S13.E08: The Room Where It Happens

[Deanie87]

I got Stephanie's point to a degree, but I also saw it as a conciliatory gesture on Jo's part because they had just patched things up.  Rather than Jo trying to find an excuse for why Stephanie was so good, I thought Jo was trying to find common ground.  Again, I see Stephanie's point, but I thought that her over the top reaction was uncalled for.

[tapplum]

My god, has Richard ever been more insufferable? I felt bad for him last episode, but as of this one, he's beyond ready to get fired.

On the other hand, cautiously optimistic about Owen's sister, who at least seems less annoying than her brother.

I just don't understand why they'd waste this concept on (1) characters whose backstories we already know, especially (2) without adding any meaningful new information.

[DearEvette]

My take is that outside of Richard these weren't meant to be new revelations about the characters so in that sense any character would do.  In fact, I think these were supposed to be things we already knew about these characters to act as catalysts for them to put into use for saving the patient. 

As someone upthread pointed out, this self contained episode was most likely a logistical and financial decision.  It is a bottle episode and those are typically done to contain costs so that a more expensive episode can be produced.  Also they have two cast members who are pregnant and that may have created unanticipated changes in shooting scheduling.  Also there may be storylines coming up for other characters that will be showcasing them heavily and these characters may have been the best choices for this particular one.

I can't hate on it because I do think Stephanie deserves more exploration as a character so I am happy to see this for her.  Even thought it is a standalone it still feels like it is advancing the ongoing storyline. 

For Richard it shows that he is  re-evaluating some things given what happened with new Dr. whatserface.  And he isn't dumb.  He can see the writing on the wall.  I think this was a clumsy way for him to try to put into play an out-of-the-box teaching method to show he's still got it. 

For Owen/Riggs,  it is a good way to signal that some of our suspicions about the not-really-dead Meghan are true  Why go to the bother of casting someone to put a real face to the character if you aren't going to be using them again.

For Stephanie is further crystallizes why everyone thinks shes a good doctor.  And it is finally showing that rather than telling it, and it poises her to step up a bit more.

And finally, it puts a real period to Meredith's grief over Derek.  I think this signal's the real closure she needed.  And it may be the thing that causes her to finally accept a relationship with Riggs.  And of course, now that we have a Meghan that will make that all the more soapy.

[funnygirl]

Not feeling that hair color on Bridget. 

[funnygirl]

1 hour ago, doram said:

That's her natural hair color. :D

Her natural hair color is actually a more darker red than Megan's. 

[candall]

Yep, Owen's sister has been cast.  Get ready!  (I didn't recognize the actress from anything, but I'm glad people here feel so positive about her.)

 

Interesting to hear Richard say that the recommendation for surgeons has swung from "organs are organs so don't get distracted" to "develop a personal connection with the person under your scalpel."  I wonder what real medical schools teach?

One thing I KNOW has changed--torturing student docs with sleep deprivation.  I think my peer group was at the tail end of that custom and I always thought it was mainly supported by "Tradition!  We had to do it so now you have to do it too."  It certainly didn't serve the patients, so I'm not happy to see exhausted, short-tempered, semi-irrational surgeons in the OR.  How many time was that car wreck victim almost declared toast?  Is the takeaway supposed to be that they were so inspired by their various hallucinations that they got farther into the surgery "than anyone ever had before" and figured out a way to save him?  Eek.

 

At first I thought the episode was written to buttress the idea that Richard needs to be replaced by Minnick.  I'm glad that wasn't the point, but I think they still inadvertently nurtured that seed.  "Let's all take a minute to morph this patient through both genders and a few backstories."

You know how they could save everybody?  Pretend each patient is Meredith Grey.  It's one of my favorite episodes, but I remember ALL of them desperately brainstorming and trying JUST ONE MORE TIME to bring Dead Meredith back to life.  Since that episode, I've seen about a hundred patients die on the operating table who might have survived if they'd just been Meredith.

(Including Derek, who'd be alive today if anyone had given him the "Meredith" consideration at that other hospital.)

Tiny voice:  this scares me.

[Joana]

I clearly remember them not telling Cristina that the patient she was operating on was actually her mentor's husband, so I too wonder when this revolutionary change took place. 

[Daisy]

I think what bothers me. is how much these people don't listen to each other. It's not even a student vs. teacher thing it's just a mutual respect thing. They couldn't pack him up and figure it out (like Meredith suggested). before they cut his liver and realised he couldn't handle blood without steroids. the fact that Meredith told Owen don't make the cut and he flat out looked at her and cut the whole thing out... 

the fact these people (owning the hospital or not) haven't all been fired is beyond me. 

and yet. it's not as bad as cutting an LVAD wire. 

[tapplum]

1 hour ago, candall said:

At first I thought the episode was written to buttress the idea that Richard needs to be replaced by Minnick.  I'm glad that wasn't the point, but I think they still inadvertently nurtured that seed.  "Let's all take a minute to morph this patient through both genders and a few backstories."

Agreed. It definitely got me onboard the Minnick bandwagon, something I thought would be impossible after last episode XD

[PamelaMaeSnap]

I know that my reaction to this episode was more visceral and emotional and even while I sat there crying (yup) I was thinking "Wow, I bet the majority of the folks on PTV will HATE this episode."

For me, though, honestly, I've been "Grey's" bitch since the get-go but this season (and frankly to a large degree last season as well) has bored me to tears ... I cannot STAND Jo or JoLex or Amelia or April or, really, many of the characters they've chosen to focus on or their storylines and I've never been the biggest Mer (or MerDer) fan ... so basically I've been watching because I feel like I have to, but it's no longer the first thing on my "must see TV" list.

BUT ... that said ... I've always loved the Chief (he and Bailey are my favorite characters) and while I am accepting the fact that he may be gone after this season (or for that matter after the next episode), seeing his backstory really moved me (especially because I lost my mom to a long-term and misdiagnosed illness when I was young-ish ... well, she was probably sick for most of my childhood but diagnosed while I was in high school.) So that definitely hit my weepy bone.

I didn't get weepy on the MerDer part because I saw that one coming from a mile away but I'm okay with it.  Also, yay for more Zola! Love new Zola.

[candall]

1 hour ago, carouselride said:

 

Like someone else mentioned before, please treat me like a bag of organs if that'll help you focus on saving me rather than having imaginary conversations with ghosts of Christmas past, thankyouverymuch

Hee, see, I'm the opposite.  I think my best chance derives from sticking a sign on my chest that says, "Hi, you were never told about this, but I'm your long-lost sister.  I'll explain everything later, but for now, don't give up, don't call TOD, make everyone keep going, SAVE ME, YOUR SISTER."

[izabella]

I was bored through most of this, especially the Hunt stuff with his sister in the field hospital tent.  It also reminded me we haven't even seen Riggs in a couple of episodes - I'd forgotten about him.

The only personal Richard story I'm interested in at this point would be him developing a relationship with his daughter, Maggie.  I'd prefer to see Maggie in that role, rather than as part of the triangle.  It would also be interesting to see Mama Avery deal with Maggie as Richard's daughter, too. 

I usually enjoy bottle episodes, but this one wasn't compelling.  I was also annoyed that they used the kids this episode to tug on our heartstrings when they don't factor in Meredith's regular story line at all, so that was a fail for me.  I wasn't moved by Meredith imagining herself telling Zola and Baley about Derek since, you know, that conversation never actually happened at the time.

[taanja]

On ‎11‎/‎11‎/‎2016 at 1:23 AM, Muffyn said:

I am not comfortable thinking surgeons are having full audio and visual hallucinations while operating.  Thanks, show, for that nightmare scenario.  

OMG! Right! What the....??????and the screaming at one another and the total disregard of ethics-- just cutting that liver right out without any plan except ***fingers crossed****  hopefully another organ miraculously appears?? I am appalled. and kind of traumatized to be honest.

I did like seeing Meredith the entire episode. and I have always had a soft spot for Mere and Richard. I've also come to really like Stephanie. You go girl! I'm glad she found her voice.

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

Moody Lighting And Artsy Staging Give New Meaning To The Term 'Operating Theater' On Grey's Anatomy

Four doctors, one complicated surgery, and a series of imaginary visitations results in a valuable lesson learned.

[Maukie99]

I found the episode boring. No Merthan, no Japril and no Amelia. And what about the whole dreams or flashbacks of Owen, Meredith, Webber and Edwards? What could tell us? Was it because of the operation or because of what else? I was really confused about the episode. What I thought was good, we finally know how Megan, Owen's sister looks. She is really pretty. No wonder Nathan wanted to marry her.

I also know why, maybe Nathan Megan should have deceived. She did not want any children, he did. Nathan is like Owen. Owen also wanted children, but Cristina did not and Owen betrayed Cristina thereupon. The same could have been the case with Nathan. It seems to me that it would have been very happy to have children or maybe even become a father.

Well the scene with Meredith and her children was really touching and sad. As she told them that her daddy (Derek) is dead, was very painful.

The episode was still a bit boring. Wehe 13x09 will not be great. And wo we have jeine Merthan scene !!!!!!

[Greysaddict]

On 11/13/2016 at 10:53 AM, Joana said:

I clearly remember them not telling Cristina that the patient she was operating on was actually her mentor's husband, so I too wonder when this revolutionary change took place. 

Teddy specifically asked that Cristina do the surgery because she knew that Cristina wouldn't care or notice who she was operating on, which had been an issue for Cristina for the episodes leading up to that surgery (she didn't want anyone to be nervous about operating on her husband).  Of course in hindsight the whole issue was to allow Cristina to operate on Henry without knowing it was him, but her way of treating patients wasn't considered the "correct" way to operate.  

[proserpina65]

On ‎11‎/‎10‎/‎2016 at 9:13 PM, Amethyst said:

Wow, a Derek sighting and the kids?  Goodness!  Well, two of the kids and possibly a flashback, but I'll take it.

Too bad the kids looked too old, but since it was a vision-type thing, I can live with it.

[proserpina65]

On ‎11‎/‎12‎/‎2016 at 8:59 AM, TVForever said:

Anybody wonder why Owen sounds Scottish but his sister sounds like she's from Iowa?

Usually Kevin McKidd does a good job with the American accent, but yeah, it was kind of noticeable here.  But at least they look like they could be related.

[windsprints]

I finally watched and thought it was meh.  I found the acting in the non-hallucination/flashback scenes to be cringeworthy bad, not something I generally think about Grey's. The hallucinations/flashback were decent but I didn't find them all that great.  Meredith with the kids would have been a good scene had we seen it when Derek died.  I thought the Richard/Meredith scene at the end was probably the best scene.

Hoping for better this week.

[St. Claire]

On 11/11/2016 at 6:05 PM, windsprints said:

I'm not positive if they would need his permission for old footage but I think they would need to pay/credit him. I'm sure there's some SAG rules but I don't know what they are.

I wonder if using archive footage means they don't have to pay him anything additional, and archived footage doesn't require him being credited? I sort of remember that actors need a certain number of lines to earn their SAG cards (three, maybe?) so it's possible that there is also a requisite amount of lines to result in a credit or pay. 

[iMonrey]

Quote

I'm not positive if they would need his permission for old footage but I think they would need to pay/credit him. I'm sure there's some SAG rules but I don't know what they are.

No, they need the actor's permission before they can use their likeness, even if they are just re-purposing old footage. It's the law. Crispin Glover famously sued the producers of Back To The Future for re-using footage of him from the first movie in the second. The actor has to give his/her consent, and they can even allow them to use the footage without compensation or they can negotiate for a certain amount of money. Sometimes the actor says yes but wants too much money so they don't end up using the footage.

[kingshearte]

I liked this episode more than I thought I would, but really only as a standalone, since, as mentioned, it really didn't advance any existing plotlines. With the exception, I suppose, of effectively confirming what anyone who has ever watched TV before already knew: that presumed-dead Meghan is alive.

I liked Meredith's hallucination. It didn't bother me that the kids were the wrong age, because it wasn't necessarily a memory, so it doesn't have to be accurate. Heck, I wouldn't even have objected if Ellis had been there, too, just to drive home that hallucination vs. memory angle. And I thought that both Meredith and the kids (especially Zola) did a really nice job with that scene, and it produced the first time I've cried about this show in a very long time. Not the kind of open weeping that that bloody train episode still inspires any time I rewatch, but definitely actual tears. More than I mustered up when Derek actually died. So while I agree that it would have made a lot more sense to see this closer to when it actually happened (but really, there is soooooooo much that should have heppend and we should have seen during that time period), I still liked that we got to see it.

[Scatterbrained]

I enjoyed the episode.  I liked the music, the introduction, the other people working in the background, the memories.  I was struck by how tired Richard seemed at the end.  I'm wondering if Megan will be a Nathan Ingram like character; not alive, but appearing in various memories and thoughts.  Now we know Hunt has some conflicted feelings about Meredith.  I'm guessing he witnessed some of the parking lot tryst.  It doesn't seem to be the fact that his wives all go running to her when they are running away from him.

Edited November 16, 2016 by Scatterbrained

[jaync]

Quote

It didn't bother me that the kids were the wrong age, because it wasn't necessarily a memory, so it doesn't have to be accurate.

Yeah, and it was triggered by the current event of the patient's children being told of his condition, so Zola and Bailey being of present age didn't bother me, either.

Meghan's comment regarding Owen marrying Meredith felt anvil-ish to me.

[PamelaMaeSnap]

Okay, so not sure if someone can confirm/deny/clarify this ... I admit that after I watched the show I just deleted it so I have no way to go back and transcribe what Megan/GhostMegan said to Owen ...

But for some weird reason the way I processed it at the time was thinking that what she was saying/implying was that Owen actually operated ON HER after her accident/injury and she died on the table. I have no idea why that was the impression I got and I admit I'm not "into" that storyline enough to have gone "WHOA" and rewound it.

Does anyone have the transcription from the scene where she first "appears" to Owen and what she says to him so I can figure out what I misunderstood/misinterpreted so that when she reappears alive I understand?

Thanks!

[Scatterbrained]

She was accusing him of trying to do too much to save a patient who seemed unsaveable.  His retort was that you don't give up hope until you know that they are dead.  She then says, "This patient isn't me" (paraphrased).  I took it to mean that since his sister's body has never been found he can't give up the hope that she MIGHT be alive and can't quite allow himself to grieve her loss.

Edited November 16, 2016 by Scatterbrained

[kingshearte]

8 hours ago, jaync said:

Meghan's comment regarding Owen marrying Meredith felt anvil-ish to me.

Yeah, I twigged to that, too, but I'm trying to pretend I heard nothing of the sort.

[taanja]

On ‎11‎/‎16‎/‎2016 at 0:46 PM, jaync said:

Meghan's comment regarding Owen marrying Meredith felt anvil-ish to me.

What? No! No!

[OtterMommy]

On 11/15/2016 at 1:42 PM, iMonrey said:

No, they need the actor's permission before they can use their likeness, even if they are just re-purposing old footage. It's the law. Crispin Glover famously sued the producers of Back To The Future for re-using footage of him from the first movie in the second. The actor has to give his/her consent, and they can even allow them to use the footage without compensation or they can negotiate for a certain amount of money. Sometimes the actor says yes but wants too much money so they don't end up using the footage.

Could it be that Shonda Rimes worked out an agreement with Dempsey about this as part of his departure? My guess is that, as this is a series with a long history and a possibly long future, that's something that would be a consideration.

[awaken]

I enjoyed the change of pace, and felt it was beautifully done.  I missed the other characters and seeing the rest of the hospital, but I really got emotional.  Agree that Richard insisting they play his little game in the middle of emergency surgery, the doctors hallucinating, and doing a hail-Mary surgical move with little planning was crazy, but I was willing to suspend disbelief!