So I've been thinking about this some more. If it is in fact fall, if we ignore the fact that a day or two has passed from the season finale to now, when it's stated that it is, in fact, fall, why are the interns still interns? Why did they not take their intern exams? Wouldn't that mean they've now been there a year? Wouldn't there be a new batch of glorified extras for us to not care about? I suppose after it taking three calendar years to finish a year of Grey's time, I shouldn't question these things of this show any more, but sometimes I just can't help it.
Anyhow, on to Part 2! As Christina lies with an icicle lodged in her abdomen, she has a vision. A microwave beeps and an older woman pulls out a cooked chicken -- wait, can you really cook chicken in the microwave? That sounds like a bad idea. But like the passage of time, that's not the important thing. The important thing is that the woman is Meredith, with really nice, shiny gray hair and lots of wrinkles. At the kitchen island sits Old Cristina, with curly grey hair and a purple tracksuit. She's eating cereal out of a box while Old Mere chastises her, pointing out that she got them a chicken for dinner. Old Cristina goes, "Seriously?" It's awesome. They're totally themselves 40 years in the future, as Old Cristina rolls her eyes at Old Mere as she tries to find the glasses (that are hanging around her neck). Old Cristina tells Mere how she's cutting the chicken wrong and then slowly shuffles over to do it herself. Of course, she pulls one surgical glove before cutting. Old Mere sighs happily, "What would I do without you?" Old Cristina answers disdainfully, "Starve."
With a gasp we're back to present day, and Cristina sees none other then Major Hunt appear in front of her, noting that she's a damsel in distress. With that he picks her up and carries her inside. Once she's on a gurney he pulls out a stethoscope to listen to her chest while Mere starts to cut off her scrub top. Cristina announces the exact location of the injury and has diagnosed that she doesn't have a hemo or a pneumothorax, so they can go ahead and pull it out. Hunt tells her he wouldn't do that and Meredith demands to know who he is -- he actually has the grace to pull back immediately. Cristina begs Mere to just fix her, because she has to look after Vincent and can't disappoint the Chief after what happened in the OR earlier. Unfortunately the Chief chooses that moment to walk in looking for her and sees the giant icicle. He orders all the tests that Mere herself already ordered, and then Cristina tries to chime in about her "clear and equal" breath sounds. He's having none of it. He asks what Mere wants to do and she says to leave it in until they get the x-ray and CT back but comments that it's "definitely melting dirty ice water into her body." Cristina says that's a reason to pull it out but Hunt orders her to leave it in, calling her lucky that it didn't hit anything but reiterating that you leave the "knife" in until you know what's going on inside. Cristina orders it out, but Richard orders it left in. He then adds that since she knows so much, she can teach her interns how to treat her. He then puts Meredith in charge of Vincent's care, reminding her that he's Richard's patient and he's not going to lose another trauma case. With that, he then tells Hunt he wants to speak to him in the hall.
Derek is working on Betty's brain, and tells Izzie that he's not certain but he's hopeful that he can restore her memory. He then asks for a new blade and Rose smacks it into his hand, causing him to exclaim out loud. Turns out she slapped it in his hand blade first, so he's now got a bloody hole in his glove. Way to endanger a patient's brain out of spite there, Rose. He chastises Rose, who finally looks upset at what has happened.
Alex is checking Michael's abdomen and says he needs another CT. Sarabeth pleads with him that the insurance must be a mistake, and if he just writes down a name and number to call she'll fix it and everything will be fine. He doesn't need his voice -- the look on his face says just how not fine things will actually be. Alex, still being a Good Man, is clearly touched, and Anna pulls Sarabeth away so that Michael can look pained.
Derek finds a party going on in Phil's room and is pissed off that he wasn't invited, especially when he finds out it's a therapeutic hypothermia party. He yells at the Chief for going ahead without his consent, and then yells at Hunt who gets to him by asking if he doesn't want to do everything possible to help Phil. When Derek yells at him to get out, Hunt goes full G.I. Joe and yells, "I don't take orders from civilians!" Whoa there, soldier -- you might be right, but this doesn't seem like the time. Derek tries to scare them out of it, but Richard tells him they'll go ahead. Quietly, Derek tells him that all day he's been trying to save every patient to prove he's not #12, and he's not, but right now he's acting like it. Let's just keep this righteous little speech in mind for later, shall we? He wishes Callie luck and flounces out.
Derek bitches to Mark about the Chief being under Hunt's spell, but Sloane just comments that Hunt saved his patient's life, so it seems Derek's not getting the backup he wanted. Derek winces and Mark notices his hand, and when Derek tells him it was Rose Mark announces, "She's a dead mouse on the kitchen floor. At some point you've got to pick it up and throw it away." I love that this is delivered with a totally straight and earnest face like this analogy is so good it's going to become commonly used one day. He offers to look at Derek's hand but Derek tells him Meredith will do it -- Mark points out that he is a renowned plastic surgeon, but Derek points out that Mere gives him sex, especially when he's wounded. But have you ever asked Mark if he'd do the same, Derek? Maybe you aren't giving your friend a chance!
Cristina is lying under the x-ray machine while her hapless interns try to get the machine in place and get her ready. They're so dumb it seems a wonder they even got through med school, and again seem like good examples of why #12 doesn't seem to actually be that bad, all things considered. Mere comes in and shoos them away so that she can take care of her friend. Cristina begs her to not let Vincent die and Mere agrees, but then takes advantage of Cristina being stuck and orders her to talk once again about -- what else? -- Derek. Cristina is as fed up as all of us at this point. Mere says that she knows she talks about it too much (glad to see she hasn't changed and is still someone who recognizes her faults and then doesn't make any sort of effort to change her ways) and that she'd hate listening to it too if the tables were turned. But the point is, she wants to know if Cristina said what she did because she was mad or because she meant it. Cristina takes a moment and then tells Mere it doesn't matter what she says. Meredith screams too vehemently that, "Of course it matters!" She leaves and Cristina realizes that her interns are all taking blackmail photos with their cell phones, but they scramble when she yells at them and actually take her x-ray.
Mere finds Anna crying in the waiting room and sits with her. Anna is racked with guilt that it's her fault that Sarabeth's world is about to crumble. She admits she's a horrible person and repeatedly asks Mere what she should do. Thank goodness Anna stumbled upon one of the staff members least eligible to throw any stones -- though come to think of it, at this point none of them have any stones in their arsenal. Mere advises that it would be best if Sarabeth hears it from Anna. She says that even if it's the most terrible thing in the world, Anna is Sarabeth's best friend and she should tell her. Yes, Mere is totally comparing Anna's sleeping with her best friend's husband of 40 years to Cristina admitting that she thinks Mere and Derek won't make it as a couple. No perspective problems here, no siree!
Alex is looking up something on the computer when Izzie busts in and asks him if he wants to come watch the docs freeze Phil. He totally ignores her and when she asks why, he mumbles for all of us, "I'm hoping if I wait long enough you'll be as annoyed by the sound of your voice as I am and just shut up." She gets super huffy but then asks what she did. He insists she knows and finally tells her, "I had a bad night and I cried like a girl. I'm over it. You need to get over it too." So, while he's totally not listening to her side of the story and all she did was compliment him and didn't give up anything about the crying... I can't say I don't love this.
Callie excitedly hangs a bag of chilled saline and tells Phil he'll feel something cold rushing through his veins. Bailey is helping layer ice packs on him, while Callie confirms that if this works, Phil will walk again. He starts to chatter and Callie asks the Chief if they should put another cooling blanket on him, but Richard just points out that this is her case and her decision. Richard then pats himself on the back for hiring great surgeons and letting them run point on crazy experimental procedures. His pulse starts falling and Bailey seems a bit worried, but Callie assures her that it's normal. As they wait and Phil shivers, Bailey comments, "Number twelve my ass!"
Poor Derek, he's trying to tell his girlfriend about how his crazy ex stabbed him in the hand but his girlfriend only wants to take back the offer of moving in. Although Derek actually takes it like a pro, saying it's fine. She is instantly suspicious but he comments that he knows her. While that's generally considered a good thing with someone you're potentially going to move in with, she takes it as a jab and asks Derek if he didn't believe she really wanted to move in together. He points out that he believes she thought she wanted to do it. He tells her he's going to move slowly and make no sudden moves, so she counters by reminding him she built a house of candles. He answers, "Fine, let's move in together." Mere: "Fine." Derek: "Unless of course you just want to go ahead and get married." Wow, did he ever call her bluff on that one. Also? You still need more therapy, honey. Izzie storms up just then to demand to know what Mere said to Alex, and instead of just telling her that she told him he's a good man, she stutters and acts horribly guilty. Izzie just asks why Mere can't mind her own business or keep anything secret that is for anyone but Cristina. I'm sorry, but I don't remember a comment about someone having good character coming with a big "secret" warning. But they're both horribly annoying, so I'm going to stop defending Mere now.
Alex calls Bailey away from icing down Phil to give her the bullet on Michael. His abdomen is getting worse and he needs another CT, but that could take them past midnight, and if he needs surgery after that they'll bankrupt him. Alex thinks they should just go straight to surgery and skip the CT. I'm sure you can guess how well this idea sits with Bailey, who informs him that they won't cut medical corners to save money. Back at Phil's bedside, ominous music tells us that things aren't going as planned. His temperature is below 90 degrees, and Callie starts to stutter, wondering if that's too low. Sucks for Phil that she's the one who did all the research and should know the answer. She declares that it's too low but when Bailey asks her how she should solve the problem, Callie panics. She can only hyperventilate and look forlornly at the Chief as he tries to get her to give them a plan of action and finally admits she doesn't know what to do.
Sarabeth and Anna go to visit Vincent, who's not doing as well as the doctors would like. The ladies sit down together, and Anna sadly lists the conditions of their friends: the doctors are freezing Phil, Vincent is lying unconscious and barely alive, and Betty is in brain surgery. She begins crying and Sarabeth takes her hand to comfort her and assure her it will be okay. Mere gives a judgy pointed look just as Sarabeth implores Anna to look at her. The moment of truth has arrived. Anna holds Sarabeth's hand as she admits that Michael was let go from his job eight months earlier, but was too ashamed to tell Sarabeth. It seems almost too much for Sarabeth to comprehend and finally she's able to ask how Anna knows. The fact that her friend can't answer speaks volumes, and Sarabeth pulls her hand away as she comments that Michael told Anna and not his wife. She then asks if Anna has been sleeping with Michael, but Anna only has time to let out a sob before Vincent starts to crash and they're ordered out.
Hahn comes in to check on refrigerated Phil, and she's appalled to see that they've put him on a machine that circulates his own blood out of his body and then back in. Richard defends the decision, pointing out that this will give his heart rest without them jostling his delicate, decompressed spine. She disapprovingly glares at them all, but Richard demands to know if she's in or not. It's a classic Dramatic Medical TV Moment.
Sarabeth, meanwhile, is sitting sadly by herself in the waiting room. Alex comes and lets her know that Michael has gone for his CT but that despite Alex's best efforts they probably won't be able to get him into surgery before midnight. With tears in her eyes, she pulls herself up and tells Alex it doesn't matter, and then asks for an update on Vincent, admitting she thinks he was dying. Alex turns to find out but Sarabeth must be able to catch of whiff of Unfaithful on him, because she asks him why men cheat, adding that her husband slept with her friend. All this after losing his job, and at the same time as he was telling Sarabeth that he loved her. Alex tells her that he might have been low and didn't want Sarabeth to see him as less than a man. Because of pride he turned away. "It not right, but it doesn't mean he doesn't care about you. I swear it doesn't."
In the meat locker, they're getting ready to wean Phil off the blood machine. There's something technical sounding going on with his heart but because he's got a body temp of around 90 degrees they can't shock him to take care of it. Richard asks Callie if she has an answer from all of the cases she researched. Callie, though, is back to being her weird, unassertive self of last season and starts to panic again, only telling them that she messed up by trying this. Hahn stops her scared babbling and orders Callie to look at her. She then launches into a speech about how she's trying something new, and there's nothing wrong with new! By golly, it's like this pep talk is going to work outside the hospital too. She orders Callie to take a breath, calm down, and tell them what the research said. With that, Callie is able to come up with an explanation of what is happening and a solution. Callie gets to work, while Richard gives Hahn a look like maybe she just showed a glimmer of being a good teacher.
Cristina is in a right state, asking her interns to read her x-rays. They seem to think the icicle is hitting nothing, but when Cristina demands to know if they know how to read an x-ray, Unnamed Intern #1 stutters that she always is the one to read the x-rays. It doesn't seem to sink in, at least yet, that Cristina is exactly the kind of "teacher" that she herself hates. She just dismisses them to go find "someone with a brain" to help her out. And who should sneak in, rolling up his sleeves over his delicious arms? Major Hunt, of course, who comments that her interns seem scared of her. Cristina argues that she's not scary, but as he's an outsider who hasn't yet learned to stop recognizing anything obvious about other people, he clearly knows she is totally scary. He looks up at her x-ray, and then silently stares at her, inching his face closer to hers, and then... YANKS the icicle out. She's stunned at what happened, and then tells him she didn't give him permission to do that. The Man of One Word answers, "So?" Mere comes in at that moment and Cristina knows just by the tone of Mere's voice that Vincent died.
Derek is standing with the Chief, looking through the window to Phil's room. While Richard points out that he's currently stable, Derek can't resist mounting his high horse and trotting him around in circles. He can't believe the Chief listened to some dude off the street, risky, could have killed him, yadda yadda. Richard calmly points out that Phil deserved a chance, and could also point out that Phil is, in fact, alive, but he doesn't and Derek continues. Finally though, Richard cuts him off and says in a slightly more authoritative tone that Phil deserved the best that they could give him. He then goes on to say that he's let a lot of things slide, and he's gotten soft. As Derek starts to say he's not soft, Richard goes on and muses about why he's gone soft. Why is that? I'd guess it's because he got comfortable at the top and stopped pushing the envelope to stay in a safe zone... oh, I'm sorry, no. He thinks he's gone soft because of MEREDITH. Wha? Because Ellis' daughter is an employee, he's stopped giving his all? For goodness' sake. Speak of the devil, in comes Meredith to report Vincent's death. She lists everything they gave him and interestingly enough, says, "We did everything we knew how to do, we just couldn't bring him back." What convenient wording that is for the Chief to blow up in her face! "You don't know how to do anything. None of you!" He says they walk around like it's their right to be there, but in fact they are there because he allows them to be. Derek furrows his brow a bit at that, as the Chief goes on to say that he only asked one thing -- to keep Vincent alive -- and she couldn't even do that. This seems a bit much to me, since I think that you can't actually decide if you're going to work hard enough to keep a severely injured man alive. Isn't there a point where the injuries are just too much? But I am just a recapper, so I don't know. Ah, Derek agrees with me. He cuts Richard off and asserts that he can't save everybody. I was right! Ha HA! Richard just growls that they should try harder, and walks out.
Sarabeth heads into Michael's room, looking pained. Alex explains that they're taking him to the OR soon, and the look on Michael's face indicates that he knows that she knows. Lexie pipes up that Michael wrote Sarabeth a letter, but she doesn't want to hear it and turns to leave, so Lexie just begins reading. She's too cutesy and awkward and interjecting her own stupid comments, and all in all it's painful to watch. Instead I'll focus on Bernadette Peters' acting here (and in this whole episode) which is awesome -- you can see her struggle between wanting to believe what he is saying and wanting to forget him forever because her heart is crushed. Michael's letter confirms everything Alex theorized, that he was too scared to tell his wife so he told her friend instead. He then tells her that he's going to do everything he can to make it up to her and that no matter what, he loves her forever. Michael, George, and Sarabeth all look pained and sad while Lexie acts like a ditz, and after a long look at her husband, Sarabeth just turns and leaves.
What must be a little while later, Izzie comes to the waiting room to tell the women that they can see Betty even though she's not yet awake. Izzie admits they don't know yet if her memory is okay or not. Anna looks sadly at Sarabeth, who does her best to not look back. But then Meredith arrives to let them know about Vincent, and though Anna begs her not to say it, Meredith confirms that he died. Both women crumble, but Sarabeth turns and tries to walk away when Anna tries to hold her hand. Anna follows her, though, and turns to face her. She recounts Vincent's death, Betty's surgery, and mentions Philip and Michael, but Sarabeth growls at her never to speak his name. Anna begs her, saying that more bad things have happened to them today than ever before, but that they've been blessed before today, and that she took her for granted. Izzie and Mere watch, sad and embarrassed, as Anna reminds Sarabeth that they've been friends for fifty years, and tells her she needs her best friend. Sarabeth finally loses her cool and cries, "You slept with my husband!" She says she's going to see Betty, her friend. After she leaves, Mere says, "Sorry about teasing Alex." Izzie answers dully, "I forgive you," and walks away. The caliber of the acting in that scene with Bernadette and Kathy put much of the rest of this episode to shame.
Hunt stitches up Cristina (I gather she's not trying to out badass him and is numb, since she's totally nonchalant) and she asks him about trauma surgery. He tells her, "Quick and dirty. No time to make things pretty, and no time to make mistakes." He then orders her to drop her pants for a shot -- a comment that, especially on the heels of "quick and dirty" would be really saucy in any scene but this one between two surgeons. She asks if he just doesn't make mistakes, and he answers all macho, "I make mistakes, people die." Cristina admits that she's the best surgical resident in the program, who just killed a man because she didn't know a stitch. Well, technically yes, but I still think that the combination of his other massive injuries played a part as well. Hahn's watching and not helping also played a little part. He tells her that it's not about being the best, it's about saving lives. He then tells her that he makes mistakes and good guys die, but that he learns from that and never makes that mistake again. He tells her that mistakes are how you learn, but she just looks dejected, since we know that she just wants to never, ever make a mistake, period.
Betty wakes up to see her two friends on either side of her. She tells them that her head hurts, and asks what happened. Anna is the one to break the news that Vincent didn't survive the accident, and Izzie just quietly looks up at the clock to watch thirty seconds go by while Betty falls apart. As if there wasn't enough heartbreak for these two already today, Betty then again tells them that her head hurts, and asks what happened. I think that in this single day, Seattle Grace has had more patients die/not be fixed up as good as new than they have during the entire rest of the series combined.
Lexie goes to check on Michael and instead of being a bumbling doofus she is kind and positive, telling him that he's looking strong for his surgery. Michael clearly wants to say something but can only upward with a look of complete anguish. Fortunately this competent Lexie can guess what he wants to say. She tells him that this happens in life, that people sleep with the wrong people and hide it (okay, George slept with Meredith before he even knew you existed, so this is a bit apples to oranges. But I should stop nitpicking and just let her go on since this is the least annoying she's been all day...) but that she thinks it's what comes afterward that counts, "The part where you make it right. And it looks like you're off to a good start." Sloane has come to the door and heard her as she gives Michael the first tiny look of hope he's had since the accident.
Bailey runs through the hospital and finds Alex having a coffee outside. She tells him she's ready to do the surgery, but Alex grunts that he was ready an hour ago. Bailey points out that she's ready now, and orders him to book an OR. He's pretty rude as he responds, "Fine," with a pissed-off sigh that would make any 14-year-old girl proud. Bailey calls after him to ask what time it is, and he just calls back, "It's tomorrow. His insurance expired."
Rose, in street clothes, comes up to Derek and apologizes about his hand. Derek tells her it happens, but she asserts that they only started happening to her once Derek was in her life. If I keep rolling my eyes like this, they're going get stuck that way. She tells him that before Derek existed to her, every doctor wanted her as a scrub nurse, but now she's just a psycho. Again, Derek is an ass, but he's not responsible for her going, as she says, all Fatal Attraction. She informs him that she has transferred to pediatrics and will be starting the day. Bye, Rose! You weren't a character I cared at all about from the moment you showed up having supposedly been there all along, and I won't miss you for a second.
Lexie heads out Michael's room and once she reaches the doorway, she's gone through the invisible sound forcefield that means she and Mark can have an entire conversation at normal volume and not disturb (physically or emotionally) their patient who is five feet away. Sloane tells her she has no problem talking to him or to her patients, so why not just tell George her feelings? She points out that he's not exactly the one to be doling out romantic advice, but he just tells her that when he likes someone he makes sure they know it, since life's too short to do it any other way. Lexie sucks up her courage and asks, "What if he doesn't like me back?" Sloane tells her that means he's an idiot, and heads off.
Anna and Sarabeth are in Betty's room, where she continues to ask them what's going on. Sarabeth looks exhausted and says that she can't and won't tell her anymore, and Anna agrees. Izzie offers to stay with her and give them a break, so they turn to head out. As they go, Betty calls after them by name and asks if she's in a hospital. Sarabeth tells her there has been an accident, but when Betty asks about Vincent neither can answer. Izzie looks down and responds that her husband is on his way, and for the first time all night Betty looks relieved and happily repeats that he's on his way. Her friends smile sadly, and Izzie comes over to tell them that this is better for her. Sarabeth thanks her, and then turns and takes Anna's hand, telling her, "Let's check on our husbands."
Bailey and Alex are about to start on Michael's surgery but Bailey pauses and tells him that she thinks the clock is wrong. Though it says 2:30, she's certain the time is 11:58 pm and has him change the clock so that it reflects the "official hospital time." Ha! You never doubt Bailey, Alex! You should know that! Once the clock has been changed, she takes the scalpel to begin the surgery.
Hunt is finishing up Cristina, who now is just gazing at him with a little smile. He smiles back and tells her she'd be good in the field. He tells her she should ditch the hospital and go for adventure, asking unbelievingly if Seattle Grace really gives her a high. With sincerity, she admits that it does. Richard walks in and after asking about how he's doing, admits that he called around about him. Just in case we weren't positive about his extraordinary level of badassery, Richard says he heard about Hunt making an operating table out of an exploded Humvee out in Iraq. Hunt responds that you have to be innovative on the battlefield, and Richard counters that you have to be innovative anywhere, and offers him a job. Say yes! I want to look at you each week! Cristina looks like she does, too. Hunt turns him down since he's due to go back and finish up in Iraq. Once Richard leaves, Hunt takes a moment and closes the blinds. He looks over at Cristina, who asks, "What?" "What" is him kissing the hell out of her. She pulls back a second to point out that she doesn't know him. "So?" He then opens the blinds and walks out, leaving her dumbstruck.
Bailey, Callie and Derek are gathered at a nurse's station, where Callie says it might have been the hypothermia treatment and Derek counters that it might have been his surgical skills. Mere comes up so that she can ask what's going on and they can happily report that Phil is wiggling his toes. Okay, so... Derek? Is taking credit for this?? Bailey then begs Derek to say something, though he doesn't want to. They giggle away and finally he announces, "We made a man walk." Derek?? Is taking credit for this??? Yes, I know he did the decompression surgery but then he fought tooth and nail to do nothing else and leave him paralyzed, and spent the evening condemning all of them for being idiots, and now he's casually hanging out, basking in the glow of their success? Shut up, Derek. Bailey and Callie head off happily, but Mere and Derek stay behind to watch Anna go in and visit her husband. She wakes him up with a kiss and his happiness at seeing her clearly shows that no one filled him in on the drama taking place in the room while he was on ice.
The tender moment is broken by Lexie asking, "Did you sleep with Meredith?" George looks up and tells her he did, and she freaks just a little and asks/demands why, then if he was in love with her. He admits he thought he was, but he knew she didn't like him that way, but he did it anyway and shouldn't have because it was selfish of him to take advantage of her and, "to want her to want [him] like that." This is a tad revisionist, as Meredith was certainly taking her own advantage of the situation as well that night, but I guess we're not supposed to think about that right now. George reiterates that he made a lot of mistakes last year but he's getting back on track, and only he can do that for himself. Lexie starts to gather her courage and stammer out the real reason why she asked, which is that she think they are, "more than just roommates." George agrees that this is true, but Lexie's hope is quickly dashed as George tells her that she's also one of his best friends right now. Lexie absorbs this as Sarabeth walks up to visit her husband. Lexie and George do a very bad job of acting like they aren't watching as Sarabeth sits down on the bed and gives her husband a kiss.
Now that everyone is patched up as well as they're going to be, Callie is in street clothes and heads over to Hahn. Callie announces that she hates experimenting, which elicits a bit of a disappointed, "Oh," from Hahn, but continues that then Hahn showed up and they experimented together and it seems to be a success. "Oh." Callie looks at her pointedly, because Hahn just didn't pick up on the most obvious double entendre ever spoken. "Oh!" Hahn says, surprised and happy. They grin at each other and finally Callie awkwardly tells Hahn that she's never kissed a girl before and doesn't like kissing girls, per se, but that she likes kissing Hahn. Hahn grins and admits she has nothing to compare it with. Callie's relieved to hear Hahn is freaking out, and Hahn admits she's logged a lot of therapy time. I guess we're to believe that they've been avoiding each other for a while? Oops, there I go again trying to make time of the GA timeline. Callie admits she doesn't do therapy, she just gets all weird. Thank goodness we had a medical case that exactly mirrored her budding lesbian relationship so that we can see what she means! Basically, they're both happy to be talking and admit this makes them "kind-of virgins" who agree to be scared together.
Mere has gotten Cristina home and is tucking her into bed. Of course, the second she's set she whines, "You said Derek and I would never make it." Cristina shoots back, "And then I was karmically impaled for saying that!" Mere maddeningly replies that she was right, there are no happily ever afters... everything we've heard before. Cristina's fed up look mirrors my own right now. She finally asks why Meredith cares what she thinks. Mere whines that Cristina is her person, and if she's going to be "whole and healthy" and be someone who lives with her boyfriend, she needs Cristina on board. She also needs to look up "whole and healthy" because that certainly isn't what she is, but I digress. Mere then says, "Because you're the only one who knows me. Darkly." Actually, you know who the other person is that knows you darkly and has been through all your crazy moods and your maybe-suicide-whatever? YOUR BOYFRIEND. I think Derek knows her pretty darkly at this point too. Mere tells Cristina that even if she's faking it, Mere wants her to pretend she can do it. If Cristina leaves she'll never make it, or get her happy ending, which Cristina cuts in and announces is "Life!" But real life has no place in Meredith's life, and she just counters, "I'm saying 'please,' here." Cristina takes a deep breath and says that she thinks Meredith and Derek will make it work. Maddeningly, Mere, who just told her friend to lie, asks if she's just saying what she knows Mere wants to hear. I'm certain she is, you self-centered ninny! Cristina thinks a moment and tells her, "I am your person! I'm on your side." That might be a little too deep for Meredith to handle, since it didn't involve the words "you," "Derek," "happy" and "forever," but we'll see. Mercifully, her VO starts to wrap things up. "Once upon a time. Happily ever after. The stories we tell are the stuff of dreams."
Izzie walks out of her bedroom and turns to see Alex draped over a near-naked woman in his bedroom, because when you live in a house with two others you totally start having sex with the door open. I mean come on, even if he's trying to prove a point, I have a hard time believing the girl was all, "Oh, let me just pull my top off here with a nice breeze coming in from the hallway!"
Izzie, however, has drifted into a daydream where she gets in the elevator in her prom dress. When the doors open, there is hot, sweet, wonderful Denny, grinning at her. She smiles and tells him, "See? I told you I would show you my dress." He tells her she's better than a bride, she walks out, and they take hands and walk together down the hallway and into the light.
Back in the real world, Alex gives her a pointed look over the brunette's shoulder and slams the door. Mere tells us, "Reality is much stormier." We see Lexie and George studying and goofing off together. "Much murkier." At the trailer, Mere is helping Derek pack up his things. "Much scarier."
A shot of the Space Needle from the air tells us it's the day, and Richard walks through a door to find his entire staff milling around, waiting. He slams the door to get their attention and starts a speech. He talks about the good old days when they were the best in the west, and how they've been resting on their laurels. He then, awesomely, tells them that they have all been failing: to take initiative, to ask questions, to practice skills, to give opportunity to practice skills. He admits he let it all happen, so they're all failing, but it's stopping now. He's changing things up, and everyone should consider themselves put on notice. It's not the most amazing speech I've ever heard, but everyone in attendance looks properly serious, so we the viewer know it was really good. Mere concludes: "Reality. It's so much more interesting than living happily ever after." Here's hoping that this then is an interesting season to come.
Get the full recap of part 1 here, and then talk about the show in our forums.