TV Review: Grey's Anatomy Episode 2.09

Sunday, November 20, 2005

From ABC:The Thanksgiving holiday is more difficult for the interns and residents than any of them is willing to admit, as Izzie plans a big dinner at Meredith's -- but it remains to be seen who among the invited guests will actually show up. Meanwhile, George endures the O'Malley tradition of hunting turkeys with his less-than-sophisticated family, and Meredith treats a patient who's been in a vegetative state for 16 years.

My Rating: 4 out of 4

The Thanksgiving holiday has arrived a bit early this year, at least in respect to the interns and staff at Seattle Grace. It is early Thanksgiving morning when our show opens, a show titled "Thanks for the memories" – reminds me a bit of Bob Hope. Am I the only one? Izzie has made plans for herself and two roommates to cook a huge Thanksgiving feast. However, Meredith and George have other ideas. The men in his family drag off George to perform a manly family ritual – killing his first turkey. Meredith sneaks out the front door and heads into the hospital.

Meredith isn't the only staff member venturing in during the holiday. Derek, Bailey, Webber and Burke all are in residence once she arrives. She also has to deal with a temporary attending covering the ER with most of the staff not staying throughout the day. Meredith and Bailey are assigned to a man that is brought in to the ER in a vegetative state from a nursing home. The man has been in that state for the last sixteen years. When Meredith begins to work on him, he waking up gives her a shock. Didn't we see this story line a few episodes back on ER?

In either case, Meredith sees his eyes open and focus on her, and she is adamant that he has woken up. Even after both Bailey and Derek tell her it is likely he just opened his eyes out of some muscle reaction. Derek does concede to check on him, and once she begins to speak, he agrees that the man is coming out of his vegetative state because he is focusing his attention on her voice. They only have to fully wake him up. The two doctors call in his family, and learn that his wife has moved on and married someone else, and he has a seventeen year old he hasn't seen since the accident that put him in that state.

Meredith sits to wait for him to wake up, and she discovers she isn't the only one hiding out at the hospital on Thanksgiving. Alex has also come in that day instead of going to Thanksgiving with Izzie. The two share a bonding moment, and immediately afterwards the man wakes up. He isn't even aware how long he has been out, and the task of telling him exactly how long when the man asks her to. Definitely not a task she wanted, but she takes it.

Once he is awake, Derek and Meredith have a MRI done, and immediately find that the fall that sent him to the ER did injure his brain and if he doesn't have an operation he will die. However, there is a chance he will die on the table anyway. The man asks for Meredith's opinion, but she tells him she can't tell him what to do. He ends deciding to go ahead with the surgery, and Derek is the one to perform it. Meredith needs to remain on the floor due to the low amount of staff working the holiday. However, she does eventually try to scrub in, but she does so just as the man flat lines.

After this happens, both Meredith are saddened by loss of the man. Before the end of the episode, we see these two share a moment outside the hospital that I believe marks the end of the relationship between Meredith and Derek. She says good-bye, and we can see by the way she acts at the bar she is ready to move on, or at the very least try to. We see Derek finally end up at home with Addison, and it looks like these two are on their way to mending their relationship.

While all this is happening, Izzie is back at Meredith's trying to cook a dinner for the holiday. She isn't alone for long because soon after Burke leaves the hospital, he arrives at the home with Cristina. The bartender Joe even shows up with his boyfriend. Yes, I said boyfriend. I don't think I saw that one coming. I'm not sure if that little tidbit of information had ever been revealed prior to tonight, but it sure did make for a nice little addition to his character. I really love Joe.

Cristina begins by telling Burke pointers on how to act during the dinner, and then starts looking for alcohol because she can't live through the day without it. When none is found in the house, she leaves with Burke's car to find some. Instead of looking for booze, she ends up at the hospital as well. This leaves Burke, who likes to be called Preston, with Izzie, and he helps her cook dinner. Apparently his mother owns a restaurant, so he definitely knows his way around the kitchen. Between the two of them they cook a feast, but soon they are the only ones there to eat it. Everyone else is at the hospital.

Even George makes his way there after a day spent with the O'Malley men. One of his brothers shoots their father in the ass, so a trip to the ER of Seattle Grace is necessary. While George is working on his father, they are able to have a long talk, and it is definitely a family bonding moment.

Preston and Izzie also bond while cooking, and her speech about Thanksgiving and why she likes the holiday so much shows a lot about her character, and I thought it was probably the best dialogue by her all season. She isn't all that happy Alex hasn't shown up at the dinner either.

When George realizes the interns are all at the hospital instead of at Meredith's, it appears he drags Cristina back. Meredith goes home but doesn't go inside. Alex shows up on his own just before Meredith leaves and makes her way to Joe's bar. This is immediately following her talk with Derek, so it is understandable she wants to be alone, but her heading to the bar is becoming a habit. Are we seeing a possible alcoholism problem being developed here? Only time will tell. As the episode closes, we see the group of SGH staff gathered in the kitchen sharing Thanksgiving happily. We also see Meredith picking up a guy at Joe's bar.  

"Thanks for the memories" was a good lighthearted but also sad episode of Grey's Anatomy. This episode had a good mix of both, and it was a perfect episode to air right before the holiday. I really love this show, and I can't wait for yet another new episode next week. That will make episode number ten. This show hasn't taken a break yet!

Don't forget to check out my Grey's Anatomy forum over at Media Village forums. I have a discussion topic set for tonight's episode here.

Check back soon for an updated music guide of songs used on tonight's episode of Grey's Anatomy!