Grey’s Anatomy Season Finale Review: Tears and Gore Galore

Season 8, Episode 24: “Flight” (original air date May 17, 2012).

Images courtesy of Danny Feld and ABC.

Grey’s Anatomy Review: Growing Pains

Last week’s episode of Grey’s Anatomy continued the fallout from the Oral Boards.  The residents have big decisions to make regarding their futures, and there is a good chance that things will look much different around the halls of Seattle Grace in the near future.

Most of the residents are fielding offers from very respectable hospitals, with Cristina (Sandra Oh) entertaining the most prestigious opportunities, until Alex (Justin Chambers) surprises everyone with an offer from Johns Hopkins.  It doesn’t look like most of them will be returning to Seattle Grace.  Loyalty is nice, but at the end of the day they need to advance their careers and realize their full potential.  Alex was the lone confirmation for Seattle Grace, but when Hopkins comes calling he can’t pass up the opportunity.  Derek wants to head to Boston, but Meredith wants to stay at Seattle Grace.  She has an offer from The Brigham, and Derek has very promising career-defining opportunities in Boston too.  Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) doesn’t want to be far from Cristina, but it’s time to grow up and move on.  Sometimes they act more like fifth graders than adult women, and they are too involved in each other’s lives.  Surprisingly, it’s Cristina who comes to this realization before Meredith.  I guess being an adult doesn’t exclude you from having growing pains.

On a personal level, there are some interesting things going on besides the residents’ career choices.  Ben (Jason George) and Miranda (Chandra Wilson) have been dating for a little while, but she never seems to make adequate time for him.  Despite the romantic gestures he’s made, she always seems a little distracted and has blown him off many times.  This time he wants to just hang out and enjoy her day off, doing crossword puzzles and enjoying each other’s company.  He makes her a romantic breakfast in bed, but before he can give it to her she is fully dressed and ready to head in to the hospital.  She thinks it’s silly that he wants to do crosswords when there are more exciting things to do, like removing a tapeworm from a patient.  She doesn’t realize that he embedded a marriage proposal in the crossword puzzle until she makes a mockery of the activity in the O.R. and he has to ruin the surprise because she wasn’t game.  It’s a snapshot of their relationship: they are rarely on the same page.

Owen is completely out of the loop when it comes to Cristina and doesn’t know any more about her future plans than Teddy or Meredith.  Everyone is clamoring for her to make a decision, and they all hope that she sticks around.  She has relented somewhat in her anger towards Owen, and for a second it looks like they may reconcile.  Cristina cuddles with him briefly after coming home from a party, and it confuses Owen.  Later, she comes to him in the hospital and they make love.  He thinks it’s a good sign and is willing to be patient as they repair their relationship.  Unfortunately, it was farewell nookie, because as soon as he came she was gone, telling Owen that she’s leaving Seattle Grace for another hospital.

In the beginning of the episode it’s mentioned that the staff will be taking part in the surgical separation of conjoined twins at Boise Memorial Hospital.  When Alex changes his mind about staying at Seattle Grace, Arizona completely flips out on him and bars him from representing Seattle Grace in the high-profile surgery.  She had a rough day with her late brother’s best friend, the dying cancer patient.  She unfairly lashes out at Alex, but he takes it in stride.  As it turns out, the tongue-lashing might be a blessing in disguise.

Towards the end of the episode I began to grow suspicious of Meredith’s ubiquitous narration and the juxtaposition of the scenes of them flying to Idaho.  I thought to myself, “don’t tell me this plane is going down…” and sure enough that’s what’s going to happen.  Grey’s Anatomy NEVER disappoints in the season finale, and next week’s episode should be a doozie.  There’s no way that all the residents are leaving Seattle Grace, as it appeared.  I suspect that this crash will end up making them reevaluate things and that they will stick around.  Unfortunately, I think someone may perish first.  Who will it be?! Stay tuned!

Season 8, Episode 23: “Migration” (original air date May 10, 2012).

Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.

Images courtesy of Randy Holmes and ABC.

Grey’s Anatomy Review: One Of These Things Is Not Like The Other

As the eighth season draws to a close, the writers of Grey’s Anatomy are raising the bar.  Last week was one of the better episodes of the season, as we see the culmination of months of panic by the residents.  In the previous episode they were a bundle of nerves, but now that their oral exams are over, they aren’t terribly relieved.  In fact, each resident suffered varying degrees of disaster during the exam.  The writers continued Grey’s reputation for originality with a non-linear storyline that began at the end.  We know immediately that one of the Seattle Grace docs has failed.  Jackson’s mom Catherine and Chief Webber are both volunteering as Board examiners, and she tells him the news, concerned that it may have been Jackson who didn’t pass.

As for Cristina, Meredith, April, Jackson, and Alex: they each have a horror story.  Cristina (Sandra Oh) is the natural favorite to ace the exam, and for the most part she makes it through with flying colors.  She’s certainly knowledgeable and confident.  Perhaps too confident.  When her cautious examiner differs with her bold approach for a hypothetical patient, Cristina becomes obnoxious and condescending.  She all but accuses the older examiner of being a fossil.  Insulted, he ends the interview early, sarcastically deferring to Cristina since she’s got it all figured out.

Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) was sick throughout the entire exam, going so far as to pause intermittently to vomit in a bucket.  After receiving some conveniently vague advice from Derek, she made the decision to push through the exam.  She may be sick; but she knows her stuff.

Jackson (Jessie Williams) witnessed his mom’s tawdry morning after with Chief Webber, but must block the image from his mind if he wants to succeed.  He can’t escape his mother, who has loomed over his entire career and seems to be everywhere.  She’s even conducting an exam in an adjoining room from Jackson’s, her distinct laugh punctuating the air.  Jackson becomes distracted, and if he can’t regroup quickly he’ll look like he’s easily frazzled and unsuited for the chaotic atmosphere of an emergency room.  Alex misses the first portion of his exam completely, meaning that he must pass all remaining sections if he wants to pass the overall exam.  Talk about pressure!

Which brings me to the last and most pitiful of our merry band of residents: April Kepner (Sarah Drew.)  Recall that she allowed Jackson the honor of deflowering her the night before the test.  The next day she feels guilty and begins stressing out immensely before the exam.  It spills over into the question and answer session, with April refusing to abide by the exam guidelines.  Once a question is answered the test must move forward.  She keeps trying to change her answer and elaborate, despite the examiners’ insistence that they continue.  She is sweating profusely and babbling incoherently.  It appears that all is lost, but when she runs into Jackson during a break he reassures her.  They even have a quickie, and it looks like April will calm down.  However, it’s too little too late.  She’s already bombed it.  They all get texts/emails with their results soon after the test, and April didn’t pass.

While the residents sweat it out during their Oral Boards, things hum along back at Seattle Grace.  Callie, Teddy, and Miranda operate on an old friend of Arizona’s, a close friend of her late brother.  The guy is like family, but unfortunately he waited too long to seek medical care and almost certainly will die of Cancer.  He didn’t want to have an experience like Arizona’s brother, and his refusal to get care earlier will cause his demise.  Meanwhile, things are moving at a rapid pace for Mark and his new girlfriend.  She wants to have a baby with him soon.  When Lexie gets word, she decides it’s “now or never” and confesses her feelings to him.  Will he reciprocate?  We’ll just have to wait and see.

Best of the episode: The non-linear storyline

Worst of the episode: April flunks

What to watch for next: Will Mark and Lexie get back together?

Season 8, Episode 22: “Let the Bad Times Roll” (original air date May 3, 2012).

Greys Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.

Images courtesy of Eric McCandless and ABC.

Grey’s Anatomy Review: Moment of Truth

It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for: the Oral Boards.  All of the residents’ preparation has lead up to this moment, and they each are dealing with a unique mental state.  Jackson, Cristina, and Meredith are cool.  April is predictably freaking out.  And Alex seems reluctant to physically leave Seattle Grace and go take the exam.

After giving Morgan the cold shoulder a couple of weeks ago, now all of a sudden Alex (Justin Chambers) wants to be involved in caring for her son Tommy.  In my opinion Alex is just avoiding the exam.  Morgan understandably tells him that she doesn’t need his help, and Arizona pushes him out the door.  He goes to the testing site, but eventually goes back to Seattle Grace after he gets a grave update from Arizona about the infant’s condition.  This is arguably the biggest day of Alex’s professional life, and he’s blowing it off.  I have sympathy for Morgan’s character, but give me a break.  Alex just stomped all over her feelings a minute ago; now he wants to be the hero doctor.  I couldn’t believe it.

Cristina and Owen (Kevin McKidd) have had a few awkward exchanges since the demise of their relationship.  He wants to support her and offer a word of encouragement before the exam, but their relationship is strained and he doesn’t have the opportunity.  He just seems really sad, all around.  Remember that Teddy still hates him.  Fortunately, he finds an unlikely ally in Dr. Bailey.  You might think girls would stick together, but not so.

Owen and Teddy’s relationship has been acrimonious ever since Henry died on Owen’s table.  To say that she’s given him the cold shoulder would be an understatement.  They used to be best friends, but now they only communicate when it’s work related.  They are unpleasant to be around, so much so that Callie warns Bailey.  They have a teenaged trauma patient and will need to work together.  Eventually Teddy and Owen have a spat across the operating table and he walks out.  Teddy later rants about how Owen is fighting her at every turn out of spite.  With Callie’s encouragement, Bailey finally tells Teddy like it is.  Owen isn’t fighting her; she’s fighting him.  She blames him for Henry, and they both know that’s not fair.  He allows her to punish him for it in the hopes that it will make Teddy feel better.  He’s lost Teddy and now Cristina too.  Bailey finally puts Teddy in check, and it was long overdue.  Owen doesn’t deserve to be her lifelong punching bag because her husband died.

The episode closes with some truly out-of-character behavior.  While away at the testing site, April (Sarah Drew) lets Jackson (Jessie Williams) de-virginize her after they get into a drunken barroom brawl.  Richard and Jackson’s mom Catherine bump into each other also.  Recall that Richard refrained from an earlier dalliance with her while she visited Seattle Grace.  With Adele estranged because of her Alzheimer’s, Richard probably doesn’t feel like he’s really cheating.  Adele is cheating, though she can’t help it.  Debbie Allen and James Pickens are some good-looking older actors, but I didn’t really wanna see them get it on.  They’re my parents’ age.

Jackson finds out about their hook-up but still has the presence of mind to be ready for the Boards.  April is freaking out because she’s not a virgin anymore, and Meredith is battling a stomach flu she caught from baby Zola.  Those might sound like stressful situations, but at least everyone showed up for the Boards.  Everyone but Alex, who inexplicably got delayed by his abrupt return to Seattle Grace.  Arizona practically had to beg him to go take the Boards.  What’s up with that?  This was a fantastic episode, but I don’t know why the writers would have Alex behave so stupidly.  Why would he risk his career for a woman he blew off just a short while ago?  It doesn’t make sense.  The only thing I can think of is that he cracked under pressure and is looking for an excuse to skip the Boards.  The teaser for next week reveals that someone from Seattle Grace did in fact fail.  Was it Alex, because he never showed up?  Was it April, because she couldn’t pull it together?  Or was it Jackson, because his good luck charm was destroyed right before the oral exam?  Stay tuned!

Season 8, Episode 21: “Moment of Truth” (original air date April 26, 2012).

Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.

Images courtesy of Richard Cartwright and ABC.

Grey’s Anatomy Review: The Girl With No Name

Last week’s episode of Grey’s Anatomy took my breath away.  I was really drawn in by the storylines and what was happening to the characters.  Both the singular storyline, featuring one of the hospital patients, and a recurring plotline were heartbreaking.  

The staff is challenged this week by a high profile, tragic patient.  In recent years we’ve seen news stories about abducted children who were discovered alive after many years of torture and captivity.  A girl named Holly is being treated at Seattle Grace for life-threatening injuries sustained while being held against her will by a child predator.  At first the doctors aren’t sure that their patient and the missing girl are one and the same.  She was taken as a child and is a teenager now.  But the surgeons remember the details of the abduction, which received national attention.  Bailey, in particular has a tough time recounting the painful details.  She can’t help thinking how devastated she’d be if something happened to her son.  Meanwhile, the girls’ parents are at the hospital but have been kept away from Holly so they don’t overwhelm her psychologically.  She has gravitated to Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and shares some of the horrors of her captivity.  Meredith keeps those details from the girl’s parents, who are later shocked to learn that she bore children for her captor.  She has a long road of recovery ahead, but at least she survived and has the love and support of her family.

In the midst of all the excitement at Seattle Grace, the residents are frantically scheduling interviews with prospective hospitals.  I guess this is the next step in the process as they await their Board results.  Cristina ( Sandra Oh) is the cream of the crop and has several hospitals vying for her services.  Bailey pulled some strings to get Meredith an interview at Brigham, but she seems like she wants to stay at Seattle Grace.  She seems to be stalling and has rescheduled her interview three times.  Teddy would love if Cristina stayed at Seattle Grace, but it appears unlikely.  Desperate, she implores Owen to convince Cristina to stay.  She’s made it painfully clear that they aren’t friends, so this line of conversation is inappropriate. Owen, though, stands up for himself and says that if Teddy can’t convince her own attending to stick around, she shouldn’t expect him to do it.   At least Teddy hasn’t resorted to sabotage.  Arizona has been sandbagging Alex (Justin Chambers) by sending him to crappy hospitals.  He finally confronts her and she reluctantly agrees not to stand in the way of his opportunities.  He should stay because he wants to, not because he feels trapped.

Even though one of the patients was one who had been repeatedly abused, the saddest aspect of last week’s storyline was Richard and Adele.  Her Alzheimer’s worsens by the day, it seems.  He already had to place her in an assisted living facility, but now she barely recognizes him.  When Richard (James Pickens Jr.) visits her at the home, he discovers that she has “fallen in love” with another patient, a man who also suffers from the devastating disease.  At first Richard wants to blame the man and accuses him of taking advantage of his wife.  Eventually he comes to realize that the man makes Adele happy, and she welcomes his advances.  Richard never displays any anger; he still tries to comfort Adele – even when she is breaking his heart.  I’m sure this portrayal rang true for anyone who has a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s.  This was a powerful episode, and I hope the writers finish the season strong.

Season 8, Episode 10: “The Girl With No Name” (original air date April 19, 2012.)

Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.

Images courtesy of Randy Holmes and ABC.

Grey’s Anatomy Review: Owen v. Cristina

Just when Derek and Meredith right their marital ship, it looks like Owen and Cristina are on the rocks.  They have been having problems ever since the abortion.  They tried counseling, and Owen (Kevin McKidd) seemed to finally come to terms with her decision, but a recent argument revealed that he still blames Cristina.  It that argument he confessed that he cheated on her.  In an effort to hash things out, they have called in sick with the flu while they hunker down at home and try to work it out.  Cristina (Sandra Oh) wants to hear every sordid detail, but Owen doesn’t want to hurt her or lay himself bare for her judgment.  In a painful “light bulb moment,” she realizes that he cheated as a way of punishing her for the abortion.  By the end of the episode, he was moving out.

In Owen’s absence, he named a temporary Chief of Surgery.  Mark (Eric Dane) crashes a staff meeting and informs everyone that he was selected for the job.  Of course they are shocked, but what can they do?  Meanwhile the residents are still running around in a panic as they study for their Boards.  The name of the episode was “Support System,” and we see examples of support throughout the show.  April, Alex, and Avery support each other before the exam.  Meredith tries to support Cristina through her crisis, but she has understandably isolated herself.  Teddy is making slow progress in her emotional healing, and she needs the support of her friends and colleagues to bounce back.  Callie, Arizona, and Bailey dutifully agree to girls’ night out instead of more romantic plans with their significant others.  Finally, Bailey and Webber support each other against Mark, after he vetoes a critical judgment call.

As a plastic surgeon, Mark has the reputation of a superficial pretty boy. Nevertheless, he’s good at his job and is taking his new appointment very seriously.  He explains to his protégé Avery that he views it as a chance to show that he has what it takes to be Chief.  In that vein, he opposes Webber in his decision to move forward with a multi-organ transplant surgery.  The patient needs a new intestine, pancreas, and a few other organs.  He has been disappointed at the eleventh hour several times, but Webber is optimistic that the surgery will finally happen.  When they examine the donor they find a tumor, leading Mark to classify him as unsuitable and pull the plug on the surgery.  Webber (James Pickens Jr.) wants to at least see if the growth is benign and if so, Bailey has a good idea about how they can proceed.  For the second time in recent memory, Bailey and Mark have a clash of egos.  This time Bailey is probably right.  Ultimately Webber explains to Mark that his Plastics experience has taught him to always find the perfect, pretty solution – but that sometimes in the trenches you have to just go with what will work.  Begrudgingly, Mark defers to the more experienced surgeon.

This was a pretty good episode, but I thought it could have had a little more oomph.  The clock is ticking on how long I want to watch Owen and Cristina be miserable.  I can appreciate her grief, and I thought Sandra Oh’s performance after hearing the details of Owen’s tryst was spot on.  But.  That’s not gonna make for good TV after another episode or two.  Stay tuned!

Season 8, Episode 19: “Support System” (original air date April 12, 2012).

 Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.

Images courtesy of Randy Holmes and ABC.

Grey’s Anatomy: The Lion Sleeps Tonight

When we last saw Grey’s Anatomy, Owen was dropping the hammer on Cristina. Since his admission of infidelity, it is Owen who is begging Cristina to talk.  He’s so desperate that he tries to confide in Meredith, who promptly shuts him down.  Just as she tells Owen that he can’t confide in her, Derek tells Lexie that she cannot ask him for advice about Mark.  That’s not the nature of their relationship.

After her last debacle, Lexie’s worried about her readiness in the operating room.  Derek doesn’t hold her previous mistake against her, but he lets her know that they need to focus on professional matters, not personal ones.  Despite his tough talk, he eventually gives her the advice she wants.  She had been wondering whether or not to approach Mark and make a move, even though it seems like he has moved on.  Derek tells her that if she really wants Mark that she can still have him, but that he’s happy and she shouldn’t ruin that unless she’s serious.

Teddy has joined a support group for widows, but her disdain spills over in the first meeting, and it seems like the therapy will do more harm than good.  She has the typical type A personality of most of the doctors at Seattle Grace, so she doesn’t want to discuss her feelings in a room full of strangers.  She’d rather work her way through the pain than talk about things.  That’s better than moping around, but if you don’t deal with your feelings, eventually they will erupt.

Teddy’s patient this week is an elderly man who suffered a heart attack after he and his wife came across an escaped lion.  Derek and Meredith witnessed the same lion while driving to work in the morning.  As expected, the lion gave the patient quite a scare, sending him to the emergency room.  The man and his wife are an adorable old couple, still in love after years and years of marriage.  You can tell that they share a genuine friendship.  Teddy and Alex promise to do their best, and reassure the woman that her husband is in good hands.  Things get a little dicey during the procedure, but Teddy saves the patient.  Their joy is short-lived, because when Teddy goes to tell the man’s wife the good news about a successful surgery, she finds that the woman has expired in the waiting room. This hits home for Teddy, and when she’s alone she says the words that she could not utter in group therapy, “I am a widow.”

Alex has been growing closer and closer to his intern Morgan, especially after taking an active role in the care of her newborn baby.  The other docs warned him that Morgan had feelings for him, and now he can see for himself that the line between them is getting blurred.  He wants to detach himself from her but can’t find the words to do so.  Instead, he abruptly cuts her off, right when she has to make a difficult choice about Tommy’s care.  Alex is right to distance himself, but he should still be compassionate about it.  In the end, tough love wins out.

Best of the episode: Callie’s reaction to hearing about Arizona’s ex lovers

Worst of the episode: The freeze between Owen and Cristina

What to watch for next: Owen spills the deets

Season 8, Episode 17: “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” (original air date April 5, 2012).

Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 8/7c on ABC.

Images courtesy of Richard Foreman and ABC.

Jersey Shore Review: We Are Family

All good things must come to an end.  After a summer of debauchery at home and abroad, the Jersey Shore gang is calling it quits until next season.  Honestly though, I hope this season was the last one.  There are spinoff shows in the works, so maybe the days of Jersey Shore are over.

When we last saw the gang, Vinny and Pauly executed the perfect prank by moving all the inside furniture outside and vice versa.  When everyone returns from camping they think it’s funny.  Except Mike.  He goes on and on about how he doesn’t like anyone to touch his things.  I might have been annoyed if it were me, but eventually I would have laughed it off.  Surprisingly, Mike and Snooki are still friends.  They always try to act like they’re a family, so I guess all is forgiven.  They all go out partying for one last hurrah, and Mike runs into his brother and Deena’s sister, who are a couple.  In typical immature fashion, Mike has run around talking about Deena’s sister’s sexual habits.  He heard it through the grapevine that she’s capable of doing something in the bedroom that many women can’t.  Deena takes issue with him and he tries to cover it up by saying it’s a good thing that she can do that.  At the end of the day her sister seems happy with Mike’s brother, so Deena lets it go.

Meanwhile, Vinny tries to do the unthinkable: land two lesbians.  It’s an idiotic thought in the first place, as if the average lesbian would even consider it.  But the girls actually go for it.  Pauly proclaims this feat to the be the “holy grail of hooking up.”  The girls aren’t much to look at.  Ronnie says that one of them looks like Matthew McConaughey!  Vinny manages to pull it off and acts like he just cured Cancer.  It’s the highlight of his life.  The next day the girls make a happy exit, and all is right in Vinny’s world.

The rest of the episode was pretty uneventful.  The girls try to get revenge on the boys for all of their pranks.  They decided to bomb them with water balloons on the last night.  Woo hoo!  They are all a little sad that it’s over, but on the other hand they’re glad to get back home to the real world.  They enjoy a final meal together and make a well-deserved toast to Ron and Sam for remaining drama-free.  The next day they leave one by one, and Snooki ends up being the last one left.  She says that she can do this forever (Jersey Shore). At $30,000 per episode, who can blame her?  I’m willing to bet the new baby she’s expecting with Jionni will change all of that though.  Or will there be a new reality show with Jionni, Snooki, and Baby Guido?  Dear God, I hope not.  See ya next time folks, it’s been real.

For more on Jersey Shore, check out our other reviews.

Season 5, Episode 11, “We Are Family” (original air date March 15, 2012).

Images courtesy of MTV.

Grey’s Anatomy Review: One Step Too Far

Last week’s episode of Grey’s Anatomy was heart wrenching.  It also illustrated why most couples don’t work together and why professional and personal lives should be kept separate.  Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) has been trying to narrow her area of concentration while preparing for her Boards.  Derek (Patrick Dempsey) wants her to return to neurology, and she considers it.  He and Lexie have been working with a 27 year-old patient, a bubbly recent law school graduate with a promising future.  She has a cyst in her brain that has been causing dizziness and seizures, and Derek and Lexie can easily remove it.  It seems like a relatively minor procedure, as far as brain surgeries go.  The patient also has a brain tumor, but it’s benign and Derek wants to leave it alone.  If it causes a problem later, they’ll deal with it at that time.

Derek, Lexie, and Meredith perform the surgery, but Derek is called away to help with another patient.  He leaves Meredith in charge, and she does an excellent job until they see the tumor.  They have already successfully drained the cyst, but the tumor is right there.  Even though they said they’d leave it, neither Lexie nor Meredith sees the big deal in removing it now.  They try to page Derek, but he was pulled in to help Alex’s intern’s premature baby.  Using their best judgment, they remove the tumor.  When Derek finds out, he’s livid.  He tells Meredith that they won’t know if the surgery was successful until the patient wakes up.  When the patient regains consciousness, her parents are there.  She recognizes them and smiles, but when she goes to speak she cannot articulate any words.  A lawyer who cannot speak has no career.  I mean I’m sure there are some deaf attorneys out there, but you get my point.  It’s heart breaking!! Lexie and Meredith really screwed the pooch.  They should have left the tumor alone, because it was benign.  That was NOT the reason they were going in there.  Meredith and Derek learn the hard way that they should not work together.  It takes a toll on their professional interaction and their marriage.

While Meredith has a professional setback, Cristina (Sandra Oh) suffers a personal one.  She thinks Owen (Kevin McKidd) is cheating on her with Emily, one of the nurses.  She’s wrong, and she’s projecting her own insecurities on to him.  Granted, some of his behavior is suspicious, but he’s avoiding Cristina because he’s unhappy at home, not because he’s cheating.  Cristina and Emily clash at work over a patient who is reluctant to disconnect his husband from life support.  Emily has built a rapport with the patient’s husband and is more sensitive.  Cristina wants to just pull the plug.  Once again, the personal and professional worlds collide, with bad results.  Eventually Cristina confronts Emily and realizes that nothing is going on.  She tells Owen what happened and he says that while he did not cheat on her with Emily, he did cheat on her!!

Owen and Cristina aren’t the only ones facing infidelity.  Jackson’ mom returns to Seattle Grace, and she has a thing for Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.)  It’s understandable.  They are around the same age and are similarly accomplished.  Richard has been caring for Adele, so when the senior Avery invites him to a black tie event, he thinks it would be a nice change of pace.  But after Bailey warns him not to let things get muddied, he realizes he doesn’t trust himself around her and backs out.  This was a great episode that left many teasers.  I can’t wait for next week!

Season 8, Episode 16, “One Step Too Far” (original air date March 15, 2012).

Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 8/7c on ABC.

Images courtesy of Vivian Zink and ABC.

 

A Thousand Words Review: “A” For Effort

Eddie Murphy is a curious case.  In his heyday he pioneered the buddy cop genre and was a fixture in some classic 80s movies like Harlem Nights and Coming to America.  A few years ago he even won an Academy Award for a supporting role in Dreamgirls.  In many respects, Murphy is an accomplished actor.  But in other respects he’s responsible for some of the worst movies of the past decade.  I present Exhibit A and B.  Murphy’s resume is so spotty that I don’t know what to expect from his movies.  I had low expectations for A Thousand Words, but it wasn’t as bad as some of his more recent duds.  A tepid endorsement for sure, so I wouldn’t rush out to see this one.

Murphy stars as Jack McCall, a fast-talking literary agent who isn’t above bending the truth to get what he wants. His latest target is a new age self-help guru named Dr. Sinja, a fictionalized Deepak Chopra who looks like he raided the Dalai Lama’s closet.  Sinja’s philosophy involves finding inner peace by shutting out the noise of the world and looking inward.  Jack lives a life polar opposite from Sinja’s, but he is impressed by his massive following and wants to translate Sinja’s popularity into riches.  He lies about his motivations, and gets Sinja to sign a book deal.  During his spiel to Sinja while visiting his compound, Jack encounters a mystical tree in his garden.  It is supposed to be a source of peaceful reflection, but Jack leans against it while lying to Sinja and cuts his hand on the bark, leaving behind some blood.  The next day Jack and his wife Caroline (Kerry Washington, For Colored Girls) are shocked to see the massive tree sprout up in their backyard.  As he talks, the tree loses leaves.  When all the leaves have fallen from the tree it will die, and so will Jack.  By the time Jack notices what’s going on, there are about a thousand leaves left on the tree.  Jack has a thousand remaining words to speak and is forced to find other ways to communicate.  He is also forced to listen to his inner voice since he can’t use his outer one.  Unable to BS his way through life anymore, he tries the introspection he should have attempted long ago, but will he learn his lesson before it’s too late?

A Thousand Words wasn’t the most original movie concept.  It reminded me of two Jim Carrey movies, Liar Liar and Yes Man.  In both movies, Carrey’s ability to communicate was severely hampered so that he could learn a bigger life lesson.  He couldn’t lie in Liar Liar and he couldn’t say no in Yes Man.  In A Thousand Words, Eddie Murphy can’t talk at all.  This lead to a lot of comedic, physical acting and Murphy gave a capable performance.  I felt his character’s frustration and his sincerity as he tried to communicate without speaking.  There are those who will take a glance at this movie and dismiss it as Murphy’s usual tripe, but I think that would be a bit unfair.  The movie may have taken itself too seriously at times, but at least it tried.  Despite being largely forgettable, it featured some talented actresses, including Ruby Dee (American Gangster) and Allison Janney (The Help), in addition to the aforementioned Kerry Washington.  Though it probably won’t fare well at the box office, I thought A Thousand Words wasn’t nearly as shameful as some of Murphy’s recent offerings.  It made for a passable day at the movies, but there are more exciting choices currently in theaters.  I give it an A for effort.

Images courtesy of Bruce McBroom and DW Studios.

Next Page »