GREY’S ANATOMY – The High School Years

Remember that guy/girl you dated in high school? The one that broke your heart but you kept getting back together with because you thought ‘this time it will be different’…he/she has learned their lesson and I won’t be hurt again? That’s kind of how I’m feeling about GREY’S ANATOMY this season. But now I’m older and wiser and I’m more skeptical when we have fantastic episodes like the one we had last night. Has this show really changes or is it only pretending to change to win me back?

Last season’s demise into soap opera trash hurt me and I’m not sure our relationship will ever be the same. But lately, Grey’s has slowly started showing characteristics of the show that I once loved so dearly. I’m still missing the humor a bit, but the character interactions and focus back a bit more on the patients has really got me wondering if this show is back…I mean really back? And if so, can we make this relationship work?

When a bus filled with high school kids crashes, the doctors of Seattle Grace are forced to consider who they were in their formative years and really look at how far they’ve come, or not, since their HS days. And as Rose (Derek’s soon to be new lady love?) so clearly pointed out, Seattle Grace isn’t that much different than high school. There are still the cool kids, the misfits, the brains, and the cliques.

Sloan, the football hero who still sees himself as such is forced to deal with getting older. Prom Queen Lexie has put the tiara down and is forced to take care of her alcoholic father. And trailer park, teen mom Izzie has grown up to be a model turned surgeon.

A standing ovation for Chandra Wilson who turned in a powerful performance last night. Her speech to Derek at the end about how boys like him never really saw girls like her in high school was amazing. And Derek’s revelation that back in high school he was no McDreamy, just a kid with an afro and acne who played the sax in the band just brought it all home. (And if you want a visual of McDreamy in high school, just rent ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’).

I’m glad to see that Izzie and George are remembering that at the end of the day, nothing is more important than their friendship and show a glimmer of hope that they’re going to be able to regain what’s been lost between them. I like these two as friends and I want to see them having fun again soon.

Never having any fun is Meredith who never really seems to have a good moment without a bad one looming over her shoulder. For a woman who works so hard to distance herself from her father she is obsessed with his opinion of her. Meredith continues to act inappropriate with Lexie – giving her advice on how to take care of her father…what was that? But Lexie, whom I’m liking more and more ever since she started growing a backbone, put Meredith right in her place and told her she really doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Nice…she needs that.

Christina continues to kiss Hahn’s ass until Callie calls her out on it. Christina struggles to hold back but her efforts of restraint may be rewarded soon. Yang is a great surgeon. Emotionally crippled, but a great surgeon. I’m surprised she and Hahn aren’t best friends….they can sit around all day over coffee and talk about the stick up their asses.

A solid episode overall. Why are all my shows starting to get really good just as they are about to go dark?

So, what’s your take on last night’s episode? Am I giving it too much credit or did you love it as much as I did. Oh, and let’s chat about Derek and Rose. What do you all think about their pairing? Are Derek and Meredith meant to be, or do you all think Derek should be moving on from their dysfunctional relationship? So much to ponder.