Friday, January 19, 2007

Why I Love Grey's Anatomy

SPOILERS - You've been warned!!

The last episode (1/18) had me in tears almost from the start. Maybe that’s part of the show’s appeal – it’s a cathartic experience for me. As heart wrenching as the episode was, it once again validated the Golden Globe the show recently won. The dialogue has such depth at times that I continue to put up with the immorality.

Dr. Burke advising George to rely on faith as his Dad is dying. George retorting, “I’m a man of science.” And Dr. Burke softly saying, “In my experience, science is not enough.” For all the talk of postmodernism, there are still an awful lot of modernists around who look to science as their answer, their god. This view was refreshing to hear from a character in a medical show.

In yesterday’s episode, we had to watch the O’Malley family let go of their Dad/husband. It was painful to watch because I went through that process less than two years ago. When his Dad has slipped away and George retreats to the alley to grieve, it wasn’t emotional Izzie who came out to comfort him (and most probably hug him). It was cold, aloof, don’t-think-of-hugging-me Christina. She told him about a club that you can’t join or understand until you do – the Dead Dad Club. She told him how sorry she was that he was now in that club. Then, the most profound two lines of dialogue in the whole episode:

George: “I don’t know how to exist in a world where my Dad doesn’t.”
Christina: “Yeah, that never really changes.”

You can read a blog by the writer about this episode here.

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