(S04E08) "You want me to fake a heart attack? I do a great fake heart attack." - Sloan
Oh my god, me writing this is like totally like a term paper! Hellooo stereotypes and clichés! Who thought of this idea? Let's compare the show to high school? Cliques, cheerleaders, nerds, best friends, secrets, sex, and jocks. Weren't these types of comparisons blatantly obvious without all the teeny-boppers running around? The only thing that was missing was a prom... wait, that already happened. It got to the point where I was yelling at the TV, "Ooh ooh, this is gonna be a principal's office joke!" And it was. However, if you can look past the high school level writing that went into this episode, it was actually pretty good.
There was a lot of great stuff, despite the fact that most of it was tainted with some sort of terrible teenage metaphor. Blame the school bus that crashed near Seattle Grace for that one. The injured kids and their teachers came pouring in and characters like Bailey (who had just started to get her Nazi on again) were reduced to what Hahn called "blithering idiots." 24's D.B. Woodside guested as a former high school jock who Bailey used to tutor. She was head over heels for him back then and he took advantage of her to get all his homework done. It was crazy to see how well he still manipulated Bailey all those years later -- she was still smitten.
Talk about a 180° for her. However, her delusions of love almost killed him and part of me wished he had croaked. He was an ass, asking her to fill out all those medical forms after they cut his heart open. I could have done without her "he'll never notice me for who I am" rant at the end of the episode, but finding out that her and Shepherd were both band geeks made it all worth it.
After last week's developments with Izzie taking all of Cristina's time with Hahn, I was really hoping that we'd see some tension between those two. None at all. Izzie wasn't even on Hahn's service thanks to Bailey, and Cristina actually took some advice from Callie to stop brown-nosing and being so damn annoying. That situation diffused kind of quickly. I really wanted to see those two fight at least once.
Speaking of diffusing quickly, iGeorge has continued its downward spiral. George and Izzie can't even talk to each other and the entire hospital is grumbling about how they're already over. Even though it was only partly true, rumors can do damage. That's another cliché... in case you're counting. As I said last week, even though I hate the two of them together, I'm glad the relationship is being killed properly by the writers rather than forgetting about it and acting like it never happened. They're making the effort to just be friends again and I can support that.
On the flip side, adding to the things I don't like, is the continued blossoming of Alexie. Sure they fought a little in this episode, but the whole "we both have drunk fathers" angle is definitely adding to the connection. Alex really wasn't in the episode much, and neither was Lexie. Until the end. Thatcher's drunken return finally gave Lexie an upper hand over Meredith; something we haven't seen all season. Meredith fell for all of Thatcher's drunken BS -- the pride, the I miss yous, the regret. Then Lexie came and smashed it all for Meredith. He says the same things to her every day when he gets wrecked. It was definitely one of the best scenes of the season, seeing Meredith just get defeated like that. Very satisfying for some reason. (Random observation: Thatcher did a lot of apologizing to Meredith, but notice how "the slap" was never brought up? I would have thought that would be near the top of the list, drunk or sober.)
Because I like to make bulleted lists...
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Sydney rejecting Derek is hilarious. The most undesirable people always seem to have the highest expectations for everyone else. Doesn't make sense to me. ("Is she dying?")
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Speaking of Derek -- finally, someone else for him to sleep with! Stop taking Meredith home and get to know this Nurse Rose! She's clearly interested in him and has a way better sense of humor than Meredith could ever hope for.
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Now that Callie and George have been good n' done for a few episodes, anyone else notice how she's sort of slipped back into her pseudo-supportive role that she had when her character first showed up?
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Sloan is old. Ha! He thought he was such hot shit, and then those high school girls said he looked like a dad. Priceless. He's easier to deal with this season. He isn't as much of an ass now that he's no longer competing for Addison, but I still love to see him get ragged on.
So what did we learn? Nothing really. The social rules we all adhere to in high school carry on through pretty much every aspect of life. Even at a hospital. Personally, I learned that I really don't want a No. 2 pencil jammed into my eye. Oh and a note on next week's episode for those that hung around and caught the preview. It's being billed as an "event." You know what that means -- something's gonna crash.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-16-2007 @ 1:51AM
Phish said...
regarding iGeorge, it just seems strange that two people who are deeply in love would have such bad sex.
it just doesnt make sense, i mean, it might be awkward initially, but it always works out eventually, its just unrealistic to think ppl WITHOUT chemistry can fall so deeply in love in the first place, then fall out of it.
shonda rhimes went 'all in' when she hooked those two up, now splitting them apart so quickly is incredibly unrealistic, they should let it play out for at least a whole season, let them have REAL problems, let one of them disapoint or betray the other, then break up.
its a good thing there's a strike , cause maybe shonda needs some time off to re-think where her show is going.
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11-16-2007 @ 7:57AM
Sara said...
Derek is a jerk why can't he just wait for Meredith like he said instead he's dating around in front of her? If he wants to Marry Meredith then what the hell is he doing?
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11-16-2007 @ 7:57AM
Cara said...
Derek is a jerk. What are they doing to McDreamy? Why can't he just wait for Meredith like he said instead he's dating around in front of her? If he wants to Marry Meredith then what the hell is he doing?
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11-16-2007 @ 7:57AM
Sarah said...
Derek and Sydney had more chemistry to them than Derek and Rose. They could not find a hot actress to play Patrick's love interest?
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11-16-2007 @ 7:58AM
M said...
Derek makes me sick. Meredith should kick him to the curb for his declarations of undying love and then in several 24 hour periods have him decide to start dating, date and eyesex a random nurse.
I know you hate Meredith for some reason, but she is a good character despite how the writers have tried to annihilate her. She is a good friend and a good doctor and unlike most of the other asshats that inhabit this show, she is actually someone who is a good friend and tries to do the right thing. A bit of whining when you've had the year she has had...well, I'd be hospitalized, so I would say she is doing very good. No one seems to appreciate that, of course.
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11-16-2007 @ 7:58AM
bruce said...
It kinda bothered me that nurse Rose was smokin' hot (a helluva lot more attractive than Ellen Pompeo, FWIW) and we're supposed to believe Shepherd has never noticed her before? They act like Rose is a normal, average, quasi-ugly nobody. I know it's just TV, but can't they have at least one ugly, if not average, person (yeh I know, we had Sydney but I mean as something other than a punchline) interact with the stars of the show?
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11-16-2007 @ 7:59AM
KC said...
Bruce, I believe that Derek never noticed her before because he is incredibly self-involved. I was extremely disappointed in Bailey's story arc. For some reason TPTB have decided to dumb her down and make her into a weak character like the rest. Even when she was having her baby while her husband was at risk she was less whiny. I hate how they regress the characters and never allow any development at all.
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11-16-2007 @ 10:21AM
Lora said...
To Phish:
You're assuming that George and Izzie were ever actually REALLY in love. They can say it all they want, but I never believed it for a minute. They were latching onto each other for their own individual reasons and mistaking it for love, but I never believed at all that it was real or that they EVER had any real chemistry. For George's part, I think he talked himself into believing he had romantic feelings for Izzie because subconsciously he knew it was a way out of a marriage that he didn't want; and as for Izzie, she was desperate to move on from Denny not to mention desperate to not "lose" George as a friend since he replaced her with Callie as the "number one" woman in his life. They tricked themselves into thinking they were in love with each other, but really, George just wanted to get out of his marriage and Izzie just wanted to hang on to George. And, lo and behold, now that George is out of his marriage and Izzie has reclaimed her position as "number one," what a shock, there's no spark anymore. That's because there never was--the "spark" was the fantasy they built up in their heads; it was not organic.
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11-16-2007 @ 10:21AM
zombie)laura said...
D.B. Woodside will always be the principal in Buffy to me.
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11-16-2007 @ 10:21AM
laura said...
DB Woodside will always be the principal/vampire hunter in buffy.
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11-16-2007 @ 10:22AM
Jimmy said...
First of all, I loved the little Buffy reunion with DB Woodside and Kali Rocha. Second, for all you people who keep ragging on Derek, I personally think he should have kicked Meredith to the curb a long time ago. This character is so wrapped in herself and her own problems she can't see her own sister is suffering with a druken father. I loved seeing Lexie taker her down -- it was long overdue. I have never like MerDer. Be done with it and move on.
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11-16-2007 @ 11:20AM
unc1dmo said...
derek and meredith are 2 lost soul losers in love and need to move on..too bad meredith didn't drown last season....man, she is ANNOYING...
the izzie/ george storyline is even more annoying...and please let it be over.....
i much rather go back to serious stuff then this buffoonery we're stuck with week after week...
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11-16-2007 @ 12:13PM
Peanuts said...
This has to be the WORST show in history. It wasnt this way, but alas, it is now. The whole thing with the two "cool girls" talking in intensive care as if they were ghosts over the coma boy/geek guy. It was rediculous! The whole no parents 90210 vibe thing stupid. Yes yes yes, the writers must think we are as dumb as they are to have to have a show point out already blatant links to high school at Seattle Grace. Ugh.
Next rant:
Where is Merideth and McDreamy going? This is the most stupid, depressing, nothing story line. Every time Mer gets more whiny and more annoying, McDream goes further out on a limb (although its tiny steps) but always end up having sex with Mer by the end of the ep. Wow, what a stupid, pointless story line.
next rant: ;)
The only thing that will save it if Lexi goes hauls off on Merideth. Just kick her ass. Yesterday was great! She needed to maybe get her head out of her own "Poor me, I hate men" but and get real.
I hate this show. I think from now on I am only going to read the blogs.
God its painful!
Thanks
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11-16-2007 @ 2:33PM
Joni said...
I am not sure Izzie and George are over, I believe the writers want us to think so but once they get their friendship back they'll get their chemistry back.
The show really isn't doing to great at the moment, still better than last season. But if they continue down the road of letting MerDer be over, they will kill the show. I really don't understand your antipathy for Meredith cause personally I love her. I can understand why she doesn't want to get involved with Lexie, but we know how that will end...Anyhoo, let's just hope the strike will get Grey's Anatomy back to where it was at the beginning
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11-16-2007 @ 3:15PM
scazza said...
I have to say that I liked this episode despite the PATHETIC theme. Bailey as Nazi again was just so satisfying, as was Christina finally getting on Hahn's service and figuring out how to get Hahn to need her. Sloan is very funny. Meredith needs to concentrate more on being a surgeon and maybe her life will work itself out, though Lexie's lecture was great. I think the Rose thing is lame and obvious (um the same thing happened with Addison and we'll get the same result). Some of these plotlines just need to conclude and move on.
AGAIN I BEG FOR SOME SPECIALTIES ACTION PLLEASSE
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11-17-2007 @ 10:59AM
M2B said...
You, J. Toomey, don't seem to get the show or Bailey. She allowed herself to be reduced to the same nerdy, needy girl that had been used in high school. You may not have needed the rant but she did. She couldn't say it to him, obviously but it was a great moment for her and for Patrick Dempsey. He was kind, touching and very honorable. It was my favorite moment of the show. Maybe you had the be the ugly girl in high school that cute boys didn't notice. And I promise you, those knocks stay w/ you and can be kicked up when you least expect it, no matter how smart or successful you are.
I enjoyed the episode, from Callie's smug joie and gossip mongering at the trouble in paradise to Sloan and Derek, who are good and funny together.
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11-17-2007 @ 11:30PM
Tanya said...
The ep was kind lame. The promo was much better. However I liked the Lexie speech to Mer and the goth girl who lost her best friend.
Gizzie is so over and Im kinda glad now. Whats up with Christina? First she makes it a point to tell Callie abt Gizzie problems and then disses Izzie to meredith.Would expect her to show some loyalty.
I think these two will have showdowns regarding Hann and would love to see Christina get beaten. She thinks she is god's gift to cardio.
Im actually looking forward to Derek and the nurse. Merder is boring as hell
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12-24-2007 @ 9:50AM
Elizabeth said...
What you said at the beginning about the highschool stereotypes: thats because the target audience is teenage - young adult females! And the prom thing was sweet. Plus it gave us a side of Bailey that we've never seen before that influenced her to become the Bailey we know!
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