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Grey's Anatomy: Rise Up

Grey's Anatomy: Rise Up
(S05E07) "It's like a bouquet... of corpses!" - Izzie

You know, for a guy that died, Denny Duquette somehow manages to get more screen-time on Grey's Anatomy than most of the characters who are still living. Seriously, it must be incredibly frustrating to be a minor character on this show and know that two or three times a season, some dead guy who most fans are sick of will get more time in front of the camera than you will.

You know what though? I liked this Denny episode. I liked it a lot. I'm even going to go out on a limb and say that this was the best episode of the season thus far. While I typically moan when I seen Jeffrey Dean Morgan's name pop up in the opening credits, I got over it pretty fast once I realized why he was there this time around - so Izzie can finally get over him. Is she? Hell no - but this was a good start.

The decision to bring back the guy who Izzie stole a heart from at the end of season two was actually pretty brilliant I thought. Denny might be dead, but the heart Izzie tried to illegally steal for him is still pumping and thanks to the delays she caused, it ain't pumping so well. I will say that Denny's silent poses (he only had the one line at the very end) were a bit awkward, especially during the OR scenes. It was as if he wanted Izzie to fail; like he wanted the heart back. At least we heard the phrase "She cut his LVAD wire" only once.

Beyond Denny, the big story was Hahn. If you haven't heard it yet, this was her last episode. While I agree that it's a pretty shifty move to tell an actor that they're fired after they've filmed their last episode, after watching Hahn's exit and the circumstances surrounding it, I'm OK with it. It was ambiguous enough that she could have come back next week, but I personally think it really worked well as a good-bye. She had her blow-out with Callie and her lack of enthusiasm for the full-blown lesbian lifestyle. She had her blow-out with Webber regarding repercussions for Izzie, the Denny mess, and general ethics at SGH. Going into the episode, knowing she was done, this felt very much like a culmination of her time on the show. Don't forget that way back in season two, she was the one who operated on Denny - not Burke. So this was a full circle. I think it worked.

A few more thoughts on "Rise Up" --

  • The whole ordeal with George working on the dummy got old very fast. This is the best story they can come up with for him? Being tormented by The Wizard of Oz The Chief?
  • It's not often that this show brings tears to my eyes because it's usually so damn corny, but I definitely got choked up watching Rosie and Ed, the elderly couple. That was a heart breaker...
  • I'm glad to see that even though Hahn and her high ethical standards are gone, it seems like Hunt is going to pick up that torch. He was disgusted with the residents and their games and he had no problem telling Webber about it! The best part was when he said that he didn't think those doing the teaching were any better. He's right. I just hope he stays.
  • I don't really see how Yang holding her father as he died is an excuse for how she acts. Hunt was perfectly justified in saying that she (and Karev) were incredibly disrespectful while treating that one patient. I don't care if he thinks she's a rare single malt scotch - she still needs to age more.
  • Sloan trying to sleep with Yang was pretty funny.
  • Is it really that easy to take corpses from a hospital morgue?
  • How exactly did Meredith go from being terrified and disgusted with her mother's diaries to being in love with them? When did that happen?

I'll be curious to see what kind of excuse we'll get next week for Hahn's departure, but in the meantime, I'm looking forward to Brooke Smith's replacement in the cast - Mary McDonnell. Apparently she has Asperger's disease. Call me crazy, but I'm not sure I'd want someone with Asperger's operating on me... isn't clumsiness one of the main symptoms?



Grey's Anatomy' Photos

    Actress Chandra Wilson attends the screening of her new public service announcement produced by OTCSafety.org at Edelman headquarters on September 24, 2008 in New York City.

    Joe Corrigan/WireImage.com

    Actress Chandra Wilson attends the screening of her new public service announcement produced by OTCSafety.org at Edelman headquarters on September 24, 2008 in New York City.

    Joe Corrigan/WireImage.com

    NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 24: Actress Chandra Wilson attends the screening of a new public service announcement for OTCsafety.org at the Edelman headquarters on September 24, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Chandra Wilson

    Getty Images

    NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 24: Actress Chandra Wilson attends the screening of a new public service announcement for OTCsafety.org at the Edelman headquarters on September 24, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Chandra Wilson

    Getty Images

    NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 24: Actress Chandra Wilson attends the screening of a new public service announcement for OTCsafety.org at the Edelman headquarters on September 24, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Chandra Wilson

    Getty Images

    Actor Patrick Dempsey (R) and wife Jillian Dempsey arrive at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Nokia Theater on September 21, 2008 in Los Angeles, California.

    Dan MacMedan/WireImage.com

    Chandra Wilson and Debra Birnbaum, Editor-in-Chief of TV Guide Magazine, arrive at TV Guide

    Chris Weeks/WireImage.com

    Actress Chandra Wilson arrives at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Nokia Theater on September 21, 2008 in Los Angeles, California.

    Steve Granitz/WireImage.com

    Actor Patrick Dempsey poss in the press room during the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Nokia Theatre on September 21, 2008 in Los Angeles, California.

    Dan MacMedan/WireImage.com

    (L-R) Actors Sandra Oh and Patrick Dempsey pose in the press room during the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Nokia Theatre on September 21, 2008 in Los Angeles, California.

    Dan MacMedan/WireImage.com

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