This week's episode of Grey's Anatomy opens with chaos at Casa de Meredith. Why you may ask? Mama Shepard is coming to town! While Meredith sits in the living room clutching a bottle of tequila, and Alex, George and Sadie try to talk her off the ledge, Izzie is fluttering around, cleaning, and smiling just thinking about Meredith's first meeting with the Mama. Meredith says in a panic "Parents don't like me. Parents like . . . Izzie! Parents like people like Izzie". So Izzie decides to coach Mer through the following day.
Meanwhile, Lexi and Sloan are upstairs hiding out in the attic like middle school kids. Sloan, standing in nothing but a pair of pants (this should be his uniform every episode. Holy abs!) asks what all the commotion downstairs is for. Lexi explains the Mama Shepard is coming to town which sends Mark into a panic attack of his own. He explains, "Mrs. Shepard practically raised me, and when she finds out I am dating a 25 year old . . . well, you're just a fetus!". Lexi smiles coyly and corrects him, "I'm 24 actually". HA!
Back at the hospital young Jackson is still waiting for a new liver and intestine, and the serial killer is only 5 days away from execution. Dr. Robbins has put Jackson on a transplant list, and Derek, Meredith and Christina are treating the throat slasher for his head injury. The two patients happen to be wheeled down a hallway at the same time and Jackson notices the killer is handcuffed to his bed. He asks "What did you do? Something bad?", to which the killer creepily responds "Traffic violation".
The killer asks what Jackson is being treated for, and he says "I need a new liver and intestine" to which the killer responds "You can have mine". CREEPY. But, also quite generous for a psychotic murderer. Hmm. I'm intrigued.
While filing paper work at the nurses station Christina is approached by Dr. Hunt who asks "Dr. Yang, can you assist me with these patient charts, and may I take you on a date tonight?". I love Dr. Hunt! So strangely bizarre, clearly suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, but somehow, lovable. I recently saw an interview with him on the Ellen DeGeneres show and it turns out he's Scottish! He does the American accent quite well!
Izzie, in addition to coaching Meredith to meet Mrs. Shepard (she encourages Meredith to drink water to hydrate her skin, and to wear her hair in a high ponytail with a pink scrunchie. WHAT?), is still "seeing" Denny. I am beyond over this storyline. DONE. Shonda Rhimes, can you hear me? O-V-E-R. Put it to rest. Izzie juggles talking to her invisible, dead boyfriend, and trying to move forward with Alex.
Dr. Robbins discovers there are organs for Jackson and she and Alex fly to go harvest them (I always hate that they use the word "harvest". Sounds like you are growing tomatoes). On the plane ride over Dr. Robbins prods Alex for information about his relationship with Izzie. He is cold, and shuts her out (surprise, surprise, Eva screwed him up good). On the plane ride back she keeps pestering and Alex screams at her for failing to realize they just took organs out of a dead kid. Dr. Robbins gives an excellent soap box speech about the nature of her job, and how she chooses to look forward not back. BRAVO! Golf claps.
Back at the hospital, the killer is being tested to see if he is a match for Jackson, and Dr. Bailey is itching to do Jackson's surgery. During the prep, Mrs. Shepard arrives! The Mama is played by Tyne Daly who played the mother on Judging Amy, a show I LOVED for its first few seasons. In her cameo here at Seattle Grace, her character is much less battle-ax than she was on Judging Amy, a welcomed change.
Der and Mer have an awkward lunch with the Mama (I mean, how could she stop staring at the pink, high pony?). The Mama goes straight for the jugular and asks about Meredith's parents. She responds "dead". Nice Mer, real nice. Meredith swiftly comes up with a reason to disappear.
Meanwhile at another cafeteria table, Sloan is eating alone when Lexi plops down next to him. He stares and asks "What are you doing?". She quips "You sleep with me, you eat lunch with me. New rule". NICE LEX! You go girl!
The other interns spot this and take it as their chance to eat with Sloan. They swarm him and he quickly removes himself. He bumps into Mama Shepard and admits he's seeing a younger girl. She says, "Point her out to me". His finger leads the way to Lexi and he says, "The one with the juice box". HA! CLASSIC!
Back in the operating room Jackson's surgery fails and he will need new organs for transplant within 24 hours if he is going to make it. Good thing the serial killer offered to help! Plan B! Too bad Derek can't stand to look at the killer, and wants to heal him so he has to be executed as planned.
Meredith decides to be real with the Mama, take down the high pony (thank the lord) and spill the beans about who she really is. Izzie watches this from across the room in horror. However, the Mama winds up being impressed. She later gives Derek her engagement ring and says "Your father wanted you to have this for the right girl. Addie wasn't the right girl. You see everything in black and white. Meredith doesn't. She sees the gray. You need that". Awwwww! Get it, Meredith Grey! Sees the gray! Awww. Very cute. Very very cute.
Inspired by Meredith winning over the Mama, Izzie decides to end things with Denny explaining "I want to be able to go on a date with you, hold your hand, and meet your Mom". Just when I was starting to get excited this storyline was ending, Denny reappears next to Alex at the end of the episode. Alex has just asked Izzie if she'll use her vacation days to come to Iowa with him to meet his mother, when Denny appears by his side. "Alex, we need to talk". Uh oh.
Meanwhile, Christina is waiting at her apartment for Dr. Hunt to go on their official first date. He shows up in a suit and tie, with flowers, but he is late and DRUNK! Oh dear lord. Christina is not amused and says "You need to take a shower, you smell like a distillery". He walks right into her bathroom, turns on the water, and gets in, fully clothed. Christina is stunned. Then he proceeds to answer a question she asked earlier in the day (at Izzie's suggestion) - What was your most amazing surgery? Dr. Hunt begins to describe a soldier who was bleeding from multiple wounds. How he bandaged all that he could, but had to lay on top of the solider to stop the bleeding. The man recovered, wrote Dr. Hunt a thank you letter, and later shot himself to death. OH MAN.
Christina doesn't say a word. She simply opens the shower door, gets in, loosens and removes his tie, and takes his dripping face into her hands. And I'm crying. Sandra Oh (who plays Christina) has become a master of speaking with no words. Her facial expressions and body language speak loud and clear.
The episode closes with Meredith checking on on the killer. Explaining to him that his head wound is very delicate. And if it were to re-open, he risks immediate death. The killer asks "Was I a match for the boy?". Meredith nods yes. She exits the room.
In a scene far too graphic for my stomach to handle, the killer removes the pillow from behind his head, and begins to bang his wound against the back of the hospital bed.
Next week we shall see:
1) How mad Derek is that the man killed himself, and if Meredith reveals she suggested it
2) If they use his organs to save Jackson
To be continued!
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