TV REVIEW: Grey’s Anatomy’s “Go It Alone” (Translation: Phone a Friend & Bring a Snuggie)

Grey’s latest installment professes that we’re all alone, isolated.  Meredith’s opening voice over says, “Surgery is a solo act” and “Isolation can start to drown you.”  Methinks the lady doth protest too much. By episode’s end, it’s crystal clear that we all need someone. We need “our person.”  We may go it alone but this veteran series is all about human connection and our basic primal need to have people to share our lives with.

Even the sometimes cold as ice Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) needs her people. She’s up for the Harper Avery award, and she’s scared. She tells Owen not to go to Boston with her, that she’ll barely be gone one day. Cristina, take your darn entourage.  You’ll need someone to snap all those pics of you with your shiny new award.

The two sick kid cases from last week are back, both driving home the point that we do need people and a human connection. Bubble Boy Braden is still isolated and longing for others. He’s miserable in his isolation, his compromised immune system not allowing him to even hug his parents.

The other case is the bad heart family who have three kids, all with damaged hearts. Just when you think things can’t get any worse, they do.  Hey, this is Grey’s after all.  Our first glimpse at them tonight is the mom and dad going at it, really arguing about everything and nothing. They end up in a screaming match with Yang having to kick out the dad.  As soon as the dad leaves, all hell breaks loose.

(ABC/Kelsey McNeal)
JERRIKA HINTON, GAIUS CHARLES, PATRICK DEMPSEY, CAMILLA LUDDINGTON, JASON GEORGE

April (Sara Drew) and Jackson (Jesse Williams) have also joined the Fight Club, and they are both out for blood like Edward Norton battling Brad Pitt, or himself, or whatever.  Their words are so hateful, I can’t believe they’ve only been married a few short months. They know how to go for the jugular like a couple well into their silver anniversary. I don’t know how they recover from their disagreement over a young deaf girl and whether she should get a cochlear implant or not.

Is that what they’re really fighting over?  Of course not.  The real fight is over to believe or not to believe. April has faith in God, while Jackson thinks it’s witchcraft. April’s voice is so whiny and irritating I feel that if there were a God, He would have sent a lightening strike straight to her vocal cords. By the end of the night, April shows up on Calzona’s doorstep asking to stay with them for a while. What?

Grey’s power couple Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek (Patrick Dempsey) are having problems of their own. Their demanding schedules leave them with little time for family. Owen even plays finger wagging dad, reprimanding Shepherd for neglecting his duties.  When Meredith tells him to pick up the kids, he schedules two surgeries and seemingly forgets them.  Calzona to the rescue!

Finally, one couple happy to be together, at least for this one episode.  You know the roller coaster that is Callie (Sara Ramirez) and Arizona (Jessica Capshaw). One minute they’re laughing, the next, they’re screaming at each other. This was a lovey dovey, let’s talk about having kids and how much we miss Mark eppy. They decide they want to add to their brood and this time Callie will be the one to birth the baby.  Be careful what you wish for, girl.

Bailey (Chandra Wilson) works throughout the episode on a treatment for Bubble Boy Braden – some special formula of putting an enzyme on a decommissioned HIV virus that sounds about as complicated as Walter White’s recipe for his 98% pure meth. This things gotta work!  Braden’s hair alone deserves to march on. This kid is so cute, I’m saying we need to get #SaveBraden trending next episode.  Who’s with me?

Back to the couple who are only capable of having sick, bad heart kids.  While dad’s gone, the two daughters take a turn for the worse and join brother in needing a new heart.  My heart goes out to the couple who now have THREE kids on the transplant list. Really, Grey’s? Dad shows up saying how sorry he is and how much he loves his wife.  Okay, there it goes! That Grey’s lump in my throat right where it belongs.

(ABC/Kelsey McNeal)
ELLEN POMPEO

Derek decides to make up for his less than stellar job performance by punishing the interns. He schedules two cool brain surgeries making the newbies pull an all nighter.  Well, all except for Gramps, I mean Ben, who takes a nap during the festivities.  When the young ‘uns see patient one with a mighty pair of scissors stuck in his head, they know they’re in for a heck of a night.  Jo uses her mighty ortho muscles to yank the thing out, pulling ahead in a massive surgery dance off between Leah and Jo for Derek’s attentions. Leah screws up a little, allowing Shepherd to lecture her in that condescending “father knows best” tone, making me want to put those scissors to good use.  Is it just me or has Derek become the most boring character on Grey’s?

On to Mr. Excitement himself, Alex Karev (Justin Chambers), also known as double agent, triple knot spy, Dr. Butthole Wannabe.  Yes, Alex is considering taking that private practice job, going as far as moonlighting at the money factory. He’s pretty darn proud of himself, even declaring that he’s “killing it.”  You can’t leave Karev!  The only way you’re getting out of this hospital is in a Shonda Rhimes body bag.

Yang finally makes it to Boston to accept her doctor of the universe award … alone.  She’s lookin’ all fancy even sporting “birds nest meets prom queen” hair worthy of a pageant contestant in Texas.  Other doctors surround her, in awe of her super powers.  She calls Meredith. “I want you here.  I want Owen here.”  She says, “Forget it.  I’m fine.”  Oh Yang, why did you insist in being alone?  Surprise, surprise … Owen and Meredith are there.  Aw, there’s that lump again.  Pass me a Kleenex.

Mama Jackson takes the stage and makes the announcement. The Harper Avery Award goes to…  Ronald Meyers.  What the?  Noooo!  Cristina was made for this award.  This was supposed to be the first step in the farewell tour of Cristina Yang.  Grey’s, you never cease to surprise.

Our sad goodbye to one of our favorites is well on its way.  This thing is happening. The march to a Yangless Grey’s will be complete on the season finale, May 15.  “Go It Alone” showed us that we can’t take this Sandra Oh exit all alone. Just as the show has been preaching for ten seasons, we need each other, Grey’s fanatics.  Let’s meet up back here next week for another new episode, one that includes Preston Burke (Isaiah Washington) making an appearance.  Oh, Shonda, the web you weave!