By Michelle Lerner
The problem with two-part cliffhanger extravaganzas is that the second part rarely lives up to the first. Ending on a high note means you are surely bound to disappoint in the tying up of loose ends. LOST practically exists on leaving the audience hanging, only to frustrate us with its ever stranger, more reaching answers. HEROES has destroyed almost all of its credibility by trying to explain what we don’t even want explained.
Those shows live in the realm of the fantastic and the impossible. But shows that live a more realistic world are not immune from cliff-hanger disorder. GREY’S ANATOMY’s answers to the excellently asked questions are complete duds. It takes all the flaws of the first part; the over plotting, the over talking, the over complication, and expands on them, without finding the twists and turns, and surprises, that those of us who enjoy medical dramas so enjoy.
When the chemistry is right on GREY’S, the show is perhaps the most addictive on T.V. But when its charm fails, it becomes a hokey mess. At one point in this episode, when the wife of a dead paramedic who wants to go home is being cajoled by Meredith Grey to stay around, and be there for his partner, the wife actually says “my husband is dead. Dead.” Whenever one is forced to repeat a word like that you know you are in precarious emotional territory. I sighed, and tried to buckle down for more ridiculous melodrama. I was not disappointed. The wife sticks around, and actually says, “I’m here, I’m here,” when the partner wakes up, beaming beatifically.
The whole episode felt as though the writers, after writing themselves into an emotional crest, looked down from their heights, got scared of where they were, and crashed to earth. Karev gets in trouble for having Eva/Rebecca at the hospital, but we don’t see it. Instead we get him telling Eva/Rebecca off for playing a role. Who cares? It’s a sexy role! We see Meredith not once but twice tell Derek that she wants him to only see her- even though she’s scared, she’s trying, because she needs him. The second time we see this sweet scene, we’re meant to feel poignantly about it, since we know that Derek has shared a kiss with the nurse known as Rose. But the kiss is so odd- it takes place after surgery in the washing out room- that it feels like kiss between two kids at a high school dance. I couldn’t decide if it was sexy or icky. I find Rose to be kind of annoying in her pertness. Her whole “my voice shakes because I’m an imperfect human being,” is I think, a subtle knock at Meredith by the writers, but it’s just obnoxious. I also couldn’t help but feel sorry for Rose’s obvious beard burn from McDreamy’s weird nibble kiss.
Izzy is shaken after a woman yells at her for not updating her about her husband’s condition. This leads her to somehow realize she and George are not meant to be. Not sure about the logic there, but I am frankly relieved. George believes that it’s not a matter of chemistry but timing, but I respectfully beg to differ. Katherine Heigl had way more sparks with Seth Rogen in KNOCKED UP. And that was pretty fanciful too. Izzy and George have the chemistry of a rock and a hard place.
The biggest let down of the episode was watching Bailey’s marriage fall apart. They really shouldn’t have touched it to begin with. And having touched it, the writers could at least have shown a little respect for her, their workhorse character. Instead, they involve her and her husband in a ridiculous back and forth using George as a mouthpiece. It ends with Bailey’s husband leaving the hospital without seeing her. What an undignified way to treat a very cool character! You can see the actors aren’t sure how to play the scenes- for comedy or for drama. Instead of feeling sorry for Bailey, I felt awkward for Chandra Wilson.
The bright moments of the episode were fleeting. One came when Hahn, after abusing Sloane all day, asks him and Torres very humbly if they will get a drink with her after work. The second comes when Christina brings Lexie back to Merediths, and the sisters for once get along. They dance and drink, and after sitting through the episode, I could use a dance and a drink too.