, for one reason only...to get rid of Patrick Dempsey as quickly and efficiently as possible.
I thought this topic had passed but it seems not. You are wrong and in a world such as we live in I recommend you do not employ your standards when you go to the hospital, and never tell a widow she pulled the plug too soon. As one who has begged pleaded and howled for all to hear to try and not pull that plug so fast, the hassle is not worth the effort, especially when the person(s) do not care to show. Doctors will call security and then in terse manner explain in unvarnished terms they can not ignore the rules and keep their licenses and in the end Insurance will not pay for the delay so you best have 10,000 dollars a day to pay for that ICU room.
ReplyDeleteAs for everyone blaming Shondra Rhimes for writing Dempsey out this way. I would not say it was quick. Watch the final scene of episode one of this season and look at how the final scene of the show connects. Derek was dead back in August they simply did not do a post mortem for 19 more episodes and then they kept digging up his corpse until the season end.
Personally thinking this was all about Patrick wanting out for money reasons. He had no prenup and as such his wife would get half his contract. Pompeo signed her contact at roughly the same time as Dempsey to keep the show running. Any hostilities there are most likely over betrayal of trust. Patrick and his wife were estranged for months before the divorce. The divorce was announced in November as irreconcilable differences with no mention of infidelity and no names listed to testify. If Shondra wanted to be efficient about it, she leaves him in Washington. Show ends and 100,000 petitioners do not complain. She never had to kill him. Killing him looks like a courtesy call. They are born on the same day and still chat on occasion. Not as unfriendly as people think.