Prevention is a complex matter. Drastic, intense, sometimes even quite devastating. And altogether permanent…
Doing permanent damage is a big risk in prevention and the doctors attempting to take Seattle Grace-Mercy West are facing that troubling reality right now. Keeping the hospital alive long enough to get the backup it needs, even as this sinking ship begins to disappear into the darkest depths. Grey’s Anatomy continues its compelling storyline following SGMW’s doctors in their ambitious mission to save their hospital and unbelievably, the stakes rise even higher in this stressful, yet brilliant installment! "This Is Why We Fight" showcases the risk of fighting for an ultimately shaky prevention which leads to a surprising and beautiful resolution full of new, creative possibilities for the reminder of the season.
Everyone is leaving and the hospital is shutting down. The deal with Pegasus Horizons has changed drastically resulting in the deconstruction of our favorite surgeons’ sanitized sanctuary. Seattle Grace-Mercy West is the place where all of these doctors have grown and become masters of their medical craft. It’s where they survived countless life-threatening circumstances and impossible situations--emotional crises and other devastation, amongst themselves and their patients. This special hospital is why the plane survivors fight. And what a crushing fight it is! Meredith, Derek, Cristina, Arizona and Callie are on their way to meet with a possible investor, in an effort to secure the $175 million needed to purchase SGMW. It’s a lot of waiting and going through multiple bureaucratic stages, but it’s worth saving a place that means so much to them. And to see that everyone they work with and love are gearing up to leave it behind is motivation enough for the plane survivors to make large strides in keeping their dysfunctional family together.
The interns are already looking for new hospitals to relocate to while the heart of the hospital, Dr. Miranda Bailey even considers finally leaving, going to job interviews and such. Bailey isn’t one to go down without a fight, so you know the hospital is in trouble when she’s about to make an exit. Owen, the Chief of Surgery under huge pressure begs Bailey not to go, as the deal with Pegasus Horizons continues to be thought over. We, the viewers, have always known Dr. Bailey as the mama bear and heart of Seattle Grace-Mercy West. She’s tough as nails, determined, talented, skilled, loving and passionate. Everything that shapes the hospital viewers and fans have come to know. Bailey has a nice scene with Richard that proves that these two characters have always had a great dynamic. Bailey reveals her ambitions to become Chief of Surgery of SGMW at some point and to see the place she became a real surgeon crumble is like losing a her own home. Bailey can’t jump this sinking ship. Without Bailey, the place would literally fall apart, and as Alex makes clear, it’s already splitting at the seams. The resignations of some of its most talented staff members have truly destroyed any hopes the remaining surgeons have that their hospital will stay open. Keeping their mission to salvage their hospital a close secret, the plane crash survivors await an ideal outcome, while the others discover the depth of their trouble.
Intern Heather returns with a great new haircut, working on Bailey’s service and keeping Meredith up to date on the goings on at SGMW. Everyone’s preparing for the worst and they have a right to. Their home is being taken away. Hope is completely lost when Heather informs everyone of the liquidation that Pegasus Horizons has in store for the hospital. After hearing this disturbing truth from Dr. Cahill’s own mouth (a disturbing truth she has hidden from Owen) the frenzy in the hospital grows. Intern Shane’s neurotic outburst reveals the painful truth to Owen and crushes April’s hope for having found her new home--a home she can finally be happy with. In the meantime, the clock is ticking and our five salvagers finally get a meeting with their possible billionaire investor. While this investor has heard of Seattle Grace-Mercy West’s great talent, he isn’t sold on this group’s readiness to take charge over the entire facility. There are no real administrative leaders on board, and while Derek has had a brief experience in being Chief of Surgery, it turned out to be a job he admittedly hated.
In a last-ditch effort, the group gets former Chief, Richard Webber to help with their final, last minute pitch. Unfortunately, it’s a no go. Cristina finally lets Owen in on the mission to buy the hospital and he takes helm of an ultimately messy situation by interrupting the deal with Pegasus Horizons. It’s another huge risk of prevention--one that even shakes Dr. Cahill’s confidence, but it’s a moment worthy of applause, seeing Owen really fall in line with his people and make some potentially devastating decisions in order to save his facility. And even while this entire dramatic turn of events transpires, the doctors still continue to do their jobs.
Bailey and Heather do a risky procedure to save a woman’s life. Owen and April salvage a patient’s health. Even Alex and Jo fight to remove a young boy’s tumor. They take care of their patients and do their jobs, even with the end of their world veering its ugly head. Alex is still an excellent surgeon and is great with his young patients. I remember a time when Alex was just a plain old ass who talked to patients any kind of way and was a complete messy underdog and meatballer. Not anymore! Alex and his peers have become excellent doctors--masters of medical magic. Now it’s all about keeping it that way as the hospital faces impending doom. Alex has made such an impression and has become so much of an inspiration to young up and coming doctors that it literally brings some to tears. Jo, specifically, who admits that what she’s most worried about, even as the hospital becomes liquidated and lays off doctors, is missing hanging out with Alex. It’s a wonderfully surprising moment full of genuine emotion and heart that further makes us all impatiently await Alex and Jo’s romantic union.
Jackson Avery’s mother is back in town! We’ve come to know Catherine Avery as a mother who isn’t one to let her son sink as a ship goes under. She has a duty to keep the family legacy up and running, but in order to do so, Jackson must jump ship and join her in Boston. However, Jackson and Richard Webber make strides to stay put. Intern Stephanie has become thoroughly infatuated with Jackson even to the point of following him to wherever he decides to go when the SGMW finally closes. Jo and Leah insists she’s being weak, but maybe she’s just interested in salvaging her work and romantic relationship with Jackson. She’ll have to meet Jackson’s pushy mother sooner or later and as most fans have assumed, I don’t think Jackson is as invested in this relationship as Stephanie is, which I feel we will see more evidence of soon enough…
With their ambitious crusade put to rest, Meredith, Derek, Cristina, Owen, Arizona, Richard and Callie return from their mission, defeated and making plans for a new life somewhere else. But just as all hope seems lost, Catherine Avery comes in at the last minute to save the day. Richard’s lovely lady gets the Harper Avery Foundation to back the doctors in taking control of their sanctuary. It’s a risk and a bold change that no one sees coming, yet it all pans out perfectly! The twist in this passionate salvation comes when Catherine pushes her own son in the daunting position of being the head representative of this new merge. Catherine ends up solving a huge problem, yet setting forth a new onslaught of possibly conflicting solutions.
Jackson is still young, still learning and experiencing. I have no idea what is in the job description of being head representative and boss of an entire hospital, but I don’t think Jackson is the best man for it. Unlike Webber or Derek or even Owen, Jackson was never in on this “buying the hospital” deal, nor does he have an ounce of administrative experience. This is a huge change for his character‘s story. Jackson is a plastic surgeon thrown into a huge position he never asked for and everyone else isn’t sure how to react to this decision. Catherine has always wanted to get her son in a position to prove himself, and this is her chance. But at what cost? No doubt, Richard may have thought himself a shoe-in as head of the hospital, yet Catherine gives it to her inexperienced son? Wow. Seattle Grace-Mercy West has been given a solution, yet the outcome of that solution is yet to be determined. Now that money isn’t exactly an issue anymore, the intertwining relations within the hospital will be tested as this delightful transition transpires.
Grey’s Anatomy continues to surprise in intensely constructing an entirely new complicated storyline that will surely make for some creative storytelling in the final eight episodes of the season. It’s a great installment full of hope after a dark, emotional, and dismal struggle, but even in that hope is a new challenge laid out before the characters of the long running medical drama series. Our favorite doctors took a huge risk in prevention this episode. And yes, the risk was worth it! "This Is Why We Fight" gets 5 out of 5 stars!
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© Patrick Broadnax 2013
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