When it comes to Grey's Anatomy, I've come to expect ridiculously dramatic finales. Finales so dramatic that if you described the plot to someone who didn't watch the show, they'd probably laugh. What makes a show like this work is that the acting and attention paid to the writing makes us invested in these people and their stories, no matter how over the top those stories might be.
I'm happy to report that the Season Nine finale fits the bill to a tee.
On the level of plot, the overarching theme to the episode was the storm. The power is out, people are trying to do surgeries in the dark, things are running out of batteries... as I mentioned in my review of the last episode, it's silly that there's a storm like this in Seattle, since it's not actually possible, but it does create a great atmosphere for drama.
So. A lot of stuff it going on in this episode, as you would expect. What I liked about this finale more than some of the others that I've seen is that it actually focused on medicine. The problems caused by the storm forced the doctors to become creative with how they did their surgeries and cared for their patients. It forced these very intelligent characters to push the limits of their intelligence and use innovative techniques.
Let's start with Christina and Owen. Christina confronts Owen about the fact that he wanted to adopt Ethan, but Owen insists that she's overreacting, and that he loves her. They don't come to a conclusion, because the storm sends them both off to deal with emergencies.
Christina is busy dealing with Meredith's impending birth, but she is called away to help Webber in a surgery. Since the lights aren't on, she's doing it by flashlight, which isn't nearly as effective. She is in despair, but then Webber tells everyone to turn their lights off, and Christina actually finds the problem by listening to the heart. This gives her such a rush that it prompts her to talk to Owen about their problems again. She says that although she knows she can be perfectly happy in the OR, that it's where she belongs, she knows that Owen doesn't feel the same about her. When she asks him "Am I enough?" he is unable to answer quickly enough, and Christina leaves.
I was sad to see them break up, but I honestly think that the show has been headed for this for a long time. I'm not sure I can see either of them with any of the other existing characters, but I do hope they find love before the end. Christina's feelings of elation in the OR felt very true to her character and her overall arch. I'm extremely pleased that she isn't changing her mind about wanting kids.
Then we've got Bailey. She has had a really intense arc in the past few episodes, and I really think that it's only the actress' work that's pulling it through for me. It feels like Bailey wouldn't ever fall off the wagon this much. However, given that this is the direction they chose to go in, I think the resolution was great. She spends most of the episode fighting to get meds out of a drawer and refusing to do surgeries. But, in the end, when Meredith is in dire straights, she steps it up and saves her life. I love the emotions just pouring out of Chandra Wilson. She did such a good job portraying this character.
April and Jackson really had a bit of a turnaround in this episode - I was interested in April's story for the first time in a long time. Basically, Jackson goes all heroic and tries to rescue a kid from a bus that's about to blow up. It was over the top and completely silly, but it was really intense all the same. The bus (earlier, it flipped over right in the hospital parking lot) was basically a ticking time bomb, but after Jackson and Owen rescued a woman from inside, Jackson found the woman's daughter hiding. We see April, Matthew, and assorted others watch as the bus blows up, ostensibly killing Jackson. April freaks out, and when Jackson emerges from the burning wreckage with the kid, she is in hysterics. She follows him into the hospital and basically attacks him, yelling at him for being so stupid. In the end, she realizes that she wants Jackson, not Matthew, and asks if he will take her back. The episode ends before we see his answer.
See, the reason that I liked this is because it stopped the act. It was obvious to me that April and Jackson were endgame, and now we're one step closer to seeing this become a reality. (Also, it was pretty hot to see Jackson emerge like a bad ass from the wreckage, having saved the little girl.)
Then there's Arizona and Callie's story. I think that the two of them had arguably the most dramatic and intense scene in this whole episode, even though it didn't involve anyone in physical danger. I think that the connections between the characters are what really carry the show for me, and while their plot doesn't involve any bus crashes or electrocutions or pregnancy scares, it is still dramatic. I was really annoyed with Lauren and Arizona, and I still can't forgive her for what she did, but the confrontation between Callie and Arizona really made this plot thread sensible and interesting. Let's go back a little, though.
Since the power is out, all of the babies on life support are being run by machines on battery power. Once the batteries start running low, the doctors run into a real problem. Arizona was able to handle the situation just fine at first, but she got more frazzled once Lauren showed up to help. Then, the parents started to catch on to what was going on. Luckily, Derek was there to calm everyone down. The parents start manually helping their own babies to breath, and disaster is averted. That is, until Callie turns up and notices Arizona's ring on Lauren's scrub top. Lauren thinks fast and comes up with a cover story, but Callie puts it together right away.
I absolutely adored the plot thread with the babies, especially in terms of how Arizona handled it. Everyone had to keep smiling and pretend there were no problems, and it was great to see how they all dealt with the crisis. In particular, there was an adorable moment with Jo, but I'll get to that in a minute.
Callie and Arizona's scene towards the end of the episode was so full of pain and resentment and fear and love. These two actresses really pulled out all the stops for this one. I was glad to see that Arizona's affair can be tied back to her experience on the plane. It made sense to me that Callie would absorb the disaster as one of her own, and it also made sense why this would be frustrating to Arizona. I'm really anxious to see what happens with them in the next season. They are truly one of my favorite things about the show, and I would loath to see them split up!
Then there's Jo and Alex - these two are so precious! Alex had this look of complete adoration on his face as he watched Jo help all of the parents learn how to help their babies. Jo is a gentle soul and a good teacher at heart, a bit like Alex himself. Their conversation was great. Alex is so adorable with his inability to get the words out right away, but when he finally says "I love you," the look of pure joy on Jo's face was wonderful. Their kiss was really hot too. I hope that for once, Alex gets to stay happy.
I saved Meredith for last, since she arguably had the most important arc - Baby Shepherd has been born at last! Meredith went into labor at the end of the last episode, and as this one began she discovered that due to the position of her baby, she would need a C-section. In true Meredith fashion, however, she picked the worst time ever to go into labor. The power is out, and she has to have surgery in the dark. It seems to go alright initially, but after the baby is born, Meredith discovers that there have been complications due to the fall she had earlier. Unfortunately, the attending surgeon has already left, as has Derek. It's up to Shane and Brooks to try and save her. Shane is freaking out, and Meredith is calmly trying to explain how to operate on her. However, she tries to make him promise that he won't use any extreme methods to keep her alive, and will let her go if she's been unresponsive for too long. Luckily, Brooks gets to Bailey who is able to complete the surgery and save Meredith's life.
What I liked about this plot line was seeing Meredith's strength. She was so brave as she tried to help Shane save her own life. I also loved seeing Derek and Christina have a moment to bond while they waited for the news. "She's our person," Christina says, and I thought that was a really sweet and powerful moment. It also meant that Bailey finally got to kick some ass in surgery, even if she did break the news to them poorly. She comes out, tries to describe the surgery, and then breaks down crying. Christina and Derek rush into the room, believing that she has died, only to find that she's doing alright. I will admit that I thought the slo-mo running down the hallway scene was a bit silly, but I get where they were going with it.
Of course the last thing going on in the episode is the Webber situation. Now, here's actually where my biggest problem lies. Remember how I said that Callie and Arizona had the most dramatic moment in the episode for me? Well, it's because it was connected to their emotional relationship. Even though everybody else was having over the top drama in this episode, they were all related to their emotional connections with people: the bus explosion made April realize her feelings for Jackson, Meredith almost died, but it was while giving birth to her son (named Bailey). But Webber... he is currently lying in a basement, apparently electrocuted, quite possibly dead. It just felt like an unnecessary wrench to throw into the story - I know that a lot of unfortunate things happen at this hospital, but for whatever reason, this particular disaster felt really contrived.
At the end of the day, this was a drama filled and angst-y finale, and that's what I always want with this show. A few missteps here and there weren't enough to turn the tide for me. Can't wait for next season!
9/10
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