| My Review of 6.16 - "Perfect Little Accident" |
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| Written by Admin |
| Sunday, 07 March 2010 16:43 |
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This week, Grey's numbers in terms of total viewers bounced back a bit after the Olympics, but lost the 18-49 demographic toThe Office, which featured the JAM baby. Read on for my full review.
Another decent episode this week. I like it when the writers are not trying to bash us over the head with melodrama! and tragedy! and sensational stuff like ghost!sex!. All I am asking for is a light comedic episode with entertaining dialogue among characters and patient storylines that we care about. Grey's works best when they can intertwine as many characters as possible in an episode and maintain a theme throughout (like when the whole "heart in the vagina" exchange between Mer and Lexie turns into Cristina and her "heart in the scalpel" that involves Teddy by the end of the ep). I even enjoyed the interaction between the patients and their family (well, Harper Avery was a different story), as I usually don't find myself caring about them. So it felt a little warm and fuzzy and rewarding that all the patients pulled through.
This episode was written by Peter Nowalk, who also wrote "Give Peace a Chance", another great ep. I enjoy his writing style; he has the ability to keep us engaged. Callie & Arizona may not have a big storyline, but that's okay, because their relationship continues to be portrayed in a real and meaningful manner. We get a true glimpse of the nature their relationship in the context of an ordinary day. Of course, that can only be achieved with decent writing, which brings me back to my original point of giving kudos to Peter Nowalk.
And onto the episode...
Blond Lexie, the pin-up girl-wannabe, is experimenting with various sexy poses (while being doubled and quadrupled on screen...Egads, my eyes!) and waiting conscientiously for her lovah Alex to show up. Unfortunately, she is too busy trying to strategically cover herself with the blankets and pillow to pick up on the minor detail that Alex has left the building, and that she is in fact, posing for nobody. Well, not nobody - since the concept of knocking is completely foreign on Grey's, Post-It brother-in-law Derek barges in and screams in horror, followed by Meredith, who astutely diagnoses that Lexie's heart is in fact located in her vagina. Sounds painful.
At the hospital, Huntlet is working on the motorcyclist who's been newly brought in while Teddy the Tortured eyes him longingly from afar, because unrequited love dies hard. An exceedingly perky Arizona approaches Teddy about a patient of hers in oncology, by prefacing that she must be really busy with surgeries and... s-s-staring at Owen Hunt. Arizona, fresh off of her success in playing Cupid for Bailey, decides that she and her mad people-fixin' skills can tackle this next project. Teddy attempts to deny her infatuation with Huntlet, but Arizona, who cannot "unnotice" this triangular mess (unfortunately, neither can the audience), gives it to Teddy straight up. Arizona then declares that she's going to be Teddy's friend in a bubbly child-like tone, sort of like one would when you are 6 and it's the first day of school, and you just befriend the first person who sits down next to you so you have someone to play with on the playground. Teddy is taken aback by Arizona's effusiveness and possibly wondering if she should back away slowly. Arizona presses on and invites Teddy to join her and Callie for girls' night out, and suddenly gets giddy at the prospect of Bailey joining them. Teddy looks a little uneasy at what girls' night out with this borderline loony person entails but agrees because Arizona looks like she will not take no for an answer.
The conversation is really Arizona's adorable quirkiness at its best:
Arizona: Teddy, hey! I have a patient up in oncology. I know that you are really busy with surgeries, and s-s-staring...at... Owen...Hunt. Teddy: ...what? Arizona: I've tried to ignore it, the staring? But ever since Christmas with the guitar, and the singing, and the stolen looks...well, I noticed it. And I can't..<chuckle>.. unnotice it. It's just..I kind of...I like to fix things...people.. I like to fix people. Teddy: Oh no no, Dr. Hunt and I... Arizona: Oh...don't. 'Cos then you're just lying, and that's not good. The point is, you're staring, and you're sad, and I think that you need friends that aren't Owen. And that's where I come in, with the fixing. You are going to be friends with me. <emphatic nod> Teddy: <a little wide-eyed> I am? Arizona: Mhm! Yeah, I'm an awesome friend. So tonight, you'll come out with Callie and me.. girls' night! Oh ooh... maybe Bailey will come, too <giggles giddily> Teddy: Huh.. <awkward chuckle> Arizona: Say yes, to girls' night! Teddy: Yes! To girls' night! <nods warily> Arizona: YAY!! Teddy: Oh, yay!! Arizona: Problem solved. Now, my patient, Elliot Meyer, he needs a lung transplant.
The way Teddy looks at Arizona as if she's from another planet cracks me up. And Teddy's supposed to be the nutty one. The "Yay!" and "Oh yay!" was one of the highlights of the episode. Such comedic chemistry between these two.
As Arizona tells Teddy about her patient needing a lung transplant, Alex is passing by and perks up at the mention of a surgery opportunity, and volunteers himself.
Alex: Oh hey! I'm down with a lung transplant. Arizona: Ohhh? No... Because you slept with my girlfriend and I find that when I look at you, I want to hit you with a brick. <comical wince> Alex: Dude.. that was like.. years ago... Arizona: Huh huh huh huh <maniacally>... maybe...but jealousy is a green-eyed monster, and if you ask any one of my kids, they'll tell you that there's no reasoning with a monster. <nodding at her own statement> Alex: ..... <stares at her a little dumbfoundedly> Arizona: Dude! Run away before I find a brick. Alex: <puffs and turns away to walk off>
After the mini outburst, Arizona, in the same breath, says to Teddy, "As my new friend, don't judge me for that." Mhm. Duly noted.
Oh, was that not the most satisfying conversation? After Time Warp, I really needed a resolution to the whole revelation. I dislike it when minor plotlines tend to be left hanging on Grey's, so I'm relieved to see the continuity in this ep. I have to admit that I'm pleased that Arizona got jealous and lashed out a bit. It's just somewhat inconceivable to me that she would have no reaction to just having discovered that someone else (who happens to be her mentee) has seen her girlfriend naked, even if it's a long time ago. The important thing is that while she is feeling jealous, she is fully aware that it is irrational. That is a good indication that she'll eventually get over it. But until then, I'm just glad to see that she allows herself to experience these very human feelings rather than shutting it down or being in denial. I'd rather Arizona be passionate and slightly possessive of someone she's in love with compared to being so rational and in control all the time to the point of superhuman levels, because that's just not authentic. Plus, even when she is jealous, Arizona is so cute and cartoonish... wanting to throw a brick, of all things... heh. I'm sure the whole thing will pass and she will be able to have Karev back on her service without the urge to bash his face in with a brick.
I like that Arizona is such a versatile character that the writers can use her for comic relief, verbal smackdowns, emotional scenes, etc. And of course, that only works because JCap is so versatile at delivering different types of dialogue.
In the scenes that follow, Arizona, Teddy, Lexie, and Cristina are in the lung transplant patient's room discussing the chances of getting a pair of healthy lungs in his condition. Cristina goes rogue and redirects a pair of second-rate lungs that was meant for the incinerator so she and Lexie go all mad scientist in a lab, restoring the lungs to life. The patient ultimately makes the decision to take the hand-me-down lungs so they prep for surgery.
While her girlfriend with the superhero complex is out saving both the patient and Teddy at the same time, Callie is trying to do some fixin' of her own, because Mark has been on a rampage and the nurses (or at least the prettier ones) are not getting any work done around here. Mark taunts that he's only sleeping with the nurses because Callie won't put out. Callie brushes him off and says dismissively that she's in a "committed, loving, adult relationship". That was the second most satisfying line of the night. Glad to hear Callie describe her relationship that way while shooting a "gimme a break" expression to the ridiculous thing that just came out of his mouth. It's just nice to see it defined to other people; it just affirms the relationship even more. I know Mark is just teasing and all, but, "step off, bitch", before Arizona hears about it and starts looking for a brick.
Later, in the OR, Callie and Alex (who, ironically, gets to spend even more time with Callie after Arizona threatened him with an imaginary brick over, well, Callie) are finishing up with the squawkish woman's leg when Mark walks in to restore her hearing. Apparently, Alex is the punchbag du jour, because Mark again yells at him to get out because it's just fun in a diabolical way now. Callie has had enough of the immaturity, and pulls an Arizona-style smackdown on Mark:
Callie: It is sad and pathetic, ok? And you have a choice here. Sloan and her baby leaving you can either be the worst, or the best thing that happened to you. You can grow up, find a woman to love, and have a baby, or, you can be the ass attending, who abuses the residents and screws whatever walks into this hospital. So just pick one.
That evening, after Cristina's lung-hoarding shenanigans and the ensuing successful surgery, Arizona and Teddy are standing outside the patient's room. Arizona notices Owen coming over in distance and warns Teddy: "It's really bad form to cancel plans with new friends. You know that, right?" Teddy steels herself and assures Arizona that she'll see her in 15 minutes. As Huntlet approaches them, Arizona, satisfied with her efforts of prepping Teddy, squeaks out a "Hi!" to him and literally skips(!) off for to get ready for their girls' night out. Sure enough, Huntlet and his twisted face try to lure Teddy back into the blackhole of yearning and despair, but thanks to Arizona's pre-emptive strike, Teddy's immune to his face this time and turns down Huntlet for a drink, although she admits to being a little scared of girls' night out. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief at the sign of progress.
And what a relief that the episode actually gave what we want and actually showed girls' night out...
Callie's standing behind Arizona (who rounds out her day of cuteness by putting her hair up in pigtails) and has her arms wrapped tightly around her. Arizona, however, is looking none too pleased and downright pouty, because the girls' night out that she's been hyping all day turned out to be at a less-than-glamorous venue:
Arizona: Why couldn't we have gone dancing for girls' night? Or... bowling? Callie: We took a vote... <Arizona mouths, "Bowling's better"> ...you lost <AZ continues to grumble silently> Besides, it's fun... Arizona: <pouts and groans> Says who? Callie: Bailey's face! Look at it! Arizona: <furrows her brow while she shakes her head and sighs exasperatedly>
Being surrounded by dirt and grass and having hardballs launched at you at 60 miles per hour is not Arizona's idea of a girls' night out. Guess she's not a softball-playin' type of lesbian. <shrug> Although, she should really give it a try and pretend that the baseball is Karev's head; I'm sure it'll be most therapeutic.
So girls' night out turns out to involve Meredith, Cristina, and indeed, Bailey, as well. Where's Lexie? She must be "not feeling" somewhere back at the hospital. It's great to see Callie & Arizona being a part of the larger group, because one of the complaints earlier in the season was that they were so isolated. Kinda interesting, though, that Teddy ends up hanging out with Cristina again, which is not really getting away from the triangle. However, I like that the girls made hitting baseballs their own thing. The show is so fun when there are ensemble scenes, especially when they are all having a good time.
Best part of this scene is how physically comfortable Callie/Arizona and JCap/Sara are with each other. When Callie is hugging her from behind, they are swaying naturally, and Callie's kind of nuzzling her face close to the side of AZ's head. Wow, they have come a long way from never crossing the invisible line between them in the first few eps of the season. And the way they are laughing with each other and drinking beer... just makes me warm and fuzzy that they are being portrayed like the other couples on the show, finally.
I must also point out that Callie/Sara looks positively radiant in this scene; it's as though she's overflowing with happiness. Perfect hair and make-up as well. And the way she gave Bailey the side-five while saying "Alright!"? That was hot.
Random thoughts:
The necklaces seem to be a permanent fixture on Callie and Arizona's necks now. Very lovely.
The blond hair is doing all kinds of things to Lexie's personality. Okay, maybe it's actually the breakup with Mark. She's hurting so much that all she wants is to have sex and not feel, although she spent the entire episode being defensive over Mer's comment. This is the heart-in-the-vagina-girl, after all. This sleeping with Alex storyline has been going on for a few eps now... wonder where it is leading, if anywhere.
I think the level of screen time Meredith has been getting is just right for me. Plus, I like this version of her - sensible, perceptive, even-keeled... and she smiles! It's been a long time coming.
The Derek/Richard storyline is turning out to be a feel-good one. It's hard not to root for Richard, seeing him coming back from the edge and starting over humbly. It's actually kind of interesting to watch how he deals with adapting to being just a surgeon at the hospital. Although I'm curious to see if and when he resumes being the Chief, how Derek will deal with not being able to call all the shots.
Owen is becoming more insufferable by the episode. I know he doesn't want to hurt either Cristina or Teddy, but this walking on eggshells, this waffling between the two women makes him look really pathetic. It just feels like that he's the last one to move on, out of the three.
It's good that they are letting Teddy interact with other characters because she can be a very likeable character if she stays far far away from the silly love triangle. Please don't go back there for a long long, while. Or ever. I was as big a fan of Teddy as they come after her first episode, but the whole loony sobbing mess Teddy got turned into in the subsequent eps really tainted her character in my mind. If I of all people need time to like her again, I can only imagine how much Teddy hate there is. Sigh.
The Jackson Avery being privileged storyline is very difficult to relate to for the overwhelming majority of the audience, so I didn't really care for his scenes. Harper Avery unwittingly demanding a suture that he ended up being allergic to was amusing, though. To borrow Mandy's words, what a "supercilious fool"!
Appreciate the Cristina/Meredith interaction more and more these days. Overall, really funny writing this ep. Even Mer and Der had humorous lines.
Lexie using the environment as an excuse whenever she does something sketchy: On sleeping with Alex: "Alex and I… we've done it before. It was like...recycling. It was like…good for the environment". On stealing the lungs: "Which they were about to throw out. She was... being green." Lexie the Environmentalist. Right...
At the ballpark, it looks like it's just Callie & Arizona, Teddy, Bailey, Cristina, and Mer there in the close-up shots. In the long shots that show the whole field, we see another blond with a greyish top there as well, who's probably Lexie. I think they decided to not show Lexie at the park but didn't bother to make the long shots consistent with that.
Cristina going all fangirl on Harper Avery and falling all over herself at meeting him was priceless. Not to mention her misdiagnosing him at the beginning. And whipping out her phone to snap a picture of the two of them... priceless, and something only she would do.
Comments (33)
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Me like!
Or maybe it's just that I'm not used to her pouty face, that all the smiling makes her face straighten out 
Excellent review, as always, Meg! Thanks.
(On a side note, No more silent treatment or arguing with the GF. All is back to normal just in time for our 9 year anniversary on Tuesday. Glad I could amuse you all that night. Hope you all learned that if your GF wants toast... BRING HER SOME DAMN TOAST!)