| My Review of 6.08 - "Invest In Love" |
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| Written by Admin |
| Saturday, 07 November 2009 20:38 |
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So Grey's is back on top among the 18 to 49 age group this week. I am glad that the World Series was over and people caught this wonderful episode. Read on for my full review. It's a lengthy one!
Ah…."Invest In Love".. the episode which every Callie & Arizona fan pinned all their hopes and dreams on. In the end, we got more than we expected. I am still basking in the high from so much Arizona and Callie and being overwhelmed by the intensity with which the scenes were delivered.
Sure, there were some confounding moments, but on the whole, as a Callie & Arizona fan, the episode blew me away. It feels surreal, still, that we were treated to an Arizona-centric hour.
The writers, to their credit, are good at recognizing talent and potential when they see it. They saw JCap's talent and the depth that she can bring to a character, and in Arizona, they saw the potential to develop a complex and interesting character. As such, both Jessica and Arizona were deserving of the spotlight.
This week, we got to see Arizona run through a gamut of emotions. And Jessica nailed every scene, a lot of times with just her eyes alone. I have to say that Jessica Capshaw has one of the most expressive sets of eyes in the business. Brava to Jessica for her nuanced performance that did justice to such a complex character as Arizona.
And onto the episode...
It was a very promising start when they showed Callie & Arizona within the first 30 seconds of the episode.
In Callie's bedroom, the pager starts beeping, causing Arizona to jolt awake while Callie continues to snore and snort on her side of the bed. AZ fumbles for the pager, hoping it is not intended for her and breathes a sigh of relief. She returns under the covers and proceeds to elbow-shove Callie off the edge of the bed. Well, that's certainly one way to wake up your girlfriend. Unfortunately for Arizona, or perhaps karma for her treatment of Callie a couple of seconds ago, Arizona's pager goes off as well. What can I say, except that AZ is the epitome of cuteness with the "I'm sleeping!" as she wraps the pillow around her head.
Frankly, they had me at the bedroom scene. Even if the rest of the episode was crap (which it wasn't), I still would've been happy with it. Heh. Also, they win the award for most adorable being-woken-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night scene, hands down. Any scene with these two is never dull. Nice to get confirmation that AZ is practically living there now. Guess we missed the U-Haul conversation.
The next thing we know, they are barreling down the hallway with their respective stretchers trying to beat the other to the only open OR (with their passengers fearing more from dying in a stretcher collision than from their inherent injuries). Remind me to avoid getting into a road race with them at all costs. These women are vicious.
After the brutal unscheduled midnight shift, everyone (including Callie, Owen, and Cristina) gathers for a pediatric rotation. AZ, hyped up on caffeine, could not resist taking a jab at Cristina, "Okay, I know that this is the first time on a Peds rotation with me for some of you. Not for others."
The looks of love between Callie & Arizona throughout the episode are unmistakable. Cristina, on the other hand, appears utterly repulsed by this fairy talk.
At the meeting requested by Wallace's parents, it was a little disheartening to see the way Jennings treating Arizona and AZ looking so scared and worried. However, all is good when we find out that they are pledging to donate $25 million to Seattle Grace Mercy West.
The breakfast scene was fun to watch. I am all for the continuing interaction between Callie & Arizona with the rest of the cast. Arizona (whose dress style I really like, btw) goes on chirpily about the $25 million donation as Callie whips up these customized breakfasts for Owen and Cristina. Awkwardness, however, ensues when Lexie, ever so dependable in creating these moments, blurts out that Arizona's birthday is on Friday.
Callie: "How come Little Grey knows about your birthday and I don't?" Uh, Callie, a better question would be, how come you never bothered to ask Arizona? To borrow Mark's wisdom, it says more about you than about her.
Arizona says in one breath that birthdays are just like any other days and that she doesn't like them and doesn't celebrate them. She makes a quick escape from the scene, citing that she's late for work and gives Callie a quick peck on the cheek. Yes, I say cheek, because it was indeed not on the lips. They cannot fool us with the faraway shot and the weird angle; you could see that Callie's face was turned a little to the left as AZ pecks her. So yes, I am still waiting for the first kiss on the lips this season.
Callie then surveys the group on whether she was expected to do something for AZ's birthday, with the typical varying responses from Owen/Cristina/Lexie. Mark's, however, was a little eyebrow-raising: "Whoa..ho…bad idea. Surprise parties are hostile. They are dark..people jump out and scream at you.. they never come to any good." Huh.
Also, I'm intrigued by Arizona's aversion to birthdays because that just does not come about for no reason. I hope they follow up on this with a backstory in the future.
At the hospital, Arizona is faced with a difficult decision, one with really no favorable alternatives. It appears that she's doomed whether she does the surgery or not. In the end, she has no choice but to succumb to the combination of the hospital powers that be, the pleading parents, and the realization that they would probably take their son elsewhere to undergo surgery if she refuses. We see the first glimpse of AZ lacking her usual confidence and conviction.
Callie finds Arizona standing by herself outside the hospital looking a bit lost just before the surgery. Arizona solicits support from Callie in the form of asking to be told that she's "great". In what could have been a cheesy scene given the writing, Jessica pulled it off with such sincerity and this subtly growing level of confidence with each time she's told that she's great, that the scene worked for me.
Unfortunately, AZ's belief starts to crumble again as she goes to take Wallace into the OR, when Wallace questions his mortality.
In one of the most powerful scenes of the episode, Arizona is waiting for Callie at her apartment after her initial surgery on Wallace. I had been waiting for the build-up to this moment, in which everything that Arizona has been repressing for the sake of being strong for Callie finally comes to a head. A meltdown is inevitable. There is so much emotion packed behind AZ's expression; her face a mixture of anger, pain, fear, irrationality, resentment, and a hint of feeling betrayed. Anger from being in a situation that she could not control and that Callie was not there, fear of being in a losing battle against hospital politics and not able to save Wallace, and the realistic build-up of pain and resentment against Callie and feeling of betrayal that she is always the one giving and not getting enough in return. All the feelings that AZ usually sweeps under the rug comes to the surface in this raw display of emotion, which made my heart break a little. We finally got to see the real her. It doesn't make her a lesser person; it makes her more human. I am in awe of JCap for pulling off all of those emotions on her face in those few short seconds. The way she said, "I have helped you through crisis after crisis" was especially poignant.
It is a shame that Owen and Cristina had to burst in; I would have loved to see the emotions continue to pour out of AZ. The four-way argument that ensues was interesting, however, especially when AZ, who was unravelli ng just a few moments ago, snaps back to her authoritative mode at the mention of "a child". I love feisty Arizona. AZ's pager goes off and she leaves for the hospital.
Back at the hospital, AZ valiantly tries to save Wallace, who went into septic shock while the Chief makes an ill-advised offer to "help" Arizona. Arizona has had enough of the politics and screams at him with daggers in her eyes:
"NO! No, you can't! Because as long as you are standing there, breathing over my shoulder, I feel like I'm operating on a stack of dollar bills. Twenty-five million dollar bills. And what I need to be invested in right now is this kid. So please, get the hell out of my OR!!"
Wow, that's a breakthrough. Begone, issues with authority!
Sadly, but not unexpectedly, Wallace did not make it off the table. You see a stoic AZ come out, having blocked off all the avenues through which her feelings could pour forth. JCap is absolutely incredible here.. you see AZ so closed off yet with so much bubbling under.
Arizona comes home to what could be the worst-timed surprise party in history. She has barely held herself together throughout the Wallace ordeal all night, that when confronted with the surprise, the thought of a party for herself on th e same day as Wallace's birthday, who is now lying in the morgue instead, pushes her off the edge and she bursts into tears and flees. Once again, I am rendered speechless by Jessica's performance, her expression evolving from shock to heartbreak in mere seconds. It hurts to watch AZ. Callie, equally shocked for the reason that she has never seen AZ in this state before, goes into a stupor before coming to her senses to run after her.
Now, I really adored this episode - I really do - but there were a couple of things in the ep that just cannot go unaddressed, and this is one of them. I cannot, for the life of me, comprehend Callie's reaction (or lack of) to Arizona's breakdown outside her apartment. Yes, I get that Arizona has been a rock to an almost invincible degree ever since the start of their relationship, and Callie would be understandably taken aback at seeing AZ in such a vulnerable state. However, after Callie ran down and AZ revealed that Wallace died, Callie seems to have recovered from that initial shock and has since adopted a calm expression on her face. So I find it inexcusable and incomprehensible that Callie did not give AZ a hug. I simply don't get it. How is a hug of comfort between two people in a lesbian relationship sensational or lascivious in any way? I think it's a lot more disturbing for any audience to witness the distant demeanor from Callie. I was screaming at the TV, "HUG HER!!!" to no avail. And Callie seemed more concerned about holding down the fort at her own party than AZ's emotional state. How did she know that AZ even wanted to be alone? She didn't even offer to talk it through with AZ . In the words of Bette, I am frankly…just <bleeping> flabbergasted by Callie's reaction.
Arizona returns to the hospital and cautiously approaches Wallace's old room. The Chief finally does something right this season by standing up for Arizona to Jennings. What follows is an incredibly moving scene in the morgue. When Wallace's mom breaks down in the middle of the rhyme, Arizona takes over.
Wallace's mom: " Bad dreams, bad dreams, go away. Good dreams, good dreams, here to stay…." <starts sobbing> Arizona: "Good dreams, good dreams, here to stay. Bad dreams, bad dreams, go away. Good dreams, good dreams, here to stay. Bad dreams, bad dreams, go away. Good dreams, good dreams, here to stay. You have to do it three times.." Wallace's dad: "...for it to work. I know."
Somehow, I believe it's as cathartic for Wallace's mom as it is for Arizona, especially given her own history of nightmares. Beautiful scene.
Arizona comes home quietly and now appears to be more at peace with the ordeal. She walks by and notices Callie's lingerie-clad sleeping form on the sofa. You know the look on someone's face, when they think no one is watching them, is the most honest and the truest reflection of their heart? In this case, you could tell by AZ's expression that her heart is brimmed with so much love that it just takes her breath away. Callie comes awake as AZ sets down her keys on the side table.
Callie: "Oh! I'm awake....I'm I'm..see...I'm..I'm totally awake. And, there's hats.. and gifts... and..and donuts, and lingerie, and [blows on horn but produces no sound]...Really?!??!"
I love that little look with the eyes that AZ gave Callie during her shenanigans with the horn (it harks back to that night in the bathroom at Joe's when Callie asked, "You want to give me some names?" It's AZ's, "oh, you silly girl… " type of look).
The profession of love at that particular time was a surprise to me given the goofy things that Callie was doing. And I loved it. The way Arizona said it so softly, so tenderly, so matter-of-factly, as though she has known that in her heart for so long already, made me all crumbly inside. Callie's expression was one of complete shock, then one of fear that she had heard incorrectly and needed confirmation. AZ continued to look at Callie with such love and tenderness as she affirmed that she does. I was holding my breath as I wasn't sure whether Callie would say it back. Thank goodness she opened up her long-suffering heart to love again. Jessica and Sara acted that scene to perfection. Yes, a long soulful kiss after their profession of love would've been a nice bonus, but I'm more than happy with the on-screen "I love you's".
Arizona: "I love you." Callie: "... you do?" Arizona: "I do." Callie: "I love you, too."
And at that, Callie & Arizona fans around the world went into wild jubilation.
Random thoughts:
Cristina: "Excuse me, little… doctor boy." Enough said.
I feel like when things are good again, AZ reverts to her old habit of internalizing any issues and bearing everything with a perky grin. The fact that she just got over the lack of support from Callie without properly addressing is a prime example. I feel like that the issue of Callie not reciprocating the support has not been resolved. I wonder if this issue will come back to haunt them down the road.
Why is it that we get Mark/Lexie and Mer/Der kisses, and even a Cristina/Jackson kiss but we don't get a Calllie/Arizona kiss on the lips in an Arizona-centric episode?
I find myself chuckling at the gratuitous shirtless scenes of Alex the Marsupial. Guess they need to cater to the Karev fans. I did find myself a little moved by Alex's speech, though, that he couldn't go home or find Izzie, and that holding the baby was the one thing he could do. Speaking of which, it looks like they are setting up Alex to go into Peds?
So to justify Reed's presence at the hospital, they're making her pine for Karev? Oh please.
Bailey: "Take off your shirt." Alex: "What? No, take off your shirt!"
Heh heh, Bailey's expression…"Out! Out!"
Once again, superb choice of soundtrack for this episode.
Phew, that was a long one! Until next week!
Comments (62)
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LOLZ! 
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. I too agree that Callie should have definitely hugged Arizona when they were standing outside. I understand (but do not like) that the network feels they need to be cautious or whatever, but I really think they could have allowed a hug...I mean I think even strangers may have hugged in that situation. While I definitely think there is still a ways to go-especially in terms of physical contact- I absolutely LOVED this episode. Jessica Capshaw (and Sara Ramirez) did a great job, and I loved the storyline being so central around them. I adore Callie and Arizona and was so happy after seeing this episode. 
It was adorable though. 
). JCap pointed out in her TVGuide interview that "Callie could find another guy or girl" since "her playing field is vast."... I really hope Callie's not gonna do anything silly and break AZ's heart. 
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I guess prime time tv + lesbian kiss = not a good idea..
Well obviously i would desperately want to see them kiss. Like a proper kiss. I'm dying to see it..
Oh well, some viewers dont like it
Totally love this episode..
The last scene was simply wonderful!
Great review (: