Meanwhile, the residents get their first lead surgeries, which ends with Derek and Meredith fighting in the O.R.!
Grey’s Anatomy began with a disclaimer: No Animals Were Harmed In The Production Of This Episode — so you know it’s going to be a special one.
After telling the attendings that the fifth year residents will be leading their first surgeries, Chief Webber steps down as chief, leaving Dr. Hunt to take his place. Everyone’s shocked and upset, but none more so than Bailey and Derek. Both are worried that Webber is sacrificing too much for Meredith. And hell, even Arizona and Teddy get in on the Meredith hate later on, which I have to say is getting old. No one hated Izzy this much when she STOLE A HEART. Meredith gave Alzheimer’s medicine to the Chief’s wife. In the world of Grey’s, what Meredith did isn’t that big of a deal. Let’s forgive, forget and move on, OK?
As for the residents, they are all shocked to hear about Webber, too, especially Cristina, who had no idea her husband was the new Chief of Surgery. But they get over their surprise quickly enough to make a wager on their surgeries — the doctor whose outcome is the worst has to teach all the intern skill labs for a month.
Meredith is clipping a brain aneurysm, Alex has a bowel resection, Avery a cleft-lip repair on a very adorable baby, April a meniscus repair which she ends up skipping to assist Alex and Cristina ends up with an appendectomy.
When Meredith explains to her patient the procedure, he and his wife ask her success rate. She replies that it’s her first, but Derek chivalrously chimes in to tell the couple that after the surgery, her success rate will be 100%. This is the last time I will like him in this episode. Shonda Rhimes, what are you doing to McDreamy?
(Oh and quick baby Zola update: no word from the social worker!)
As for the others, Alex basically treats his patient like crap, but we realize later, thanks to April, it’s because he’s nervous. (Although this makes no sense, as Alex has already performed a solo surgery before.) Arizona tells Avery that Dr. Sloan will be doing the surgery, because she doesn’t like the way he chose to do it.
And now for the animal-harming part. Before they hit the O.R., Alex practices on an obviously dead pig, which everyone tries to bogart to practice themselves. (It’s worth noting that this bovine was MUCH bigger than the one I dissected in AP Biology my senior year of high school. Much.)
Despite his best efforts and Dr. Webber’s complete confidence, Alex can’t save his patient’s bowel.
Avery, after showing Dr. Robbins his procedure on the pig, begins his surgery, but ultimately let’s Sloan do it after pressure from Arizona. (She’s really annoying me this year.)
Before she does her “appy,” as these docs call it, Cristina makes the interns tell her how to do it, because she has obviously forgotten. Unfortunately, Cristina can’t remember what they told her, and she stops dead during the surgery. Even worse, Teddy — who took away Cristina’s more complicated heart surgery to make her do this — can’t remember what to do either. Luckily, the nurse bails them out.
Meredith, on the other hand, has a successful aneurysm clipping but not before she argues with Derek in the operating room over the size of the clamp to use. (Meredith turned out to be right.) After she finishes, the other doctors and nurses in the room begin clapping. Derek joins in begrudgingly. This is killing me. Why destroy these two again?
The denouement occurs at the end of the day, back at Meredith’s. She wants to know if Derek is still in this relationship. Derek accuses Meredith of never accepting consequences and even throws the fact that she stole a baby in her face. (Come on, Derek, that was a low blow.)
Meredith wants to know that if he can’t trust her, why is he with her? He says because of the post-it and his promises. But she insists that he shouldn’t stay if it’s that bad.
Then comes Derek’s big “speech” of the night — which really didn’t do it for me, I’m sorry. It lacked the emotional impact I’m used to from him — or any of the characters on the show, frankly. But decide for yourself.
Derek: “I know you took her to protect her, I know you altered the trial for Adele and for Richard. You stood in front of a bullet for me. I know why you do all of it. That’s what I love about you.”
Meredith: “And what you hate about me.”
Derek: “Yeah.”
The conclusion? She takes herself off of Derek’s service to save their relationship. Oh silly Meredith. Don’t do that for McDouchey. (I assume she’s really doing it for Zola — if they ever get her back.)
Random extraneous thought: Is it just me or does Bailey REALLY suck this season, more so than Arizona? Is she not getting enough hot nurse loving or what?
What did you think of Grey’s, HollywoodLifers?
— Denise Warner
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