| My Review of 6.09 - "New History" |
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| Written by Admin |
| Sunday, 15 November 2009 22:11 |
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Grey's continued to do well this week, once again coming in first among the 18-49 age group. Read on for my full review.
This episode did not have much Callie & Arizona, which was expected given the gem we got last week (Jessica and Sara deserved a much-needed break), but I still found it enjoyable. Okay, I will admit before we go any further that I had been looking forward to this episode as I've been partial to Kim Raver ever since her role as Audrey on '24'… (sidenote: please let Jack and Audrey reunite! But uh… I'l save that for another day... or another forum). What really surprised me was the great care that Shonda & Co. took in introducing her character so as to not threaten those hardcore Cristina & Owen shippers. To me, it worked (but who knows how the rabid C&O fans are reacting). I like that it's not a cliched love triangle in that Owen's ex shows up and wants him back and Cristina freaks out; I love how nuanced everything is. I hope the show continues in the direction of introducing interesting but sane characters that we can relate to and care about. Providing that her character doesn't jump off the deep end, I would love for Teddy to become a regular next season to increase the sane vs. loony ratio.
I am not complaining about the lack of exclusive screen time for Callie & Arizona, either. I love that they are interacting with other characters. It's not healthy for them to exist in a vacuum, or for the viewers to see them as such. Integrating the lesbian/bisexual pair with the rest of the cast can only help normalize the relationship, which is what we strive for in the first place. Plus, we do gain another perspective on their relationship by seeing how they interact with other each other within a larger group, or how others react to them as a couple.
Loved the way we catch the first glimpse of Teddy, all intense and working furiously on a cardio trauma. What follows is priceless:
Cristina: Teddy Altman. I..I've never heard of you. Teddy: Cristina Yang. I've never heard of you either, so I guess that makes us even.
Desert Storm Barbie: 1, Cristina: 0
Glad to see that after a couple of intense and sad (at least the last one) episodes, humorous dialogue (with the accompanying goofy music) has been injected back into the show, in the form of funny Bailey and the return of her buggering eyes and over-enunciation of each syllable. As we can see in the scene with Adele, funny Bailey + Callie + Mark = comedic gold.
Callie: Yeah, but that's because they are husband and work-wife. Bailey: Excuse me? Callie: The Chief's your work-husband and you're his work-wife…You look out for each other; you take care of each other. There's nothing wrong with it. It's like me and Sloan. Sloan: Excuse me? Callie: Nobody's talking you (to Sloan)… he's my work-husband, but he has a girlfriend, and I have a girlfriend, but nothing going on between us. Sloan: Well, I mean there was, at one point. Callie: You're not helping. Bailey: Neither one of you are helping.
The best Callie is verbal-diarrheic Callie. Seriously though, I am really pleased to see that Callie's so comfortable with her sexuality now. Heh, hilarious that Adele gave her a once-over at the girlfriend part.
Earlier, I was talking about how Callie & Arizona's interaction with other characters is a good reflection of how they are as a couple. The cafeteria scene is a great example of that:
Arizona, with her lunch in front of her, is doing a crossword puzzle as Mark and Callie approach with their trays in hand. Mark, perhaps getting in touch with his feminine side, is being a gossipmonger as he questions whether the Chief is cheating with Bailey and says that he likes them together. Arizona looks up from her crossword puzzle and asks what they are talking about. Mark is revved up to dish out the gossip, but his pleasure is taken away by an approaching Owen and Teddy, who join them at the table. When asked by Mark how her first day's going, Teddy mentions that she's really impressed by the caliber of the residents. Arizona, who decided that it would be fun to mess with Owen, brings up Cristina Yang. Amazing that AZ can be simultaneously so evil while appearing so innocent, sipping on her straw. Teddy thinks Cristina may be one of the best residents that she's ever seen (at which AZ reacts with a surprised and baffled look) but believes that Cristina doesn't like her. Mark jumps all over this and starts listing off all the attendings that Cristina chased away.
Owen cuts in to defend Cristina and makes the fatal mistake of referring to her by her first name in front of Teddy. Oops - inevitably, the sh*t hit the fan. Teddy catches on and asks what happened to Beth. Mark, who does not seem to be familiar with concept of keeping his trap shut when there's nothing good to say, starts to fill Teddy in on what happened when Beth showed up at the hospital, that is until he yelps in pain:
Arizona: ….. <with wide-eyed innocence, sipping on her straw noisily and draining her soda> Mark: "Ow! Did you just kick me?" <looks accusingly at Callie> Callie: …. <puzzled look> Arizona: "That was me."
My heart melted a little when Callie looks over at Arizona with a mixture of love, wonderment, and pride. A girlfriend who will do your dirty work for you is definitely a keeper.
Teddy is a little shocked and miffed to find out that Owen got her on board as a present for Cristina Yang. Owen, who clearly has not mastered the art of BSing, talks himself into a corner and admits that Teddy is a present for his current girlfriend. Gee Owen, you are nothing if not subtle. You might as well have put Teddy in some shiny wrapping paper with a ribbon wrapped around her and wheel her in on a trolley and have her burst through the wrapping in front of Cristina, screaming "Surprise!!".
I love Teddy's reaction, though. Instead of acting all petty and upset, she keeps her cool and tells Owen that she'll enjoy all the ways he's going to have to make it up to her.
I have to mention that it is so nice to see Callie joking about her and Hahn. She really is healed. So cute when Arizona looked over at Callie and gave her a sweet smile after she said that.
Later, we see Arizona and Teddy walking along, having a conversation about someone they mutually know. They approach a young patient being tended to by Jackson and Cristina. Arizona goes to examine the X-Rays while Teddy proceeds to examine him.
Teddy: Book an OR. Cristina: Why? Teddy: Because I said so. Cristina: But he has asthma. Teddy: Cardiac asthma, Dr. Yang. Cristina: And you know that because? Teddy: Because that seizure that he had, it wasn't fro m a fever. He had a heart attack and he's having one now. So you're going to book an OR because I'm your attending, and when I tell you to book an OR, BOOK AN OR.
Oh snap! Desert Storm Barbie: 2, Cristina: 0
Arizona stays behind, appearing equally impressed with Teddy's medical acumen as with her deft handling of Cristina. AZ, her expression one of complete and utter glee, wiggles her eyebrows and remarks to Cristina, "I like her", and throws in a sigh of appreciation for good measure. Cristina looks up at AZ with her patented non-expression, which I am graphically depicting as -___-
I like Teddy, too. Anyone with the gumption to stand up to Cristina has already won me over. And heck, if Callie has a work-husband, Arizona needs a work-wife, and I've decided that Teddy would make an excellent work-wife to Arizona. Plus, Arizona needs a partner-in-crime in putting those pesky smartass residents in their place. They are already off to a good start and on track to become buddies at this rate.
Later in the OR:
Despite having been second-guessed by Cristina all day, Teddy gives Cristina an opportunity to first-assist on the surgery by asking AZ to switch roles with Cristina, to which AZ responded with enthusiasm, "Not at all". Wow… it's commendable that AZ will not let her personal feelings towards the person affect the job that she's supposed to do (i.e. teach), and Teddy seems to share that value. (I guess she's doing it out of love for Owen, too) AZ and Teddy should really become good friends; they both have this innate goodness and can be strong-willed without coming off as brash. Not to mention, their green eyes and blue eyes make a mesmerizing combination in any scene.
Random thoughts:
I love seeing the attendings having their own little circle at lunch and the residents doing so at their own table.
Ah, how I've missed Chandra Wilson. "Yang, has it ever occurred to you that you might be the problem? Yeah…right right… leave this man alone, go torture the new attending". "You in trouble. Drink your latte." "Pshhh…you kiddin'? With all that hair? Can't be looking at that all day."
I don't like that Bailey covered for the Chief, though. I know she worships the man, but this is just shady business. I don't like it. I don't like it one bit.
Izzie to the Chief: "I gave you 8 million dollars to build that clinic which you happily accepted at the time. So I have no problem going to the board or the press if I have to to get Dr. Singer the surgery he needs." Most sensible line ever uttered by her.
I don't mind the happy and married Meredith who offers other people level-headed advice.
Interesting scene at the end between Teddy and Owen. I feel for Teddy… her tortured heart.. Curious to see how it plays out.
Comments (14)
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She seems so nice and genuine, and I think it would be nice to see Arizona have a hospital buddy. I feel like she'd fit into the Callie-Arizona and fellow neighbors circle. 
It would be nice to see a scene such as that though. 
I agree with you on everything. I was glad to see a funny grey's episode, but with the other episodes this season, I still thought last weeks was the most snoozefest of all of them.
I loved the lunch scene, it was one of my fave moments of the episode.
I also think funny bailey callie and mark = pure comedic amazingness. And the way she told mark that no one was talking to him was great. love sara haha, that scene was just pure comedic gold.