I thought about writing two seperate episode reviews for the two episodes which were the season finale, but than I realized that I would probably repeat myself and that I could save time and words if I wrote about both episodes in one review. I liked the finale. There were a couple of things I didn’t like, so these episodes won’t get a top spot on my list of favourite episodes, but all in all, I felt entertained enough.
Except for the fact that once again Izzie was the centre of the show. I didn’t get really mad about it, because maybe I’m just tired of getting annoyed by it and don’t want to waste my energy on getting mad about that. But still… there was too much Izzie for my taste. If I had too much spare time at hand, I would clock her and Meredith’s (main character!) screentime this season. I’m sure Izzie would win this one and that’s just wrong. There actually were moments when I thought “Please let her die, so she won’t be able to steal screentime from Meredith and Derek and the other characters I love.” Although since this season even dying doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t be on screen anymore…
But seriously, too much Izzie. I didn’t care much (meaning not at all) about her fellow cancer patient, maybe because she was a friend of Izzie’s?. And I hated to see Denny again. Twice! Much too much Denny. And was the beach supposed to look fake to underline the surreality of talking to Denny? Or was is just bad set design? Because it did look fake.
When I wasn’t pissed by too much Izzie screentime, I felt bad for her though, because she is going through a really really hard time and she’s scared and she might die and all. I was shocked when she woke up with a messed up short-term-memory, but I have to admit I was even more worried about Derek, and what another brain surgery gone wrong would mean for him :-)
I kind of enjoyed the married Alex/Izzie relationship. And Alex broke my heart. Or my heart broke for Alex. When he talked to Derek (“She is the one good thing that’s happened to me”), when he annouces that he would cut LVADs, when he repeatedly said “Wake up, Wake up”. It was so painful to watch how hard he tried to make Izzie remember and I expected him to snap at some point and he did. Which obviously was just what Izzie needed. I have to admit some of the memory loss stuff was really entertaining, like “Did you forget yet? – “Nope. Not yet. Give me a minute.” And then her memory comes back and her heart gives up. Poor Alex. I’m not sure if Izzie will live or die. I tend to believe she will live and that would be ok with me, if I’m promised that she won’t get more screen time than the main character next season. Although…. with Ellen Pompeo being on maternity leave for some time, Izzie will probably have more screen time than Meredith anyway. I don’t ever want Izzie as the centre of the show though.
The whole Mark / Lexie story didn’t make any sense to me. What happened to Mark? I get that he might want to make their relationship a bit more official, but he went about it all wrong. No wonder, when he doesn’t have any experience with real relationships. But more than that, I have no idea what happened to Lexie? Her behaviour and her way of thinking didn’t make any sense and I thought they contradicted the character I thought she was. She is this “whole and happy” girl who had smiley-face posters on the wall. I thought she would love to move in, get married, have babies… So this didn’t make any sense at all. I giggled at some of the Mark/Lexie moments, but couldn’t shake off the feeling, that their story was purposedly written as comic relief and that’s just sad.
The whole chief / Bailey / fellowship storyline was ok, but I was honestly a little tired of that plot. The back and forth and how the chief tried to lure her back only to support her in the end. I don’t know who wrote it first, but just like the person who did, I can absolutely understand Tucker, because Bailey has choosen her job over her personal life many many times. Even if she didn’t do it now with the peds fellowship, she did it before. And instead of working on her marriage she stays in general surgery, will be a single mom and divorced? So what was the purpose of that storyline in the end? Well, it did introduce Arizona, one of my favourite new additional characters.I thought the “crying while being mad” was a bit strange though. And just like Callie I didn’t quite understand what was so “awesome” about George joining the army. I’m not saying that everybody in the hospital should have been as opposed to it as the FabFive and Bailey were, but still. Arizona had her reasons though and in the end I understood why she thought it was awesome. And to see Callie and Arizona fighting was entertaining. “Do not ‘Calliope’ me” or my favourite “I grew up with the name Arizona. I learned how to fight dirty on the playground”. Hilarious.
George. Oh poor, poor George. I read about him joining the army a while ago in some spoiler, so that scene at the end of the first half, didn’t shock me. But the rest did shock me at lot. After I’ve seen the episodes, I remembered that some time ago i somewhere had read something about George in an accident. But I didn’t remember that while I watched the episode and I had no idea and no clue that this guy was George and I was so so shocked, when he wrote 007. My jaw really dropped to the floor.
I’m pretty sure he won’t survive and that makes me sad in a way, because I actually liked George. Until the writers had him sleep with Izzie and made him believe he was in love with her and with that ruined his character for me. Just like they ruined Izzie’s character for me with all that (and more) crap. I didn’t miss George much when he wasn’t around in season 5 and I know that TR wants off the show. So I’m sure George will die. Which makes me sad, because he was on of the FabFive after all. I know at some point Katie Heigl wanted to leave the show as well, but I think she will still be around in season 6. I think the elevator in the end was symbolic. In the way that Izzie is still on her way (up or down) while George isn’t. Meaning George is dead and Izzie has the chance to come back. Maybe it depends on contracts negotiations :-)
Just like Callie and Bailey I never understood why George decided to join the army in the first place. If he wanted to have a more meaningful life / job, he could have signed up with “Doctors without Borders” or something. But the army? Maybe he felt so left out and disrespected in his familiy (the O’Malleys) and his hospital family, that he thought he’d find another one in th army? I’m totally fishing for an explanation here, because I just don’t get it. I guess it was just the easiest way to write his character out of the show and make him remember as a good guy / hero. I loved Bailey’s reaction though and the whole intervention plan. The cafeteria scene was Grey’s at it’s best.
The army patient, who wanted to have his leg cut off and got his way? I just didn’t care at all. And where on earth was the psych consult?!? This guy asks you to cut of a viable limb so that he might be able to get back to the battlefield. And you cut off his leg without even talking to a someone from psych? Seriously? Stupid, stupid storyline.
I’m happy to see that Owen and Cristina finally move a step forward in their relationship, but I thought the scene in the vent room was over the top. I know Cristina has a hard time saying “I love you” but the whole scene felt forced to me. But I’m happy that they are in better place now and that Owen went to see his mom and that Cristina went with him. And I just loved, loved Cristina in these episodes. She showed so much compassion for Izzie and her scenes with Meredith were wonderful. They might not always say how much they mean to each other (well, Meredith does in the end) but it’s so obvious anyway. The way she immediately offered to come to the City Hall wedding and gave Meredith the new, old, borrowed and blue, made me strangely happy. And I loved to see how far, she as well, has come. Meredith isn’t the only one who has changed and grown. Cristina has changed and grown just as much. I mean, she hugged her. Awwww.
Which only leaves Meredith and Derek. I always considered myself a hardcore Meredith and Derek fan. And I am. I actually considered myself a hardcore fan of the show, because I got so emotionally invested so fast. And I never thought that would change. But reading a lot of negative reviews of these episodes and the MerDer moments, I realized it might have changed. I still care a lot about this couple. Maybe not so much about the rest of the cast :-) But I really, really love Meredith and Derek. But that’s just about it. I enjoy the happy moments the show is giving me. I don’t care much if the show is giving me anything else, like explanations for storylines and behaviour that didn’t made sense in the last five seasons. I guess, I’ve got a huge blind spot there. I just don’t care. And I honestly don’t know if I ever did. Meredith and Derek are together. They are happy. They love and trust each other. Their relationship is stable. And they are committed to a lifetime together. That’s all I’m asking for. My shipper heart is more than satisfied. I’m happy :-)
And that’s why I absolutely love the Post-It “wedding”. Will it cause some drama, that they didn’t make it official? Maybe. Probably. But I’ll cross that bridge when I get there. I was just overjoyed to see Meredith so willing and eager to commit to the forever with Derek. I loved their vows and thought Meredith was adorable in that scene. I liked that Meredith brought up the Alzheimers, because as a daughter of an Alzheimers patient I’m sure it will come to your mind, when you think about the future. I loved Meredith voiceovers in both episodes, because they were so wise and just perfect. True Grey’s Anatomy style. I loved it. As I loved all the MerDer moments in this episode. I didn’t like that Izzie stole a lot of their screentime, but, at least they were happy and drama-free when they were on screen, and that’s all that matters to me. And I can’t wait to see what season 6 will bring for them…