“Maybe I do believe it, all this ‘meant to be’ stuff. Why not believe? Really, who doesn’t want more romance in their life? Maybe it’s just up to us to make it happen, to show up and be ‘meant for each other’. At least that way you’ll find out for sure. Or not.”
“I Was Made For Loving You”
Grey’s Anatomy 9×07
Asking someone if they believe in soul mates is akin to asking them if they are a romantic or a cynic. It’s a romantic notion that there is one person out there in the world just for you. Why wouldn’t you want to believe in that?? (Well other than the depressing notion that you may never FIND THEM.) We’re told about the mythical “soul mate” from birth and taught that when you find each other that you will live happily ever after with no problems ever.
Well, we all know that’s not true. Relationships, even if they are the soul mate kind, take work. If you don’t care for them, if you don’t compromise for your partner every now and then, if you don’t communicate, then the relationship will die. That’s what many of the characters on Grey’s were dealing with tonight. We saw both the highs (Meredith and Derek, Callie and Arizona) and the lows (Cristina and Owen, Jackson and April) of relationships tonight as many of our characters pondered what it was like to be MFEO (also, can we discuss the fact that Meredith actually SAID “MFEO” in her voice over? SO SO far from her dark and twisty days!). Things will get pretty spoilery from here on out, so let’s put the rest of this recap behind a jump…
Also, for the record, I DO believe in soul mates. And I also believe in the capacity to vomit hearts and rainbows everywhere. What can I say? I’m a romantic.
First of all, some time has passed (we don’t know how much) since the last episode. The lawsuit against SGMW has been filed, and more importantly Arizona is returning to work. Callie is justifiably on edge about this, given how Arizona has been mentally. How hilariously awkward was Tina Majorino following her around with some sort of chair all day? And there could not have been a more person to be by Arizona’s side all day than Alex Karev. While some would argue that she needed to be handled with kid gloves, that’s not what Arizona needed, and that is most definitely not Alex Karev, who is blunt and bullish. I love them together and I am so glad that their friendship is healing. How much did you hold your breath when Arizona fell post surgery? I know I was waiting for her to go into a mental breakdown complete with tears and screaming and rage. What a relief it was that she merely collapsed into a fit of laughter (“I don’t HAVE a left foot”)! Welcome back, Arizona Robbins. You’ve been missed.
Also if this scene with Arizona, Callie and ADORABLE bb Sofia didn’t melt your heart, you are dead inside. Jessica Capshaw’s smile is like a ray of sunshine.
How great was Bailey in this episode? They have totally been steering her character back in the right direction this season. I can understand her hesitancy about having a big old sentimental second wedding. She HAS put on the big white dress before. She HAS said “Till death do us part” in front of all of her friends and family. But the important thing to remember is that Ben HASN’T. He wants the big wedding. Why shouldn’t he? He’s found the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with and wants to declare it to the whole world. Who gives a crap if she’s been married before? And sometimes, as Bailey learns throughout the episode, you have to give one to your partner. It doesn’t mean that she can’t have things she feels strongly about (hence forbidding Webber from giving her any sort of gift. He’s done that before and doesn’t need to do it again.) but she also has to be willing to let Ben have something he feels is important. No relationship can work without compromise and I hope that the fact that Bailey gave Ben this one foreshadows a happy happy marriage between them. Because Bailey deserves to be happy. As long as she doesn’t revert back to her “Booty Call Bailey” days.
On to the relationship LOWS of the episode…
Ugh, Cristina and Owen. They make my heart HURT. The Feeny-softening (yet strengthening) of Cristina Yang continues in this episode. I love that while she still has the copyrighted Yang snark with her interns you can also see that she very much cares about TEACHING them now. Bailey saw this in the way that Cristina fought for her intern to be able to close a surgery. Pre-Feeny Cristina would have never done that. She truly is becoming the extraordinary surgeon that he predicted she would be. Along with this unprecedented care for interns, Cristina is really opening up more emotionally regarding her relationship to Owen. She has never stopped loving him and is finally coming to realize that. She wants him back.
The problem is, as we see at the end of the episode, that Owen wants a divorce. Ugh. McKidd and Oh were heartbreaking in that final scene. Because the thing is Owen is not divorcing Cristina because he doesn’t love her. In fact it is the very OPPOSITE. It is because he loves her SO MUCH. Throughout the course of Owen’s interrogation for the Plane Crash lawsuit he comes to realize that those tricksy lawyers have an evil plan. The reason that the hospital board has his full support is that they know that any judge will throw out the lawsuit because of the conflict of interest from his marriage to Cristina. NO ONE will get any money as long as he is married to her. Which is just plain awful. And the WORST thing? He’s had to sign a confidentiality agreement, so he is forbidden from telling Cristina WHY he is doing what he is doing, so she really thinks he doesn’t want to be with her anymore. Ugh. My heart. SHONDA!!!!!!!!!! *shakes fist in air*
I can’t even with April Kepner anymore you guys. SHE IS THE WORST. Throughout the episode she is understandable scared shitless because of a pregnancy scare. But Jackson freaking mans up in the greatest way possible. Not only is he willing to support her, he realizes he WANTS to. He wants to marry her and have kids and the white picket fence with her. Sure, the thought of a baby is what drives him to do this, but those feelings were already there. Like he says, something that feels THIS GOOD has to be right, no? I didn’t doubt him for a minute when he said he was ready to be with her in every way possible. So when April was so relieved when she wasn’t pregnant and was all “NOW WE DON’T HAVE TO GET MARRIED!! WE CAN GO BACK TO HOW THINGS WERE BEFORE!!”, Jackson was understandably devastated. Not by the fact that she wasn’t pregnant(cause for real, there is no way that they were ready for that) , but by the way she so callously disregarded everything he had said before about wanting to be with her. April. Come on. Didn’t we discuss LAST EPISODE how Jackson has feelings? Cause yet again you are so wrapped up in your own neuroses that you forget that he was in this situation too. You. Are. The. WORST. And you deserved Jackson ending things. There is only so long that a person can put up with that shit.
Not that I believe for a second that things are forever done with them. I know this show too well. But still. You deserve better Jackson. Please date someone else for a while.
Also, don’t think I missed for a SECOND Alex making eyes at the doe eyed intern at the bar. That is SO ON.
I feel like I am forgetting something..
Oh yeah.
OMFG MEREDITH AND DEREK ARE GOING TO HAVE A MCBABY.
I swear to GOD Shonda. If Meredith loses this one the entire Grey’s fandom will hunt you down and murder you. I hope you know that. Can we also discuss the gloriousness of Dempsey’s face in this scene. Such joy. Such love for his wife. Ugh (in a good way). I just love MerDer so much you guys. They have effing EARNED this happiness.
Don’t mess this up, Shonda. Like I said. We will murder you.
Also, let’s get Derek’s hand fixed by February Sweeps please.
Mcdreamy baby!!! That is all!!!