After 136 days of fanfiction, music videos and a truckload of speculation, Grey’s Anatomy fans all over the world woke up this morning with that extra spring in their step, and bounce in their hair, but did the much-anticipated two-hour season premiere live up to all the hype?
Well as a fan of the aforementioned type, I would have to say I was extremely satisfied. That’s not the resounding ‘yes!’ I had anticipated but it’s definitely on the right track! I was only mildly disappointed in the premiere simply because the characters plotlines where hardly advanced at all. Also I think disappointment to some degree is inevitable when too much hype is placed on something. Or maybe it was the fact that it was snowing, yes snowing in what was supposed to be fall in Seattle! If that’s not depressing I don’t know what is. That said there were a lot of positives in this episode and I’m sure fans everywhere can agree that it is a relief to have our favorite annoyingly attractive, promiscuous doctors in our livings rooms every Thursday.
On the upside the medical cases where excellent: heartbreaking and intense just the way we like them! I’m almost inclined to say that the guest stars outshone the series regulars! Of course that’s almost a given when the guest stars are Bernadette Peters, Mariette Hartley and Kathy Baker! They guest star as three gal pals who get into limo accident, due to the insane black ice on the road. Of course in true Grey’s style friends can’t be friends without drama and by the end we find out that Anna (Kathy Baker) has slept with her best friend, Sarabeth’s (Bernadette Peters) husband and their third pal Betty (Mariette Hartley) loses her memory due to a concussion. So it’s pretty much a lose-lose situation on that front but at least Sarabeth ends up realizing that friendship is more important than who slept with whom, hmm maybe she should consider a job at SGH!
The main issue of the episode is that our beloved Seattle Grace Hospital went from being in the top three teaching hospitals in the country, to not first, not second but TWELFTH place in the rankings! Yeah, the Chief was as unimpressed as the rest of us! I do think this was a clever little shout out to the fact the Grey’s Anatomy itself has slipped in the ratings and it too, along with Seattle Grace must pick up the slack it’s been dropping over the years. The Chief thinks so too and I must say that his pep talk – or lecture, depending on how you look at it – was quite inspirational and definitely reminiscent of early season one, which we all know and love!
As for the rest, here goes:
Meredith: While she is the show’s namesake and all I just cannot bring myself to feel for her. She is just as whiny and indecisive as the past four seasons only I expected her to be ‘all whole and healed’ after that touching candle-lit finale! This time she’s having dreams about Derek dying. And let me tell you these dreams were not fun to witness, no one wants to see Derek Christopher Shepherd die like that. (But hello Emmy Award for Ms. Pompeo because, she gave a fabulous and chilling performance during the dream sequence!) I know Mer still has some work to do but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t pump my fist in the air when Christina told her to shut up! That’s right we’ve all been thinking it – and when I say all I mean creator Shonda Rhimes included – but she actually told her to her face, repeatedly and forcefully and it was brilliant! Of course Christina then proceeded to slip on ice and get impaled by an icicle, yes an icicle! As Dr. Erica Hahn once said “karma rocks!”
Christina: Thankfully she wasn’t too seriously injured because that would have brought the drama up to a serious eye-rolling level – even for Grey’s! Apart from MerDer bashing and getting impaled one thing’s for sure though, she’s definitely got her groove back! In typical Christina fashion she is most upset about the rankings however she seems to be highly distracted by a sexy new redhead army doc who calls himself Major Owen Hunt (played by the fabulous Scottish Kevin McKidd). Sparks fly between them as he helps her heal her wound, and towards the end he kisses her pretty senselessly then struts out of her room, leaving our girl looking pretty dazed. Finally Christina gets her much-deserved storyline and the memory of Isaiah Burke can R.I.P!
Oh yes and I’d be remiss if I forgot to mention that Christina and Meredith as old ladies trying to cut chicken = hilarity and perfection. Don’t worry they’re not pulling a Desperate Housewives and fast forwarding; this is simply a matter of Christina and some very bizarre dreams!
Derek and Rose: Derek agrees to move in with Mer, who in her typical flaky style asks him, then takes back the offer but by the end comes around again and we see the lovebirds packing up Derek’s trailer. *Sniff* I’m going to miss that beautiful land! Rose on the other hand, who makes her final appearance in this episode, is so not over being dumped! She tells Derek she’s pregnant then laughs at his hilarious freaked out face, and then proceeds to stab him in the hand with a scalpel! Seriously! This new jealous, angry Rose is about a billion times more likable than the sweet, docile, gag-worthy little nurse we saw last season! I have to say that after this episode I was actually sad to see her go! Farewell Rose!
Alex and Izzie: It’s seems their relationship is simmering again, not quite sure when it’s going to fully heat up but I definitely think that’s where it’s headed. After their heartbreaking scene in the finale things seem to be alright between them at first, with Alex showing his softer side. But by the end of the episode Alex is back to his ‘evil spawn’ ways and we see him with some random girl while he closes his bedroom door in Izzie’s face. Izzie looks more than a little heartbroken and just in case we forgot why we should feel sorry for her we see a brief dream sequence with her and Denny, which is definitely a tear-jerker for anyone who remembers the beautiful season 2 finale! I still haven’t forgiven Izzie for what she did to Callie *cough husband-stealer cough* but I definitely shed a few tears for her tonight. Don’t worry Iz, he’ll come around!
George and Lexie (and a wee bit of Mark): Oh poor, lovestruck Lexie. Last season we saw George give Lexie a celebratory smooch in order to celebrate the fact that he got to retake his intern exam. However, the kiss meant a lot more than that to Lexie, who realized her feelings for George run deeper than that of roomies! When she tries to tell him so he agrees that they’re way more then roomies, but then proceeds to dash Lexie’s renewed hopes by telling her that she’s his best friend. Ouch. I’m definitely rooting for them as a couple though because I think after all the inappropriate women George has been with, Lexie is actually perfect for him. Plus they’re just so darn adorable together. Mark notices too and his only major part in this episode comes in the form of him playing cupid for Lexie, which was actually pretty sweet of him! I really hope Mark gets a better storyline throughout the season though because he’s way underused, and who doesn’t want to see more of that annoyingly perfect face?!
Erica and Callie: Oh Erica and Callie! Okay so I’m just going to come outright and say it, I really love this pairing! I know a lot of people are against it but I actually think they’re quite perfect for each other. Erica is like this calming force in Callie’s life and Callie spices up Erica’s somewhat mundane one. Plus their chemistry definitely burns up the screen [see scorching season finale kiss!] They only had a few short scenes in this episode, but they were totally adorable and completely endearing. When Callie freaks out while performing a risky, experimental surgery Erica calms her down and it’s super sweet and proof of their total compatibility. By the end of the episode they come to the realization that though they’re both “virgins” when it comes to this –‘this’ being their impending not-so-heterosexual relationship –at least they’re in it together! Awww.
As for Dr. Bailey, while stealing trauma patients from Mercy West hospital, praying for people to be so badly injured that they have to be sent to SGH, and complaining about the damn hospital ratings she still manages to be the sassy, bossy, yet kind-hearted Miranda we’ve come to know and love. Sadly, she too was seriously lacking screen time in this episode! Here’s hoping she gets more storyline in the upcoming episodes because I truly believe you can never have too much Bailey!
All in all I’d give this episode an A- because it was pretty satisfying but lacked some of the spunk of the earlier seasons that we still long for. The next episode will air in two weeks due to the vice-presidential debate, but it’s sure to be a good one! Will Meredith and Derek ever get their happily-ever after? What will become of new-boy Owen Hunt and Christina? Will Alex finally grow a pair? And how will Callie and Erica handle this scary new path in their lives? Only time will tell! 13 days till the next episode – let the countdown begin!
Ally Torres is a university student with a passion for writing and an unnatural obsession with Grey’s Anatomy. She blogs out of her igloo in Canada and is more than happy to contribute her thoughts and opinions to lovely television addicts everywhere.
