Episode Report Card Lauren S: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT The Big Set-Up
By Lauren S | Season 3 | Episode 11 | Aired on 01.10.2007
Izzie's all done up in a blousy pink top with curled hair. This may not sound relevant, and as you'll see later it apparently isn't, according to this episode's editor. She asks George if his dad's surgery is today and when he confirms, she tells him she feels really good about it. "I didn't even bake anything for you." It's a really cute moment between the friends, and he thanks her. She turns back to the fridge and sees The Check.
For what I feel to be maybe the first time ever, it's raining. In Seattle. Mark comes in grumpily and asks if it ever stops, and despite the sheer quantity of dry outdoor scenes we've had, Alex tells him it doesn't and hands him a bone-dry cappuccino. Mark takes a sip and then does a spit-take without the actual spit, since it's vanilla. Addie calls his name in a warning, and Alex just grins that the coffee cart must have screwed up the order. It's the last straw for Mark, though, who declares, "If you can't handle coffee, you can't handle plastics. You've gotta head back to the gynie squad where life is all squishy and pink." To prove his point, he's in a black leather jacket, just so that we're sure there is nothing squishy about him at all, though we already learned that back when he appeared in a towel and a smile. Addison tells Alex, "Squishy and pink though it may be," she has a great surgery that day, and he tells her he wants in.
Olivia wishes McShakey a good morning; he's in a serene good mood, gazing at the rain like a schoolgirl. She asks him about his pain and then tries to ask specifically about his hand, but she's not very suave. He answers, "You're going to have to tell Dr. Yang that I'm not ready to give her that information." She smiles, completely busted, and her face just lights up. So not suave, but completely cute as a button. Cristina's hovering outside the room when George walks in, and she grabs him to try and ask about the hand but he brushes her off and shuts the door. Once inside, he asks Burke if he knows she's out there, and he does. He hands over his dad's chart for Burke to look at it and mentions that the surgery has a 50% morbidity rate. Burke, despite basically giving up on his own self with regards to his own surgery, points out that also means the glass is half full, and tells George that if he's going to go on statistics he has to see both sides.
McDreamy is in Heather's room with Callie, Izzie, and Heather's mother, and he lets Heather know that he thinks he can operate and straighten her spine, which she can't believe. He explains that the surgery involves removing part of the spine and replacing it with a titanium mesh cage. Callie excitedly chips that case studies have shown many successes. Her mom asks about the ones that were not successful, and Callie must admit they ended in paralysis or death, but assures them that McDreamy is the best doctor there is. Mom is really scared, but Heather makes an impassioned argument, assuring her mom that death isn't the worst that could happen. To her mom's credit, she sees how serious Heather is, and Heather tells them that she's on board.