S11.E03: Got To Be Real

[CleoCaesar]

Her reaction when she interrupted Richard was so bizarre I thought she was, inexplicably, misunderstanding where he was going. But no, she's just being obnoxiously incredulous that he didn't immediately tell her that he was her father the moment she mentioned Ellis Grey,

 

YES! THANK YOU! I thought that I was the only one confused by Maggie Sue Perfect's reaction when she interrupted Richard. It was a very strange acting choice, or direction.

 

Count me in as another person who saw what you guys did. It was a bizarrely badly acted and directed scene. I can't be bothered to look up who plays Maggie, but she did a very bad job with that scene - her initial cheerful incredulity seemed very much like setting up a misunderstanding and then out of nowhere she gets vicious.

[CED9]

A friend of mine brought up the point that this isn't Callie's first "babies fix everything" freak out. She did the same with George.

So, I don't want to give the writers too much credit, but I've felt since S7 that Callie has found ways to punish Arizona for mistakes that have been made in Callie's past relationships. Why? Because Arizona's the only one who's ever come back.

I wonder now if it's intentional.

[justme]

Could it be that Alex and Bailey both got a seat on the board?

[jschoolgirl]

I don't know. OK, so Ellis was pregnant.

I still want a DNA test from Dr. Lovechild.

Although, she does look and speak a lot like Meredith.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I know Sandra is gone, but oh would I kill to see Alex hop a plane to Switzerland and pour his heart out to Christina and let her help him form a game plan for his life. They were such cute buddies and she wanted this for him! It's going to be weird if the show doesn't have her weigh in on this somehow.

I want this too! You know it would begin with Cristina saying, "Shut up! Stop talking! I'm going to tell you exactly what to do to fix your life."

[yokya]

I just wanted to say that I'm really annoyed by everyone always crapping on Jo. Really though, she is allowed to say "my Alex", they have been dating for over a year and in that year Mer was nearly present. Or have you seen her and Alex hang out much last season? No, because Mer had Callie and Cristina and her family and she said it herself, she didn't have time for Alex. And now all of a sudden that she has lost Cristina Alex is important to her again, and she doesn't know any boundaries! She is standing next to him while he is showering, she is waking him in the middle of the night, standing in his bedroom and throwing his girlfriend out - who btw was naked. Tell me any of you guys wouldn't be annoyed by that if you were Jo. Doesn't matter how close you are as friends, there needs to be some boundaries and Mer doesn't know any. And I am someone who has always loved the Mer/Alex friendship deeply, but Jo is not wrong here for complaining about the way Mer is acting. Mer is treating Jo like she is some one night stand that happens to be in the house at the same time as she is, being cold and dismissive to her. And the main problem here is that Alex doesn't say anything. He can be there for Mer but still tell her to be nicer to Jo, or at least show her some respect, but he doesn't. And you can't blame Jo for being upset about that, your boyfriend shouldn't let his friend treat you like that. I hope we get more Mer/Alex friendship scenes, but Alex needs to realize that he's not being a very good boyfriend at the moment and talk to Jo about this. The way she looked at him after kissing him luck for the presentation, it looks like she is worried that he doesn't want to tell her things anymore and that he's distancing himself from her. And for someone who has been abandoned by everyone in her life so far I can't blame her for having fears. Really, I'm so done with Grey's fans showing understanding towards every character but immediately calling Jo annoying if she is having some sort of issues. She's never been the bitchy or jealous kind of person before, but all of a sudden her boyfriend is being monopolized and she doesn't know how to handle it. She's not even complaining to Alex about it because she doesn't want to be that person. So please instead of hating on her all the time, cut her some slack. I'm sure you'd react similiarly.<br /><br />About the board seat situation: I agree with most people here and have been VERY annoyed that Alex gets screwed over constantly. He's my favorite character on this show and I'm sick of him always being the loser.

[Tuleh2]

 

She is standing next to him while he is showering, she is waking him in the middle of the night, standing in his bedroom and throwing his girlfriend out - who btw was naked. Tell me any of you guys wouldn't be annoyed by that if you were Jo. Doesn't matter how close you are as friends, there needs to be some boundaries and Mer doesn't know any.

I know I can't get interested in this because the exact same shower scene was played out between Callie, Mark and Lexie seasons ago.

 

Been there, done that.

[CleoCaesar]

I don't know. OK, so Ellis was pregnant.

I still want a DNA test from Dr. Lovechild.

Although, she does look and speak a lot like Meredith.

 

If anyone should be getting a DNA test from the Puzzle Whisperer, it should be Avery. Both look similar and have a raging lisp.

[VintageTvAddict]

Eh, i can't stand the Jo character and it has nothing to do with this ridiculous storyline they have cooked up for her and Alex at the moment to give them "angst" and i use that term loosely. 

[North]

A friend of mine brought up the point that this isn't Callie's first "babies fix everything" freak out. She did the same with George.

So, I don't want to give the writers too much credit, but I've felt since S7 that Callie has found ways to punish Arizona for mistakes that have been made in Callie's past relationships. Why? Because Arizona's the only one who's ever come back.

I wonder now if it's intentional.

The thing is Arizona is not innocent in the mess their in.  I think she has punished Callie for things she feels she has done wrong also.

 

Callie wasn't excited about going to Africa so Arizona left her in the airport.  Callie was giving up everything and was understandably having issues with that, but she wasn't allowed to feel those emotions apparently.

 

Arizona wasn't living her dream because Callie got pregnant by Mark.  Arizona chose to stay.  She could have left.  Callie didn't force her to stay.

 

Callie took her leg so Arizona slept with Boswell.  The argument at the end of season 9 revealed an ugly truth and Callie was left to deal with it.

 

While they were separated Callie tried to get back a piece of herself, what did Arizona do?  She slept with Murphy.  No introspection, nothing.

 

Then they just get back together and do nothing to fix the damage between them.  Now we're here.  Neither of them are confident of what the other feels and so they keep doing or saying the wrong thing.  They are both to blame for the mess of their relationship, neither one more than the other.

 

Arizona jumped to a conclusion that lead to Callie jumping to a conclusion and then Arizona didn't say a word to slow Callie's roll.  They are both so bad at communicating that at this point there seems to be no way to fix them without therapy.

Edited October 10, 2014 by North

[LakeLover]

I just rewatched Meredith & Derek's scene, and Derek and Dr. PsychoSister's scene and what neither of them care to see that as much as they're annoyed and upset, Derek is in such pain. He gave up chief the first time around because Richard put a bug in his ear that he shouldn't lose a chance to be with Meredith for the Chief job, Meredith messed with his groundbreaking Alzheimer's research which ended his involvement in the research, gave up a chance to work at Harvard (which he pursued because she was pursuing her attending career at Brigham and Women's hospital, and now this.

 

I remember when she told him he has a gift, she told him she wouldn't still love him if he wasn't a surgeon, she wanted him to operate on Izzy, so sure enough, she used one of the world's best neurosurgeons when it was convenient. Maybe the problem isn't that Derek thinks his career is more important, maybe the problem is that Meredith thinks she'll never measure up - not to his skill, not to Cristina's, not to Ellis'. I'm not saying that she can't, I'm wondering if SHE thinks she can't.

 

Oh, who am I kidding? Probably not. Probably Meredith is the sun, because Cristina said so.

[Deanie87]

And I am someone who has always loved the Mer/Alex friendship deeply, but Jo is not wrong here for complaining about the way Mer is acting. Mer is treating Jo like she is some one night stand that happens to be in the house at the same time as she is, being cold and dismissive to her. And the main problem here is that Alex doesn't say anything. He can be there for Mer but still tell her to be nicer to Jo, or at least show her some respect, but he doesn't. And you can't blame Jo for being upset about that, your boyfriend shouldn't let his friend treat you like that. I hope we get more Mer/Alex friendship scenes, but Alex needs to realize that he's not being a very good boyfriend at the moment and talk to Jo about this.

I couldn't love the Alex and Mer friendship more if I tried, and I also love Alex and Jo together, but this situation has really only been going on for 2 days so it not a huge problem for me yet. My biggest issue is the way that Mer is treating Jo, mainly because she has been in the same situations on more than one occasion. She was the "intern" sleeping with Derek and was dismissed by Addison and Derek's bitchy sister, so she should have a little more respect for Jo than she has shown recently. Secondly, she has certainly received enough complaints from Derek about her and Cristina's lack of boundaries enough to know that most people don't want to share a bed with their lover and their lover's friend. But it has only been a short time and she has been under a lot of stress, which is why I think that Alex has been so lenient with her and her lack of boundaries. And I think that he is enough of a clueless guy to not realize that Jo is feeling put out or insecure about the time that he has been spending with Meredith.

Having said all of that, I get why Jo is annoyed and I don't blame her. What I would love to happen (but certainly won't) is for her to mention this to Alex in a mature way and for him to recognize why she might feel this way and reassure her. And then to set some boundaries with Meredith, both because Jo's feelings matter to him and because he wants boundaries as well. I don't think that this is a way of giving them angst because really its not all that angsty, and because so far they haven't been horrible communicators and hopefully that will remain the case and it will most likely be over and forgotten by the end of the next episode. Surely, angst can only be brought about by cheating, unwanted pregnancy or near death by the coming Sharknado which is just about the only disaster that hasn't hit the hospital.

To revisit the board stuff once more, Alex isn't the only one to have left the hospital. Cristina did it and so did Derek, and yet they remained on the board. In other words, Alex is just as qualifed (read: not qualified at all) to sit on the board as anyone else there.

The thing is Arizona is not innocent in the mess their in.

I totally agree. The problem (well, one of them), is that their entire relationship seems to be told from the viewpoint of what is being done to Callie, how Callie feels about it, what Callie wants and isn't getting, and who she can tell about it in yet another bout of unprofessional verbal diarrhaea. I have no idea of AZ's motivations, desires or really where she fits into any of this at all, and that is a HUGE problem. As I've said, I am not invested in their relationship, and don't have strong feelings either way about either character (although I am souring on Callie more each episode), but I am getting flashbacks to the Greys Storytelling Stylings given to Alex and Izzie and that is enough to make me want them both to join Cristina in Switzerland. As for the 50/50 thing, my guess is that JCap isn't yet signed on for any more seasons so they are using Owen as a back up and are laying the groundwork for a breakup should she choose not to stay.

Edited October 10, 2014 by Deanie87

[Starscream]

I have a feeling that now that Bailey has the seat, she'll bitch about what she has to do with it.

I picture her taking the responsibility far more seriously than any of the original board members, which will eventually lead to her routinely steamrolling Avery and the others when she loses patience with their lack of attention to detail.  She may be a borderline lunatic now, but she's the hardest worker out of all of them.

 

I still don't understand why Webber is on the board.  When he offered to help buy the hospital, it wasn't nearly enough, and that's when he roped Katharine into it.  So is his seat like some sort of finder's fee for bringing in the Avery Foundation?

[cee]

I liked this episode--especially the beginning with the shower scene. I hope Jo's jealousy is a set up for more interactions with Meredith & Alex. I miss the friendships on the show. I could have watched an entire episode of Meredith and Alex venting.

 

Maggie will be in for a rude awakening when she hears of the tragic backstory of Mer & Richard. They both suffered horribly by Ellis. And Richard lost his wife to Alzheimer's as well. Maggie is lucky to have an adoptive family who love her. 

[izabella]

I have no idea of AZ's motivations, desires or really where she fits into any of this at all, and that is a HUGE problem.

 

We don't get Arizona's perspective because she doesn't really have friends, and she doesn't talk to anyone about what she's thinking.  If she'd had any friends, we could have seen her considering the Fellowship, and could have understood whether she really wanted the baby or was just doing it for Callie. 

Edited October 11, 2014 by izabella

[oceanblue]

Maggie definitely got the better end of the deal.  

 

Richard was recruited on board initially because none of the other board members had management experience.  Derek's bout as Chief was forgotten then apparently.  Richard had no business telling Bailey he was recommending her before talking to the others.  He's the least likely to make such an error too.

 

Arizona used to be friends with Teddy and even kind of with Mark.  She is a bit of an island now.  I loved Callie and Arizona when they first got together.  Once Mark died and Arizona lost her leg, all the fun went out of them. 

Edited October 11, 2014 by oceanblue

[Rae Spellman]

 

I don't see any evidence that she's Richard's daughter.

 

There was that crossword puzzle from last week!

 

At the AA meeting, Richard said something along the lines of "at least I think I have a daughter." So, maybe Maggie and Richard will get tested. Offscreen.

 

 

Maggie is 30/31 years old and chief of cardio? Aren't most cardio surgeons just finishing up their residency at that age? Is she a Doogie Howser type - is that what the combination of Grey and Webber genes does? 

 

Maybe it was the Ellis/Richard genes plus the Pierce nurturing that did it.

 

Jackson, with his Harper Avery genes was starting his fellowship at 30/31. Of course he's still in his early 30s and running a hospital. 

 

It would make more sense if Maggie was 35 and Meredith was 40. But the actors who play(ed) Ellis and Richard are only 57 and 60. So, Meredith is 10 years younger than the actress who plays her and Maggie is Doogie Howser-esque.

Edited October 11, 2014 by RaeSpellman

[Deanie87]

We don't get Arizona's perspective because she doesn't really have friends, and she doesn't talk to anyone about what she's thinking. If she'd had any friends, we could have seen her considering the Fellowship, and could have understood whether she really wanted the baby or was just doing it for Callie.

She has been friends with Alex and April in the past but this is just another sign of her secondary position in relation to Callie. I think that she has been another victim of the cast bloat and is one of those whose scenes often get cut. The scene with Geena Davis and Jo was just weird and came out of nowhere so it seems that a Jo/AZ scene was cut somewhere.

Edited October 11, 2014 by Deanie87

[choclatechip45]

 

Richard was recruited on board initially because none of the other board members had management experience.  Derek's bout as Chief was forgotten then apparently.  Richard had no business telling Bailey he was recommending her before talking to the others.  He's the least likely to make such an error too.

The whole reason Richard was recruited because it was brought up by the guy who wanted to buy the hospital that Derek was Chief for a short time and he had the impression Derek did not enjoy administrative/management work.

 

I agree I don't like the way Meredith has treated Jo since she was nice to Rebecca and Lucy. I wish they would bring back the Kepner/Arizona friendship I think they had good chemistry. I think part of the problem is that they don't know what to do with Arizona or Callie ever since Mark was killed off. Season 9 they always paired her up with Owen/Derrick. In season 10, they added Meredith to the mix and now it looks like they are adding Avery. Arizona has only had April as her friend since Teddy left. They really need to bring back the Bailey/Arizona/Callie trio.

 

Too bad they won't team up Arizona with Amelia I could see the characters getting along plus they both did their residencies at Hopkins.

[HisSassyKitten]

Sorry, I forgot something. Jesse Williams is really growing on me! He did such an excellent job as Jackson tonight... On the one hand, he has to lead the hospital, but on the other, he'd really rather be a surgeon. It's never been made quite as clear as tonight.

 

Bailey is going to be even MORE insufferable from now on.

 

I know Shonda is trying to write strong black roles for strong black women... So I don't want to say her decision to put Bailey on the board was (reverse?) racism... So I won't say it.

Strange that you say this because shouldn't the better resume/experienced person get the job [which is Bailey]?  Whether or not the character is liked, just based on that criteria, Bailey wins hands down.  How is that decision reverse discrimination?  Hint:  It's not! 

 

I'm hoping the writers have Alex sue the hospital; remember he has not only Cristina's shares, but also certified authorization of her board transfer to Alex.  I hope, as another posted, that ultimately both will both receive seats on the board.  I also wanted to find out how the vote was split.  That would cause some interesting drama.

[Muffyn]

They also did a kid impaled by a tree in Season 3 (Bailey was the surgeon). Maybe they'll make it an annual thing, like a Christmas episode.

We wish you a merry tree branch, we wish you a merry tree branch, we wish you a merry tree branch, and happy impaling!

 

My vision:  tree branch guy sues the hospital for a HIPAA violation since they let so many people take pictures with him and provided no privacy.  He then takes control of the board.  He kicks Bailey off for taking his picture and gives the seat to Alex.  

[PrincessTT]

Strange that you say this because shouldn't the better resume/experienced person get the job [which is Bailey]?  Whether or not the character is liked, just based on that criteria, Bailey wins hands down.  How is that decision reverse discrimination?  Hint:  It's not! 

 

I'm hoping the writers have Alex sue the hospital; remember he has not only Cristina's shares, but also certified authorization of her board transfer to Alex.  I hope, as another posted, that ultimately both will both receive seats on the board.  I also wanted to find out how the vote was split.  That would cause some interesting drama.

 

As much as Cristina was able to give her shares to Alex, I think she had no legal standing in transferring her board seat to Alex. 

Jackson said in Episode 1 after he spoke to legal that the shares were Alex's now but new board members could only be elected by current board members. 

 

It annoyed me when Stephanie was pointing out the different board members personal connections to Alex... Is it too much to hope that these grown adults running a hospital would pick the new member based on their suitability to be on the board rather than personal connections?! I think ultimately they might have all voted for Bailey, although maybe Arizona might have picked Alex. 

[Starscream]

I also wanted to find out how the vote was split.  That would cause some interesting drama.

Calzona gave away their votes during the episode.  There's zero chance Richard would vote against Bailey.  Derek respects Bailey and is not a fan of Alex (an opinion likely colored even more by his assumption about what Alex and Meredith were doing all day).  Jackson seemed to think that Alex was the interloper in this scenario and hasn't really been acting like his friend for over a year.  Meredith gave weak lip-service to voting Bailey, but she would have voted Alex simply because it's what Cristina wanted.

 

Bailey: Richard, Callie, Derek, Jackson

Alex: Meredith, Arizona

[CED9]

We don't get Arizona's perspective because she doesn't really have friends, and she doesn't talk to anyone about what she's thinking. If she'd had any friends, we could have seen her considering the Fellowship, and could have understood whether she really wanted the baby or was just doing it for Callie.

Last season, Arizona said something along the lines of wanting another baby, because she doesn't want Sofia to be alone after they're gone. Morbid, but thinking of her own reality since her brother's death.

She has been friends with Alex and April in the past but this is just another sign of her secondary position in relation to Callie. I think that she has been another victim of the cast bloat and is one of those whose scenes often get cut. The scene with Geena Davis and Jo was just weird and came out of nowhere so it seems that a Jo/AZ scene was cut somewhere.

I don't think it's that Arizona doesn't have friends, because when she did, she was quite superficial and not deep when she talked to Teddy/April/Bailey, I actually think Alex is really the only one she's truly opened up to, I think it's that she's incredibly introspective and needs to work it out in her head before verbalizing.

That's what makes her being coupled with Callie hard to take, because Callie just blabs whatever to whoever whether they want to hear it or not.

The scene in this episode that most irked me was the cut from the surrogacy office to Callie crying without Arizona being allowed to speak. It makes me feel I'm being manipulated into sympathizing with Callie which is why I end up sympathizing with Arizona more and more.

My biggest wish for Arizona was to have a professional storyline just for her, I'm getting that, and will consider everything else just gravy.

I do have more confidence with Bill and Stacy running the show than I did Tony and Joan, so I remain cautiously optimistic for now.

Edited October 11, 2014 by CED9

[kingshearte]

All of the couples on the show seem to suffer form the same problem, one  person make a unilateral decision and then they argue about it afterwards. Why can no-one just talk to their spouse and come to a resolution together?! 

Seriously. I try to remember that if everyone used their words like rational adults, there would be no TV at all, but OMG, it gets frustrating. It's what I actually loved so much about Amelia's smackdown of Derek. I felt like there was actual communication and empathy there, which is so rare these days.

 

Lexie was 24 when she was an intern so she would be 31 now, roughly the same age as Maggie I think. 

That makes no sense really though since Ellis had only just left Thatcher when the carousel / slit wrists / finding out about pregnancy thing happened. 

So that would mean that Thatcher must have met Susan straight after and she must have gotten pregnant pretty much straight away. 

 

The ages and timeline on this show are just all over the place though.

I'm sure birth order was stated at some point, but was Lexie even the oldest? I always thought of her as a younger sibling, but maybe that's just because she was Meredith's younger sister.

 

No, Ellis tried to kill herself in Seattle, and found out she was pregnant then.  Alex and Mere saw her medical records when she was admitted to Seattle Grace at the time of the suicide attempt, and the notes clearly said she wasn't aware of the pregnancy until then.  Ellis took off to Boston with Mere after being released from the hospital after the suicide attempt, and had Maggie in Boston.

 

 

Except Richard was reading her journals, too, and they were clearly from the more recent years, when she was working on her diabetes research. Ellis was seeing signs of her own illness and taking meticulous notes to preserve what she was working on, and the fact that she never mentioned a pregnancy is ludicrous. Squishing this baby plot in there after an entire season of three doctors reading some dozens of journals written over decades from this woman is terrible writing.

It seems conceivable that she could have destroyed the journal from that year, and then never gone back to that place emotionally again, even in her journals, except that I'm sure Meredith and Cristina would have noticed the gap and been so curious that they would have dug deeper until they found something. And, now that I think about it, if that had happened and led to the discovery of the new sister, I think I wouldn't have hated it as much as I do this ridiculous situation.

 

Owen kills me. I adore Kevin McKidd, and I think that makes me feel like I like Owen, but I find myself so irritated with him and his behaviour so often that I have to stop and ask myself why am I rooting for this guy? It's all Kevin McKidd - and the chemistry he had with Sandra Oh that made me want them to work out so badly, despite their appalling dysfunctionality. But then, just when I think I'm officially over and done with him, he pulls out a scene like his Cristina monologue that breaks my heart and I love him all over again, even though the stunt he had just pulled with Callie was complete and utter BS. I'm coming to the realization, though, that McKidd is one of those actors that I will watch whatever he's on, no matter how awful it is, as long as he's on it.

Edited October 11, 2014 by kingshearte

[Muffyn]

This episode was just scene after scene of adults not listening to each other and not really communicating.  Yes, this is a Grey's standard.  It would just be nice to have one scene where this doesn't happen.  She-Shepherd bitch slapping He-shepherd even fits this because she yelled over top of him and he didn't get to express his (childish, petty, ridiculous, brought on by his own behavior) issues.  For surgeons, they all very quickly go to an emotional place.  

 

Have they ever considered that the board would greatly benefit from a competent administrator?  It's amazing the hospital is still standing.

[candall]

I think the main problem is that the characters were poorly written in this episode. 

 

--I don't buy Derek wrestling charts out of peoples' hands and proclaiming himself THE Dr. Shepherd. 

--As skewed as Bailey's become, having her exploit a patient's suffering for the sake of a fun selfie is ridiculous.

--They've been making Meredith so egocentric that her complaints about what Derek has done to her aren't even coherent; we see her head snap up as it finally penetrates her brain that someone else (Richard) might also have a feeling or two.  Too much Meredith is the sun, show.

--"Free! Pain-free! Six-million dollar legs!"  When has stolid, dour Owen ever wet himself like a puppy?  Let alone promised unicorns he couldn't deliver.

--Former Chief of Surgery Richard can't stammer out more than a sentence fragment to set a very important record straight?

**************************************

 

Calzone's baby-pong is boring.  Let me know when someone's dilated.

 

Poor Alex.  Non-voting shares.  It's a thing.

[BC Mama]

Loved the interactions between Meredith and Alex! I loved how he is "her person" without being a Christina copycat, and just drinking and dancing the pain away. But, there were so many issues that bothered me in this episode:

 

Bailey taking a selfie with an accident victim is just the type of thing she would have lost her shit about in the early episodes if she caught one of her interns doing something similar! I wanted past Bailey to come back and give present Bailey one of her old fashioned lectures so badly.

 

How come no one on the board gave any thought to what would happen to Christina's seat? Did they assume she was going to make decisions from Switzerland via Skype? 

 

And, Calizona... oy vey... Calizona.... I've rarely seen a couple with such poor communication. Since they've reconciled, they've been tiptoeing around each other, acting terrified to tip the vicarious balance of there relationship. It breaks my heart, because they used to be my favourite couple on the show. But, Callie snapping at Arizona for not comforting her in the way she assumed she would really bothered me. I think it is emotionally manipulative to have set expectations of how you expect your spouse to respond, and to punish them when they fail live up to your expectations.

[annlaw78]

 

Maggie is 30/31 years old and chief of cardio? Aren't most cardio surgeons just finishing up their residency at that age? Is she a Doogie Howser type - is that what the combination of Grey and Webber genes does?

Yeah, that's ridiculous, especially since has the show even caught up to 2014 yet, or is it still lagging somewhere years behind?  So, someone born in 1983 is going to be the head of the Cardiothoracic Department at a major research hospital?  Also, that would mean Meredith was born in 1978... riiiiiight!

[PrincessTT]

I think that they, or at least Richard, had given the empty board seat some thought as he told Bailey that he'd be recommending her for it before they found out that Cristina had 'given' it to Alex... I'm assuming though that if Meredith and Derek had made the move to DC that they were planning to keep their board seats as the prospect of losing 3 board members was never mentioned. 

Yeah, that's ridiculous, especially since has the show even caught up to 2014 yet, or is it still lagging somewhere years behind?  So, someone born in 1983 is going to be the head of the Cardiothoracic Department at a major research hospital?  Also, that would mean Meredith was born in 1978... riiiiiight!

 

Actually, Meredith being born in 1978 does kinda fit with the timeline of the show... In the flashback episode Richard and Ellis were solving the AIDs case in 1982 and when Thatcher bought Meredith to the hospital with Anatomy Jane she looked to be around 3 or 4.

[KnitsWithRaceCars]

I want this too! You know it would begin with Cristina saying, "Shut up! Stop talking! I'm going to tell you exactly what to do to fix your life."

 

And it would end with a 30 second dance party!

[whack-a-mole]

Somebody drop a piano in Maggie, please.

[maasa]

I returned to full-time watching last season to watch Sandra's final season. Prior to that I watched here and there since season 5. I watched the first 3 episodes this season because it became a habit again. I don't think I can watch this show every week any more. 

 

First, Meredith. I used to love her, really I did. That has eroded over the years to the point that I can't stand her. Back in the day the MAGIC scenes were my absolute favorite, especially Meredith and Alex in the early years. I loved all the friendships on this show.  That's gone now. I have the unpopular opinion of hating most of the Meredith/Alex scenes in this episode.  I found nothing endearing or cute about how inconsiderate and selfish Meredith (aka THE SUN) was behaving. I've always found her to be on the self-centered side but last night it was to the extreme. 

 

Derek wasn't much better. You gave up your job to go off to DC. Its not Amelia's fault that your wife backed out on you at the last second and now you've decided to stay. I was glad to see Amelia speak up for herself but I doubt it will do much. Fully expecting him to continue to stomp around the hospital being awful to others because he's mad he decided to stay.

 

I used to love Callie too. I don't love Callie who yells and cries in every episode. She's starting to get like Bailey, another character I went from loving to not being able to stand. 

 

I knew Alex wouldn't get the board seat. Alex never gets anything easily and rarely wins. He has to work and fight for every thing he has gained, nothing is handed to him and no special favors are ever given to him. In the end that is probably what makes him the character I think has grown the most. I was disappointed that he was so willing to log into the hospital records but I will give him a pass because at that point I would have considered it too just to shut Meredith up and get her to go home. He's better off not being on that board. They voted to give the seat to someone who a couple of weeks ago injected a patient without consent, almost lost her license and could have potentially caused the hospital one helluva a lawsuit. She'll fit right in with one that can't even bother to be sober for meetings, one that can barely stop blubbering and one that will stomp all over the other doctors because he's mad at his wife.

 

I did like Richard, Owen and Jackson in the episode. Jackson has moved up quite a bit on the list of characters I'd like to see more of. Probably because he doesn't grate on my nerves and appears competent. I don't think that they and Alex are enough to have me watching every week faithfully. 

[Muffyn]

Derek wasn't much better. You gave up your job to go off to DC. Its not Amelia's fault that your wife backed out on you at the last second and now you've decided to stay. I was glad to see Amelia speak up for herself but I doubt it will do much. Fully expecting him to continue to stomp around the hospital being awful to others because he's mad he decided to stay.

Now I have visions of Derek being replaced with Godzilla in a really nice wig.  Stomp, stomp, stomp.  There goes the ICU!  Parking garage crushed!

[Coxfires]

Bailey being chosen as the new board member wouldn't have pissed me that much if she hadn't been unsufferable the past season and oh so god damn smug in this episode, being all "Karev? Against ME? That loser, come on, I am BAILEY".

 

And this time felt like Alex being kicked in the nads one too many. I do believe that she'd be a better board member than him, but the way this was handled, it was just cruel. Afterall, the guy didn't ask for this to happen. He didn't throw a temper tantrum, reminding everyone that he was wonderful, that he deserved it, and that anyone who couldn't see it was a moron. He was doing OK in his new private practice position and was unknowingly given the shares and position by Cristina. I'd be sour if I were him. for once he was deemed good by one of his peers, only to be told that no, not good enough. That has to suck (plus, he is now unemployed). And this last shot of him wandering alone in the corridors after he spent his day helping Mer...She'd better be here for him after that.

 

Callie and Arizona: why are they still together? They don't seem to speak the same language, it's like they just don't get each other anymore. I don't see where this can go, and it's getting really tiring.

 

Glad to see Jackson remind people that he isn't just an Avery board member, but a gifted surgeon.

 

I understand that Meredith decision was a hard one on Derek, but he was a total douche. Yes, Mer backed him into a corner, but keep it to your marriage and don't bring it to work or on your sister Derek. I might be biaised, because I often think that Derek is acts like an ass but always gets away with it.

Edited October 12, 2014 by Coxfires

[Deanie87]

Bailey being chosen as the new board member wouldn't have pissed me that much if she hadn't been unsufferable the past season and oh so god damn smug in this episode, being all "Karev? Against ME? That loser, come on, I am BAILEY".

 

And this time felt like Alex being kicked in the nads one too many. I do believe that she'd be a better board member than him, but the way this was handled, it was just cruel.

 

I don't really understand what the writers are doing from a story-telling perspective.  I agree that Bailey would be the better board member and enjoy it more than Alex. But why have her be so arrogant and smug and why have Alex tell Mer that he wanted it so badly? Why have Bailey act so unprofessional with the selfie and have Alex up studying all night and stressing about his presentation?  If Bailey had been confident but not so nasty and even pretended to prepare or if Alex had been happy about the money but ambivalent about the board seat, then Bailey "winning" would have made more sense.  Instead it just comes off like Bailey is getting rewarded for being an asshole and Alex yet again gets kicked in the face for trying to step up.  How is that fun to watch?  I get this this happens all the time in the real world and life is unfair, etc., but Grey's writing really isn't that deep, complicated or realistic.

 

Maybe the story isn't over and Bailey will be so insufferable that they have a recount,or her cockiness will cause her to make a big mistake, but I doubt it.  I think that Alex will get get rehired with some kind of promotion, but it isn't the same.  More than wanting Alex to "win" one, I want someone to remind Bailey of her recent actions and to knock her down a peg.  But I really don't think that it is going to happen.  The writers have certainly been tone-deaf before and I think that this will be one of those times where they think that something is awesome or funny or even worse "interesting" and everyone else is left scratching their head and wondering what sort of substances are going around the writers' room. 

[Chas411]

Stephanie can go back into her corner again. I was curious to see her get more screentime now that she's not the roadblock for April/Jackson but she just irritated me. She's entitled to be bitter but her snide comment over Jackson making the wrong choices bugged me (as one of the few April fans out there).

 

Owen needs to just shut the fuck up. His tantrum at Callie tonight reminded me of when he acted like a complete prick to Shane because he'd slept with Cristina. He's such a fucking child.

 

Bailey sucks. Her cocky attitude makes me think that she's heading for a fall though.

 

I liked Jo this episode. I get why Meredith is bugging her. She's taking up all her boyfriends time and doesn't even respect her enough to be respectful toward her.

 

Callie/Arizona.. just stick a pin in it and be done. To quote Carrie Bradshaw, they're so over... they need a new word for over.

[thewhiteowl]

Bailey sucks. Her cocky attitude makes me think that she's heading for a fall though.

 

 

 Totally agree, she sucks but how can she fall? She's killed patients with the staph infection and given a child HIV to "cure" him with full knowledge that she didn't have parental consent.  Alex may have left the hospital but I don't think he's had enough story line to actually kill patients. Perhaps, but I don't recall it at the moment.

[KaveDweller]

Having said all of that, I get why Jo is annoyed and I don't blame her. What I would love to happen (but certainly won't) is for her to mention this to Alex in a mature way and for him to recognize why she might feel this way and reassure her. And then to set some boundaries with Meredith, both because Jo's feelings matter to him and because he wants boundaries as well.

 

What I think makes it worse for Jo, is that Meredith is her superior at work. She's not really comfortable confronting Meredith about the whole thing (which is actually a reason not to date people you work with, but that's a whole other matter).  And she shouldn't have to.  Just because Christina and Meredith had no boundaries doesn't mean it has to be the same with Alex and Meredith.  Alex can still be her friend without her talking to him while showering.

 

But Jo should mention this to Alex, because even if she thinks she shouldn't have to, she clearly does (since Alex isn't doing anything to discourage it himself).

[windsprints]

keep it to your marriage and don't bring it to work or on your sister Derek

 

I think Derek was an ass to Amelia but he's no more guilty than anyone else about bringing it to work. Owen was yelling, Callie was crying and Meredith was drunk. Derek wasn't alone

 

Jo should mention this to Alex, because even if she thinks she shouldn't have to, she clearly does (since Alex isn't doing anything to discourage it himself).

 

I agree that Jo needs to say something to Alex. I'm not sure that Alex will ever push it enough with Meredith though or enough that it would actually matter. Alex was telling her to get out, that he was sleep deprived from preparing and that he needed to shower and be ready. She ignored him and continued to rant. She also has no consideration for Jo. She couldn't even be bothered saying hello to Jo when she exited the bathroom. She walked right by her. I know the whole "person" thing is big on the show but other than Meredith/Cristina I wish they'd be over it. Meredith can Skype/call Cristina or, I don't know, actually talk to her husband. What was endearing and cute in season 1 with interns isn't in season 11 when these people are 40.

I agree that Bailey would be the better board member and enjoy it more than Alex. But why have her be so arrogant and smug and why have Alex tell Mer that he wanted it so badly? Why have Bailey act so unprofessional with the selfie and have Alex up studying all night and stressing about his presentation?

I agree that Bailey will enjoy being on the board probably more than Alex would have but I don't think she is more deserving. I really want who voted for who to come out at some point because I'd like to know who (assuming some did) voted for Alex. I can see Arizona and Jackson voting for Alex. I'm unconvinced that Meredith would choose Bailey over Alex for the board.

 

How does Alex come back? Is there a spot open now that Arizona is doing a fellowship with Geena Davis (can't recall her name on the show)?

 

Who thinks that Maggie is going to end up with the Alzheimer's gene? She can't remember names, she and Bailey talked about her gene lab and Meredith commented that the only you get in the family is Alzheimer's.  Of course it will be right after she gets close to Richard just to make sure another person Richard loves is given the disease. Maybe that's how they fit storylines for both Derek and Amelia in neuro too. Derek can't do trials for Alzheimer's but Amelia can so it will set her up with something other than fighting with Derek over cases.

Edited October 13, 2014 by windsprints

[Mikki503]

I skipped through most of the episode, only watching the parts with Meredith & Alex, Derek, and Mer & Richard...and by the end of the show all I could think of was where are the children?  I realize this is just TV, and it's not that important, but still...Meredith's getting drunk during the day, Derek is at work and who is being the parent here?  They're both being adolescent, just talk about things already...but then of course we wouldn't have a show to discuss. 

 

 

[funnygirl]

 

How does Alex come back? Is there a spot open now that Arizona is doing a fellowship with Geena Davis (can't recall her name on the show)?

Arizona seems overwhelmed with the fellowship and her Peds workload, and Jackson made a throwaway comment about how Arizona's trying to give up Peds surgery, so I think she is going to hire him back on to fill the Peds gap so she can dedicate herself fully to Dr. Herman (Geena Davis). 

[kingshearte]

Jo should definitely say something to Alex about Meredith, but I also think that Alex should (as even Meredith has mentioned, I believe) change the damn locks in that house. I'm sure Meredith would still figure out how to intrude periodically, but I feel like it would be a good start. If nothing else, it might help reassure Jo that he's at least trying to set some boundaries.

[Coxfires]

Totally agree, she sucks but how can she fall? She's killed patients with the staph infection and given a child HIV to "cure" him with full knowledge that she didn't have parental consent.  Alex may have left the hospital but I don't think he's had enough story line to actually kill patients. Perhaps, but I don't recall it at the moment.

 

 

Waaaay back in S1 I think he made a mistake in a dosage that ended up leaving a guy as a vegetable. Maybe there were other instances but I can't remember either.

 

I think Derek was an ass to Amelia but he's no more guilty than anyone else about bringing it to work. Owen was yelling, Callie was crying and Meredith was drunk. Derek wasn't alone

 

Oh, I definitely agree with that, everyone does that in this hospital, but since I was talking about Derek specifically, I pointed him out. But you are right that they all do it (well, if they didn't, there wouldn't be any show).

 

I agree that Jo needs to say something to Alex. I'm not sure that Alex will ever push it enough with Meredith though or enough that it would actually matter. Alex was telling her to get out, that he was sleep deprived from preparing and that he needed to shower and be ready. She ignored him and continued to rant. She also has no consideration for Jo. She couldn't even be bothered saying hello to Jo when she exited the bathroom. She walked right by her. I know the whole "person" thing is big on the show but other than Meredith/Cristina I wish they'd be over it. Meredith can Skype/call Cristina or, I don't know, actually talk to her husband. What was endearing and cute in season 1 with interns isn't in season 11 when these people are 40.

 

Yes, Alex told Mer to get out 3 times, explained her why she was overstepping and that he had other matters at hand, but Mer didn't listen and still went on and on, and he finally gave up. But he should still stand up for Jo towards Mer. I do love the Mer/Alex relationship, and loved all their scenes together, though.

 

I agree that Bailey will enjoy being on the board probably more than Alex would have but I don't think she is more deserving. I really want who voted for who to come out at some point because I'd like to know who (assuming some did) voted for Alex. I can see Arizona and Jackson voting for Alex. I'm unconvinced that Meredith would choose Bailey over Alex for the board.

 

I am disappointed about that too, I'd like to know the issues of the vote, but I don't think Jackson would have voted Alex. I'm thinking Arizona and Mer voted for him but the rest voted Bailey. One thing I didn't like was Jackson saying that Cristina screwed them with Alex vs Bailey, where in fact Richard was just as much as fault when promising Bailey something without consulting the others before.

 

How does Alex come back? Is there a spot open now that Arizona is doing a fellowship with Geena Davis (can't recall her name on the show)?

 

 

They are not there yet, but that is what seems to be coming. 

 

Who thinks that Maggie is going to end up with the Alzheimer's gene? She can't remember names, she and Bailey talked about her gene lab and Meredith commented that the only you get in the family is Alzheimer's.  Of course it will be right after she gets close to Richard just to make sure another person Richard loves is given the disease. Maybe that's how they fit storylines for both Derek and Amelia in neuro too. Derek can't do trials for Alzheimer's but Amelia can so it will set her up with something other than fighting with Derek over cases.

 

 

That would be far fetched, hence perfect Grey's Anatomy scenario.

[CED9]

Glad to see Jackson remind people that he isn't just an Avery board member, but a gifted surgeon.

This is something I will never get behind. Avery was written as an incompetent, arrogant little asshole until his Mommy swooped in and bought him his "responsibilities" and I'm just supposed to get behind him because he has scenes with characters who belong there more than him? No, thanks.

How does Alex come back? Is there a spot open now that Arizona is doing a fellowship with Geena Davis (can't recall her name on the show)?

This is why I'm not entirely sure that Arizona didn't just end up voting for Bailey in the end. Alex is the only one Arizona really trusts from a professional standpoint.

Edited October 13, 2014 by CED9

[PrincessTT]

I am disappointed about that too, I'd like to know the issues of the vote, but I don't think Jackson would have voted Alex. I'm thinking Arizona and Mer voted for him but the rest voted Bailey. One thing I didn't like was Jackson saying that Cristina screwed them with Alex vs Bailey, where in fact Richard was just as much as fault when promising Bailey something without consulting the others before.

 

That comment that Jackson made about Cristina screwing them is why I think he voted for Bailey... What he said made it sound like Bailey was always going to get the seat but Cristina 'giving' it to Alex just complicated the process of them electing Bailey to the board.

[Coxfires]

I forgot to ask: when Mer and Derek argue right before the board meeting, I can't understand what Derek says that makes Meredith stop talking, could anyone help me with that? Thanks!

[Frankie5Angels]

I don't know. OK, so Ellis was pregnant.

I still want a DNA test from Dr. Lovechild.

 

 

Would anyone else be down for a Grey's-Maury crossover event? I would watch the shit out of that. What I wouldn't give to see Maggie running off the stage and collapsing when Maury says, "When it comes to 35 year old Maggie, Meredith, you are NOT the sister. Richard, you are NOT the father." While they are there for the DNA test, they can give Callie and Arizona lie detector tests because that's the only way we can see how either of them feels about things. 

[Guest]

Waaaay back in S1 I think he made a mistake in a dosage that ended up leaving a guy as a vegetable. Maybe there were other instances but I can't remember either.

 

 

Making a dosing mistake as an intern is a lot different than Bailey making one as an attending.  Any mistakes he made as an intern actually could go on Bailey's license (I just watched Seasons 1 and 2 on Netflix).  

 

They both have strengths, and if Bailey had gotten her seat on the board and not acted like Alex was no competition all episode, I wouldn't have been nearly annoyed. But after the HIV injecting, staph infection carrying, selfie taking, Dr. Bailey shell was so rude about it all episode, I would have loved to see Alex kick her butt.  He may not have as much experience, but he's impressive. Look at all the reasons he was offered so many fellowships. He has skills.  Places wanted him and he came from a strong place of negotiation, to the point where hospitals were willing to pay back the student loans he is now struggling to pay.  But he gave it all up out of loyalty to Seattle Grace and Arizona's patients. It's sad that his sacrifice isn't rewarded.

 

I hope he sells his ownership shares to Denny Duquette's ghost or something and Denny haunts the hospital.

[CED9]

I forgot to ask: when Mer and Derek argue right before the board meeting, I can't understand what Derek says that makes Meredith stop talking, could anyone help me with that? Thanks!

I don't remember word for word, but he says something like: "I gave up the brain mapping so you could play hooky and get drunk with your friends? That's why I stayed in Seattle?"