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Grey’s Anatomy continues to impress me even more than usual. I almost don’t even know what to say about that episode. I thought it was amazing from start to finish.
If you’ve missed it, or can’t see it from where you are, here’s a brief recap:
“Elevator Love Letter” | Original airdate: 03/26/09
Izzie’s been admitted into Seattle Grace (as we saw last week), and Alex watches over her, from afar. Callie and Arizona dance around the living room (so we can assume that they’re together?) And Cristina and Owen (platonically) fall asleep. But the spinning of the fan seems to affect Owen in a terrible way, and Cristina wakes to find him strangling her. Thankfully, Callie hears the commotion and thinks to knock and enter. This wakes Owen up and Cristina breaks free.
Callie calls Meredith who comes by immediately to check up on Cristina. Both Callie and Meredith express great concern but Cristina wants to forgive Owen. Owen’s a mess of tears and guilt.
The next day Derek attempts a pretty unimaginative proposal. He drops the ring on the breakfast table and Meredith gently tells him to put it away. She wants him to focus on Izzie first.
Izzie gets the lowdown on her treatment, which is described as “aggressive” by the Oncologist, who’s a prickly, unlikeable sort of character. Izzie puts on a brave front, telling her friends to go be doctors. They leave her. She focuses on knitting, and they focus on worrying about her from far away.
Alex is particularly guilt-ridden and is angry, both at the situation and at himself. He feels he should’ve known something was wrong when Izzie told him about the hallucinations. He confesses as much to Meredith, who listens patiently.
But no one goes to visit Izzie.
The only one that stops by to see her is Bailey, who does her best to keep a positive outlook, telling Izzie she knows she’ll pull through.
Callie struggles with her own guilt, admitting to Arizona that she once wished Izzie dead (after Izzie stole her husband). But Arizona asks her if she’s praying for Izzie’s death now, and Callie says that no, she’s praying for her life.
Despite Meredith’s protests and Callie’s concerns, Cristina is insistent on defending Owen. Owen, however, feels awful and terribly guilty. Derek tries to offer some advice, but Owen shoves it back in his face, telling him to look in the mirror.
Meanwhile, Derek deals with his own insecurities and self-doubts. He attempts another flimsy proposal, telling Meredith that he needs to know it’s a yes before he operates on Izzie but she again gently declines and tells him she believes that he can do it.
Owen tries to break it off with Cristina, but Cristina tells him to let her decide what she can handle.
In the OR, Bailey’s there for Izzie, who tells her that the scarf she’d been knitting all day is for her. Derek does his best not to look petrified, and speaks his mantra: It’s a beautiful day to save lives.
A different patient – an old woman – that has been fighting death for years, continues to fight. Alex is impressed with her ability to come back from the brink of death. She tells him that it’s her people that have pulled her through, and that having people is better than having no people. And Alex realizes that the same must pertain to Izzie and that he’s been wrong to avoid her all day.
George, meanwhile, remains angry at Izzie for not telling him, but Callie talks him out of it and tells him they need to go wait for Izzie to come out of surgery.
Everyone – even the interns – gather to wait for the outcome of Izzie’s surgery.
The Oncologist drops into the OR to question Derek’s every decision, but the more she questions him, the more confident he becomes, and he gets his footing back. The surgery is a success.
Bailey gives everyone the good news, that Izzie is coming out of the surgery fine, but that it was no thanks to them.
Cristina finds Owen in the on-call room and gives him the good news about Izzie. Despite the day’s tension, or perhaps because of it, they finally make love.
The Chief tells Derek that Meredith believes in him, and that he should try proposing again. Derek seems to take the Chief’s advice to heart and starts to shave.
Alex goes to Izzie and stays with her.
At the elevators, the Chief blocks Meredith’s entrance to one elevator and forces her to take the other. Inside, is Derek, and the walls have been wallpapered with brain scans and random papers, a medical timeline of their time together and the stories that went with them. Derek goes over them one by one, reminding Meredith of the cases that brought them here and brought them together. He doesn’t get down on one knee and doesn’t ask her to marry him, he simply tells her that he wants to spend the rest of his life with her. She says the same.
In bed together, Cristina tells Owen that she doesn’t think she can do this after all. That she’s lying there in his arms and she’s afraid to fall asleep.
The episode ends with Owen getting a brain scan, Meredith telling Cristina that she’s engaged, Cristina telling Meredith that she broke up with Owen, and Alex holding Izzie in the hospital bed.
[The End]
This was absolutely one of those episodes that you have to watch in order to truly appreciate its impact. It was a beautifully moving hour of drama.
The whole Izzie storyline is breaking my heart. And I think Owen and Cristina are beautiful together. It’s going to have a wonderful payoff in the end, no doubt.
What did you think of the proposal scene? I can’t imagine a more perfect proposal, honestly. But what about you? Were you impressed with it or disappointed? And what did you think of the episode as a whole?
Image: Newscom
You know, I haven’t watched Grey’s since the end of season 3. I said I was done. Then I heard about the proposal. Three weeks ago, I sat down and watched my first new episode in over a year. Then I watched last week’s. Then I watched yesterday’s. Because I wanted to see this proposal. And I have to say, I am hooked again. This episode is the one that brought me back to this show, and I am so glad I caught it. I loved everything about it, and I was grinning like an idiot at that elevator proposal. Perfect. Everything was perfect.
I agree on of the best episodes yet! I LOVED IT!
This was a great episode! They are finally doing everything right. I can’t believe next week isn’t another new episode and hate to be left hanging again.
The perfect proposal!!!!
I love mcdreamy!!!
grey’s anatomy really has become good once again but now its totally different.its not like the old grey’s that it was.i dont know whether its a good thing or a bad thing but after an early slump this season it has recovered well
I just saw the episode and really i’m stuck to the screen. Grey’s anatomy is rocking again. It’s amazing how shonda can capture every storyline so perfectly. I understand george reaction..it’s like his best friend betrayed him with the lack of trust..and that can get anyone mad..worst..she may die..and he is hurt and the guilt..i don’t know..and callie..that’s so normal..she was mad at izzie and when we are mad we say stupid things.. =| bailey is rocking..she believes that izzie will come out of this and izzie..i crie everytime i saw her..it’s so sad..and seeing alex pain..and anger was an excellent scene..cristina and hunt..oh my god..human are masoquist..he his sick and cristina has a bad karma with men..we know that he doesn’t do it on purpose..but common..cristina is right how can she be with him if she’s afraid to fall asleep? messy very messy..and i must say that i love see how meredith defends cristina..and care about her..that’s truth friendship! and the mcdreamy proposal? perfect it his..he’s so sweet..and seeing him so sad..makes my heart smal..but it was very sweet..and he’s right..meredith is dark and twisty but that’s her straight
i love this.. i want more! kiss guys
I loved this episode. Supurb acting from so many people. Alex rocked in this episode. Christina and Owen’s scene was so intense and realistic. Then their love scene was so beautiful. The proposal was the most creative idea I would’ve ever imagined. Perfect for these two. I was very upset that noone visited Izzie and I thought Alex would make a last minute appearance to give her a will to live through surgery (based on the concept of the episode). But, no matter, it was awesome.
Was I the only one that wanted him to get down on one knee???? They didn’t have hardly any screen time and there was no passion or flirting, the stuff that makes them them! They are turning into every other couple. When was the last sex scene?? I know meredith is all ‘healed’, but come on!
I thoroughly enjoyed Alex doing the beginning and ending voiceovers. I think they should give all the cast members a chance to do them instead of just Mer. I think it would add another dimention to the cast/show to hear them all narrate. About the episode… what’s not to love. Enough said