TV REVIEW: Grey’s Anatomy Says Welcome to a String of Newbies

Grey’s is back! After a summer of Dome shenanigans and cops on the beach, it’s great to have our old friend back to remind us of how this is still a drama to be reckoned with. Humor and tears shown with a cast of characters we truly love … yes, that Grey’s formula is still working.

Last season left us with a new Richard Webber kiddo, Alex being left a board seat by Cristina, Meredith telling Derek just go to DC by himself, and Cristina Yang leaving us for her dream job in the Swiss Alps. Time does heal all wounds and the sting of a Yangless Grey’s has diminished. A little. After tonight, we can admit that storylines set up for season eleven look promising and fresh. Overly optimistic of a show that’s been around so long? No way.

Meredith in Bed with Alex (as friends)

There’s no time jump in this one; we return just a day later in “I Must Have Lost It on the Wind.”  The episode opens with Meredith remembering mom, Ellis, losing her in the park when she was five. The flashback includes flashes of mom in the hospital, blood, and then mom and daughter leaving with a suitcase.

Meredith storms into Alex’s bedroom and wakes up Karev and Jo, obviously shaken up by her dream/memory/nightmare. “Wilson get out.” She can’t crawl into bed with that intern in there. Jo leaves to go make coffee not wanting a threesome. Meredith confesses to her new bestie that she told Derek to leave without her. Alex complains about her pushiness, but you know he probably relishes his new power position in Mer’s life. He was always a backup to Yang.

New Kids on the Block

Richard is confessing his new daughter discovery to his AA buddies. Derek’s sister, Amelia, is in the crowd. He does not look amused. Later, he confronts her in the hospital telling her to keep her mouth shut. She says of course, but if you ever need to talk… He shuts that down real quick.

Geena Davis shows up tonight talking Fellowship and flirting with Arizona. She says she’s looking for someone to fill the Fellowship and suggests Arizona do it. Can’t wait to see the dynamic of Calzona plus Geena. I’m thinking Callie will have a Jo moment and say three’s a crowd.

The main newbie with a significant storyline is Maggie Pierce, Richard’s daughter who doesn’t know the Webber connection. Meredith and Maggie don’t hit it off. Grey even complains Pierce is no Yang, “she’s perky and chatty. I bet she likes cats.” Only dog people allowed.

They have it out by episode’s end when a patient crashes and Pierce blames Meredith. She’s been asking and asking for an echo with Meredith saying there’s no time. She’s got that “see, I told you so” down pat. Mer’s not taking it. The new Meredith Grey doesn’t take much of anything, does she?

“I spent all morning trying to get you to like me. I’m kinda over that now,” yells Pierce.

“Good, because you don’t have to worry about that,” replies Meredith. No sisterly love lost between these two. Can’t wait to see what happens when they find out they’re related by blood.

(ABC/Adam Taylor)
SARA RAMIREZ, JESSICA CAPSHAW

Two Happy Endings? On Grey’s?

As implausible as it sounds, the two main medical cases have happy endings. Grey’s, you surprise us.

The first big case has Meredith, Hunt, and Maggie are on the roof of the hospital getting a patient being helivaced in. The gurney rolls off the roof. Uh, oh.

The patient in the chopper is a dad who’s been stranded in the desert searching for his missing family. He wakes up and asks for something to make him go to sleep. That’s when he can see them, when he sleeps.

Desert guy becomes frantic because his family is still out there. He’s panicked because “it’s been three days.” Meredith tells him it’s been more like one or two months. “They’re gone, aren’t they? My Lily. She’s six,” he cries. We cry.

Eventually, he refuses his IV fluids. He thinks he’s “sleeping” because he sees his daughter and wife enter his hospital room. What? They’re alive. “We thought you were gone,” wife and Lily cry.  We cry. Two kleenex in two minutes. Another Grey’s record?

The second case involves that runaway gurney. It harpoons into a van down below, trapping two teens in a compromising position. The couple is an oncology patient and his girlfriend and they are definitely not wearing pants. Cancer kid’s Mom shows up and is not amused, using his full name, even the middle. She yells at them, not happy her baby boy was overextending himself.

Girlfriend has a head wound and it looks like they’ll need to shave some of her hair. Teen girl is thrilled. She’s wanted to shave it for a while to support boyfriend. The two are baldorable; she says “we’re like alien lovers.” But this is Grey’s, the rainbow, unicorn moment is over when newly bald girl becomes unresponsive and is rushed into surgery.

Boyfriend asks his mom, “How am I going to tell her parents that it’s my fault?”

Teen girl wakes up from surgery looking like she’ll recover. There will be no tragedy with the baldies tonight.

There was one more medical case involving a dad, a frisbee, a cute kid and loving wife. All does not end well, so let’s ignore it and focus on the two happy endings. Blocking out sad little boy saying he misses his dad already after finding out a couple of seconds earlier that daddy has died.

(ABC/Adam Taylor)
GEENA DAVIS, JESSICA CAPSHAW, SARA RAMIREZ

Musical Chairs for a Board Spot

The storyline showing the most promise for this season is the hunt for the Yang vacanted board seat. Webber was going to recommend Bailey, but Cristina bequeathed Alex her seat. They both really want the spot with neither showing signs of gracefully bowing out. This is setting up for some major drama. Bailey isn’t taking Alex as a serious threat, just laughing when Ben asks if she’s worried. “It’s Alex Karev,’ she reminds him.

Alex Becomes Mer’s “Person”

More Alex news tonight giving us some awesome airtime of the good old days, letting the two originals bond over a Cristina exit . Alex says “Grab your stuff we need to drink. Yang left me her shares and her board seat. She left me you too.”

“My person,” answers Meredith.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Alex says.

“But you do. I don’t know if my marriage can survive this,” confesses Grey.

At the bar, Jo jealously watches her guy focus all his attention on Meredith.  Jo is no shrinking violet; wonder how long she’s going to let this back seat position ride?

Meredith is telling Alex, “ I don’t want to split up my family, but I don’t want to go. Derek shows up and says he just resigned from the brain mapping job. Goodbye Washington DC.

“No,” says Meredith. “I did not ask you to do this.”

Derek says he chose this. Meredith storms off saying, “I need a drink. Strangely enough she doesn’t seem happy. She’s such a girl … not even happy when she wins. She storms off to the bar and is sitting by new sis. They both order tequila at the same time. Genetics.

Next week promises to heat up the race for the one board position, as well as heat up the rivalry between Meredith and Maggie. What did you think of Grey’s entry into season 11? Predictable or priceless? See you back here next week where we can cringe at the secret sisters’ fights, feel for Webber with his daddy dilemma, and wonder why we can’t just get Alex Karev in every scene.

Random Notes

April is concerned about Owen dealing with no Cristina. She enlists most of the men on campus to bro-up to our lonely dude and take him out. Jackson awkwardly asks Hunt to grab some brewskies after work. He says he’ll look into it. Next up to bat, Richard Webber. He asks Owen about Jenga. Like it? Wanna come over and play sometime? I’ll even make snacks. Finally, Derek is on the Hunt cheer up session. He asks Owen for a man date. “I’m fine,” Hunt says “You’re the one who should be worried. Your wife is staying here. Stop asking me out on dates.” Hilarious.

Webber and daughter bond at the vending machine. They both admit they know she’s the sister of Meredith Grey. She still has no clue that daddy’s giving her some money for a snack. How long before she finds out?

Best line goes to Amelia. After inquiring about the state of bro’s marriage, she coins the phrase “live-apartners.”  It’s like conscious uncoupling but better.

Jackson returns the Webber ring to Richard. “My mom said to give this back to you.” Awkward. “For what it’s worth sir. It would’ve been really nice having you in the family.”