Grey’s Anatomy: Insane in the Brain
February 15, 2009 by Tanya Lane
Filed under Television
In what was easily the best episode of the season thus far, the writers merged the characters from Private Practice with the characters from Grey’s. Addison’s brother has neurocysticerocosis, or as I prefer to say, worms in his brain. She brings him to Seattle Grace so that Derek can operate.
On a much lighter note, Izzie decides to involve the interns in a scavenger hunt that doubles as a teaching exercise. This is pretty cute and sweet, because the interns are still collectively in the doghouse with the Chief after their kidney removal stunt a few weeks ago. The game reveals that Sadie is far behind the other interns in terms of basic medical knowledge, to the potential detriment of patients. George offers to help her bone up on her skills, but she rebuffs him. Concerned that she will be a liability to the hospital, he threatens to inform the Chief unless she confesses her ineptitude. She does, and the episode ends with her withdrawing from the program, rightfully so. She mistakenly believed that she could coast through, riding Meredith’s coattails. I shudder to imagine her with a scalpel. She was always a nutcase and I’m glad she’ll (hopefully) be off the show, although I did feel sorry for her a time or two.
Another one I feel sorry for is Major Hunt. Iraq really screwed him up. Unbeknownst to Cristina, he has an ex-fiancé. The young woman shows up with her father, who is suffering from colorectal cancer. The dad despises Owen, as he dumped his daughter via a two line email. The girl didn’t even know he was back from Iraq, and said that she had been praying for him daily. Cristina is appalled at his callousness. Even his mother thinks he’s still in Iraq, and for Cristina that is the last straw. Owen eventually explains to her that he talks to his mother weekly, but he doesn’t want her to know that he’s home because he would hate for her to see the person he’s become. Basically, he’s not the son she knew and loved anymore. He says that Cristina is the only one he can really be himself around, because she sees his true soul, in so many words. Well….if you put it THAT way I guess she can forgive him LOL.
Meredith and Derek are still doing well, and she doesn’t feel threatened by Addison’s presence due to the gravity of the situation. She does, however notice that there is a lot about Derek that she doesn’t know, and that he had a totally different life with Addison and all of their friends. I don’t watch Private Practice and am unfamiliar with its characters, but it used to be Derek, Mark, Addison, her brother and his girlfriend and the girlfriend’s ex-husband as a tight little crew with inside jokes aplenty. Meredith understandably feels like the odd man out, but to her credit she doesn’t make Derek feel guilty about having a life before her. This seems like a non-issue and a small deal, but a little detail like her bruised feelings is very realistic and exemplifies the great writing for which Grey’s is known.
Of course the writers aren’t going to bring in the whole gang from Private Practice just to have their hearts crushed, and Derek saves the day in nail-biting fashion, removing each of the encased worms tediously one by one. Grey’s always has me on the edge of my seat and I love it. Kudos to the writers for a GREAT episode.
Season 5, Episode 15: Before and After (originally aired February 12, 2009)
For an alternative opinion of this episode, check out Inisia Lewis’s review, Crossing Over, here.
For more Grey’s Anatomy reviews, click here.
