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Black college grad whose been to gay clubs etc: I am a Christian and love the sinner but not the sin -- therefore, I cannot get with the gay lovers storyline on 'Grey's Anatomy' (nor any other show). After 4 years of being a loyal viewer (and quite frustrated over the summer after Season 4's last episode - and being concerned as to whether the girl/girl line would continue) I am sad to say that I simply can no longer watch the show. I have enjoyed the run.

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I've worked in a hospital. There's a whole big room in the basement called "medical credentialing" filled with files for everyone who works there. I had to prove that I had a Ph.D. just to do research there and not touch a patient. And I'm sure the insurance company would love, "wait, you let a guy in a uniform walk in and start treating patients, did you ask for ID at least?"

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Hmm... I thought the episode was a bit campy, but fun. And I loved Hunt, myself. I've liked him since I saw him in Journyman. (Plus, he's kinda hot.)

I'm not so sure we've seen the last of Rose--it was too simple, and I'm okay with that. I am VERY thankful they didn't have her cry 'sexual harassment' after Deric asked her to switch departments.

And... Izzie's not over Denny... ...but I don't think she'll ever really be over him. Nor do I think she should be. I was surprised to see him in the episode, but that she was still wishing for that... ...seemed entirely realistic.

(My uncle died within days of his marriage. His wife was messed up for ages and ages, and it took her like 4 years to date, and like 10 years to marry.)

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Black college grad: I have hung out with a male friend, as well as with my gay brother, at gay clubs - specifically when I was getting divorced as just did not want to deal with the straight meat market scene. As a Christian, I love the sinner, but not the sin. I am not at all interested in viewing gay relationships in my living room. I have been a great supporter of 'Grey's Anatomy' but am no longer going to view the show. What a disappointment that the show's writers feel they must join in the fray of being what they feel is 'socially correct'. I disagree. Oh, well, I guess us Christians will just stop watching TV, which isn't a bad thing.

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Other than some of the ridiculous moments you pointed out, I found this episode almost a throw back to the old-style Grey's Anatomy of the first couple seasons. I haven't laughed so hard at a GA story since, at least, season 2. Hopefully they can get some momentum going.

You're right, the Rose storyline felt forced... I don't think someone as professional as she is supposed to be would be acting like that in the OR.

I don't think Lexie's infatuation with George will last long either. But it was interesting to see Sloan take notice of her. Not that I think they should sleep together, but I think he might help her get a pair, so to speak.

I really loved the awkwardness between Callie and Hahn. First stages of attraction always makes things more giggly, too. But now I'm confused, because I thought as early as season 3 it had been firmly established that Hahn was a lesbian. Regardless to say, I'm glad to see some non heterosexual shenanigans going on, too.

Note to future Grey's Anatomy writers: Maybe Sloan's constant womanizing is a cover for his inability to express the feelings he has for another man... (Ok, wishful thinking, but it'd be nice to see him in nothing but a towel again...) There's a character who needs more development, too!

By the way, I can't believe you totally overlooked the BEST part of the episode(s)... Bernandette Peters and Kathy Baker as the wives (the broke one and the cheater, respectively). They're both awesomely talented actresses who really made the most of their storylines.

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christians... so gald you can cherry pick you morality. For four seasons we've been watching what the bible calls adultery, not to mention a fair amount of lying and thieving but two girls make nice and NOW you're playing the morality card? Oh STFU already, If your religion was that important to you, the chronic adultery (yes, according to the Bible, two unmarried people engaging in sexual relations constitutes adultery AND the Bible doesn't recognize divorce so mer and der are and always will be living in sin) would have turned you off at the very first episode.

But no... in your little world, heterosexual sin is somehow less offensive than homosexual sin... only, according to your own God it isn't. God weighs both equally.

So really, if you're going to go around calling yourself a Christian, try and actually find out what God/Jesus says from time to time.

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Call me crazy, but I thought Christians were supposed to love everyone. The whole Do Unto Others--of course, I don't say that as someone expecting those who frown on gay relationships to go and be gay, but you wouldn't want someone belittling your heterosexual lifestyle because some religion has beaten it into them that straight love is a sin?

I'm of the mind that you mind your business and I'll mind mine and never the 'tween shall meet. If you don't want to watch the show because of the storyline, so be it--I won't argue that. I will argue how you can call yourself a Christian and judge anyone's actions. Being a Christian--having faith--isn't a crutch to impart morality (especially from a book tainted by czars, totalitarians, and greedy religious despots), ethics, or judgment. Being a Christian--or Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Hindi, Buddhist, et. al. is about being charitable, non-prejudice, and spreading the good of your god. If we are all in his image, you are spurning your brothers and sisters in the name of fear.

As for the show, it was a bit campy but I think Shonda and company were trying to be as openly metaphoric as possible. It didn't make for great television but I felt as if it was meant to refresh and reset for the new season.

And I love Lexie. She's the only character aside from Sloan who is worth the time to like. I especially enjoy the fact that she barely like Meredith--many of the same foibles and faults--but how they handle them couldn't be more night and day. I do think a relationship w/ George is a little ridiculous but I suppose it's alright that, for once, a show is pushing that the good guy can and should win in the end.

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It seems to me that the whole "Drop in the Rankings" storyline is an allegory. Seattle Grace = 'Grey's Anatomy'. The show made a steady climb in the ratings, but the writers' strike and a series of self-indulgent storylines drove it downhill. (I'm sure it's still at the top of the ratings because... well, because there's no damn connection between quality and ratings, but the bloom is certainly off the rose.) I caught a few bits of dialogue that seemed to ram that point home, but of course I didn't write them down or anything. Oh well.

@srn -- I agree. Nothing says "real world" like insurance companies. And if there isn't already a 'Grey's' drinking game in which you take a drink every time someone does something that could result in a career-ending malpractice suit, there should be.

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Christian posters...glad you have the courage to post. But I do agree with at least one of the other posters who points out the adultery, fornication, lying etc. that occurs on this program. I watched the show a couple of times but stopped b/c of the lack of morals...but hey, you are correct...not watching TV would be the best thing for all of us!

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"That line Hahn hit her with was gold. The one about how she lacks general surgery knowledge because she spends too much time on cardio-thoracic stuff. She's not as good as she thinks."

And yet, the story line last season was Hahn's refusal to teach Christina, until she finally had to beg. But now Hahn's resentful when Richard tells her she needs to improve her teaching skills (why doesn't he talk to Sloan as well, btw). Although her attempts understand the other doctors' teaching styles were some of the funnier bits of the episode.

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This is the first time I've watched this show and I only watched for Kevin McKidd. I don't think I can do it again even though I think he's sex on a stick. The show is too whiney, neurotic and utterly unrealistic. Back to my Rome dvds.

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Upon the insistence of my friend Claire, I decided to watch the season premiere of Grey's last night in the hopes that the crappiness of last season could be attributed only to the writer's strike and not to the fact that the show has completely and irreversibly jumped the shark.

After last night's episode, I'm still not sure what I think.

The first half of the episode was entirely lame, but I think the latter half somewhat made up for it. (Only somewhat, though.) The episode definitely did not need to be two hours long; they probably could have pulled a Fringe and premiered it in 1.5 hours instead.

The episode opens up with this entirely lame dream sequence where Derek gets into a car accident and dies with Meredith screaming and crying and pounding on the window as though that's going to help somehow. The audience is supposed to believe that this is actually occurring, and the dramatic swelling of music accompanied by Meredith's screeching really didn't make me sympathetic for her at all -- it actually just made me want to push the mute button.

Thankfully, this sequence didn't last too long, and the rest of Meredith's story for the episode is the usual emo should-I-or-should-I-not-be-with-Derek. Meredith thinks that perhaps her dreams are just her fears of not getting a happy ending, and she of course talks Cristina's ear off about the whole thing. When the episode started, I couldn't really think much beyond, "omg, are Meredith and Cristina still complaining about their personal lives in front of strangers when they're supposed to be acting like professional surgeons?" And the answer is yes. Towards the middle of the episode, however, I was shocked and pleased when Cristina finally turned around and told Meredith to shut the hell up! Oh yes, and then she followed this exclamation by repeating it: "Consider the possibility of shutting the hell up!" It's ABOUT TIME that Cristina finally gets fed up with Meredith's constant blabbering. But then, tragedy of tragedies, Cristina gets IMPALED WITH AN ICICLE as some kind of existential punishment for finally putting Meredith in her place. What kind of weird justice is that?! If you ask me, Meredith should have been the one to get impaled.

At the end of the episode, Meredith tells Cristina that she needs her to be the friend that tells her that she can make it with Derek, because if she doesn't have Cristina's support she's going to fail no matter what. Well, way to go Meredith -- there's nothing better than asking your best friend to lie to you, thus ensuring that she's never comfortable expressing her true opinions again.

Also, the show sadly decided to bring up that whole "you're my person" thing again -- that was cute once, but we really didn't need to go there again. Meredith tells Cristina "you're my person," and I was willing to let it go -- I remember the moment distinctly: I started giggling a little bit in my chair, and I said "No, it's okay just once, maybe it's a little cheesy but I can deal." A little bit of dialogue takes place, and then when Meredith asks Cristina if she's only saying what she thinks Meredith will want to hear, Cristina says, "I am your person!" And I pretty much started laughing so much at the idiocy of it that I didn't hear the rest of that conversation.

Oh, well, I'm sure I didn't miss much.

So basically Meredith's character hasn't evolved much at all since season one -- she's still afraid of "getting her happy ending" and still does nothing but complain and whine about how crappy her life is and contemplating why it is that she's so "dark and twisty."

I'm torn about Cristina in this episode. I like that she finally told Meredith off, but I'm sad that she backed down so quickly at the end of the episode. What she should have told Meredith is, "No, bitch, I'm not going to lie to you and compromise my integrity just to make you feel better." And instead she said, "I am your person, la la!" Okay, maybe she didn't sing, but considering how cheesy that moment was I probably wouldn't have been surprised if she had.

One of the highlights of this episode was an army trauma surgeon that comes in with some trauma victims -- after Cristina finds out that he trach'd a guy with a ballpoint pen, her response is "Hot!" After she gets impaled with the icicle, he's the one who finds her and eventually gives her medical care. He tells her that she's too good for this hospital and should do what he does, trauma surgery in the military, where things are more spontaneous and exciting. Cristina of course tells him that things can be spontaneous and exciting at Seattle Grace and she doesn't want to leave, but all I could think was, "Yes, Cristina, please go off with military man!" I mean, come on! Cristina ditching dark and twisty Meredith, Sandra Oh sporting military garb? That's gotta be a better spin-off series than Private Practice. Unfortunately, when the inevitable smooching between them occurs, Cristina puts a stop to it before they can get on with the raucous sex part of the episode. Oh well, maybe army dude will come back later -- Richard did offer him a job, but army dude turned it down. Although... am I the only one who noticed that he looked slightly hesitant about doing so?

To return to the beginning again -- one of the first scenes of the episode shows the characters crowding around a computer looking to see where they rate as a teaching hospital in comparison with other hospitals. They come in 12th (unsurprising, considering that they spend more time talking about their personal lives than actually working), and everyone is of course terribly distraught over it. Erica spends the rest of the episode wondering how she can become a better teacher. Why would Erica care about becoming a better teacher? Isn't she just a bitch that doesn't care two cents about what other people think of her? Personally, I think they used her sudden concern as a plot device -- Erica goes around asking people how to become a better teacher, and then reveals the following observations: Shephard 's thinking strategy is talking out loud, Bailey's strategy is being blunt, direct, and not overteaching, and Sloan's strategy is berating and humiliating his students. As if the audience needed any reminders that Derek talks too much, Bailey doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut, and all Sloan is good for is creating chaos and lowering the self-esteem of his interns.

Lexi still needs to grow some stones -- when Sloan eggs her on, all she can do is shout "Shut up!" over and over again. Come on Lexi, you can't think of a snappier comeback? Go take lessons from Cristina on how to be a bigger bitch.

Another annoying part of the episode is with the patients themselves -- three ladies were in a car accident, and they find out that their husbands, riding in a separate limo, were in one as well. One of the ladies finds out that her best friend had been sleeping with her husband, and when her friend tries to reconcile with her, she delivers one of the best lines of the episode, a simple, "I'm gonna miss you," and walks away. I was so pleased with this, because I was worried that she was just going to forgive her on the spot, and that just would not be plausible. But then, at the end of the episode, the writers had to go and screw that up too -- the ladies do this weird reconciling thing without words, and walk away hand in hand. Blah.

I'm not sure how I feel about the budding relationship between Erica and Callie. I think I agree with reviewer Alan Sepinwall when he says that "I still think Callie and Dr. Hahn are gay for each other. . . only because the writers needed to give these two characters something to do." I'll have to wait and see what happens in the coming weeks before I can make a judgment.

At the end of the episode, Richard tells his staff that the surgery protocol is changing, and I can't help but think that this was actually a message from the writers to the audience, ensuring us that things at the hospital are going to take some turns, and don't worry, we won't be bored. If this episode is any indication, they aren't going to be living up to their word.

But I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for at least two more weeks -- the preview for an upcoming episode didn't actually show next week's (which means that it's probably less-than-promising), but rather showed a trailer for the episode that will air two weeks from now, and apparently it's going to be spectacular.

We'll see.

My highlights of the episode:

* Sloan saying to George, "What kind of moron are you? Are you a special moron from the aisle of complex and utter morons?"
* Bailey and Cristina both hoping that trauma patients will come to their O.R. despite the fact that they are ranked number 12. Bailey: "I have a dream that trauma will come through those doors." Cristina: "I share that dream." Meredith's comment on this earlier in the episode was quite funny as well: "We're standing out here in the hopes that someone is severely injured, wishing and praying that someone is so hurt and so near death that they have to bring them here." Indeed, Meredith, indeed.
* Izzie spends most of her time with a patient whose memory keeps resetting every thirty seconds, and she must continually remind the patient where she is and what's going on. At one point Alex comes by, and tells the patient: "You're in a spaceship and going to the moon!" Yes, it's totally evil and unprofessional, but it was probably the only point in the episode where I laughed out loud and the writers actually intended for me to do so.
* Bailey giving Alex the okay to turn back the clock to 11:58pm in the O.R. to ensure that the patient gets insurance (his insurance ends at midnight that day). Screwing over insurance companies is always fun.


Other low points, besides what I've already elaborated upon:

* The weird Denny flashback at the end of the episode. Sorry, but for me, Denny ended at season two, and when I see him now, all I can think is, "Hi, John Winchester. Can you please pull out your rock-salt gun and blow away that demon-chick in the cupcake dress? It's nice to know that you haunt a hospital, hope to see you again in next week's episode so maybe you can kill Meredith the next time she starts acting like a whiny biatch."
* The implication that Alex is becoming a nice guy, and then watching as he reverts to being a jerk (to Izzie, anyway).
* More lame dialogue: "This guy's getting an express ticket to the O.R." .....Really?
* The weird flash to the future that Cristina sees after getting impaled by the icicle. Meredith and Cristina as little old ladies making chicken together? Cristina putting on a surgical glove to hold the chicken as she makes a surgical incision? It looks likes Sandra Oh and Ellen Pompeo had a few too many beers with the writers one night and they suddenly came up with this "brilliant" idea. Ellen: "No wait, no wait, I got it! Let's do a scene where Meredith and Cristina are little old ladies with the gray hair and the wrinkles, and they can live together and make chicken and it'll be so funny and omg it'll just be so much fun, don't you think, Sandra?" Sandra: "You know, I just may be drunk enough to think that's a great idea."


---Adela P.
http://acf-reviews.blogspot.com/

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