(S05E24) "If you're not scared, you're not paying attention." - Bailey
I took a few hours off in between last night's two hour Grey's Anatomy finale. I knew it was going to be two posts since it was two episodes and so I sat and watched the first one, wrote it up, grabbed a few hours of sleep, and woke up trying to figure just what was going to happen in this episode before I watched it. Everything was so nicely set up (the first hour really could have served as a finale too) and once again, Grey's Anatomy caught us all off guard with what's arguably its biggest cliffhanger yet.
Izzie's out of surgery with her short term memory fried, George is joining the army and went home to spend his last day with his mother, and Meredith and Derek don't have time to get married. Lots of confusion, lots of stress, and things only got worse once a guy dragged by a bus, face and body completely mangled, got brought it.
The way it all played out, as gripping and heart-string tugging as it was, you have to admit - the drama did feel a little manufactured. Take Bailey. I was convinced without a doubt that she would take the pediatrics fellowship. Nope. Throw in the wrinkle of Tucker's "me or the job" ultimatum and Miranda is a single mom, back to working normal hours in general surgery - just like Webber always wanted anyway. The Tucker thing came out of nowhere and honestly, I don't see how Bailey going back to what she's been doing advances her character, or her career, at all.
As for the the relationships at Seattle Grace, most fared pretty well. Cristina and Owen made up, as did Callie and Arizona, and Mer and Der did get married - in the locker room, by themselves, with vows written on post-it notes. Hey, it's real if you want it to be. The only relationship that sort of got left with no resolution was Sloan and Lexie, but I'm guessing she'll still move in with him anyway.
As for George and Izzie? All season long, and even somewhat before that, there's been behind the scenes chatter that both Katherine Heigl and T.R. Knight wanted off the show - material wasn't good enough, my character isn't getting enough screen time, etc. Who knows how true any of it is, but it looks like the two of them may have gotten their wish. Although it is a cliffhanger, so who knows what's next.
Izzie's short term memory loss finally subsided only for her to slip into cardiac arrest as Alex and her made up. Maybe her sudden recovery was the onset of the symptoms to come? As everyone predicted, the DNR was ignored and Webber, Yang, and Bailey tried to bring her back.
The biggest reveal? George was the John Doe who got dragged by the bus. He saved a woman (this was the role that Kaley Cuoco turned down) by pushing her out of the way and took the hit instead. Didn't even have to go to Iraq to be a hero. By then, his injuries were so severe that during surgery, George began to flat-line as well while Derek operated on his brain.
So now comes the speculation - what did the final "dream" sequence mean? Izzie was decked out in her Seattle Grace prom dress from the season two finale and George was sporting his army duds with a new close-cropped haircut. Are they dead? Was that the afterlife? Or just some sort of holding ground, sort of like when Meredith "died" after the ferry-boat drowning debacle? Was there any significance to Izzie being on the elevator and George being off it? Anyone else got a good theory?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
5-15-2009 @ 10:24AM
Alicia R. said...
I smacked my hands over my mouth and said, "OMG it's George" right along side of Mer. Then after my heart stopped racing I should have seen it coming. ER pulled the same stunt. BUT there are no original ideas anymore, and it did what it was supposed to do.
This second part... was a fine hour. I remember feeling this way when I would watch regular episodes.
I felt no symp. towards Izzie... none... although I did smile when she remembered that Alex yelled at her. And like Jonathan said, we knew they were going to ignore the DNR.
I have to admit I am in the Anti-Izzie camp... and I hope she doesn't come back. It would be nice to see Alex grow some more.
Now Bailey... It's about time she kicked Tucker to the curb. He is resentful and ungrateful, and she is so better without him. Because like she said... a husband who gives ultimatums is not a good husband.
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5-20-2009 @ 11:18AM
ORKMommy said...
But Alex didn't start growing until he got with Izzy. If they kill her off he has no more reason to grow. He is what he is now because of her & their relationship...
5-15-2009 @ 10:24AM
Ang said...
What did it mean when George said to Meredith- 007?? How did she know it was him?
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5-15-2009 @ 10:43AM
Ellie said...
"007" (License to Kill) was the name given to George after he choked during a surgery with Burke in the first season. Every now and then he was called "007" when he annoyed or pissed off the interns and residents.
5-15-2009 @ 1:45PM
Michelle said...
They also called George 007 when they were eating in the caf in this episode. Right after Meredith was talking about "John Doe" and his surgery.
I thought this was a great finale. I didn't see it coming at all, and like another commenter above, I gasped right when Meredith screamed "Oh my God." Moments like that were why I ever watched this show to start with. This show has fooled me, or had a "WTF" moment for years. Well done!
5-15-2009 @ 10:24AM
mike said...
i think the elvator is significant and so is the army uniform in that it may mean issie is going to die, and move on to the afterlife, but george will stay and eventually join the army... he never wore the uniform in real life, so it may have been a sign that he will one day. my bet is izzie is gone and george is back.. the non tv careers of the two actors seem to point to that as well
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7-28-2009 @ 10:55AM
Anon said...
George is leaving the series... it was said before the finale, he wanted out... so he is dead..
5-15-2009 @ 10:24AM
Harry said...
Didn't House also pull the same stunt last year?
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5-15-2009 @ 3:47PM
Anna said...
Yes, with Amber, but she wasn't as major a character- when someone thinks of House they usually think of (obviously) House, and then maybe Cuddy, Wilson, Chase, CAmeron, Foreman, but when someone thinks of Grey's, they think of (obviously) Grey, Yang, Izzie, George, McDreamy
5-15-2009 @ 10:24AM
Rita said...
The time frame between George telling Bailey he'd join the army and John Doe arriving to SG was like 10 seconds so it really bothers me that Shonda chose this cliffhanger for George.. He is a great guy and selfginving but I would never have thought he would've jump in front of a bus to save a random girl... I think Izzie is gonna live and George is gonna die... He got hurt to severely.. Why have him join the army if he was going to get killed anyways?..
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5-15-2009 @ 10:55AM
laura said...
the second i saw John Does One eye look at Meredith I Yelled "Its George!" and then it was obvious. "george is in surgery" so they couldnt go confront him about the army? This is greys anatomy OF COURSE They can go interrupt his surgery, they do it all the time on this show! and when they didnt? hello, second clue that John Doe was George.
BTW TR Knight, HOT In uniform.....just hot.
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5-18-2009 @ 10:32AM
VonJon said...
That eye shot gave it away to me too. They focused on it too much and it was blue just like his :) Glad I am not the only one who caught that.
5-18-2009 @ 10:32AM
VonJon said...
I too totally thought he looked hot in the uniform with his new hair cut :)
5-15-2009 @ 11:05AM
Xina said...
I think the elevator signifies a choice for Izzie. She can either get off of it with George, meaning she is gone, or she can take it for a ride, with the 'ride' meaning life and Alex.
Hunt, who by the way is the hottest guy on that show, where is his nickname, said that the guy that pushed that young woman out of the way was a hero, right then and there what he did was heroic. I think the uniform was a symbol, that even though George didn't go to Iraq, he died a hero.
Not as good as Season Two's finale, but still wonderfully written.
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7-21-2009 @ 7:18PM
Brian said...
That's exactly what I think too! Izzie's gonna live, George is gone!
5-15-2009 @ 12:03PM
cindy said...
Here's what I think....Izzie will live, so will George...TR will be gone though...They will have to do plastic surgery on George because the mess the bus made to his face; therefore a "new George" will be on the series and TR will gone! Whatcha think?
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5-15-2009 @ 1:45PM
Scott said...
Ohhhh.... good one. I'd never even considered that possibility. :) Smart move; don't know whethet it would ultimately work or not, but it would allow them to keep the character and replace the actor. :)
5-18-2009 @ 10:32AM
nikko said...
I hated what they did to george's character. i also don't know why they had him join the army just to kill him off like that. I thought the finally was good but sad. I won't be watching if T.R. knight doesnt come back
6-07-2009 @ 2:36PM
john said...
i agree with you Cindy.I think it's gonna be an interesting twist to keep both characters alive but have another actor step in the role of George.This can also create a suspense as to who will be the new George.I cna already imagine the scene wherein Mark Sloan is slowly removing the bandage around George's newly transplanted face to reveal a new "George". This is absolutely gonna be exciting.
5-15-2009 @ 12:03PM
Debbie said...
I can totally hear what you all have said. All I can add is, "I love this show!" and I hate finale's. I hope both of them stay on the show, All the character's are awesome, it's what sells the show for me. And can someone tell me WHEN do we have to wait for the continuance? I hate cliffhangers! I think Izzie is a great actress, I love all her movies, etc.
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