Grey's Anatomy: Where Do We Go From Here (11x09)

Hoooookay then. Things are very dramatic right now. Which I guess is always the case with this show, but still. Let's just take a look-see.

The main medical plot of this episode involves a woman who causes a multiple-car accident by driving her car off of a bridge. Her kids were in the car with her. Everybody scrambles to help the victims, but this particular medical case affects many of the doctors personally, as well. Eventually, Meredith discovers that the woman had a tumor on her pancreas which caused her erratic behavior and confusion. She did not mean to hurt herself or her children.

April and Jackson have just found out about their unborn child's terrible disease. Jackson doesn't think April should be working, but she disagrees. She needs to feel useful, like she can do something to help people. She gets mad when Owen and Jackson pull April out of an OR because they feel like she's not emotionally stable. Later, she blows up, furious that a mother could drive her kids over a bridge and nearly kill them. April and Jackson talk about what to do, and April, weeping, tells Jackson that their baby is a boy.

Bailey and Alex, meanwhile, are working on two kids who were in another car in the accident. The older kid was driving, even though he's clearly not old enough yet. As he gets wheeled off for surgery, the younger kid refuses to tell Bailey who their parents are. Bailey eventually gets the kid to talk, and the parents are called. Bailey confesses to Alex that she's worried about being there for her own kids - she has been so busy at the hospital that she's not even aware of what's going on with Tuck. Apparently he recently stole a candy bar, and Ben was the one to deal with it. Alex and Jo, inspired by the car-thievery, talk about their own delinquent pasts.

Meanwhile, Dr. Herman finds out that Arizona showed her tumor to Amelia Shepherd. She is furious. Amelia is convinced that she can save Dr. Herman's life, but Dr. Herman says that she doesn't want to go through the hope and the crushing disappointment again. Arizona tries to respect her wishes, but later yells at her, telling her that if she has a chance, she should take it - so many people, including Jackson and April, have no options at all. Dr. Herman agrees that she'll let Amelia operate, but only when the tumor starts becoming inoperable. This way, she'll be guaranteed the longest amount of life with which to teach Arizona her skills, and she'll still have a final shot at recovery.

Meredith spends the whole episode acting like she's totally fine with Derek having left. She tells people flippantly that her husband has left her, and she tries to hire a nanny to help with the kids. By the end of the episode, she has a breakdown and hugs the woman who she's talking to about a nanny, desperate to have a "person" who understands her needs and won't judge her for her dedication to work. Earlier, Meredith had taken the famous blue post-it off the wall and thrown it in the trash. However, she then talks to Derek on the phone. Derek says he doesn't have to leave, he can come back, but Meredith tells him to go. They can make this work. This isn't the end of their relationship, but they both have to do what's best for them, too. Meredith takes the post-it out of the trash, reaffirming her faith in their relationship.

If I were to have complaints? Well, I still think the April/Jackson story line is a bit silly. I mean, how many doctors at this hospital can go through their own rare medical situations? We already gave Izzy cancer, and killed off George with a bus... Meredith nearly died giving birth, Derek was shot... it's all just a bit silly. I mean, I know that's the show, but it does get a little too much to handle occasionally.

Also, there was this one moment towards the very end of the episode when Derek and Meredith were talking on the phone and there was static interference. Derek says "Meredith, I'm losing you," which was supposed to be a double play on the phone conversation and their relationship in general. It felt just a tad bit on the nose, and it made me chuckle, which was obviously not the intended response.

But there are lots of things to praise, as always. This show kicks butt with the presentation of good, solid drama.

First of all, some acting accolades to hand out. I loved Sarah Drew's performance as April in this episode. She hit every scene out of the park. No matter how cheesy and silly the plot line is, I was still totally locked in to April's struggle, because of Drew's brilliant performance. In particular, the scene where she tells Jackson that the baby is a boy while starting to sob? Ugh. Way to tug at the heartstrings.

This was also a pretty strong acting week for Ellen Pompeo. The scene when she broke down and hugged the nanny lady was really touching and also tinged with just a bit of tragic humor. I liked seeing the contrast between Meredith acting totally composed, and then the full truth of her distress coming out. With all the mentions of Cristina in this episode, it was particularly heartbreaking when she said that she needed "a person." Poor Meredith. I hope you and Derek are okay...

I really enjoyed the little subplot with Bailey and Alex. They didn't have a lot to do, but those two car-stealing brothers were adorable, and I liked how Bailey shared her concerns about being a mother with Alex. Alex basically points out that Bailey has been like a mother to him, and that she did a wonderful job. How sweet! Also, I loved Jo's list of all the different times she's stolen a car. That woman has had quite the life!

I think my least favorite story on this show right now is the whole business with Dr. Herman, Arizona, and Amelia Shepherd, but I must admit that I enjoyed quite a lot of what was going on in this particular installment. I like the multifaceted concerns of these three women, as Dr. Herman doesn't want to give herself false hope, and wants to be able to keep teaching Arizona, Arizona wants to know what she's getting herself into, and Amelia is fascinated by a particularly challenging tumor. It's a great dilemma, and barring the silliness of the premise itself, I'm excited to see where it goes.

Lastly, the blue post-it note! It makes its triumphant return! Or, maybe not so triumphant, because it does end up in the trash at one point. Still, though, I loved seeing these flashbacks to the earlier days of Derek and Meredith's relationship. The flashbacks really enforced what they have, and why even in times of great trouble, they will never turn on one another. As Meredith puts it, they love each other even when they hate each other.

I think that's where I'll stop. This show is dramatic as all hell, but I'll always come back for more!

7.5/10