Last night’s Grey’s Anatomy season finale was nothing short of traumatizing. The two hour season ender was saturated with reckless violence and deep despair.
On Thursday morning I was discussing the much anticipated finale with my friend (and cubemate) and I suggested that I thought Mr. Clark was the shooter. How did I come to believe this? In the preview you learn there is a shooter at the hospital, and then you see Cristina holding Meredith back as she screams and tries to lurch toward something. I reasoned that the only person Meredith would be trying to reach with such urgency was Derek (since Cristina was already accounted for) and given the shooter situation, I then assumed Derek must be shot. When I thought – who would shoot Derek? I had the epiphany! So that’s why they brought Mr. Clark back for a second episode (when he sued the hospital). It was all leading up to this!
The actor playing Mr. Clark does a superb job portraying a man consumed by heart breaking grief and agony. The type of pain that makes you think you can shoot 20 plus people without consequence. I was thoroughly impressed with the scene toward the end of the episode with Mr. Clark and Chief Webber. Phenomenal acting from both men.
Back to the killing spree (sorry, is that crass?). . . I was shocked when Alex got shot, but I know he’s tough as nails and he would pull through. What I did not predict was him hallucinating Izzie! Yikes. Poor Lexie. She is probably reconsidering Mark Sloan at this point.
Another twist I did not seeing coming was the reconciliation of Callie and Arizona! I am thrilled they are reunited and planning to start a family some day. Yay for one happy kernel!
Also this episode, another incredible performance from Chandra Wilson (who plays Dr. Bailey). If this woman does not receive an Emmy, there is something wrong with the system.
In the Teddy/Owen/Cristina love triangle, there seems to be a resolution! Owen heads back into the hospital to find Cristina, while Teddy heads to the other Seattle hospital. I don’t know if anyone else noticed this, but when Sloan and Lexie arrive to check on Alex, Teddy is all of a sudden cleaned up and in red scrubs instead of the signature Seattle Grace blue. Could this be foreshadowing to her switching hospitals? The Mercy West kids used to wear different colored scrubs. Just sayin’.
Speaking of Mercy West, we lost two of their crew (Reed and Percy) but we keep skittish Dr. Kepner and smoldering Dr. Avery. Dr. Kepner pissed me off this episode more than I ever thought possible. She is essentially the reason Derek got shot. At least Dr. Avery has a hero moment when he tricks Mr. Clark into thinking Derek has flat lined. I am still hoping that Dr. Avery and Cristina will hook up at some point (Sorry, Owen fans).
Now, about our favorite couple: Mer and Der. I am not sure what was more difficult to watch, Derek getting shot after he had successfully talked down Mr. Clark, or Meredith having a miscarriage and then dismissing it all in the same moment. I was already welling, but I really lost it during that scene.
I found it interesting that the first hour of the show was narrated by Meredith and the second hour was narrated by Derek. The tone of the show is usually dictated by the opening narration, so I was surprised it shifted half way through. Did you notice?
While I don’t think any season finale could ever compare to the loss of George, this was an extremely close second on the “my heart is pounding and I feel sick” scale. While I found myself at first incredibly angry with creator and writer Shonda Rhimes for these horrifying plot twists, I also have to applaud her for creating a pulse-racing two hour television experience.
Read Matt Ausiello’s interview with Shonda Rhimes for Entertainment Weekly in which she answers the tough questions about the finale and what lies ahead in Season 7. Also check out Shonda Rhimes’ post on the Grey’s Writers Blog to find out behind-the-scenes facts like why Bailey was spared and why Dr. Avery has been nick named “Cindy Lou.”
It ok Grey’s fans, the shooting is over and you can breathe now. At least until September.
