TV REVIEW: Grey’s Anatomy “Change of Heart” Pulls the Heartstrings

“Change of Heart” pulled on my heartstrings in typical Grey’s manner, but gave me some heart palpitations as well with all the “what the heck” moments.  It had the feel of looking back at past Grey’s and a little nod toward sentimentality now that Cristina Yang’s departure is imminent. It’s  hard to believe that Yang (Sandra Oh) is really leaving, and won’t be a doc at our favorite TV hospital, but I’m so glad Shonda Rhimes is giving her the send off she deserves. Every episode is rich with Yang and it’s leaving the viewers rich as well.

This one begins with Meredith and Owen on a plane. Let’s be honest. Will we ever be okay with any of our Grey’s favorites being on a plane since one brought the end to our beloved Lexie Grey and Mark McSteamy? Heck no!  Take a train, people.  Well, they’re leaving Boston after Cristina was robbed of her Harper Avery and you’ve gotta love the way they bash the bozo who won.  He sounds like a real wiener.

Cristina’s MIA – not picking up her phone and not getting on that plane.  Smart girl.  She’s obviously upset she didn’t win that damn award. We’ll start with the first “what the heck” moment with last week’s surprise that Yang doesn’t get the award she was built to receive. Let’s all say it together, “Wh- what?”

The next surprise comes when we find April Kepner (Sarah Drew) still being whiny and irritating her new roommates, Calzona. Okay, maybe not quite one of those “what the heck” moments I was talking about. Is there an Emmy for most likely to cause all of us to slit our wrists?  Kepner is so annoying I think I’d choose listening to a Christmas CD featuring duets with Josh Groban and Clay Aiken for the entire month of July rather than listen to her talk about anything.  Callie feels the same, telling the redhead to “get out of my vagina” when she weighs in on the Calzona pregnancy plans.

(ABC/Kelsey McNeal)
SANDRA OH, ELLEN POMPEO

In a true “what the heck” moment, Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) is considering joining Dr. Butthole’s practice. He’s been made an offer and has to let them know by the end of the day. Jo is really excited and you can’t help but get the feel that this young thing feels like she’s hit pay dirt. Back off, girl. Our Karev did not survive a gunshot wound and Izzie Stevens just to ride off into the proctology sunset.

In some adorable scenes, he tells Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) about the job offer and then waits for her to beg him not to go.  It doesn’t come. They find themselves in a plane (what’s with all the flying this episode) to retrieve a heart.  Karev comments, “This is how it’s gonna be? Radio silence?” Arizona admits she’s sad and going to miss him.  She’s proud of him and was being sentimental. Aw. we can barely accept that Yang’s leaving, but add a  Karevless Grey’s and I’m calling foul. We can only take so much, writers!

Alex interrupts a board meeting and says he’s going all in on the pyramid scheme he’s just invested in, or really taking the lucrative private practice job he’s been offered.  Alex tells Jo he did it, and she’s so excited you’d think she just won the lottery. Oh wait she did.  She wonders why she’s trying to clean some blood soaked shoes and says, “Why am I scrubbing those nasty things when now you can afford to buy me new things.”  Key Kanye, I can hear Gold Digger faintly in the background.

Now onto the medical cases of the night.  They are the familiar ones we’ve come to know over the last two episodes – Bubble Boy and family of bad heart kids.

Bubble Boy has taken a turn for the worse and his parents are desperate. The pressures of having a sick kid is taking a toll on their marriage. Last week it was the mom and dad of the bad heart children who were at each other’s throats. This week it’s Braden’s parents. Mom finally decides enough is enough, and her son will not have any further treatments. Bailey (Chandra Wilson) is left sad and praying for a miracle.

The couple with the kids all needing new hearts faces an impossible predicament. There’s one heart a comin’ but two of their daughters need it.  Wow, Sophie’s Choice Grey’s style.  Frankie’s heart ends up being reallocated to sister Ivy.  In a heartbreaking scene, Yang has to watch Frankie slip away.

Owen later finds his despondent ex wife in the shower, fully clothed. He tells her, “They were very sick kids. Frankie was in borrowed time. You made the right call.”  Cristina says she knows she made the right call. “I did everything exactly as I was supposed to.  I did it perfectly.”  Owen doesn’t get it.  Then what’s wrong he asks.  Cristina answers with her own question, “What’s the point, Owen?  What’s the point of anything?” Yang doesn’t have these existential struggles. She knows the point is for her to  kick ass and take names, for her to make every other surgeon look just so so.  The “what the heck” moment comes when Cristina walks soaking wet out of the shower and straight out of the hospital. Perhaps forever. Wh- what?

(ABC/Kelsey McNeal)
CATERINA SCORSONE

In another jaw dropping scene, Richard Webber meets Mama Avery (Debbie Allen) out of town. He starts to question her about Yang not winning the Harper Avery.  The “discussion” becomes very heated with Catherine Avery asking, “Do you want me to remind you why there’s a hospital? Should I take my 24 million and go home?”  Ouch.  She did not just pull the 24 million dollar card?  Oh yes she did.

Webber says he didn’t come to argue. He came to ask her to be by his side for the rest of their lives. He pulls out a ring box and places it on her desk. He says, “And now I’m leaving.”  He just pulled the “no proposal to you” card. Wh-what?

In the final shocker and true “what the heck” moment, April decides to go home to get her iPod. And maybe talk a little to her husband. Or should I say whine a little, or a lot. Jackson (Jesse Williams) says, “We got married. We love each other. We can push through this. Can we just take a break from our hypothetical children?”  April counters with, “No we can’t. They’re not hypothetical. I’m pregnant.”  No way!  Wh- Wh- What?

Is it any wonder that the ratings for this veteran show have been excellent?  The last episodes are being billed as Yang’s farewell tour, and they have been full of surprises, tears, and quality acting, all the ingredients that make good drama. The latest Grey’s outing had us on the edge of our seats with scenes from the OR that rival any big action sequences set in the Windy City. Yeah, fires got nothing on Yang handling two surgeries at once. She’s operating on one bad heart girl while barking orders at Shane via speaker phone on how to save the girl’s sister. Unbelievable. Another unbelievable scene?  The promo for next week’s episode heralding the return of Preston Burke (Isaiah Washington).   Burke is seen saying, ” I want you Cristina.” What the heck moment number one from this episode has just arrived.  And it’s in the form of a promo.  I will definitely see you back here next week, so we can discuss all of this mess, craziness, and drama known as Grey’s Anatomy.

Random Notes

Yang did win the Harper Avery … or should have won. Mama Avery admits she had the votes but can never win because she’s working at the hospital that Harper Avery owns.

Pissed off Meredith is hilarious. She’s fuming that Cristina didn’t win and takes it out on anyone who will listen. April feels her wrath when Mer says, “She was robbed and you robbed her.  You’re an Avery by association. They can’t tell their asses from their elbows.” She goes on to describe the winner as “a half wit that tinkers with science kits in his mother’s basement.”

Amelia (Caterina Scorsone), Derek’s sister, shows up unexpectedly. And who cares?  Enough said.  In related news, Derek remains the lost dwarf “McSnoozy.”  And again, who cares?