Grey's 4.16/4.17 – "Freedom"

I was strangely busy since Friday afternoon. And then, not really that busy, but just had too many things on my mind. Or just couldn’t think straight, because I was beating myself up over not being as effective with the things I actually wanted to do. Procrastination and all.
But I will start checking off things from my virtual “To-Do” List with this Grey’s review. I never thought I could fall in love with a TV show all over again, because I already love this show pretty much, but this episode totally blew me away. Maybe because it didn’t disappoint all of my great expectations? It’s not easy to put my thoughts into a coherent post, but I’ll try anyway. And it’s going to be a looooong post.
It’s probably best to write about each character or part of the show seperately. I really really liked both patient stories this time. To put a guy into cement was such a cool idea to start with, because it gave all the surgeons lots to work on and the guy himself was so great. Part of me wished that he would forget about that stupid Lola girl, he wanted to impress, because she clearly doesn’t deserve a guy like him. But he loved her, so I was ok with their happy end.
The clinic trial couple broke my heart, of course. She especially was so cute, with her sex questions and she was so brave to have the surgery after all. I don’t think there could have been a lovelier patient to portray the breakthrough in the clinical trial (and the MerDer relationship), so I was really happy with that patient storyline.

About the characters and their journey towards freedom in the episode: I still don’t care much about the chief (and his wife) but I hope in season 5 he and Meredith will talk about his part in her past and they will find a way back into the surrogate-father / daughter relationship they had in the end of season 3, when he let her re-take the test. Talking about the test: At first I was slightly disappointed when the chief just let George re-take the test again in this episode, because it seemed like the writers just wanted George to get back to the same level his friends were. But when I thought about it, I liked it after all, because this whole season for George was about trying to find out who he is and getting back to be the person he was or wants to be. The guy with all the great letters of recommendation and also the guy who can stand up for himself.
Lexie provided us with the necessary funny scenes and humor in this episode. Even when it was a bit too much slapstick for my taste, I still had a great time watching her steal the files and freak out over all the information. Is she really falling for George? It looked like she might in the last scene. I think they’d make a cute couple, although there was a time, when I rather saw Lexie starting something serious with Alex.

But Alex has had enough women trouble recently and although I never thought I would say that, I loved that he (re)turned to Izzie in this episode. With all the George/Izzie crap and Addison in the picture and Ava/Rebecca leaving quite an impression in season 3, I almost forgot about the special relationship Alex and Izzie share. He was the one holding her after Denny died. He would have liked to start something again in early season 3 (when they treated the patient who talked about himself in the third person). He still had feeling for her, but I totally forgot about that. So their last scene was really really sweet. And I keep my fingers crossed that they might get back to whatever they were before. Great friends and maybe more?
As much as I loved Ava/Alex in season 3, I wasn’t too happy that she came back, because it was so obviously just a plot-device to tell more about Alex. But as this turned out to be really touching and heartbreaking, I was ok with it in the end. Justin Chambers did an excellent job in this episode. When his voice broke during the “I took care of my mom” and his “please” in the last scene with Izzie really made me cry.

I’m so glad that Izzie is back to be the not crazy, but “spirited” [that whole scene was so hilarious] woman and friend and surgeon as which we’ve known and loved her before the George/Izzie crap. I really really liked her throughout the whole episode. Caring about Alex, worrying what to do and then finally becoming a “do-er” again. Because she can do it. I loved that Bailey gave her the clinic, because just like Bailey I think that’s where Izzie belongs after all. She might be a surgical resident but I’m not sure if that’s really her right call. At least in the clinic she can balance her great and caring “social worker” abilities with her surgical talents. And I’m sure she’ll make Bailey proud.
Bailey was awesome in this epsiode once again. Seeing the bigger picture, caring about cement-boy and being able to calm him down. Her Star Wars speech was hilarious. I really hope she and Tucker will make their marriage work again. At least she’s taking the right step by letting go of some pieces.

Cristina finally got her groove back, thank God, because she was disturbing without it. I loved the bedroom scene with Meredith, I loved how she yelled at Hahn in the OR, because it was long overdue. And I absolutely loved the way she taught Lexie in the end. Listening to her ipod :-) But Lexie gets it, so it’s ok.
I’m still undecided what to think about Erica Hahn and Callie. [I think I should start using the name Erica after all, as it’s been used on the show for a while now.] How Callie finally admitted her feelings to herself, was written in a very plausible way and perfectly included in the cement boy storyline. I’m still not sure what to think about Erica though. I still would be slightly disappointed if she turned out to always have been a lesbian, because it would contradict things she said in earlier episodes. But if she too would only now realize that she has feelings for Callie, it might make some great storylines. Erica could freak out and NOT want to give into it after all and especially not with someone she works with. We’ll have to wait and see.

And then there was Mark who might not have turned a new leaf, but just once again demonstrated that he is indeed a good guy. That he has more depths than we all knew (or wanted to know) in the beginning. I loved what he said to Callie “I wish I was all someone thought about.” It’s sad really, and I hope he will find that someone sooner or later. And then he will turn a new leaf without problems :-)
I loved the scene on the cliff, where the three men were talking about change. It was so typical, the chief and Mark and their women problems and Derek trying to be the voice of reason. Or not be it, in that case “I’m not going to say anything.”

Which now only leaves Meredith and Derek to write about. To me their plotline in this episode has been perfect. Simply perfect. I had some doubts if the revelation of Ellis’ suicide attempt really would help Meredith to get all “whole and healed” and how that should work. But it did. I liked all the scenes with Dr. Wyatt, wether she was a realistic portray of a therapist or not. And I have to admit, even I didn’t saw what Dr. Wyatt was trying to say until Meredith worked it out for herself. Although it should have been pretty obvious to the viewers as well, but at least I didn’t get it. Maybe because sometimes I’m just as twisty as Meredith :-) To have her come back home to the kitchen full of Ava’s blood was a brilliant idea, because it was just such a strong image.
I liked that Ellis tried to teach her daughter to be an extraordinary woman and to be a better and stronger woman than she was herself. Even if she did a lousy job actually raising her, but still… I think even after the after-life episode it was important to see that Ellis did love her daughter the best way she could. I still think it would be interesting to see Mer and the chief talk about all of it someday. She has to let go of any negative feelings about him, because he clearly cares about her. More than Thatcher probably ever will. Although I’m not sure if Thatcher really is out of the picture as Lexie is still around and I guess she loves her dad after all.

The clinical trial as a metaphor for the MerDer relationship worked very well this time. I didn’t like the last episode that much, because it seemed like Meredith and Derek would grew further apart due to her different views of fairytales and happily ever afters. But to my astonishment it all fell into place in this episode and maybe it was necessary that the tables were turned. Meredith was the one having faith. In their efforts for the clinical trial. In him as a surgeon and ultimately in him as the man she loves and in them as a couple.
While Derek lost his faith in all of that, which lead to his accusations before Beth’s surgery. “That’s what you and I do together: we kill things.” I have to admit I was a bit mad at him in that scene, especially as he was placing all the blame on her again. Or at least it looked like it, but probably he he was just lashing out at her, because he didn’t wanted to deal with his own shortcomings. He did though later in the scrub room, when he talked about his failure. Yes! I always wanted to have that adressed and to see him doubt himself, not just as a surgeon but as a man as well.

What’s there to say about the last scene: Cheesy, so cheesy, but so sweet and romantic and so totally Meredith and Derek, that it was just perfect. I loved her freakouts throughout the whole scene. I loved that she still wasn’t sure but she wanted to take the risk. I love that he was as dreamy as we got to know him in the beginning. “Where’s our bedroom?” *sigh*
And what really impressed me was, that it didn’t end with the kiss and a fade-out to a black screen in the “they lived happily ever after” sense. Because it’s not a fairytale and the happily ever after doesn’t exist. They will have to deal with all kinds of problems and obstacles, but as long as they deal with it together and as long as they both do the right things,they’re going to be ok in the end. And that’s what this was about: Derek had to end things with Rose first, that was the right thing to do. He made Meredith a dirty mistress twice (complete season 1 and during prom in season 2), so he had to end it with Rose first. I’m glad that we got to see him do it, even if not actually seeing it, but to see his determination to do it right this time. To treat Meredith the way she – as the only one for him – deserves to be treated. To me his action made the whole scene even more perfect than ending it with only the kiss would have been.
And I just loved what he said and how he said it: “In order to kiss you the way I want to kiss you… in order to do more than kiss you… “ *sigh* They obviously didn’t talk about having sex with someone new earlier in the episode for no reason :-) That was probably one of my favorite MerDer moments recently, especially his admission: “I want to know their bodies, want to know what makes them moan…” I sat in front of the screen totally dumbstruck and couldn’t believe I’d heard him say these words so casually in a rather random moment. So that scene will definitely be one I’ll remember from that episode. Just like the whole episode actually, because it was just awesome. I’m really looking forward to season 5 and if they continue like this I have no doubts that it will be amazing.

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2 Responses to Grey's 4.16/4.17 – "Freedom"

  1. graefin says:

    (mal auf deutsch *g*) Durch meinen Grey’s Marathon vor Beginn der 4. Staffel konnte ich mich ja nicht wirklich ganz frei auf die Serie einlassen, so dass ich erst im Laufe der 4. Staffel endlich wußte, was ich mag und was ich nicht mag in der Serie. Ich bin immer noch nicht ein “freaky fan” *g* wie ich es schon bei so vielen Serien war, aber so langsam wirds ;-). So langsam bekomm ich endlich eine Meinung zu den Charakteren.
    Es ist aber auch immer anstrengend sich auf was neues einzulassen, wenn man anderes bereits so intensiv geschaut hat / immer noch schaut.

    zur Folge: Die Trial Sache hat diesmal WIRKLICH Sinn gemacht (vorher fand ich sie zu zwanghaft), auch die Psychotante war echt gut diesmal. Die letzte Szene war WOW. Baily war toll, Izzie hat endlich das was richtig für sie ist. Mit Alex komm ich immer nocht nicht klar, Lexie und George…mhhh könnt was werden ;)

  2. liljan98 says:

    Ich glaube auch, dass es ein Unterschied ist, ob man eine Serie allmählich kennenlernt oder im Marathon :-) Es freut mich aber, dass du allmählich auch so richtig auf den Geschmack kommst. Und freakier als ich kann man vermutlich eh nicht werden *g*

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