'Grey's Anatomy': Derek's first day doesn't go as planned

To be honest, I've been dreading tonight's "Grey's Anatomy" since the promo aired after last week's episode.  For lack of a better term, the idea of waking up in the middle of invasive surgery... freaks me out.  Luckily, that part was over within the first few minutes of the episode, titled "State of Love and Trust," so I could take my hands off of my eyes and sit back to enjoy Derek's first day as chief of surgery.

The major issue in tonight's episode was, of course, the fall-out from Derek turning Webber in.  While Meredith is still angry about Derek's decision, she puts her own feelings aside and does her best to support him.  I think that deep down, she knows Derek did the right thing.  Webber, on the other hand, doesn't appear to be ready to forgive Derek any time soon. He gets Derek to admit that Derek wanted to be Chief, but Derek also makes it very clear that if and when Webber gets sober, he can have his job back.

You'd think that when faced with the choice between rehab or surrendering his medical license permanently, Webber would choose rehab without question.  It speaks to how far he's fallen that he feels the need to "think about it." I wish that his wife would have made an appearance in this episode; he really needed an ally.  It was reassuring when he finally admitted to Dr. Bailey that he's an alcoholic.  Admitting you have a problem is the first step toward recovery, right?

It wasn't exactly smooth sailing on Derek's first day in his new position.  Leslie (Chastity Dotson), the patient who woke up during Dr. Bailey's surgery, remembers everything about those horrifying moments, much to the dismay of Derek, Bailey, and the new Mercy West anesthesiologist, also known as "The Gas Man," played by Jason George.  While the mishap winds up being unpreventable, the result of a rare condition, the patient still refuses to let Bailey anywhere near her, so Meredith has to perform the follow-up surgery.  It does, however, allow an initial connection to form between the anesthesiologist (whose name I couldn't figure out) and Dr. Bailey.  After a rocky divorce and some family trouble, I hope that connection turns into something more meaningful for Bailey.

Cristina and Owen's relationship was really front and center this week.  Showtracker readers have frequently commented on their roughness with each other, so Cristina's "sex injury" this week - a burn from the grates in the boiler room - shouldn't have come as much of a surprise.  Still, I was glad to see Cristina finally confront Owen about their obvious issues, just as I was glad to see Owen demand information from Cristina about Burke.  In a show where no one seems to be able to say what they mean, Cristina and Owen have the worst communication issues of anyone.  Now that it's all out in the open, perhaps they'll be able to connect on a deeper level.

Elsewhere in the hospital, Arizona was exploring something we've all known for years: Karev is great with kids.  I do think that he's going to be an excellent pediatric surgeon once he gets his hair-trigger temper under control.  He made it very clear that he works well under pressure, and considering what's been going on at home for him, it's great that he can leave that behind and do his job to the best of his ability.  Speaking of his problems outside the hospital... I expected to see Izzie again, but she wasn't back this week.  Katherine Heigl's name is still in the regular credits, but there are guest stars who have appeared more frequently than she has this season.

I have to say, I'm thrilled that Derek hired back April (Sarah Drew).  She was my favorite of the Mercy West insurgents and I can't wait to see more from her character.

How do you think Derek's first day as chief of surgery went?  Let's discuss it in the comments below, and don't forget to come on back to Showtracker after next week's new episode!

--Carina MacKenzie (follow me on Twitter @cadlymack)

Photo: Derek (Patrick Dempsey) addresses the hospital as chief for the first time. (Credit: ABC)

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Comments

[Lainne]

Katherine is on maternity leave - she is legally entitled to 12 weeks off and it didnt begin until after she filmed last weeks episode back at the end of November. Is it really so hard to understand someone wanting to spend time with their child? Seems like it these days - probably why there are so many crappy parents out there. Kudos to Katherine I say.

[Carina MacKenzie]

I absolutely agree, Lainne! I just wish the writers had found a better way to explain Izzie's absence.

[Crystal]

I agree with both of you Lainne and Carina. Surely the writers are aware of the fact that she has a child and even though she is adopted Katheerine is entitled to materinty leave as well as any other mother. The writers could have and SHOULD have explained her absence.

[Jennie Cee]

Waking up in the middle of a surgery has now jumped onto my FIVE THINGS TO NEVER HAVE HAPPEN TO ME list. Yikes! I don't even want to think about what that would be like. What it would FEEL like. Probably, I imagine, like someone has their fist inside a gaping wound on your stomach! Something like that...

It's a good thing Kevin McKidd and Sandra Oh are such strong, capable actors, because it feels like Owen and Cristina have had the same argument over and over again for the past I don't even know how long. The show drags like a soap opera that way. Maybe it should just adopt the Joss Whedon rule of relationships: give the couple their moment of happy, then kill someone off. SIMPLE! It erases the problem Grey's seems to have, which is portray a normal, healthy long-term relationship. Just start killing the lesser half of the relationships! Boom. Fixed.

I liked The Gas Man. I liked the semi-flirty going-ons between said Gas Man and Bailey. I hope something romantic pans out there!

And, ahh, that shot of Sloan, Callie, and Arizona getting their platonic bedtime on after a hard day's work full of emotional non-release. Reminded me of the early days with Meredith, Izzie ,and George. How I miss that!

[Madison]

I think Sandra Oh and Kevin McKidd have done a phenomenal job this season, and some of the scenes between them have been heartwrenching. I thought tonight's was amazing, but I really wish that one or both of them would think back to the time they spent in therapy dealing with Owen's PTSD and realize that they need a little help. It's sort of depressing to watch them self-destruct week after week.

[Andrea]

I couldn't even watch the surgery part! It was awful. I can't even imagine how horrifying that would be, I can barely make it through a dentist appointment without freaking out.

Owen and Cristina are my favourite couple on the show... I just love them.

great review!!

[Laura]

I think I'm the only one who doesn't like Cristina and Owen. I just can see to like them together.

Loved Arizona, Derek, and Alex in this episode.

[Erica Stephens]

This blog has proven to be far more interesting than the program,I gave up on it weeks ago.Now rather then waste an hour of my life on Greys I can spend 2 minutes and I,m done.

[Salma]

I actually didnt quite like the new episode coz it was mostly boring but there was one scene that i totally loved and it really touched me, which was when Christina broke into tears explaining to Owen what was she so angry about and the true reasons behind her resentment... I feel they are a great couple who are slowly but successfully building a very deep and just amazing relationship... I truly wish it stays that way and gets better between the two of them.

[Erin]

As an anesthesiologist, I stopped watching Grey's a couple years ago because of the way they portray our field. Although awareness under anesthesia is real it is VERY rare. Anesthesia if you are relatively healthy is quite safe and I loathe this show for putting unnecessary fear into the public and our patients. Oh and folks are scared yet feel that healthcare costs should be cut for the same care? Don't forget we train for 12yrs after undergrad just to work to take care of your mom, dad, brother, sister, grandparent, friend the best way we can while facing for some unsurrmountable debt from the training....

Shame on you Grey's Anatomy and do your research!