“Medicine is constantly changing. You need to be a part of that change, or get out!”
Moving on after a devastating event mean you have to have an efficient leg to stand on. But what happens when you don’t? Grey’s Anatomy has transitioned its storyline of the season into one that might signal a great deal of new and uncomfortable changes for the doctors at Seattle Grace-Mercy West. With the surprising developments made from last episode concerning a rather large settlement for the plane crash survivors, there are some consequences that have to be tended to. And there is no time to fear something that isn’t there. It’s all about surviving change and being efficient! Can Seattle Grace-Mercy West be saved? If they’re open to change then maybe. All of this while a hormonal pregnant Meredith Grey cries everywhere around the hospital.
The character who takes perhaps the biggest step in this episode is Arizona Robbins. Phantom limb is a sensation that an amputated or missing limb is still attached to the body and pain can be brought on by stress and anxiety. Approximately 60 to 80% of individuals with an amputation experience phantom sensations, so it would be appropriate for Arizona to finally face the problem. She’s having nightmares of her now nonexistent left leg shattering like glass. And a particularly violent and horrific nightmare, in which she is forced to cut her leg off during surgery. Arizona is just beginning to get her life back on track with work and Callie, so her desperation to ignore it is also understandable. She doesn’t want to put Callie and her friends through anymore drama, as though she’s hindering their life together. Arizona doesn’t have her best friend, Teddy there anymore to talk to so, Owen is the one who notices Arizona’s struggle and helps her through it using different tactics, such as biofeedback and an approach that I believe is called “mirror box” technique which was developed by Vilayanur Ramachandran.
Owen, having been through a sort of post traumatic stress situation, as well his history as a doctor in combat where he was likely to have cared for dozens of soldiers who had a limb taken off, it is appropriate that he’d be the one assisting Arizona. It also helps that Owen is in his best element when he’s helping out a friend. Arizona’s journey after the plane crash has been the most traumatic and she is the most changed from the experience out of all of the survivors. It’s amazing what a stab to the foot can do to give Arizona that one last final push. Arizona and Callie also have a nice moment without stress, at a beach. In their minds of course, calming the waves to help her mind and body come to terms with reality
A hormonal pregnant Meredith Grey and an awkward intern give the episode a comedic boost. Mer and Shane make a total fumbling mess together in their mission to get a healthy liver to a pregnant patient before her system fails. Shane is a totally dork in this episode and in some ways reminds me of George. This storyline also presents Meredith with the prospect on boarding a plane again. Understandably hesitant, Meredith dismisses the idea even after Bailey’s pep talk but eventually decides to deal with the uncomfortable circumstance and faces her fears in order to make a change. Hormonal pregnant Meredith is almost too much fun to watch, especially as she attempts to teach some wayward interns. All the while her husband, Derek finally makes an illustrious return to surgery, which turns out successful with intern Jo by his side.
In the meantime, Stephanie gets schooled on pit work by April Kepner, who has an admirer of her own. A cute emergency ambulance assistant named Matt, who seems to be somewhat of an awkward spaz, just as Kepner is on occasion. Stephanie is glad to see April falling for someone else, mostly because it keeps her from feeling guilty about her sexy interludes with Jackson. Surely, this love square set up will be another Grey’s relationship back and forth that might annoy some and excite others. I’m in the middle so far. I’d love to see April and Matt’s impending relationship develop, but I’m honestly not that interested in Stephanie and Jackson, as they’re relationship so far hasn’t developed beyond sex, and doesn’t delve into any sort of significant character exposure for intern Stephanie.
Chief of Surgery, Owen Hunt has a lot on his plate these days. A new physician advisor, Dr. Cahill (Constance Zimmer) comes into his hospital in order to keep efficiency and cost effective tactics in medicine a prime thing in Seattle Grace-Mercy West. Dr. Cahill’s arrival puts everyone on edge and no one is particularly ready to hear what she has to say, as she is the one forcing aforementioned uncomfortable changes on them. She’s forcing her way into surgeries, questioning every single detail about how the place is run, and already announces her first cut: the hospital’s ER.
Luckily Cristina announces her love for operating on sick African kids, due to Alex and Arizona’s pro bono program (which started in Season 7), so as to refrain Dr. Cahill from cutting it. Which is purely selfish on Cristina’s part, ye hilarious. However, everyone is still up in arms about the change coming their way. Everyone objects except Dr. Bailey, as she takes quite a turn and shockingly shuts everyone up and even calls Derek out in making her point that this change may not be a bad thing. This change, while extremely uncomfortable, will likely keep the hospital open. Change is never easy, but it is always necessary. And one could see the possibility of our doctors taking sides in the coming episodes. Will the plane survivors be to blame for this transition? Dr. Cahill may be unwelcome, but she is very necessary. She’s also a threat. Before the episode ends she even lets her former mentor, who just so happens to be Richard Webber, that he is also up on the chopping block. Harsh. But then again, change nearly always is.
This episode seems to be the calm before the storm. A simple warning of the earth-shattering change that is about to erupt at Seattle Grace-Mercy West and how it will potentially disrupt the doctors’ lives and relationships. As if a plane crash, an unexpected pregnancy, and huge multimillion dollar settlement weren’t enough, the hospital will be shaken up yet again. Grey's Anatomy is looking forward to change! If the doctors are gonna make it through this one, they will all have to stick it out together and refrain from turning on one another, which is something that could easily start happening once these changes start to take affect. Maybe this change will be small and not even be worth arguing over. Maybe it won’t even be noticeable. It might just be like a phantom pain that will disappear once everyone settles down and puts their energy into being the best, most efficient hospital they can be. Maybe. “Walking On a Dream” gets 4 out of 5 stars!
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© Patrick Broadnax 2013
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