Take The Lead Season 8-3 - Grey's Anatomy Postmortem

Solo Surgeries and Competition Thrive on Grey's Anatomy

Meredith narrates: “You work, you study, you prepare. Months and years leading to one day, the day when you step up. On that day you have to be ready for everything, but there's one thing you can never quite prepare for. A day when you step down.”

The surgical residents rotate in as lead surgeons for the first time in this latest episode of Grey's. Competition thrives when Meredith suggests that the resident with the worst outcome of the day gets to teach skills labs for a month. No-one is keen to teach interns in the skills lab, so it seems like a good idea, although April does not seem to agree that it is such a hot idea. Is she crazy? This is the reason I am not happy with this character in the role of Chief resident. She should know that to get the residents on her side that she should be giving them what they want.

 

It was clear from the beginning that Meredith would rock her surgery, despite her doubting moments mostly because of Derek still behaving like an ass and Dr Webber's concern about Meredith and Derek not communicating. Meredith had one of the most difficult surgeries of the group, clipping an aneurysm in someone's brain can't be easy. Cristina's heart surgery probably ran a close second. Jackson had a cleft palate surgery on a young child, Alex had a bowel re-section and April had a knee replacement.

April was unable to perform her first solo surgery because she was unable to find a junior resident or intern to assist on Alex's sugery and has to do it herself. I question this because she was teaching a skills lab full of interns; surely one intern could have missed the skills lab to scrub in with Alex. In-fact Alex ordered April to do everything regarding his patient, but stopped short of getting her to do the procedure for him. He was meant to be operating on a kid, however he switched out of nervousness, because he knew he was too nervous to be operating on a kid. In the end the bowel patient had way too much damage and Alex was forced to close him up and let him go. April told him that he had done everythingcould do and that the patient's family may not understand, but she did. This was a nice side of April, but certainly not Chief resident material. It felt like the writers are setting us up for an April/Alex romance.

 

Jackson think he's all that

Jackson is taken down a peg or too by Arizona, and in the end manages to let Arizona psyche him into agreeing to let Mark Sloan do the procedure. I had a feeling this "Gunther" thing would only last a week. Arizona could see that Jackson was in over his head, but Jackson çouldn't. Clearly when Jackson hands the procedure to his attending, he knew it too; just in time. I am not a Jackson Avery fan; so I was pretty hay to see Arizona taking him down and it felt deserved too, given the way he rudely turned his back on her while she was talking to him, even complimenting him. Arrogant yes; a great surgeon; well that remains to be seen.

OR 3; I Love OR 3.


Cristina's surgery was an absolute hoot. Her patient ended up presenting over-night with symptoms of appendicitis, which her interns did not diagnose because even though the patient complained of stomach pain, not one of them examined her abdomen. Cristina lectures them and send the patient to CT. Appendicitis is diagnosed and Cristina is keen to refer the patient to General surgery for the appy, however Teddy insists Cristina does the surgery, reminding Cristina that it's good to go back to the basics. Problem is Cristina does not remember all the steps to performing an appendectomy. Cristina knows she can rock a valve replacement, which is what she was originally doing, but an appy. She tracks down the interns in the skills lab and has them go over the procedure with her, however none of them can finish telling her all the steps and so in the OR later on Cristina gets stuck halfway through the procedure and yells at Teddy to shut up, please! A nurse has to instruct them how to finish, because Teddy can't remember either. This scene was so hilarious and I think Teddy and Cristina are going to be really good together this season and funny.

"Your What?" Meredith asks referring to April's office

Owen and Cristina are a different story however; they have many things to discuss and they are not talking. What is it with these Grey's couples and their inability to communicate to each other.


Derek and Meredith aren't really talking either, although Meredith is trying, Derek is snappy and dismissive towards her. Seriously? Does he really think what happened is all her fault? While the food poisoning delayed Owen and Cristina having to talk, it was clear that Owen was planning to have a discussion. Did anyone else pick up on that? And then he threw up and that was that. Derek on the other hand behaved like an ass the entire day. At home Meredith insists they discuss it, Derek is worried he'll say things he can't take back. Meredith tells him to say it anyway. The only hope I saw in this argument was when Derek pointed at the "post it" and yelled at Meredith "Because I meant that, I promised I wouldn't run." My problem with Derek is that he is not being honest with his feelings. Saying that he does not trust Meredith at work is not enough, but at least they were able to come to some kind of compromise. Although I am not sure Derek should expect Meredith to compromise her career no matter how terrible her actions were. He knows his wife, he knows her surgical career means the world to her, however Meredith has also now become a mother, and that to her is just as important. So perhaps it is okay that she gives up neuro and moves onto another specialty. Because that's what this means. Meredith being off Dereks service means giving up on Neuro. Obivously if you are going for a neuro fellowship, you're not going to study under someone else if Derek Shepherd is in the same hospital. So make no mistake, this is definitely a sacrifice for Meredith.

I Lost Zola too (or did you forget that Derek?) 

Meredith did rock her surgery. She was calm and composed whilst explaining the procedure to her patient and honest when the patient asked how many she had done. Derek walked into the room and backed Meredith up saying she is the best they have and he will be there the whole time. Meredith thanked him and then asked if he had heard about Zola, he replied "No, Have you?" Meredith said, "No, I'll call again." Derek then snaps at her not to call, that they have called too much. It is then that Meredith asks, "What do you want to do if we don't get Zola back, do you want to stay together?" Derek again dismissively answers "We have surgery, let just focus on that!" No shit Derek; is what I would have said. In the OR Meredith is preparing to clip the aneurysm and pick up an angled 7mm clip, Derek says "No, use a straight one." Meredith refuses and proceeds to use the clip she has chosen saying "I'm looking right at it Derek." She proceeds to insert the clip and announces that it's holding, she then does what is called the matador move to check blood flow and it appears it is successful. After the surgery she is closing up the patients scalp, the scrub nurses and anethesiologist start clapping, Derek reluctantly joins in and Meredith rolls her eyes. I just love the eye acting on this show. Given her success in the OR, Derek really has no reason to not trust her at work, given that he knows she altered the trial for Adele and Richard. I still believe that if Alex had not spilled the beans, the writers would have gone with her fessing up the truth to Derek in the end anyway.

 Meredith; the Rock Star Surgeon





Chief Webber announces that he is stepping down as Chief of Surgery, news that upsets Bailey even more, and she make it her day's work to annoy Owen Hunt who is chosen to take Webber's place. I'm afraid we are not going to see a happy Bailey for some time. But I did hear a rumour that Ben is returning. I hope so because Bailey and Ben were good together.

Not a Happy Bailey, when is Ben coming back?

So another solid episode of Grey's. Shonda and her team are really putting their best feet forward this season. Next week we have a special episode focussing on the men of Grey's. should be interesting.

Meredith narrates: “Sometimes it happens in an instant. We step up, we see a path forward. We see a path and we take it, even when we have no idea where we're going.”

To read more about Grey's Anatomy, Please visit me at http://janelle-coulton.suite101.com/

Photos from http://tvfanatic.com/

Copyright © 2012 Janelle Coulton

Upcoming US Grey's Anatomy Events

So Grey's Anatomy is off on hiatus again in the US. ABC won't be showing a new episode until the 15 March 2012. See schedule of events below.

MARCH

MAR 8 | Grey's Anatomy: Repeat

MAR 15 | Grey's Anatomy: 8.17 One Step Too Far

MAR 18 | The Songs Beneath The Show - Grey's Anatomy Event

MAR 22 | Grey's Anatomy: 8.18 The Lion Sleeps Tonight

MAR 29 | Grey's Anatomy: Repeat 8.19 Heart Of A Child

APRIL

APR 5 | Grey's Anatomy:

Information courtesy of http://sandraohnews.com/






With eight episodes left in this season it is assumed Grey's will be wrapped up for another season sometime in May or June and yet still no word on who's staying and who's going. One wonder how on earth Shonda Rhimes, Creator of the show will end the season. The mind boggles.

It is hoped that we will have an answer soon; simply because it would be nice to give the characters that are not staying some kind of closure with their storylines. Hopefully they will all be staying, at least for another season if not longer.






To read more about Grey's Anatomy, Please visit me at http://janelle-coulton.suite101.com/

Picture courtesy of http://tvfanatic.com/



Copyright © 2012 Janelle Coulton

Grey's Anatomy Stars' Sing Live At Concert in LA

Grey's Anatomy - Live Show March 2012

Meet and greet the stars from Grey’s Anatomy at a live concert in LA when they perform songs from the famous TV show in front of a live audience.

Recently on Sandra Oh News a report was published that the Grey’s Anatomy cast will perform at Royce Hall; at the UCLA campus in Los Angeles, eleven cast members will sing songs from the show.

Songs Beneath the Show

The upcoming concert will feature: Sandra Oh, Jessica Capshaw, Justin Chambers, Eric Dane, Chyler Leigh, Kevin McKidd, Sarah Drew, James Pickens Jnr, Sara Ramirez, Kim Raver and Chandra Wilson. This special event which has been titled 'Songs Beneath the Show' will occur on March 18, 2012 at 8pm. Tickets are available from $55 up to $250 for a special VIP ticket which entitles the holder to meet and greet with the stars of Grey’s Anatomy.

This upcoming event will raise funds for the Actor’s Fund. The Actors will perform songs from the musical episode of last season and other tunes from the Grey’s Anatomy book of song. The evening will examine how music has been an integral part of telling the stories on the show. It will also provide fans with a rare glimpse behind the scenes and the mechanics of how the show is put together.

Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey Not Singing

No mention has been made of whether Ellen or Patrick will attend this special event however, as they are not included in the list of actors which was posted on Sandra Oh News it is assumed that they will not be attending or singing. It’s no surprise that Patrick will not be singing with the cast; given he refused to sing when filming the 'Musical' episode last season. It is assumed by many fans that Patrick either cannot sing or does not like to.

However; Ellen Pompeo stated last year that she loves to sing and she really enjoyed making the 'Musical' episode and told Shonda Rhimes that she wanted to sing more. So it is surprising that she will not be there on March 18. Perhaps Ellen has other engagements, she certainly seems like a very busy woman.

This event would be worth attending simply to witness the talent of Sara Ramirez and Chandra Wilson, not to mention Chyler Leigh whose singing blew many fans away. However, the actress I would want to meet would be Sandra Oh. She may not have sung in the 'Musical' episode, (I can't remember if she did) but she is the most talented actress to come out of Grey's Anatomy, possibly because she gets the best material written for her; as an actress, she is blows me away every episode.

Tickets Went on Sale 15 February 2012

Tickets to this event will no doubt sell out rather quickly, so if you live in the Los Angeles area and would like to see this event, tickets can be purchased by e-mailing: mthomas@actorsfund.org or online at Ticketmaster. You can also reserve tickets by calling 310 825 2101.

Sources:

UCLA Live.org/Royce Hall

Sandra Oh News

Playbill.com

To read more about Grey's Anatomy, Please visit me at http://janelle-coulton.suite101.com/


Copyright © 2012 Janelle Coulton

Grey's Anatomy "She's Gone!" Season 8-2 Postmortem

Zola is Gone


Well, given that the last time we saw Grey's Anatomy, Meredith took Zola to "Lord" knows where? It is not really surprising that social services took Zola away. However, there was a lot more to it than that. Derek and Meredith are barely speaking, Meredith has disappeared off the grid. The Hospital board fired Meredith for tampering with Derek's alzhiemer's trial. All the comfort Derek could offer was "What did you think would happen?" Nice; Derek real nice! and things don't get any better with Derek and Meredith in this episode either. Yes, I know, I've kind of skipped to the end, but that's really the moment of "She's Gone" that will probably stick in everyone's mind until next week, especially the scene at the end between Meredith and Alex. Everytime I watch that scene it brings me to tears.

Derek is so unattractive when he's being McAngry

Anyway when Meredith finally does turn up it is in an exam room with Zola and Alex, where Alex is pretending to give the baby a medical examination. Cristina brings Derek and Janet, the social worker to find them in the exam room. Alex rattles off a whole bunch of reasons why he called Meredith in with the baby, including blood tests regarding the baby's spida bifida condition and the shunt that Derek put in last season. Derek covers for Meredith by confirming the need for blood tests and when Janet leaves the room, he interrogates Meredith. The social worker is on the phone trying to keep Zola with Derek and Meredith however she fails and the agency choose to place Zola with another family until the placement can be re-evaluated. Derek storms off in his angry place once again and alex hangs around to comfort Meredith.

Meredith Says Goodbye

The Gunther

Bailey and Callie get the "Gunther" started and as predicted, none of the residents could agree on where to start. The patient Bailey chose was the woman whose husband had to amputate her leg. As well as those injuries, this woman has obvious internal injuries. After what seems forever they get her to the OR, but still can't agree on where to start. Cristina takes over and slices open the woman's chest as it is obvious to Cristina that the patient has cardiac trauma. As Cristina begins to work on the patient's heart, the patient goes into cardiac arrest and Cristina calls for paddles to shock her. When this doesn't work she calls for one of eppy, and instructs Alex to massage the heart, as Cristina jobs the eppy into the patients heart she accidentally stabs Alex in the hand; Alex yells and is stunned for a few seconds, he then collapses to the floor. Cristina is on floor yelling "What Just happened." it seems as though Alex has now gone into cardiac arrest. Cristina shocks Alex's heart with the paddles and he wakes up yelling. "You crazy bitch, you almost killed me!" Talk about fall off the couch laughing, that was the funniest scene I've seen in a while.

Callie and Bailey hoping the residents find their groove soon



Jackson is the Gunther, Surprise! Surprise!

And meanwhile whilst this is all going on Jackson Avery steps in and takes over and he along with April's help end up finishing the surgery. Bailey and Teddy try to step in, however Jackson tells them he has it and that could they please not get in the way. When Teddy questions Cristina about Alex, Cristina trys to make an excuse regarding the eppy revealing a heart condition Alex never knew about, but she comes clean and says "I was moving too fast and I made a mistake." Teddy quips back with "Ya Think?" I loved it, and stay tuned guys because these two are really entertaining this season. They have some great scenes together. Dont miss "Take the Lead" next week; their scenes together are awesome.

Cristina then runs off to answer a strange page she has received from Meredith who is in a very odd location with Baby Zola. When Meredith says to Cristina that she thinks she stole a baby, Cristina says no you didn't, she's your baby. She tells Meredith that she will fix it and arranges for Alex to meet Meredith in an exam room with the baby. Not before Alex yells at her again, telling her she has to forgive him. That was funny too. At least the three originals are friends again.

"The level of insanity in my wife's behaviour defies imagination." Really Derek?

Derek spends the majority of the afternoon fixated on where Meredith has run off to with Zola. So much that he is unable to focus on anything, including talking to patient about his son's injuries, they are half-way through a conversation and Derek rudely leaves the room. Arizona apologizes to the patient and helps him into a wheelchair so he can see his son. Unfortunately we are going to see this side of Derek for quite a while yet. It's funny, it's almost as if the writers want us to dislike him, so as to prepare for Patrick Dempsey possibly not being on Grey's Anatomy next season. Could that be possible? Actually given that contract negotiations are happening and Patrick has gone public with his wishes to stay on Grey's providing the network and creators find a way work within Patrick's racing schedule. And Ellen Pompeo looks like staying. She is over the moon at how much the fans want the show to continue, and she has always said she will stay if that's what the fan's want. So I'm confident that Patrick and Ellen will be there for Season 9.

Yang Checks Alex's Heart with EKG



After all the excitement of the Gunther and Alex has done his favour for Meredith and Derek, Cristina takes him off the run the EKG to make sure all is okay with his heart. These two have made up in their own way, and it was good to see.

Henry turns up in the ER much to Teddy surprise and delight and announces that Chief Webber is going to put the thing in him; meaning he is getting his eyelet cell device for his diabetes. Seems strange that the Chief has called Henry in two weeks early, but I knew from the moment he started hounding Bailey to come watch Henry's surgery that he was up to something. All Henry's tests are run and everything comes back fine, and he is off to the OR. The Chief hands the sterile bowl to Bailey and tells her to place the device. She is shocked, and argues with him but she does it. He then goes to the chairman of the board and tells him the Meredith did not mess with the trial, that he altered the drugs and placebos in the alzhiemers trial, and Meredith covered for him. Meredith gets her job back.

Chief Webber calls Henry in for the Diabetes Trial Surgery

I did not like this story at first, it seemed like a cop out to get her, her job back. But later on I figured the Chief obviously blames himself, and he did put pressure on both her and Derek to put Adele in the trial in the first place. But if that happened in real life, Meredith would be in real danger of going to jail. Obviously it's fiction, I get that. I just would have appreciated some realism here. But I like the Chief's father attitude towards Meredith, he is the Dad she never had and I think it's nice. Meredith will never find closeness with Thatcher Grey, so Chief Webber is the closest to a Dad that she will ever get.

Alex Comforts Meredith, After Derek has Angrily Walked Away

Cristina and Owen Get the Abortion

And to finish up this blog; I must say a few words about Cristina and Owen's situation at the end of "She's Gone" Owen accompanying Cristina to get the abortion sure surprised me, and this story will play out for most of the season folks. The tension and anxiety that it creates in Cristina and Owen's marriage slowly seeps through the cracks in just about every episode leading up until the one where Owen explodes, just be warned; Shonda is ripping the band aid off this one as slowly as possible. If you think Shonda is dragging out Meredith and Derek not being on good terms as yet, well you ain't seen nothing yet. Derek is McAss for a bit longer and I'm not sure if Cristina and Owen's marriage will survive.

I so hope that Sandra Oh renews her contract, as she is definitely the best acting talent on Grey's. Some of the scenes you will see her play in the coming episodes are the probably some of her best work. She is awesome.

Highlights: Cristina and Alex in the OR, "You Crazy Bitch! You almost killed me!"

Lowlights: April as Chief resident. It's not working for me, However Sarah Drew is capable of Great comedy acting and I think they should "Bring it!"

Stay tuned!        

To read more about Grey's Anatomy visit me at Janelle Coulton Suite 101

Copyright © 2012 Janelle Coulton

"Free Falling" Australian 2012 Premiere of Grey's Anatomy - Postmortem

On Thursday night, Feb 9, 2012 at 8.30pm Grey's Anatomy returned to Australian TV screens in a single episode premiere. Not a double feature like everyone else was treated to on Grey's return to TV in the US and Canada; nope. Unfortunately Australian viewers will have to wait until next week to see what happens with Meredith, Cristina, Alex and all our other favourite medicos at Seattle Grace hospital.




In any case having watched this episode fifty something times; okay that's not quite right but you get my drift; I am a die hard fan and I have watched all the DVDs at least ten times. Anyway this was a solid episode and strong enough to stand on it's own merit, just as "With You I'm Born Again" did last year. Normally when Grey's Anatomy returns, viewers get a double premiere, however last year in Season 7 nobody got the double feature, however in the US this year fans did get a double and Australian fans missed out.










Anyway enough bitching about that, let's review the episode and discuss what I loved and what I hated about it. To tell you the truth there was not much to hate. It was a great episode of Grey's. There were a few editing mistakes which I caught after watching it through a second time, but nothing too bad. I've seen worse. When they tried to cover up Jessica Capshaw's pregnant belly in Season 7; they failed dismally, there were several messed up shots where they did not cover her baby bump. However "Free Falling" was a pretty awesome return for Grey's.






The sinkhole was one of this best medical emergency drama events I've seen on Grey's and the man who had to cut off his wife's leg....awesome. How terrible would that be. Can you imagine it? The sinkhole also turned out to be life imitating art or vice versa. Meredith and Derek's marriage is in trouble, Cristina and Owen are in trouble, Alex is hated by everyone. Seems like everybody's lives are going down the drain. So the sinkhole and the references to standing on solid ground were aptly used. Shonda and her writers never cease to amaze me with the disasters and medical cases they manage to come up with for the purpose of our actors being the amazing doctors they are supposed to be. The good old days of writing a medical case that fits in with the characters live, hopes and dreams is back. That is a formula that Grey's had lost in recent seasons, however it's back and I am so glad, because it works


Meredith getting fired had to be the shocker of the episode, not a surprise because we saw it in the previews, but shocker in the sense of "what the Heck is she gonna do now." Cristina's reaction is to bash the crap out of Alex Karev, and yell "Äre you Happy Now!" That had to be the funnist scene and what was even funnier was April could not separate them, Bailey had to grab Cristina and pull her away from Alex, and Alex (ignoring April, his Chief resident) gets into and ambulance and goes to the scene of the sinkhole to hideout and see if anyone needs help.


April is not chief resident material and never will be in my opinion. I dont see her as having stepped up either and I watch episode 14 last night and April is nowhere near what Dr Bailey was as Chief resident. And No; I do not expect her to be Bailey, but she whines and I can't stand whiners. Apart from that I like her, I think she can be funny and I feel Sarah Drew who portrays April has the ability to bring the funny. April Kepner has grown on me, I like her more now than I did in Season 6. I had little time for her then, but she has changed since her huge crush on McDreamy. Who else cracked up laughing when April yelled "I am your chief resident, you have to do what I say."

No-one is listening to April

Anyway moving on: no sooner does Alex get to the sinkhole site, Callie orders him back to the hospital, telling him; "It sucks that everyone hates you, but you can't hide out here." On his way to find a rig that is heading back he finds a young boy trapped under the dirt. Alex calls for help and with Owen's help they dig the boy out. They get him breathing again, release the pressure in his arms by slicing them.....ouch! And transport him back to hospital and straight into surgery. Alex save this kid's life in the OR, while Derek Shepherd fixes the boy's spinal injuries.

Derek and Owen Still Sulking

Derek is very preoccupied with his anger at Meredith. When she breaks the news about getting fired, his response is "What did you think would happen?" and walks away. Later on Meredith is in the resident's lounge packing her stuff, still trying to come up with a plan. Derek confronts her about Janet the social worker. Meredith had bumped into her earlier and Janet looked suspicious when they daycare worker asked who was picking up Zola. Meredith said nothing except that her and Derek take turns in picking her up. Meredith says "I'll talk to her." and Derek snaps "No! You've said enough. I'll talk to her." He turns away and leaves. Hmmmm, yes McDreamy, you really think Meredith is to blame for this? Derek chose to hide out at the woods in his half built house. He broke the post it vows. So I'm pretty angry at his attitude; not to mention his attitude in future episodes. This angry side of Derek is here to stay for a while I'm afraid, but it does get better. Shonda will not split these two up.

"We'll figure something out." Cristina says, Meredith is

pondering this as she walks inside

As for Cristina and Owen, you will have to stay tuned as I don't know. They will come to a decision in the next episode and you're going to see Owen and Cristina go through a lot of drama in episodes to come. Cristina and Teddy are back on speaking terms. Teddy has decided to be positive and this leads to her telling Cristina that she's in a happy place and would like to teach if Cristina wants to learn. Cristina ends up getting a lesson in going back to the basics, and does not like it at all. So she spends most of the day trying to get free of Teddy, and these scenes really bring the funny back to Grey's. When Bailey pages Cristina 911, and all the other residents to have them do a Gunther, Cristina gets to escape for a bit; but what happens next teaches Cristina a valuable lesson. If you're wondering what a Gunther is, you'll have to watch "She's Gone" on Thurs, Feb 16, 2012.






Lastly I will say that it was good to see Callie and Arizona in a good place and no Mark anywhere in sight. Mark was too busy giving Jackson a hard time. However Mark has released that he would like to pass on his knowledge and we will see this side of Mark in coming episodes too, which is good. It's nice to see there's more to Mark than being a Man-whore. If you are wondering about Lexie, dón't expect to see much of her in coming episodes; apparently the actress had some time off recently. However, we could have done without the sex scene with her and Jackson, I don't like this couple....I wish she would go back with Mark. So there's my rant. Hope you enjoyed it and stay tuned for my postmortem on episode 2 - "She's Gone."



Best Quote: Probably Meredith's speech to Owen about Cristina's decision about children.



Best Scene: Cristina and Meredith outside the nursery when Cristina explains to Meredith that she does not want kids and she wishes Owen would get it and show up for her.



Funniest Scene: The fight between Alex and Cristina




To read more gossip on Grey's Anatomy and to get spoilers on the latest episodes please visit me at Janelle Coulton Suite101




Copyright © 2012 Janelle Coulton.

Season 7's 'White Wedding' - Fans Were Treated to Two Weddings

Last year I blogged about this wedding, however I kept the information to a minimum and the photos as I did not wish to ruin it for people living in countries that had not seen the episode. However I think fans are wishing Shonda and her crew had cut down on the amount of stories they told in this episode.

Callie and Arizona's Wedding

There were actually two weddings in this episode, Callie and Arizona's traditional white wedding, both ladies looking absolutely beautiful. The wedding was planned to take place in a lovely old church with a minister as Callie is very much catholic, she moved heaven and earth so to speak to find a minister who would marry them. She also had an exact copy of the same veil made that her mother wore on her wedding day.

At the beginning of the episode Callie and Arizona are sitting down to dinner with their respective parents. It is obvious from the start that Callie's mother has a problem with the life her daughter has chosen. How could you not want to hold your grandbaby? Oh dear; problem brewing here. Callie's father could not get enough of his grandchild, and neither could Arizona's parents. The only person not on board with their wedding, and prospective life together and their baby Sofia was Callie's mother. And it came out later on that Callie's mum was a lawyer and her secretary was gay. It took awhile for Callie's father to get on board and I would have hoped that her mother would have been supportive too, but it was not to be and I felt really sorry for Callie.

Callie shows her Mother the veil she had made

Callie almost died a few months earlier in that horrible car crash. Where in the heck was her judgemental mother then? Where in the heck were any of them for that matter? Why were they not there in "It's a Long Way Back?" That they showed up for the wedding and the fact that Callie and the baby almost died was not even talked about. Parents are meant to show up for their children, especially when one of them almost dies. This story did not sit well with me.


Then to make matters worse, the minister's wife gets into a car accident and he cannot make the wedding which upsets Callie; for her it is the final straw. "There's not going to be a wedding" is what she says on finding out about the minister. Fortunately help arrives in the shape of Bailey who gives Callie a huge speech about commitment to the person you love and God and the law don't matter. They move the ceremony outdoors, and Bailey officiates.

Callie and Arizona Say "I Do."

Meredith and Derek's Wedding

Derek and Meredith tie the knot at City Hall. Recently Derek and Meredith discussed adopting six month old Zola from Africa, whom Alex had arranged to come to Seattle Grace for a much needed surgery. Apparently for Derek and Meredith to be successful in adopting this baby, they needed to get married. Perhaps this had something to do with the overseas adoption process, however I thought it was lame, because single people adopt and gay couples do too. In any case, a quickie wedding appointment was made at City Hall where Derek and Meredith made it official.


Their ceremony took place at the same time as Callie and Arizona's. While MerDer fans are over the moon that their favourite couple have made their union legal; the post it wedding will always hold the sentiment in most of our hearts. That day in the residents lounge will stay in my memory forever and when Derek and Meredith fall on hard times, it will be the 'post it' they refer to. And fans will see this happen in Season 8.

Meredith and Derek go back to the hospital on their way to Callie and Arizona's wedding reception to visit Zola. They don't make it to the wedding in the end as they can't tear themselves away from the beautiful baby that could be their daughter. Derek cuddling Zola was one of the cutest scenes we've seen in a long time. The chemistry between Patrick and the baby is awesome. I could watch it all day.



Derek and Meredith make it Official at last

Arizona and Callie fans claimed they would have loved to see more of the wedding and that the episode contained too many stories. The African children that Alex Karev brought over for much needed surgeries arc took up way too much of the episode. Then we had April's drama with Dr Stark (who I won't be sorry to see go). And then we had Meredith's dramas with the adoption social worker and freaking out about Alex opening his mouth to Derek about the Alzhiemers trial.

This, to me as a long time fan was disappointing. Alex and the African children was a genius storyline and showed us the softer side of Alex even if his motives are about winning Chief resident. It's like Arizona says in episode 14, "I'll teach him to be less of an ass, but I don't have to teach him how to care." So it was frustrating that we did not get to see more of this story arc because it was great an could have been developed further. Many fans felt as though the last three episodes were overloaded with too many story arcs. Perhaps Shonda Rhimes should have stuck with the usual plan of writing twenty-four episodes instead of only twenty-two. Obviously there was a good reason for this, perhaps the network had other commitments and Shonda wasn't informed early enough, so quite a few ongoing story arcs had to be crammed into the final few episodes. The scripts are written way in advance and Shonda usually always pitches the end of the season before she even starts writing the beginning.




Unfortunatley the wedding of Callie and Arizona was not enough for the die hard Calzona fans, especially after all these two wonderful women went through to get to their happy day. It's true that less is more, but there was not enough. It all seemed rushed. And in the final two episodes we barely see Arizona and Callie together, it's as if we are to assume that they are happy, giddy newly wedded brides. Calzona fans would have loved seeing that happiness, especially after all they went through in the past year.

                                             

     Arizona returns from Africa

The reason for this was obviously was to set up the finale, which will concentrate on the loves and lives of the three originals: Meredith, Cristina and Alex. Because next season is when their contracts expire, the focus will be placed on these characters in Season 8.


To read more about Grey's Anatomy visit Janelle Coulton at Suite101

Copyright 2011; Janelle Coulton.