Grey's Anatomy 10.04 Review: Ain't No Party Like a Hospital's Party

For any of you that have yet to watch Thursday’s episode of Grey’s Anatomy, titled ‘Puttin’ On the Ritz’, than now would be a good time to exit this screen. This is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

So, this week the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital threw a party in order to get donations for the hospital in light of the massive storm they’d just gone through. There were definitely a nice amount of throwbacks to the last party the hospital threw, but I do have to say that episode was much better.

I know the series ER went on for a very long time, but I desperately don’t want this series to go that way. When that’s done, there are always actors and actresses circling in and out, and so the characters can’t realistically stay in this one place, thus the writing benefits the actors and not the characters. I mean there’s a reason Karev called it Seattle Grace Mercy Death (when it still had the better hospital name), and incredible amount of characters have died throughout the years, too many characters. It’s disappointing to think it will keep doing that.

There were definitely some nice moments, but there wasn’t an incredible amount of progression in this episode. It was nice to see how Callie has been brought into the friendship group with Meredith and Christina. The last time there was a party thrown at the hospital, Callie was snide and didn’t much care for Meredith, though she did claim the black panties on the bulletin board as her’s.

Christina was a bit of a shining beacon in this episode. She was all so very happy and upbeat in trying to get people to give up their money to the hospital. It’s so unusual from the Christina of years ago, but it’s nice to see her happy. Although, I really do think they’re just dragging their tale around with this whole Christina and Owen story; when they said they were done, they really should have stayed done, this is just dishonest storytelling. When your audience is trusting you with a story, they need to be able to depend that you’ll give everything you can into the writing, and not to do all the back and forth development for characters.

My last note is about Bailey being smart about putting the dying man in with Richard, one man that’s going to die but doesn’t want to and the other man that wants to die but shouldn’t have to. Sure, I saw this bit coming as soon as we learn how much the man wanted to fight the cancer, despite his late age, but it was still a decently done thing.

Overall, this episode is more of the same that I’ve come to expect of the later years of Grey’s Anatomy, but it still has its quaint moments. It’ll be interesting to see how it’ll go with Alex’s dad, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to see the actor as anyone other than Dexter and Deb’s dad over on Dexter. This really does need to be the last year though; this series doesn’t have much in the way of great stories left for it.

My rating: 6.5 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“Bailey’s going to lose her mind, she hates clowns. It’s going to be hilarious.” – Callie remarking on the theme of the party.

“I know you know how to do that.” – Christina says to Meredith, referring to how she met Derek.

“And snacks!” – a drunk April shouts after Leah.

All right, stick around and wait for my weekly update of Best Performances of the Week shortly. Then it’s reviews of Haven followed by Once Upon A Time and Revenge. Sorry for the lateness of this!

Grey's Anatomy 10.03 Review: Picking Up the Pieces and Moving Forward

This is a warning, if you haven’t watched tonight’s episode of Grey’s Anatomy, titled ‘Everybody’s Crying Mercy’, and hope to watch it without being spoiled of its contents, then now would be a good time to walk away from this blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

Everybody’s Crying Mercy was not the strongest episode this series has seen. For a lot of the parts, it felt more or less the same as an average Grey’s episode. Not the same as all episodes, but there was quintessential patient that somehow represents the life of one of the doctors, and helps them determine what they should do about their problems (read Callie). The jingle that’s all too common with this series used as filler music. And then there’s the character (see Webber) that’s sorely disappointed in another one of the characters (read Meredith) and reams them out in a heart-wrenching speech. Basically it’s just an average, all too stereotypical, episode of Grey’s Anatomy.

However, there were a few things that I did like, that stood out to me in this episode. I really liked Yang and Karev’s interactions. The beginning of the episode where she jumps into his bed and makes fun of him for not having sealed the deal with his girlfriend (is she his girlfriend?) of a week. And then her nice little Christina pick-me-up speech in the OR about the girl being special, not the moment, was on key. I’m really going to miss this character next year, if they don’t end the series like I’ve wanted for a good year or so now.

I also really liked being able to see the reality of parental leave, and having to raise a newborn just after birth. It was nice to see these two beautiful characters/people (Meredith and Derek) looking all haggard and zoned out from lack of sleep. Although, they still looked quite attractive for people with baby vomit in their hair (see Meredith).

Although I’m still not on board with Murphy and Edwards as the showrunners try and push those interns on us, I was pleasantly surprised this week by Shane. He’s a much more interesting character when he’s not all happy-go-lucky and people pleasing, and is instead a guilt-ridden, almost passionate, go-getter. If they sprinkle him in this way, I might be able to get on board with him. Though that still only makes two of the four interns worth watching at all, and the other is possibly only because I like her scenes with Alex.

The few songs that were added into the episode this week, I also liked. While this show does seem to be trying to go “hipper” music wise, rather than being truly original in its soundtrack like the good old days, at least the musical choices actually seemed to fit the scenes. I particularly liked the opening song, and another from one of the scenes I can’t quite recall at the moment.

The way they ended the episode this week was disappointing. I’d thought that in the way they’d written it last week, that Webber had seen Meredith as almost a surrogate daughter, because she kind of had become that to him. But this week they just turned it around to make it look like he thought she’d make the calculated, logical choice, devoid of emotions. After the hormones of being pregnant? When she cared about him? If he wanted it done logically, he should’ve just chosen Yang. It almost feels like back and forth writing, because I swear earlier on in the series he did kind of see her as a daughter type. But maybe I’m remembering that wrong.

Overall, this series is really feeling like it’s on its last legs. The drama’s becoming far too soap opera-y, and the characters are just running around in circles. Rhimes just seems to be trying to come up with tragedies for them all to go through, because otherwise people would stop watching. And the damn circles are so easy to see, they’ve got a gala event next episode that they all dress up for, and it just reminds me of when Denny died. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to see them out of their hospital garb for once, but it’s all too much the same.

My rating: 6.5 out of 10.

Best Lines:

“When we’re done here, will you braid my hair?” – Yang making fun of the fact Karev wants his and Jo’s first time to be special.

“Yes!” – Jo, the way she screams it as Karev carries her up the stairs is just perfect.

“I chose the wrong person.” – Webber tells Meredith. She just looks so taken aback by it, and the disappointed angry way he says it…

Okay, I’m going to go watch The Vampire Diaries soon, then The Originals. Stay tuned for reviews of both of those.