TV REVIEW: Grey’s Anatomy “I’m Winning” Comes Out On Top

A bunch of sick kids dominated this week’s episode of Grey’s Anatomy that should have been called “I’m Worried” not “I’m Winning.”  We are reintroduced to some seriously ill young ‘uns we met on previous episodes. My stomach was in knots the entire hour hoping Shonda Rhimes was not going to pull a triple hanky ending typical of Grey’s.

The opening scene shows Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Cristina (Sandra Oh) in bed.  Don’t get excited. They haven’t finally sworn off all men.  An alarm wakes them up at 5:00 a.m. to await a possible phone call letting Yang know she’s a Harper Avery Award nominee.  The call comes in, and the title “I’m Winning” makes perfect sense.  She’s so excited, even putting on lipstick to take the call.  She spends the rest of the show claiming it means nothing. You are one complicated puppy, Yang.

The kid cases of the week are the bubble boy, Braden, we met a couple of episodes ago, and a family with three kids who have all developed a certain heart disease for no apparent reason.  Braden and one of the heart girls, Frankie, have formed a close friendship with the boy admitting his parents buy him cool toys to “distract me from the fact I’m in a bubble.”  And my stomach is in knots again.  Please don’t do it, Shonda.

Cristina is tasked with saving Frankie’s brother who’s only hope is a heart pump not fully approved by the FDA while Bailey (Chandra Wilson) has to get bubble boy out of that damn bubble.  Armani Jackson is incredible as Braden, making us feel his pain, his loneliness, his desperation at being isolated in a bubble.

(ABC/Danny Feld)
PATRICK DEMPSEY, ELLEN POMPEO

Love these continuing story lines. Grey’s has a long, long memory.  By that I mean they don’t just go from medical case of the week to the next one, with each one resolved within the space between commercials. No, they let us develop feelings for these patients as they develop the characters.  New shows, take notes and study. This is how you make a show viewers still care about well into its tenth season.

Braden has had enough and makes a bubble break, playing chase with Frankie, laughing and acting like a typical kid.  His temporary freedom is short lived when Karev (Justin Chambers) finds him, yelling at everyone to not touch him.  His compromised immune system makes it too dangerous.

By the episode’s end, Bailey has a lightbulb moment thanks to a little ribbing by Webber (James Pickens, Jr.) who berates her for being jealous of Yang.  It spurs on Miranda to come up with a new angle in treating Braden. Thank you, writers.  Bubble boy lives to see another episode.

In a shocking twist I never saw coming, Frankie’s brother lives too.  This must be a Grey’s first. No one dies tonight. Yang is able to leverage her big shot nomination to get a heart pump that may buy the little boy some time.

Cristina spends the episode acting like it’s just another day at the office, nomination no biggie, she has more important things to think about. Everyone else is a little jealous, or maybe a lot jealous. Bailey’s ready to claw some Yang eyes out and can’t even congratulate her friend.  Even soul mate Meredith is secretly seething with jealousy. Derek (Patrick Dempsey) calls her on it complimenting her on the cover up. She planned a champagne congratulatory toast to Yang just to hide her jealousy. Smooth, Mer, I love your particular brand of crazy.

(ABC/Danny Feld)
SARA RAMIREZ, SARAH DREW

Yang finally admits to Owen (Kevin McKidd) that she wants the award and has even Googled the other nominees, taking pleasure in their failures. She won’t have to wait long to grab the prize. The promo for next week shows the award ceremony taking place. Cristina better win that thing or I’m writing a fake letter to the fake award committee.  I’ll post the fake address next week.

In a sub plot, Alex is still contemplating making the move to private practice although he worries he’d be “selling out.”  By the night’s end, he’s put in a call letting the private practice doc know he’s interested. Don’t do it Karev!  We love you poor and grungy and grumpy.

Calzona is happy. Is this a new three episode record?  They seem so in love and even decide they want another child. I’m giving it another three episodes.

April and Jackson are also happy. For the most part.  They squabble a little, in a rich kid vs. poor kid face off. April doesn’t want to live a privileged life, refusing to send her clothes off to be laundered.  She’d rather wear a swimsuit under her clothes when she runs out of underwear. Adorable.

Meredith’s voice-over about the Harper Avery nomination ends the episode, “My mom didn’t think she’d win. She thought it was a popularity contest.  When she won, she came home and told me she didn’t win the Harper Avery.  She earned it.”

Whew!  I can breathe now, happy that two kids live to see another day and that Cristina Yang may be given the Harper Avery.  This was another excellent episode setting up some important plot lines before we bid adieu to our favorite actor, Cristina Yang.  We know we better get the Kleenex ready because the kid story lines will make a return appearance soon, Karev may jump ship, or hospital, and favorite couples will break up. This is Grey’s, isn’t it?  I’ll see you right back here, same time, same place ready to soak up the last episodes of the season.