"Fear" Not for GREY'S ANATOMY

Article originally published as TV Review: 'Grey's Anatomy' - 'Fear (of the Unknown)' on Blogcritics.

For Grey’s Anatomy‘s 10th (!) season finale, “Fear (of the Unknown),” a mall explosion rocks Seattle, sparking fears of terrorism. On a more personal level, many of the doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital find themselves at a crossroads. The theme is fear and how one deals with it. Whether you are concerned about death or afraid to leave your comfort zone, the emotion is the same. A variety of characters tackle this concept in a variety of ways as the hour plays out, culminating in some very good conclusions, as well as setting the stage for some interesting changes in the already-scheduled eleventh year. A decade on the air, and the constant character growth and development is what keeps this show just as engaging as ever.

The focus in this installment is mainly on Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh), an original cast member who is leaving the series. Her job in Zurich awaits, but she just can’t seem to get on the plane and leave. She complains that she doesn’t feel like things are finished, and can’t bear to leave a job half done. But as Meredith (Ellen Pompeo), her best friend, points out to her, this is not Cristina’s end. This is the start of something new, an incredible opportunity that will stretch her far beyond where she is now. Yang eventually comes to realize this, and in the end, whether its an unfinished surgery for a family she has been taking care of, or a romance with a man she still loves but has trouble seeing a future with, she has to walk away from them.

This is a defining moment for the character, whom, even though she is no longer a main character, will surely be seen again. She is very comfortable in Seattle, but her ambitions have always been bigger. Eventually, she might be able to achieve what she wants, but she can do it so much faster elsewhere, with better resources, meaning she can pursue more dreams after. Friendship is one thing, but her career is Yang’s primary priority. “Fear (of the Unknown)” finds her sacrificing a lot in order to serve that purpose.

Which is not to say she leaves Grey’s Anatomy without accomplishing something. Her goodbye to Owen (Kevin McKidd) is weak, necessarily so, begging for a revisit before the series finale, quite possibly ending with the two of them together. But she gets to dance party with Meredith, imparting advice in the process, and have touching moments with Webber (James Pickens Jr.), Bailey (Chandra Wilson), and Derek (Patrick Dempsey). Best of all, she tells Alex (Justin Chambers) how she really feels about him, and gives him a push back towards the right path, from which he’s strayed. Strewn among these are many references to past season and events, ratcheting up the nostalgia and sadness of her departure even more.

Alex has the chance to make serious money in the private sector, something he never thought possible, so it makes sense for him to quit the hospital. Yet, ever since he changed jobs, he finds plenty of excuses to come back. He is good at surgery, and his skills are being squandered now. Yang, who has come to respect and care for him in a platonic way, sees this and gives Alex a way to both get back to what he loves and have wealth. She gifts him her shares of the hospital and her seat on the board, a generous and perfect solution, making for a neat story connection I didn’t see coming.

There’s just one problem with this. Webber has promised Bailey that seat. It’s not his to give, granted, but had Yang not left Alex her shares, it’s likely Webber’s plan would have worked out. Bailey is great at what she does and deserves the chance to push policy. She absolutely should be stripped of her lab after crossing the line, and honestly, that might mean she should be bench for awhile before stepping up into a leadership role. But Bailey has always been destined to have a say in what goes on at Grey Sloan Memorial, and eventually she will get there.

I am not looking forward to a showdown between Bailey and Alex. They haven’t had a lot of intersecting plot in Grey’s Anatomy for awhile and it’ll be good to bring them back together, but at the same time, these are two beloved characters who both deserve to win. How can fans be expected to choose between the two, especially in the way they both get to where they are? They are also stubborn and I don’t see either backing down easily, which could tarnish their relationship in a very regrettable way.

One solution could be for Derek to give up his seat, too, thus creating a second opening. He seems bound and determined to take the job in D.C., even after Meredith puts her foot down, acting on Cristina’s sage wisdom, knowing Meredith wants to stay in Seattle. As much as Derek hates flying back and forth, he either has to continue it or give up one of the two sides of his life that he loves deeply – his wife and his career. Meredith is completely right to stand up for herself, refusing to live in Derek’s shadow and just go along with his decisions. It’ll be up to him to re-evaluate his desires, and giving up his seat on the board could allow him more time to try to commit to both family and job, shedding responsibilities he doesn’t need.

There are so many great, small moments in “Fear (of the Unknown),” too. Owen ripping apart the media for sensationalism and scare mongering could come back to bite him, but is very satisfying. Callie (Sara Ramirez) and Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) becoming interested in surrogacy seems a neat solution to their issue. April (Sarah Drew) has a touching moment with her mother-in-law, Catherine (Debbie Allen), the first time they’ve really connected. And departing cast members Gaius Charles and Tessa Ferrer are sent off right, Shane leaving with Yang and Murphy coming to an understanding about her limitations. It’s really a fantastic hour.

Besides Yang’s last moments, which are terrific and fitting, Grey’s Anatomy does manage to drop a huge bombshell on us at the most unexpected time. The new head of cardiology, Dr. Maggie Pierce (Kelly McCreary, Emily Owens M.D.), tells Webber that she is the daughter of Ellis Grey, whom Ellis secretly gave up for adoption. Maggie doesn’t realize she’s telling this to her own father, who didn’t know of her existence, and this also means Meredith, who lost her sister a few years ago, now has another one! I have to say, I did not see this coming, but I was already hoping that McCreary would stick around (along with Caterina Scorsone’s Amelia, of course), and this only makes it more likely that she will.

That fact that Grey’s Anatomy can still stun and impress after such a long run is quite an accomplishment. It remains one of my favorite shows currently on the air, a drama I can’t wait to devour each week. Sure, sometimes it gets into ridiculous unbelievability, such as the incredibly high disaster rate in the city and mortality rate of the docs, but it’s still entertaining television, a soapy drama of the highest order. This is, in large part, due to the talented cast who have created dynamic, layered individuals. The key to Grey’s success is the characters and their personal stories, not the events done for ratings, which the writers give just enough weight to to make them mean something to the players. Plus, the soundtrack is very fitting, including all the recent covers of songs pushing genres. Well done.

Grey’s Anatomy will return in the fall on ABC.

"Stand Up" and Take a Bow, GREY'S ANATOMY

Article first published as "Stand Up" and Take a Bow, GREY'S ANATOMY on TheTVKing.

ABC's Grey's Anatomy completed the first half of its tenth season this week with "Get Up, Stand Up." It's the day of April's (Sarah Drew) wedding, but her co-workers and friends are distracted with their own problems. Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Cristina (Sandra Oh) are still fighting, Alex (Justin Chambers) isn't sure he can come to terms with his father, Jimmy (James Remar), Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) turns down yet another job offer, Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) is upset that Callie (Sara Ramirez) still doesn't understand her, Bailey (Chandra Wilson) and Ben (Jason George) bicker over why Bailey had issues at work, Ross (Gaius Charles) continues to overstep his boundaries, and Jackson (Jesse Williams) considers taking a big risk.

If that sounds like a lot, it is, and I didn't even mention everyone in there. There are smaller stories about Owen (Kevin McKidd) urging Derek to serve his country, Bailey getting back to being a teacher, Webber (James Pickens Jr.) beautifully handling a staff member's break down, Alex pledging to spend his life with Jo (Camilla Luddington), Edwards (Jerrika Hinton) being out of sync with Jackson, and Leah (Tessa Ferrer) deciding to back away from Arizona, some of which tie into the more central bits, and some that don't, plus patient stuff, too.

Grey's Anatomy has built a tapestry of a lot of different strands, and in this structure, in which all of the arcs from the fall run must come together, they somehow manage to serve just about the entire cast without feeling rushed or crowded. It's a delicate feat, to balance so many varying plots, and yet, they do it expertly, delivering yet another fantastic installment.

April's wedding should be the focus. It's her big day, one that will potentially change her life forever. She does get a nice moment when Owen tells her how much of the staff showed up, but other than that, she's constantly battling for attention. April has learned to stand up for herself over time, and she attempts to in "Get Up, Stand Up." However, there are just too many things going on for her to grab the spotlight for more than a moment at a time, unfortunately, which means this is not her perfect wedding.

Jackson's proclamation, which almost doesn't happen, is inspired by his patient, who loses the ability to speak, as well as some advice he once received from Mark's mom. It's cool that these bits are tied together, with events in Grey's Anatomy rarely standing alone, built from much precedent. "Get Up, Stand Up" ends without April answering Jackson's declaration of love, but no matter which way she goes, at least Jackson made his feelings known. Which, consequently, surely destroys Edwards.

Arizona and Callie and Bailey and Ben have problems in their own relationships, and in both cases, it stems from not being on the same page. While this episode is one of revelations and discussions, neither member of either couple that is suffering manages to really make themselves understood in the hour. I want both unions to survive, but the only way they can do so is if Bailey and Arizona take some inspiration from Jackson and speak up for themselves. Then, their partners can decide if they can accept those feelings, or if it's time to move on.

Shepherd is likely going to throw a wrench into his own marriage when the President of the United States calls and asks him to accept an assignment. He has been the good husband, allowing Meredith a turn to be first, but how can one say no to the country's leader when he literally calls? Surely, Meredith will have to understand the extenuating circumstances, but something tells me she won't take it so well, especially with her study floundering.

At least Meredith should have Cristina again to fall back upon. Cristina and Meredith are best friends, so it's been rough watching them at odds. But it's also understandable, as their lives have diverged in important ways recently, forcing them to grow apart. I think they'll always have affection for one another, and now that they've aired their gripes, they can work past them. However, I don't think they'll ever be what they once were. They served purposes in one another's lives that they no longer can, and by necessity, that's going to change things.

Ross acts like a total jerk, speaking over Cristina at a press conference and insisting on doing a surgery that he can't handle. This pot has been brewing for quite awhile, ever since Heather's death in the season opener, as Ross becomes driven and overworks himself, and it cannot help but boil over. He's put too much stress on himself and he inevitably breaks. While we can see how this comes about, it's regretable and sad. Now, he needs rest and healing. Whether that happens with a reduced workload on the job or Ross being fired, he has to stop for awhile.

Is Ross finished being taken down, though? His mistake could very well cost Jimmy his life. Alex doesn't like Jimmy and is ready to be done with him, but Jimmy is still Alex's father. Alex will feel something about Jimmy's death, and should be angry at the man that killed him, or almost killed him, if that's how this plays out. Just as Alex thinks he's out of the family drama, this could very well pull him back in.

All of these things are wonderful character moments, expertly acted and extremely well written. I am constantly in awe of how the show maintains momentum and quality year after year, but it has. What's more, it has earned the right to tell stories that took a very long time to develop, paying off the fans who have stuck with it for a decade, and growing characters in ways shorter-running series do not have the opportunity to do. It does not squander this privilege.

It's one of the few shows I make effort to try to keep up with on a weekly basis, rather than marathoning it some weekend right before a finale. "Get Up, Stand Up" proves just why Grey's deserves this type of devotion, just as most of the episodes throughout the past couple of seasons have done, too. Series should go out on top, but this one still seems like it has a lot of life left in it.

Grey's Anatomy will return in February on ABC to air sans reruns through the spring.