TV REVIEW: Grey’s Anatomy Gets Real in “Got to Be Real”

How can Grey’s be such an old gal but just keep acting like a young pup? Shonda Rhimes is clearly teaching it new tricks every now and then. In “Got to Be Real” the Maggie Pierce is Meredith Grey’s sister story line nipped its way to the front but ended with its tail between its legs. The Alex/Bailey throwdown for one board seat ended unexpectedly (this is Grey’s after all), and Owen showed we may never get over the Cristina Yang exit. We have it all in tonight’s installment, fighting, investigating, whining, pleading, and crying. Let’s look at how real it gets in “Got to Be Real.”

Meredith Needs Her Person

The latest offering begins with Alex in the shower and us wondering how he still looks as good as he did in season one. Yes, this is shaping up to be my favorite episode of the season.

Meredith is right outside the shower curtain trying to have a heart to heart about fake sister and maybe dance it out. She pulls back the plastic (just a little more) and Karev yells, “Get out! I’m naked here.”

Meredith needs her person right now and is not backing down, “It’s no big deal. I’ve seen it before, no big deal.” Alex looks dumbfounded and insulted.

Mer wisely adds, “Your junk is spectacular. Jo is very lucky. Can we get back to ME now?”

Alex admits that he did agree to be Meredith’s person, and he might have to buy her tampons, but this? He’s got his big meeting with the board today, so his plate is a little full. Meredith presses on and before we know it Alex is helping his girl investigate pretend sis. The scene is perfect Grey’s, showing their history, their love, their humor.

Jo is not seeing the humor in the situation. She listens at the door looking a mighty shade of green. She’s commiserating with Stephanie, saying Meredith “looks at me like I’m the stupid naked girl in Alex’s bed. She stole my Alex.”

Owen Is Missing His Person

Owen manipulates Callie into helping a wounded warrior; he wants to put her experimental robotic leg onto an amputee. The potential candidate gets excited, dreaming of a new life as the six million dollar man. After running some tests, Callie doesn’t think he’ll be a good fit, as he’s got severe nerve damage. Owen and Callie argue, loudly. He orders her to “fix it” but she can’t. “I’m about to go in and crush his dreams because of you,” she accuses.

Avery has to reprimand Callie for the huge public argument and ends up complaining about everything and everyone. His new role at the hospital leaves him feeling unfulfilled. Callie tells him about the nerve problem of the no-go amputee and Jackson has a solution – a quick surgery that will get the guy’s nerves working again.

“You are wasted as a hall monitor,” comments Callie.

Owen ends up apologizing to Callie, confessing that he needs, “something to be good, to feel right. I’m not depressed. I’m not grieving. My heart is not broken.” Oh, he sounds so sad in a Yangless Seattle. “She goes on day in and day out without me, happy.” He admits he feels like maybe his dreams are over and he’ll be this single guy, no wife, no kids, no family. “She was my family.” He needs a reason to get up every morning. “She saved me. I was dark. That darkness is still in me. To beat back that darkness I thought I would do some good.”

Wow, what a confession. Owen is forgiven for his outburst; we get it. Callie gets it also.

“Owen, I was just gonna ask if you want to join in Jeff’s surgery.” Jackson’s fixing the nerves on their amputee, making him a prime candidate for one of her limbs.

These two end up making it a threesome (no, not like that) when they ask Avery to join their new robotic limb project. He’s all in.

(ABC/Mitchell Haaseth)
JOHN SICILIANO, KEVIN MCKIDD, SARA RAMIREZ

Calzona Pencils in a New Baby

Dr. Herman (guest star Geena Davis) takes her new Fellow, Arizona, to task several times tonight. She’s talking to Arizona and asking why she’s not taking notes. Get a notepad! She is so stiff it’s almost like they shipped in an animatronic Geena Davis to guest star.

With Arizona’s new role under Dr. Herman and Callie’s new project utilizing her robotic limbs, why on earth would these two decide to add another baby to the mix? They are, setting up an appointment at a surrogacy clinic.

They end up arguing at the clinic both accusing the other of not wanting another child. They better cross that “get new baby” line off their list.

Girl Shephard vs. Boy Shephard

Amelia and Derek take sibling rivalry to new heights tonight with girl Shephard finally saying she’s had enough of big brother’s condescending, meddling ways. They fight over patients, with Derek questioning her every move, snarling “My resume will kick your resumes ass. I’m better than you.” Ouch.

Amelia counters with the always effective, “Bite me.”

By episode’s end, little sis accuses him of being a bully because he’s pouting over giving up his big, bad president-offered job. He says, “I didn’t make the choice, Meredith did. I feel like she forced me.” Amelia tells him he made his choices, now he better live with them.

This is setting up to be a major conflict with our favorite couple struggling to stay connected. I’ve got to admit that this is just what the power couple needed. Was there anything more boring than last season’s Mer/Der? Well, look out because sparks are going to fly as new life is pumped into the old married couple. Nothing like a little marital distress to spice things up.

(ABC/Mitchell Haaseth)
SARA RAMIREZ, KEVIN MCKIDD, JOHN SICILIANO

You’re No Grey (I hope)

Alex and Meredith are on the case to figure out what Maggie Pierce wants. She obviously is lying about the whole sister thing, hopes Meredith. Alex gets into the hospital’s computer system, looking at Maggie’s personnel files. He asks if Meredith remembers mom “getting fat then suddenly not fat.” He looks deeper and discovers that Ellis Grey was pregnant! “She’s my sister,” Mer finally admits. Maggie is a Grey.

Richard Webber comes over to face the Meredith inquisition. He admits that he found out a week ago lamenting that Ellis stole the chance he had at being Maggie’s dad years ago. Meredith encourages him to tell her. Now.

On his way to the big board vote, Richard does just that. He sees Maggie outside the hospital and confesses “Ellis Grey and I knew each other very well.” She instantly knows. “What kind of person wouldn’t say anything? No one decent, no one honest. A coward. The only reason you would do that is if you’d known about it all along and never wanted me. Goodnight Dr. Webber.”

Musical Chairs for the One Board Spot

Finally, it’s time for the board to decide who will come out on top – Bailey or Alex.

We love ya, Miranda Bailey, but our hearts are with Karev. The way he practices his speech in front of Meredith confessing “I want this. I need this. Yang thought I could do something bigger… I’m scared to death and I don’t want it to go like crap.” Oh, Alex, you need something good in your life besides a much younger intern.

Bailey spends most of the night looking over-confident and smug in her feeling that she is the best person for the board position. She tells Stephanie, “I am afraid of snakes, large spiders, I’m occasionally afraid of a shark waiting for me. What I’m not afraid of is Alex Karev.”

Jo gives Alex a pep talk, straightening his tie and giving him a good luck kiss before he goes in to pitch his argument for the board spot. He says, “If this doesn’t work out I heard Radio Shack’s hiring.”

There’s a voice over yammering on about the importance of being vulnerable, another clue that Karev is going to get the board spot, right?

Bailey and Alex make their presentations then wait outside the conference room for a verdict. Bailey says, “I’m sure you did fine” with that same smugness intact. They call Alex in first and Miranda can’t believe Karev’s beaten her.

Alex storms out saying “Congratulations.” She’s relieved and thrilled that she won the spot and rushes in to the congratulations of the board members. The music stopped and Miranda landed in the one remaining char.

I know nothing should surprise me when it comes to Grey’s, but I was expecting Karev to come out on top on this one. Over the years he’s lost the love of his life, been shot, dealt with crazy girlfriends, and developed a rational fear of elevators. He can’t get this one thing? Nope.

What did you think of “Got to Be Real?” Were you shocked at the Karev defeat or was Bailey born for this position? And that preview for next week! All the Mer/Der drama keeping our old girl kicking. Let’s meet up next week to referee the couple drama and pray for an Alex consolation prize, perhaps his old position at the hospital?

Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays on ABC at 8 pm