Grey's Anatomy - Episodes 8.05 - Love, Loss and Legacy - Review

You’ve got big dreams? You want fame? Well, fame costs. And right here’s where you start paying ...in sweat. Oops... wrong show. For a minute there I thought Lydia Grant was back and we were pulling on our leg warmers. (Yes, I loved the “Kids from Fame” when I was a kid!)

What a show this week! Welcome to Season 8 folks, this was the best yet. I admit that last week I almost lost hope, watching the show falling into a cliché swamp. I was worried. But here we are, 805, Love, Loss and Legacy and we had everything that makes Grey’s the excellent show that it is (and us faithful know it can continue to be): brilliant writing, directing, editing and music; great performances; humour, medical oddity, drama; and, as a special treat, the charismatic, dangerously flirtatious whirlwind that was Debbie Allen, as special guest star.

The combination of a new writer, Denise Hahn, with a superb guest appearance has injected a much needed jolt of adrenalin into the show that left me wanting more and excited for the rest of the season.

And it was Ms Allen as Catherine Avery, the urologist mother of Jackson who completely stole the show this week. My question to Shonda is – when will Catherine Avery be appointed Chief of Surgery at Seattle Grace Mercy West? Because she was fiercely good. It’s well known on this blog that I am no lover of Jackson, so I was quite prepared to hate this storyline from the beginning without even seeing it. (Yes, I know, all pretence of objectivity has left me here.) However from the moment she walked onto that stage I found myself completely taken in with Dr Avery senior, who played her way through the cast, (s)mothering Jackson, mocking Mark, meddling with April, and flirting outrageously with the Chief (remember, Webber will always be chief to me). She even put Cristina in her place in such a clever way that Teddy never can. But the beauty of this performance was that it was delivered warmly, humorously, and with such grace that as a viewer you couldn’t help but like this character. She must come back.

"You may be tall, but I am sewing on a man's penis today. And that makes ME the badass!"

But even without this shiny newbie performance, this was a very complete episode, in a way we haven’t seen in a long time. It illustrated that you don’t need to cram the stories in (like 720 White Wedding) to show all the characters moving forward. A lot happened in Love, Loss and Legacy and yet it felt neither rushed nor crowded.

Meredith and Derek are still fighting each other and the system at the same time but we are finally beginning to feel some of the pain that Derek is going through, as Meredith realises playing by the rules is the only way they will get their child back. And I am starting to feel that Zola is their child. I’ve been somewhat slow with this. Whereas I have always felt that Sofia was Arizona’s I’ve never really warmed to Zola being Meredith’s. That is, until she admitted to Derek that she really might be to blame for all of this. (Actually I don’t think she is entirely to blame but I’ve no doubt we will discuss that in detail at some point soon). I loved the moment when she was begging Derek to act reasonably, to dot the I’s  and cross the T’s and reign himself in. Because for a moment he’s acting both like a parent and like a doctor who’s breaking the rules (recognise yourself there Derek?)

Hope

Cristina is avoiding. Or is it that Owen is avoiding? After the men’s episode all my sympathy for Owen has disintegrated, almost. It would take a very heartless person not to feel something for him as Cristina coo’s over Zola. Come on Cristina – seriously – are you that stupid, clueless, naïve or insensitive to rub this in Owen’s face? This story will not end well, and I say again, Cristina/Owen fans should be prepared.

Bailey, who seems permanently angry these days, has dumped Eli. I’m a bit angry with that. Eli is a good chap. And he’s certainly a dish. Did he really deserve to be ignored, forgotten, used? I’m on the verge of setting him up with April, and I think Catherine Avery would approve. After months of nothing we finally get to see some of Bailey’s story, and now she’s choosing Ben over Eli, well she hasn’t yet, but no doubt she will, that’s what the writers would have us believe. And whilst I like both of these characters I was invested in Eli, my heart wanted Eli to win and I feel let down.

A sure sign that the writing (and directing) is good on Greys is when we get large nuggets of story even when the characters occupy the fringes. Arizona and Alex, whose working relationship is being explored so well this season are presented with the ethical dilemma of treating Zola, prospective adoptive child to Meredith and Derek. This, as Alex so bluntly points out, offers a parallel to Arizona’s own parental experience and forces our favourite Peds surgeon into an uncomfortable moment. A moment she plays out to Callie by rambling her way through a speech on legalising her relationship with Sofia. This is actually a big moment, because you don’t have to be an expert on the law to realise that Arizona has very little legal claim to the child. In reality the options open to Callie and Mark are probably limited to powers of attorney and wills. In the event neither are around Arizona is a decision maker. In the event Callie dies, Arizona is deemed ‘in loco parentis’ with Mark. In the event Mark dies Arizona can adopt. And...in the event that the “Made for Each Other” couple divorce...well, let’s not go there, because if Sara Ramirez leaves and JCap stays then Shonda surely WILL go there. Anyway, in the end, Callie responded positively to Arizona’s panic, to our great relief, because Season 6 Callie is coming back. I notice in the forums that some took it as Arizona begging Callie. No. She wasn’t begging. She was panicking. She’s fallen in love with Sofia. And she’s realised it.

One of the many features of such a medical show is the opportunity for the actors to demonstrate “eye acting”. Surprisingly I infer no sarcasm with that statement. With a good 25%, sometimes more, of the show filmed behind surgical masks the best performances (and worst) are noticed by the ability to act with the eyes coupled with nifty editing.

Surgical EYE acting skills - The Masters

Jessica Capshaw is a master performer at this, as is Justin Chambers. Indeed, an enduring memory of mine is watching Alex’s eyes when Cristina tells him that Izzie has cancer (518, Stand By Me, I’ve just re-watched it, it’s brilliant scene which brought tears to my hard embittered eyes). Well there was plenty of superb eye acting going on this week, complimented by great editing, Arizona and Alex “mind your own business Karev”, Meredith and Cristina, “Meredith” and then none funnier than April and the penis. The poor girl is having penis thrown at her from all directions as first Dr Avery senior confronts her with it during the penis harvest (never thought I’d ever write such a thing). Not content with this humiliation the writer layer on more as Mark informs April (with irony) that he’s never seen such a pink penis in all his life. Does he even know how ironic he’s being – is he aware that April is a virgin? Kudos goes to Sarah Drew for bringing such gentle, understated acting to these comic moments. It’s medical weirdness, it’s funny, it’s dark - they are, after all, cutting a penis off a dead man “like millions of angry wives have dreamed of” - it’s presented well, the performances are excellent. It’s Grey’s.

And speaking of penis, what a brilliant, brilliant storyline to illustrate the bonding of Mark and Jackson.

Let me linger and repeat myself...Mark and Jackson bonding over the repairing and transplanting of a penis. Genius ironic story telling. Throughout this Ms Allen added her charm, delivered witty one-lines flawlessly, and took no prisoners with her devilish personality. Even the coldest heart (mine) felt sorry for Jackson on his birthday – “nepotism is for the weak”. But whilst I felt slightly less distaste for him this week than previously, watching the vivacious Debbie Allen inject some life into the Avery family I couldn’t help but notice how at the same time she just magnified the inexpressive and dull portrayal of Jackson by Jessie Williams. Jackson has surely not inherited his personality from his robust, rambunctious grandfather, nor his engaging, expressive mother. Crikey, I really don’t want to meet his dad. I may just die of boredom.

So Mark and Jackson are now their own little mutual fan club, which, even I will admit, is rather sweet. And my change of heart is entirely down to Catherine Avery. She has helped me to like her son, albeit just a teeny tiny bit. And slowly week-by-week the writers are showing us the grown up side to Mark, the brilliant yet misunderstood surgeon teacher. Even Richard did not escape the magic of Dr Catherine Avery. How many of you out there were secretly shouting at Richard “Go to dinner with her!”? I did. Until I remembered Adele. Yes. Catherine Avery made an entrance and in my mind, made the show this week.

I enjoyed it immensely and it proved that even 8 seasons in it is possible to be fresh. Denise Hahn. You can come again.

There are too many highlights to mention. The episode was awash with wittiness. But here’s a sample....

“Kudos to you ‘cause who doesn’t love a nurse.” – Ben to Bailey

“Oh Mark Sloan, Plastics. The man who doubts.” – Catherine to the man who doubts.

“Kepner, keep your hand down” – Alex to April (and here we are, yet another clue to a romance)

“You’re too tense, you’re all wound up, this isn’t wood shop” – Catherine to April

“That’s what my birthday cards always say”. Jackson to all of us. (and now, whenever I have an “I hate Jackson” moment I play this clip around in my head on a loop. It helps.)

“Jackson avery, who raised you when I wasn’t looking” – Catherine to Jackson

“Well I don’t know about you, but I’d say that that’s just about the pinkest penis I’ve ever seen.” – Mark to April

Star performance: The penis. A brilliant metaphor for Mark/Jackson (I’m still laughing) and for April.

Written by Brouhaha aka @pipmaxine.

Next week I am out trying to save the world so it is entirely possible that I won't be able to review 806 before 807. Just putting it out there to manage expectations of the worst case scenario.