'Grey's Anatomy' - 'Death and All His Friends' Recap (Season Finale)
by Michael Pascua, posted May 21st 2010 9:16AM
(S06E24) The violent content continues with hour two of the big 'Grey's Anatomy' season finale. Did anyone notice that Mr. Clark's goal was to shoot Lexie, Derek, and Webber and all three managed to survive? Not much of a successful killer. The biggest thing that really annoyed me about the episode was that there were several incidents where a doctor could have stopped the whole thing, the biggest instance was when Callie handed Mr. Clark the gauze bandages. Also disappointing was the one SWAT member that shot Mr. Clark and somehow Mr. Clark managed to walk away. While there were many unrealistic moments, the finale was one of the strongest since the Denny story.
Shonda Rimes has mentioned how she had a rule about the main characters not having children. Meredith miscarrying was really obvious if you ever read the interview. The only other option was if she was shot in the uterus.
My biggest confusion comes from the fact that I don't understand the map layout of Seattle Grace Hospital. Clearly Alex/Lexie/Mark, Bailey/Charles/Mary, Callie/Arizona, and Derek's office are all on different floors and somehow the killer manages to go up and down and with the elevators shut down, not bump into any SWAT members. Likewise, Bailey manages to scream without getting one person to help.
The Callie/Arizona plotline ends very predictably. Arizona caves and I'm really disappointed. Not everyone caves; babies are a difficult conversation to have. While I like the two of them together, they could have worked things out without the help of a shooter in the hospital.
Alex goes from "Eat more bacon. Have more sex," to hallucinating about Izzie. Somehow she's gone from the story and she continues to haunt the audience. It was interesting watching Lexie pretend that she was Izzie for Alex's sake. While Lexie picked Alex, the Mark/Lexie situation was left blurry, and Teddy/Mark storyline wasn't even mentioned. My biggest gripe about Lexie was, why did she run away from Mr. Clark with her back to the guy? I would have not only used the cart as a shield, I would have backed away.
Cristina rocked the episode with the surgeries, but it was Jackson's quick thinking that convinced Mr. Clark to leave the operating room. I really hope that Cristina wakes up and realizes that Jackson would be a perfect match for her. At least, Owen can't use the PTSD when Cristina could mention how she had a gun to her head.
Clearly, this episode will be used for Chandra Wilson's Emmy consideration for her emotional turns of trying to fight and then realizing that she could do nothing more. It was sad seeing her powerless, just trying to comfort Charles in his final moments. Why she didn't use a phone to call the SWAT team or run down the stairs by herself was beyond me; yet another plot-hole that I will just have to accept.
Mandy Moore could probably use this for a guest actor nod even if she just fumbled for medical supplies and held up an IV bag. It was sad seeing Charles confess how he loved Reed not knowing that Reed was already dead. If anyone watched this season's set of webisodes, you would have known that the two had a connection. Kudos to the make-up/sfx team that turned Charles paler and paler as the episode went along.
In the end Dr. Webber saves the day. At least the whole alcoholic plotline finally came to a head when he rejected a drink and poured out all of the vodka. It was interesting to see that he managed to get Mr. Clark to off himself with the last bullet. This swat team has to be one of the worst representations out there and I really hope that the Seattle Police department sends out a statement how that's how they wouldn't react, rather follow something similar to Immediate Action Rapid Deployment.
Let's stop and think about the episode as a whole. Shonda Rhimes claimed the episode would be a game changer. Meredtth is still with Derek, albeit without a baby. Cristina and Owen is still blurry, but he picked her over Teddy. Arizona and Callie made up because Arizona caved. Lexie picked Alex, but it could have been because he was shot. Mark looked at Teddy for a few frames. We have two Mercy Westers dead, but two still around. I don't see the game changed at all, but I'll continue to watch the show as it slowly creeps to a series finale. How did you like the finale? I'm sure there's a lot to talk about for the finale so please leave your comments below.
Comments
by Xina, posted May 21st 2010
I'll admit it, I loved it! From the time Clark into the hospital you knew this was going to be rough. Reed was a brat to him, but when he shot her I still flinched, and then Alex crawling into the elevator. Usually, "Little Grey" Annoys me, but she was great in this episode, and Eric Dane surprised me, by actually acting for a few moments.
Percy usually annoyed me, but he was great this episode. Begging Bailey to be honest with him, never feeling sorry for himself, even trying to joke at the end. That scene really got to me, as did Bailey screaming for being so powerless, but in the end she pulled it together and was there for the young man that admired her so much.
The scene with Kristina, Avery, Owen and the gunman was amazing. I was surprised when Owen walked in there and we saw Clark with a gun to Kristina's head. I thought maybe Derek was dead and Owen was just trying to keep Meredith calm.
I saw a lot of game changing episodes. Meredith amazed me when she walked into the OR and begged Clark to kill her, she was calm and composed, but when she was trying to help Owen and just matter of factly told April and Owen that she was having a miscarriage, WOW. She was happy there, for a few moments, we saw some real happiness from Meredith and then she loses the baby without having told Derek. Could make for some really compelling drama next season. Bailey losing it, and then coming back, I think she could suffer from PTSD and really pull out some great stuff. Kristina and Owen, he chose her and she loves him, but she looked at Avery a few times and there was something...
Arizona and Callie, might be nice to just see a happy couple, and having them cope with a baby, lots of laughs right there. I dont' think the changes are as drastic as you might have thought, but they are there and could make for a really great season come September.
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by Drake, posted May 21st 2010
You seem to have a lot of negative to say. Stop over analyzing it. It was a great episode. Probably one of the greatest on TV in a long time..THE END!
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by crm, posted May 21st 2010
Callie gave Mr. Clark the gause so he wouldn't shoot them (he was killing surgins). There was no way they could have stopped him anyway. Bailey didn't use the stairs cause it's most likely where the killer is and there was nothing she could go get to save him anyway (they were trying to get him out or to an OR)
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by Tony C, posted May 24th 2010
No, really -- Michael is right. I noticed that moment too and was completely mystified by Callie's inability to see that Clark was offering her his pistol in a non-threatening manner -- palm and fingers of his hand flat and outstretched, barrel pointing to the side.
by Mike, posted May 21st 2010
The show was fantastic, except for one thing. it was not necessary to have Meredith have a miscarriage. I think an interesting storyline for next season would have included a pregnant Meredith trying to deal with many issues involving a new baby, like not having he/she grow up to be dark and twisty, does she want a child to grow up wanting to be a doctor, etc. A baby storyline is really the only angle left for the Mer/Der story in this show. But otherwise, a gripping and gut-wrenching finale that was great to watch.
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by Kairo, posted May 21st 2010
Wow, finally a review that makes sense for this terribly written, tanking show! Thank You! I could not agree more with you about all of the MANY plot holes in this two-parter. Now we all know that this show has never at any point even pretended to be realistic in any way but come on people...this was one of the worst written episodes the shows ever had, hell its one of the worst written pieces of film ive ever seen! You can almost forgive a few plot holes here and there or dramatic purpose and story progression but this was just bad.
It truly is a shame that this once great show has fallen so far. Let me just point out a few things i feel need to be said. First off, i have wathced this show from the beginning and only continue to wathc an episode here or there out of grim curiousity. But here we go:
1) Did anyone honestly NOT see this whole thing playing out the way it did? Sure a few MAIN characters are gonna get popped but not die and a few random folk and the MW crew will go down for good but none of it was a surprise. The only genuinly surprising thing here was the amount of violence they managed to put in.
2)Mr. Clark hated Derek so much that he shoots him once...and walks away...come on now.
3)Was this old dude a frickin ninja or somethin? how the hell did he get EVERYWHERE!!??
4)I was actually hoping Meredith would get shot and lose the baby that way. Her line "I'm having a miscarriage." was just terrible.
5)I was a little dissapointed in Owen, that had to be the sloppiest attempt at a disarm i have ever seen..and he was a soldier!
6)Were we really supposed to be in suspense at all? These cheap tricks like creeping down a dark hallway all scrunched up cause you're scared or being pulled from under a bed in a close up shot don't even work in movies that ARE suspenseful so how was it supposed to work here?
Theres a lot more i could say but i think this post is long enough as it is. Just a bit of advice for Shonda Rhimes though, stop...stop...stop trying to make television shows. Please? There is absolutely so creativity left in her or her writers and i really dont see how this show can make it another two seasons. If you want some advice on good writing and tightly wound stories with NO plot holes then i suggest you give Damon and Carlton a call over at LOST.
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by Kairo, posted May 21st 2010
Ok looking back over that post i sound like a pretty big jackass lol so let me get this out there too...Im not bashing the show for the sake of bashing it or being negative. It did have a few really good moments, like it always does..examples being Alex and Lexie, Owen trying to keep Meredith sitting down, Christina going all hardcore Surgeon again...FINALLY!! There were others but they are all heavily outweighed.
I only say any of this because i truly did enjoy this show at one time but it really couldnt be any more clear that it's been getting worse and worse and this whole mess is unforgivable, especially considering the great season finales we've had in the past.
by Stef, posted May 22nd 2010
I don't agree with everything you said, but I do agree with you when you said the show isn't what it use to be. I def agree with you there. I go back and watch the first few seasons and I am in awe. I don't find I have that feeling anymore when I watch the show. But I do still enjoy watching it. I just don't think it is like how it use to be. I miss having all of them in scenes together (Meredith, Alex, Christina, Lexie). I think that is one of the things the show is missing now.. since it has brought so many new people onto the show. I don't know, I do get what you are saying, but at the same time, I still think it is worth watching and that it is a good show.
by larry, posted May 22nd 2010
In response to number 2
Clark got 1 shot off and then saw the SWAT team across the walkway. That was when he took off. Which makes sense since he told Lexie. I came here to kill you Sheppard and Webber. He hadn't seen lexie or Webber so he took off to finish his objective. So to speak
by lauren, posted May 21st 2010
I thought it was a really good episode and pretty close to realistic (as far as reactions go). I can't imagine how I would respond if someone shot the person next to me and then turned on me. Very few people would be the "hero" and try to take the gun out of his hand, or be able to form a coherent sentence to explain that you just slipped on your best friend's blood and stared into her dead eyes. Most of the characters needed to be in such a state of shock, or grief or fear that their actions and emotions weren't perfect. they were raw and based on instinct.
It showed the true depth of the characters and how they all might react in extreme situations. Not just what would they do as surgeons responding to someone else's crisis. But what would they do as people when their friend has been shot and the gun is now turned on them? Do you keep doing the surgery to save your friend's life and risk being shot? Do you give the shooter gauze or run away? Do you leave the safety of the hospital room and try to move your friend to OR at the risk of being gunned down? Was Dr. Webber the only "hero" here?
Now, was it realistic that the SWAT team would have the building surrounded and inside and take a shot and this guy is still calmly wandering around? Hardly. If he was shot, he likely would have stumbled. Which is certainly enough time for the officers on hand to take him down. It was odd that after that one officer shot him, that you never saw another one inside the hospital. It was especially odd that the officer could get a shot off from behind a staircase and around the corner when Little Grey was there but when he went after Dr. Shepard in the middle of the atrium (albeit a higher floor) there was no one around.
So, was it a game-changer? I don't think so. But I did like that there were no cliff-hangers. It felt like a true season finale. I thought it was intense and emotional and well done.
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by matthew barnes, posted May 21st 2010
here are some things i learned about the world of Seattle Grace last night...
1. lock down doesn't actually mean anything. different areas of the hospital are not actually locked in any way and people can freely wander from place to place.
2. the Seattle swat team sucks. when they shoot a suspect in the shoulder and he gets back up, do they shoot him again? no... they look a little proud of themselves like "i took care of it!" and wave the victim off. when the shooter walks away, nobody tracks him. nobody follows him. he just gets away.
3. if you're shot and on an elevator in an incredibly busy hospital where the elevators are constantly moving... nobody will suddenly have any interest in using that elevator and you won't be found for a while.
4. the head of the police/SWAT task force should be fired. as people are dying inside a building, he casually, and even with the occasional smile on his face, does little to nothing. (he seemed very proud of himself when, after over an hour, he had one floor secure.)
5. security guards at SG suck too. they either don't carry guns or don't know how to use them.
6. nobody knows how to use a phone properly. they know how to call outside the building for help, but nobody's calling other areas of the hospital to find out what's going on. instead, they ALL seem to want to boldly risk their lives to find someone instead of making a phone call. also, nobody has cell phones.
i've been watching this show since the beginning and i've loved and hated it along the way. last night's episode was manipulation of the worst sort. the rules of reality were changed so that the audience could be held in suspense. it was just poor writing.
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by Sara, posted May 21st 2010
The show last night had it's ups and downs. I do agree that it was somewhat predictable and that the SWAT team was absolutely terrible! Regardless, I still love the show. But, I do find it funny that a lot of the people above bash the show...but they still watch it. If it's so terrible...don't even bother! :)
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by Kairo, posted May 21st 2010
Point taken lol. Im of the sort that will still continue to go along with something that i once enjoyedjust for the sake seeing how the rest plays out and what end comes about for everyone. Ill admit that ive said i was done with this show a few times before but, here i am still, just watching an occasional episode. I will say this though, i try not to blatently bash anything..especially something i once enjoyed but as much i would like to enjoy this show again when i keep coming back, i just cant seem to. think of it as a relationship with an ex who you once loved but then they turned all crazy(we've all been there people) but you gave em another shot becasue you hoped they we be like they were when you first met lol
by Nevets, posted May 21st 2010
GIANT GLASS WINDOWS!!! How could the SWAT snipers not see the shooter aiming a gun at another guy and take a shot. That lobby/atrium thing is basically a huge greenhouse. COME ON!!!
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by Dee, posted May 21st 2010
The hospital is in lock down and no one thinks twice about walking up and down the halls...very big windows with clear shot of the shooter pointing the gun at Derrick and no swat team....lots of holes. Also, there was such a big deal made over Mandy Moore's poo bag and then she just gets out of bed and walks around as if she wasn't attached to it.Why was Bailey's group the only one's on the floor...if they evacuated the floor they would have found them.
This seamed like a very violent, poor excuse to get rid of the Mercy Wester's and reinstate the Chief.
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by bc, posted May 21st 2010
There's nothing unusual about walking around with an ostomy pouch. She was in the hospital expecting to be prepped for surgery, not because she was bed-bound.
by Puppet, posted May 22nd 2010
Okay, because there seems to be some negative light cast on this episode, I'll bring in some positive light! (not to say that I didn't find holes in this show, though).
This show was written fairly well. It was more of a suspense finale, but... still interesting all the same. Webber pouring out the vodka, Derek "dying".... all were surprising to me. I mean, I didn't think it was all that predictable. But maybe I'm just easily fooled. And Owen taking a bullet for Meredith? I saw him prepping to do it, so I was expecting it... but I didn't think he actually would, if you get what I mean. Just... wow. Charles... I didn't really like him all that much at first. In fact, he seemed arrogant and annoying. But this episode really brought out the kind side of him... even if he was dying. I felt incredibly sorry for him.
But at the same time, April made me a little annoyed. I mean, I loved her in the end, but when she was like, "Dr. Shepard! You came back!" and gets Derek shot... wow. Nice going, smart one. I kinda hated her for that.
At the same time, with all this suspense, the writer was also able to bring some comedy to the show, which definitely lifted my spirits in this episode. Bailey asking about the water? That, I have to admit, was HILARIOUS. I nearly died laughing.
"Where... Where is all this WATER coming from? +looks up at ceiling;"
"Dr...Dr. Bailey... you're crying."
"...oh..."
And Christina and April... (I think?) wandering the halls and then freaking out when Jackson opens the door? I don't know why, but that made me laugh.
I think my major nitpick with the show was the SWAT team. Wow, they're horrible. Does it really take that long to get there? And you've got a GUNMAN in the hospital, a TON of patients, doctors... and you only see... maybe ten pour in? Not only that, but only ONE manages to shoot the guy. And then he walks away!
I mean... it was a good episode, I cried, which is difficult to achieve with me, but it had it's plot-holes.
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by Nacho, posted May 21st 2010
Dear new writer guy,
TV Squad has a fairly firm rule about not posting spoilers of what happened before the jump. Maybe you should look into that for next time.
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by Rita, posted May 22nd 2010
I thought the season finale was terrible. Way too much violence. I'm sorry that I started watching the program this year. The writers get you interested in the program, then they do a terribly, terribly violent program. And for two hours. It was horrible.
I'm going to write a post about it for my blog The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide.
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by kristy, posted May 21st 2010
i hate that they killed off Charles, he was my favorite doctor on the show. it was so sad how they tried to save him but in the end could not. how did they find Alex, in the elevator if they were shutdown.
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