(S03E15) As Al Bundy used to say, "Great Lucifer's ghost!"
This is going to be a pretty intense arc, isn't it? Sandwiched in between a ferry wreck and lots of oddball traumas are the interpersonal issues of the entire SGH staff. Oh, and water. Lots and lots of water.
Who knew that, when Meredith made like she was drowning herself in the tub at the beginning of the episode that it was going to foreshadow the end? I mean, I thought that it was Mer just being overly melodramatic. She had just gone through the whole "Mom is lucid" drama, and she still had to go see her mom go through heart surgery. But Mer likes to do things that are all "dark and twisty" like make like she's drowning. Now, as we found out quite suddenly at the end, she's getting her wish at the worst possible moment. More on this later.
This episode is a little easier to review than the non-event ones. Though it touches on storylines, the trauma overrides everything else. So there's not much to examine here. Callie's still having a hard time being the wife of an intern; at every turn, she strains to remind George that she's his boss, even when he's just doing his job. Webber dyes his hair and the only person who's sympathetic is Addison (who really rocks a pair of reading glasses, doesn't she?), though I liked Mark's suggestion to add highlights. The chipper resident Sydney thinks there's a competition underway for chief resident, even though Bailey's just happy running the clinic. Derek is annoyed that Meredith doesn't want him there when she's hurting.
And Burke lets news of his engagement to Cristina slip to his only friend, Derek, who blabs to everyone else. Can I say that the whole "Don't say anything until I tell Meredith" business was a bit sitcommy? And, I figured that the engagement would have taken some of the pettiness out of their relationship. But I guess not; every single slight is met with punitive measures, from both sides. And, to be honest with you, hearing Cristina call the ferry accident a "trauma bonanza" seems cold, even for her. Shonda and company have to be careful to not make Yang into a cartoon; the woman has a heart... we saw it last week when she said yes to Burke.
By the way, having the interns go through a triage drill -- and not doing well -- right before Webber comes in and announces there's a real triage situation developing was a bit on the nose, wasn't it? But this wasn't exactly an episode full of subtlety...
So which ferry trauma did you like the best? I liked Alex's lifting the beam off the pregnant woman. Not only was it heroic, but he was caring and used his emerging OB/GYN skills to great effect. One question: did the beam hit the woman in the face? Or was she burned? Why did she look like that? Anyway, I felt for him when he froze when Webber put him on the spot and he gave the case to Yang. But she got hers, thanks to Burke. "You're knitting. I pull pylons off people." Nice comeback, Alex. And, by the way, I think Addison and her reading glasses are falling in love with you.
Izzie's being put to the test with the trapped mechanic. Not sure if this is "the big test," where Izzie fully returns to being a surgeon again, but it was pretty cool when she yelled at the mechanic's friends when they were too demanding. And O'Malley's going to have this whole "not finding abdominal patient's son" thing come back and bite him in the ass, isn't he?
But back to Meredith in the drink. Was it a surprise? Of course it was. Problem is, the show's called Grey's Anatomy, and she's Meredith Grey. She'll be fine, even if it takes an entire episode of Derek's furrowed brows to find her. That little girl isn't going to be any help, is she? She's too concerned about knowing where her mother is to worry about Meredith. But I wonder if that whole "Do you want to marry me?" exchange Derek and Meredith had at the triage station is going to have ramifications in the next week or two, especially after he becomes her "knight in shining whatever."
It's going to be a hell of a ride for the rest of the year, isn't it? Strong writing, strong stories, and even though the traumas in the ferry accident aren't much different than what we've seen on any "event" episode of ER (down to the "now we wait" scene in front of SGH's emergency room), it's still pretty well done. And, to be honest, at least a ferry accident is more realistic than a helicopter falling on a doctor...
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
2-08-2007 @ 11:20PM
Ryan S. said...
I kept thinking that the little girl that was Mer around is going to collapase of some type of internal injury because of the the bit with Alex misreading the triage practice, like Merdeth missed something when she looked over the little girl.
And Izzie's guy under the car isn't going to make it I think, he just looks like he is alot of trouble, I just don't see him making it.
And Addison as a blonde, I'm glad that didn't stick, I think she looks hot enough as a redhead.
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2-09-2007 @ 12:03AM
chrisb said...
Another great use of a Snow Patrol song during the big climax... for some reason, their music fits so superbly with this show.
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2-09-2007 @ 12:25AM
Kim said...
Can I just say I feel in love with Izzie when she said she ate the everything in the fridge and that included a tub of butter. Good episode but I think it's going to go on 2 more weeks.
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2-09-2007 @ 1:19AM
Carly said...
I almost saw the relationship between the little girl and Mer as a parallel to Mer and her mother. Mer has been where that little girl is, both in a sense that she has to be around her mother's medical situations and the abandonmnent.
I feel like they're showing more and more gore lately. I loved the show for the drama, and I would have to occasionally cover my eyes, but when that severed leg started pumping blood, I felt my stomach churn.
What was dripping in the scenes with Izzy? They kept showing something dripping (?). Maybe I'm just dense and it was an IV bag or something, but I kept thinking it was gas from one of the cars. If that is the case, I see fire in the future.
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2-09-2007 @ 2:59AM
Audge said...
Carly - I had some of the same thoughts! I also thought the little girl + Meredith reflected the relationship between Mer + her mom. I am curious to see what the Grey's Writers Blog (http://www.greyswriters.com/) has to say about that.
And I also thought I saw some kind of dripping in Izzie's scenes, especially right before she re-set that guy's arm. I thought they showed some dripping then so I was actually expecting some kind of explosion.
Other random thoughts here: http://audgepodge.blogspot.com/2007/02/my-take-greys-anatomy-ferry-disaster.html
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2-09-2007 @ 3:40AM
Dorv said...
Wow. Great episode. I love, LOVE two of the guest stars. Kali Rocha has always been one of my favorite actresses. She looked a bit... Off tonight though.
Also, so looking so badly it was impossible to recognize her if it wasn't for her eyes, was Elizabeth Reaser. That face mask was intense, and scary.
I have fallen in complete love with Addison Montgomery and Kate Walsh. I'm just saying.
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2-09-2007 @ 6:49AM
Heather said...
Derek didn't blab the engagement to anyone, Mark overheard Burke tell Derek and it was Mark that blabbed it to everyone. Were you watching? ;)
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2-09-2007 @ 7:30AM
Joel Keller said...
Heather, you're right about the series of events re: how word got out about the engagement. And to those who think the kid / Meredith situation parallels Meredith and her mom, you're probably right. Nice insight, folks!
And, Dorv... I'm usually good at spotting guest starts, but I bow to your prowess...
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2-09-2007 @ 8:59AM
Nola said...
Meredith had a feeling the last time her life got placed in jeopardy. The episode with the bomb, she woke that morning feeling depressed even mentioned dying and by the end of the day she had her hand on a bomb inside some guy's stomach.
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2-09-2007 @ 9:37AM
Laura228 said...
Great observation on Elizabeth Reaser. She and Alex will obviously have a strong bond once she recovers. Addison will be jealous and might have to turn to her "man whore" once again! ;)
I loved how Meredith looked out for the little girl who was "just lost." I think Meredith is feeling that way, too.
Great show! Next Thursday can't come soon enough!
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2-09-2007 @ 10:04AM
rvkey said...
This show went by SO fast. I was glued to the screen the entire time. Some speculations: I agree with Laura228 that I felt something between Alex and the pregnant victim other than patient/caregiver. It very well might lead to something. Oh, and her face! IT hurt me every time they showed her poor swollen face. That was so real-looking!
Also, my friends and I get on the phone during commercials and we were thinking that the little girl was a ghost at first (well, anything is possible)and then we thought she might be deaf but by the end we thought that maybe her mother turns up dead and Der and Mer will take care of her. Just some ideas. Can't wait til Thursday!
P.S. I too am loving me some Addison! I've never seen anybody pull off those reading glasses like she does!! Gorgeous!!
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2-09-2007 @ 10:05AM
rvkey said...
Oh, and one of my friends said she thought that Meredith couldn't swim? Does anybody know if that's true?
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2-09-2007 @ 10:34AM
T said...
I thought the episode was terrible. A bit overplayed and underdone. Meredith as a doctor needed to dump the little girl on a cop. Izzie is wasting her time on a man crushed by a car. There's nothing she can do for him. Didn't they say help the ones u can help and move on. She is once again emotionally involved i.e. the guys friends begging her to help the dude because he's a good man. I think she'll get in trouble for it.
I agree, Doc Montgomery is falling for Alex. I think Cristina is taking the surgery thing too personal. Its not a time to learn when people need help. I thought Alex's storyline was great...he'll be a good OB/GYN.
Meredith in the tub was subtle foreshadowing..after reading the comments its pretty cool and I definitely agree with the kid and the Ma Grey analogy.
I must admit tho...when I finished watching last night I was a little disappointed. I came here to see what everyone else thought but....maybe I was just tired.
I'll watch it again tonight and see what happens.
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2-09-2007 @ 10:48AM
Tim UF said...
Anyone else just want to strangle the happy resident (Sydney?)? She'd prolly smile throughout...
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2-09-2007 @ 10:56AM
Danny said...
I really enjoyed this episode. I can usually tell what's going to happen next, but I never saw the Mer falling into the water thing coming (insert "Mer"maid joke here).
Also, when Alex put a "dead" tag on the pregnant lady, I thought that would come into play later, but obviously I was wrong.
Based on the previews the little girl actually does help to find Meredith. There is a scene of her with Derek pointing toward the spot where she went over
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2-09-2007 @ 11:11AM
steven said...
what was going on with Sydney talking about Bailey being the chief resident? I thought Bailey was now doing a fellowship, so how could she be the chief resident? Can a doctor explain? Also, isn't this the second or third year of the gang's residency? When will they start getting their own interns/new residents?
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2-09-2007 @ 4:46PM
LRGirl47 said...
I don't know about the fellowship thing, but I do know that the inters are still in their first year. Shonda explained it at the site in one of her blogs. Time doesn't matter in television as long as the show is as Fantabulous as Grey's is. She also explains a lot of other stuff, including all the symbolism with the little girl and Mere, and even the ferry boat. Check it out if you havn't yet. Audge has the link posted up there on comment number 5. It's very helpful, and the last part is really freaking me out. It's about death and Shonda not following usual T.V. rules. It worries me.
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2-09-2007 @ 2:12PM
drake said...
Speaking as someone from Seattle, I'd never heard anyone refer to ferrys as 'ferry boats' until Grey's Anatomy.
Nobody actually from here calls them that... it's like calling a 'yacht' a 'yacht boat'.
Maybe they get the 'boat' addition because they don't want McDreamy saying 'I have a thing for ferrys' (especially in front of Isaiah Washington.)
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2-09-2007 @ 3:44PM
Jukin said...
I guess I'm in the minority here but I'm really not liking the ER Effect. That is when the writers and producers feel the need to create unbelievable events to show the Doctors in problematic situations. I let last years absurd bomb episode go and hoped it was a one time thing due to needing something dramatic to keep the post Super Bowl viewers coming back. But the melodrama the show is creating with the ferry accident is bringing down the quality of the show. They have some great actors on this show. There's no need to get hokey with the show. Give them some serious issues to deal with, put them in a dramatic scene through good writing and difficult choices and this group will shine. Enough of the intern-Doctor hooks up as well. Everyone on this show has not had an inappropriate encounter except for Bailey. That really takes away from the Grey-Sheppard thing. If the writers had left it with just those two things would have gotten much more interesting - especially if they played it up by making Sheppard face tough choices in dealing with Grey as his girlfriend vs. intern. Now it's just a joke as everyone walks the line so haphazardly that it's no longer even an issue. They are trying to make it feel like the characters are struggling with this issue but they haven't allowed them to develop. That's why there are comments worrying if a character will become cartoonish. The show has become distracted and is moving towards "Ally McBeal" stupidity. It needs to get more serious and believable and let the cast they've put together really take this show to another level. ER used to be a fantastic show before they started turning every episode into a case study in absurdity. I really hope GA doesn't head down this path.
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2-09-2007 @ 3:44PM
Heather said...
Hahahahaha... Drake, that is hilarious.
So true, though. It's not a good line. "I have a thing for ferrys." It's OK when you're reading, not when you're speaking it. :)
I was surprised by Derek's question to Meredith, "do you want to marry me?" Hell, seems like they just got back together and he just officially divorced Addison... and Meredith is still learning to be in a relationship the way most teenagers learn to be in relationships. Who's talking about MARRIAGE? C'mon now.
To the person who asked if this is the second or third year of the interns' residency... it's not. The show is not in anything close to real time. Shonda Rhimes explained once that in the first two seasons, it was really only supposed to be a few months that passed. She said she needed them to be interns for a long time since that was the basis of the show and she has a lot of stories to tell. However, they kind of screwed that up because they did a Thanksgiving and a Christmas episode in season 2... but notice they didn't have either this season. Who knows... I try not to get too caught up in the timing and consistency of it all and just enjoy the stories from week to week.
I didn't see it coming... Meredith getting pushed off the dock, that is. I thought it was kind of strange, though, because either A) she lands in the water, which might hurt a little, but doesn't seem too dangerous (unless she can't swim, like another poster implied), or B) she lands on something below (like the pregnant lady), and can yell for help? Well, unless she's unconscious. So I guess there could be an element of danger there.
For some reason, I didn't get to see previews for next time. My local ABC affiliate abruptly jumped to Brothers & Sisters or Men in Trees or whatever the hell is on after.
Anyway, it was a good episode for me. The only real cliffhanger in my book was what the heck Izzy is doing with that guy trapped under the car. Seems like he is undoubtedly going to die... so what's the point of the story? I'm curious to find out.
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