Episode Report Card Lauren S: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Alone Again (Naturally)
By Lauren S | Season 7 | Episode 22 | Aired on 05.19.2011
Richard goes from one non-stop party to another: once the staff is all gathered he tells them that the authorities have begun identifying bodies and have sent over a list of names. Each doctor is going to be assigned families so that they can inform them of the deaths. Andrew is of course leading this traumatic charge, and tells everyone to meet him at the cafeteria in an hour. As the crowd dissipates, Owen walks over to the board and nonchalantly pins up a notice that announces that April has won Chief Resident. She sees this and grins, but the smile then dies on her face as Alex sneers and Meredith rolls her eyes at the news.
Alex rather pathetically runs after Owen to complain about his choice, which some might consider being really bold and others might call utter stupidity. He whines that Chief Resident should have gone to him or Mere, because no one will listen to April. Owen isn't in the mood and turns on Alex, asking if he thinks anyone would listen to him after he just sold out the one person at the hospital that everyone liked. (And man, let's all take a moment to ponder how strange that sounds, especially because at this point it in time it seems to be true. Who could have guessed?) He rubs some salt in Alex's wound by reminding him that the Chief Resident is supposed to be a resource for his peers, and who exactly does Alex think would come to him about anything now? He finishes up with one last, sharp blow -- telling Alex that until this all went down, he was going to give it to Alex.
Meredith now has to tell today's trial patient and his family that he's not having surgery after all, and that in fact he might never have it. His wife takes this about as well as you'd expect -- she unleashes a tirade on Mere about how badly he needs the medicine, and how the doctors are just choosing not to give it to him when they have it just sitting in a box in the hospital somewhere. In case this wasn't horrible enough for Meredith, their two young children seem terrified as their mom rants and raves, so the two little ones hold each other's hand for comfort. Derek just watches the whole scene with a glare, leaning in the doorway.
Owen and Cristina are sitting outside and he's trying to continue their conversation but she's still more interested in shooting down all of his suggestions, including his taking leave for a year to raise the baby. When he pleads that this doesn't have to be her problem, she points out that it's not like she's just going to ignore the baby -- she's not a horrible monster and that if she had a baby she'd love it. Owen hears this and the proverbial light goes on over his head; he can't help smiling as he realizes that her problem is that she would love the baby and she obviously doesn't want to. It only infuriates her more that he seems amused by this, and she finally tells him that there is no compromise because the bottom line is that she just doesn't want to be a mother. He changes his approach, and asks if she loves and trusts him. She can tell it's a trap but she does love and trust him, even if she thinks he's ridiculous when he says she would make a great mother. He then begs her again to sleep on the idea but Cristina's pissed that he's not just agreeing with her point of view and seems appalled at the fact that he keeps using their love as a reason for her to not make a rash decision.