Episode Report Card Lauren S: B | 5 USERS: A+ YOU GRADE IT Meddling Mama
By Lauren S | Season 8 | Episode 5 | Aired on 10.13.2011
Teddy walks up to make sure that Bailey and Eli are coming for dinner, and notes the butt-ogling but Bailey just shuts her down with a glare after she confirms that they will be there. Teddy flees but Bailey doesn't get any peace as Richard walks up to ask about her heavy schedule that day which includes three islet cell surgeries and Henry's follow-up appointment. She thinks he's micromanaging her and can't give up ownership of the trial but actually he was just looking for a way to suggest that she might bring Meredith onto the trial to assist. Bailey may seem to have forgiven him but she very much hasn't forgiven Mere, and absolutely refuses.
The doctors all gather in a lecture hall and unsurprisingly, Cristina bitches about having to sit through a lecture. She's still all about working her left hand, and is using one of those squeezy workout grippy things (totally the technical name). Alex thinks this is going to be the perfect opportunity for a nap, but April pipes up excitedly that this won't be boring because it's Jackson's mom Catherine Avery and she's brilliant and amazing. April is totally in awe of her and tells everyone how she'll say crazy things but that once you think about them, they will change your life. Jackson just looks like April is crazy for thinking that and refers to his mom as a "toxic meddler." That's going to be the name of my band. Alex brings up his getting rid of Lexie for the week but as the others start to mock him Mere sticks up for him instead. It comes up that April is Facebook friends with Catherine, and that is the last straw for Jackson, who tries to melt into his seat. A few seats down Mark walks in and joins Callie, Arizona and Teddy, who talk about dinner that night; Callie lets Mark know that Teddy is having a dinner party but he isn't invited and Arizona explains that it's because he's got to be the babysitter. If that's anything like the few nights my dad would be left in charge of me and my sister, it will involve a dinner of canned peaches and awesome cartoons.
Finally, the woman herself comes to the stage and I gleefully clap at my TV like an idiot for the marvelous Debbie Allen finally making a Grey's appearance in front of the camera. She knows everyone hates lectures but insists that today she is changing a life and possibly making medical history while she's at it. "So who wants to step into the future with me?" April lets out an excited whoop, but she's the only one. Catherine just sees this as a challenge to get more takers, and she invites a young guy named Ryan out onto the stage. He walks out wearing a bathrobe, and when she asks him to show everyone why there are there, he then drops the robe and stands in all of his glory in front of the gaping audience. See, unfortunately for Ryan, he doesn't actually have a lot of glory to show off; Catherine invites a lucky few residents to scrub in with her on the country's first penis transplant.