(S06E06) There were so many people on screen last week on Grey's Anatomy that I didn't even realize that Mark Sloan wasn't in the whole episode. Luckily for any Mark fan, he becomes an essential character when burn victims show up.
This week, one of many hotel fire victims dies because of negligence; everyone tells their side. The multiple perspectives became more and more difficult to keep up with, because the original Seattle Grace doctors defended each other, while the Mercy West doctors tried to throw any of the Seattle Grace doctors under the bus.
I didn't see twelve different perspectives as the commercials announced, there were only nine perspectives that had any effect on the story:
1. Owen
2. Cristina
3. April
4. Bailey
5. Charlie
6. Lexie
7. Jackson
8. Alex
9. Reed
The other three, I assume came from the interviewers. The commercials disappointed me again. I know that Derek, Mark, Callie, and Arizona were not interviewed, even though several of them were waiting outside to find out what happened.
There was a lot of potential that this episode could have gone with. With Mitch Pleggi guest-starring again, I'm reminded of one great episode of X-Files, "Bad Blood," where Mulder and Scully had to recount a vampire story. The thing about what made the X-Files episode good and the Grey's episode poor was the fact that in Grey's all perspectives were the same. The medical charts didn't lie and everyone was in the same area at the same time for the whole episode. There was no big change in perspective. Both Owen and Bailey weren't in the room when the mother died. We could have omitted their interviews and it wouldn't make any difference.
How does someone that doesn't even show up on the screen mess up the whole show? The thing that I hate even more about Izzie was the fact that if she just talked to Alex when he was about to get his blood drawn, half of the events that happened wouldn't have. I didn't think that I would watch a tough guy like Alex crumble, and he doesn't deserve all the crap that Izzie gives him.
I still haven't warmed up to the Mercy West characters, though it seems like Reed is the only one warming to me. It's probably because of her squeaky voice and pixie haircut. Do people really call people douches when they've never talked to each other? Their first impressions of the Seattle Grace doctors was a bad first impression for me. Why didn't the doctors have icebreakers or a luncheon so that they could at least know each others' names? Luckily, with one gone, Izzie not around, and Meredith recovering, I'm hoping that Charlie, Jackson, and Reed grow as characters.
Without Meredith, I think Lexie did a fine job being the Grey for the episode. Even though she cried and still reacted the same as she always does, she sucked it up and did her job. Big kudos goes to Arizona who snapped her into place. I was cringing when I kept hearing Evan, the Asian burn victim, scream and how they cut his arm. If I was Lexie I'd need a few minutes to compose myself, as well. Are dangling earrings kosher in a hospital? That accessory seems like it would just get in the way.
The little things that I liked about the episode were the over the shoulder transitions, the way they covered Ellen Pompeo's pregnancy bump with a wheelchair and a big bag, and the firefighters flanking their fellow officer near the end of the episode. What did everyone think of this a-typical episode? Should they attempt it ever again? Leave comments below.
[Catch full episodes of Grey's Anatomy on SlashControl]
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. on 'Faces of America' and the Beer Summit
Six Reasons Why '24' Has Jumped the You-Know-What
The Super Bowl Commercials: The Best
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-23-2009 @ 8:03AM
lcdd said...
I really liked the episode, although I stopped paying attention to the promos so I wasn't expecting 12 different perspectives. And I certainly call people douches even if I have never spoken to them.
Reply
10-23-2009 @ 8:41AM
Shaun said...
I used to really like GA. It used to mix the drama and the soap really well. But the last couple of seasons have been a train wreck. That said, I think this episode was brilliant.
I don't really care that they only had 9 instead of 12 POV's. What made this episode so great was how it showed was how busy a hospital can be and how one doctor missing one SIMPLE diagnostic step can cause the death of a patient. Checking a burn pt's throat is so, so basic that I don't think anyone should feel sorry for the axed doc.
But the bigger picture is seeing how every doctor failed that patient. Not because they're bad doctors but because they were all overwhelmed.
The new MW docs will get into things, and I think this episode was a step in the right direction as far as integrating them. Because at the end of the day, they were all complicit in that woman's death and they all know it.
Great, great episode.
Reply
11-06-2009 @ 4:45PM
Daniel said...
What? are you kidding? Try to act out in that stressed out enviroment and see how you would do. It was not her fault at all but the people running the hospital.
10-23-2009 @ 9:10AM
Cathy said...
As soon as Christina told Alex that his initials were on the patient's chart, I knew that the person with the same initials was at fault--no mystery as to who was to blame. It was also obvious that she didn't look down the patient's throat after she was distracted by the axe guy. That said, I think the episode as a whole was very good. It really moved, replaying instances from different perspectives, giving more insight as to what makes each of the new people tick.
Reply
10-23-2009 @ 9:24AM
grumpiestoldman said...
What a piece of crap episode. Just didn't work.
And to fire the girl from Everwood? I was hoping she was coming on full time. But no, they kept the boring ones.
Reply
10-24-2009 @ 8:58AM
justelise said...
There were two girls from Everwood in this episode, not to be nitpicky, but Sarah Drew is a talented actress, and it's unfortunate that she's leaving so soon.
10-23-2009 @ 9:54AM
Xina said...
Liked this episode a lot. Lexie held up in her role as the title Grey this time around. Though, I was hoping Evan would hear from his dad!
But the final scenes were the best....Derek called the chief on the BS that is going on in the hospital, and I HOPE that makes TPTB stop and take notice. It HAS been complete chaos in the ER the last couple of episodes, and people are being so petty. I hope that stops soon and we go back to getting to know some of these new characters and storylines.
Reply
10-23-2009 @ 11:52AM
Jay said...
Technically I count 10, since we got Meredith's point of view as well.... The point of view of 'Why is Bailey taking so long to get to me?'
Reply
10-23-2009 @ 11:54AM
Matt said...
Derek was POV #10 in that he felt the chief created the climate that lead to these events.
The chief was #11 in that he explained his POV to Derek at the end.
Reply
10-23-2009 @ 1:25PM
Dave said...
"Why didn't the doctors have icebreakers or a luncheon so that they could at least know each others' names?"
I think there are two reasons why: 1.)Companies in today's environment are rarely allowing employee lunches to be covered, and 2.)In a merger of like businesses, where performance is a major deciding factor of who stays and who goes, there is a lot of backstabbing. And doctors work in real time with real consequences, so there's rarely an opportunity of "do-overs".
Reply
10-23-2009 @ 2:47PM
leah said...
Lexie really is showing her skills this season. We never get to see her do some hardcore acting but this season showcased how great of an actress she really is. Hoping we get to see more of Lexie and kudos, to Chyler Leigh, who I think i'm falling in love with.
Reply
10-23-2009 @ 4:34PM
Kris said...
I enjoyed this episode--it really was difficult to pinpoint who was responsible. The explanation made sense, although it wasn't completely satisfying. I had pretty much decided that it was actually the chief's fault, because he allowed the merger to happen without providing any real guidelines or policies about *how* it should happen. As a result, he created chaos and fear for both the Mercy West and Seattle Grace doctors. When Derek stepped in to say that very thing to the chief, I cheered--the chief had that coming. It will be interesting to see what, if anything, the chief does about it.
Reply
10-23-2009 @ 7:19PM
Takayo said...
I actually liked this episode. How it played out kind of reminded me of that episode of "House" where Chase kills a woman and everyone interviews him on what happened that lead to the mistake, just on a bigger scale.
Reply
10-25-2009 @ 12:01PM
Scott said...
One of the best Grey's shows in 2 seasons. This should win an emmy for editing - the way they spun, sliced and spliced those stories and perspectives together was absolutely brilliant.
Reply
11-06-2009 @ 4:44PM
Daniel said...
I loved this episode! It was really focoused on the medicine part and I think alot of this exist in the american healthcare system. This episode also got me angry. I hated when the one who had to quit was leaving full of shame. Arizona or what she is named said that she had perfect scores and so. This mistake problably ruined her whole life. The thing is that it was not even her fault. It is sad that one worker has to take the blame for a system that is failing horribly. Its the chiefs faults not the doctors and nurses. I think she acted very good because I was suffering with her.
Reply