Episode Report Card Lauren S: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Fun With Morphine
By Lauren S | Season 3 | Episode 4 | Aired on 10.11.2006
In a hurry? Read the recaplet for a nutshell description! Finished? Click here to close. The day started off normally enough, but Meredith's stomachache turns into vomit, just as a patient lights a cigarette while hooked up to oxygen. People can light on fire, as it turns out. Thank goodness Dr. Webber has just hired the country's foremost plastic surgeon to work at Seattle Grace -- one Dr. "McSteamy" Sloan. On his first day he establishes himself as a complete jerk who can't be bothered to remember his co-workers' names and thinks the interns are there to get coffee. This is going to go well, I'm sure. Even though Cristina thinks Meredith is pregnant, it turns out she has appendicitis and needs an appendectomy. While high on morphine, she bonds with Addison and flirts with everyone, including her two boyfriends, who continue their pissing match for her affections. Derek, however, finally gains some perspective, realizes Finn is a better person than he is, and bows out of the race, which of course leads Meredith to realize he's The One and break up with Finn.George, meanwhile, is trying to make up with Callie and is also called to assist on Meredith's surgery. Fortunately, he does a good job and she comes through with flying colors. Things with Callie go from bad to worse, however, when he cancels their late dinner to help Izzie. She spent the day with Denny's father, who is highly suspicious of how she and Denny came to be engaged. But after explaining his complicated relationship with his son, he also comes to realize the relationship that Denny had with Izzie is real, and gives her an envelope from Denny. Once home with George, she listens to the last phone message Denny left for his parents, apologizing for his mistakes and inviting them to meet Dr. Stevens, the love of his life. As she's listening, George finally opens the envelope, which contains a check for a cool $8.7 million dollars. Finally, Callie and McSteamy wind up meeting at Joe's, and she decides to get over George by inviting McSteamy up to her hotel room, where I think they might burn the place down with some hot, hot, dirty sex. Want more? The full recap starts right below!
Previously on Grey's Anatomy, Meredith basked in dating two men, McSteamy wore a towel and wore it well, Denny and Izzie were in love, Callie and George fought about moving in together, Denny died, Burke shook, and Meredith decided to flip a coin.
Meredith comes in to work, and naturally, voiceovers this week's theme. "At some point during surgical residency, most interns get a sense of who they are as doctors." George is also in the locker room as she says this, in a green and white striped polo shirt that makes him look approximately 8 years old. She continues, "And the kind of surgeons they're going to become." With the rubbing of his face, George clearly doesn't know anything like this. She lists some options, so that we can helpfully see bits of people like Callie and McDreamy at work, and she says that these distinctions also help define people. "Because, outside the operating room, not only do most surgeons have no idea who they are, they're afraid to find out." On cue, she guzzles some bright pink pepto straight from the bottle.
Burke cleaves a chicken, hands Cristina a stopwatch, and says, "Time me." But she's getting her jacket on and says, "I've BEEN timing you." He bitchily declares that his last time was off by six seconds, but she assures him it's about accuracy instead, and gets bowls out for breakfast. She also adds that his sutures are fine, and he asserts that they're "textbook." She tells him he's ready, but he mumbles about needing more chickens. Cristina won't have any of it. "No more chickens. It's bad enough that Meredith's dating a vet, I'm not dating a chicken surgeon." She informs him that he's second guessing himself, which isn't like him, and rushes on that he's fine and he'll be cleared for surgery. She's strict but also fakely perky, and this is just a painful case of two people not really talking to one another -- she not asking if he's okay, he not offering that he's not. She leaves and Burke looks at his tremor. He says her name but when she turns back to him, not unkindly but distracted, "yeah, baby... " he tells her it's nothing and looks at his shaky hand again.
Trying to make conversation as they all get ready for work, George comments that Izzie left the house that day, which must be a good thing. He finally notices Meredith swilling pink goo and asks if she's okay. She reports that dating two men is giving her an ulcer. Then Mer, you can just pass one over here, I'll gladly take either one off your hands because I am just that giving a person. (Though I strongly suspect I dwarf Finn, but we can cross that bridge when we come to it.) Alex sends an insult George's way which George asks him to explain. "You threw [Callie] out on her ass," Alex helpfully clarifies. He's changing his clothes and in a black tank top, which normally I am strongly against, but wrapped around Alex's frame I might need to change my stance. George demands to know where he heard such filthy rumors, but it turns out they're straight from Torres's mouth. George glowers and Alex generously tells him, "Don't worry, I get it, she's hot but she's not for you." George demands to know why. "Because she's hot," smirks Alex. That, and the emotional manhandling. Poor spineless George.