'Grey's Anatomy': Fat jokes, a confession and ... a mature adult decision?

Thursday's episode of "Grey's Anatomy" began with a little sensitivity training from Dr. Bailey. "R.O.C." was the watchword: reaction, observation and communication. From these doctors? I don't think so.

The reason for the extra reminder was Bobby -- a man who was so heavy he had to be brought in on a flatbed truck. When he stood to try to walk a few feet, his ankle snapped under his own weight. Though the fat jokes practically wrote themselves, Bobby is one of the most compelling patients we've met this season on "Grey's."

Some of the doctors view him as pathetic and helpless. Alex sees Bobby himself as the villain: "I got a good one. What did they call the guy who was so fat he couldn't get out of the house? Dead. And selfish. Because you left a 700-pound mess for your wife to clean up.'' Bobby's beautiful wife completely adores him, fiercely standing up for him when she walks in on the doctors comparing a hamburger and a French fry to figure out how she and her husband have sex.

After one of the most gruesome surgery scenes we've seen -- both because of the layers of fat and the perforated bowel -- Bobby survives the operation. Whether his new lease on life will last is yet to be discovered, but we hope that his wife's pregnancy will inspire him to clean up his act.

Even though Bobby was a dynamic and interesting case, the best story line in this episode came after Cristina was kicked off Bobby's case for sensitivity training. In a completely uncharacteristic move, Christina gave up heart surgery with Teddy in order to sit with the patient's very young daughter and comfort her through her worry.

Though Cristina insists she's only "kicking patient sensitivity ---," Sandra Oh's performance is heartbreaking as she breaks down and admits that she misses her father. "Grey's Anatomy" used to be jam-packed with powerful emotional moments like this one. I miss those days, but now that the big tear-jerker scenes come few and far between, they're almost more emotionally satisfying.

Elsewhere in the hospital, a brazen patient flirted shamelessly with Callie, who made it very clear that she ... totally loved it. The woman was fun and sassy and completely harmless, until she wrote her number on Callie's hand and Callie realized the implications of her day.

"I can't get it off," she told Arizona when she got home that night. "I'm not going to use it, but I can't stop wondering if maybe she wants a baby someday."

This was one of the most difficult break-ups to watch yet on the show. No one cheated. There was no betrayal. No one just walked out and left someone abandoned. There were simply two adults making a painful but responsible decision about their relationship.

Finally, Thursday night's episode brought a little bit of closure to one very, very loose thread: Alex finally signed and sent his divorce papers to Izzie. Fans of the show know she's gone, but until we saw Alex take that final step, we had to question whether he still has hope.

I can't wait to see how his relationship progresses with Lexie. They might be the Mer/Der of the new generation.

Don't forget to tell me your thoughts in the comments below and check back after next week's all-new episode!

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

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Photo: Guest star Jerry Kernon as Bobby, with Kevin McKidd, Sarah Drew, Robert Baker. Credit: ABC

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Comments

[Donna Brown]

i love Glee, but 2 of this season's shows have added an element that i don't like nor do i understand. i don't like Sue Sylvester singing and 'cavorting' (you can't really call what she does 'dancing').
the beauty of sue's character initially is that she was so venal and heartless she was the perfect foil to sweet mr. shuster. now, twice they've had her singing (which she does poorly) and styling in 'music videos' (first the Madonna show and then last week with olivia newton-john) and that's not who sue is!
she was practically "anti-music" at first and hated everyone and everything about the glee club, so to have her now as part of the music medleys to me just seems wrong.
and since she's such a lousy singer, it's wasting time that could be given to mercedes or artie (the kid in the wheelchair) both of whom are very good and don't get enough songs as far as i'm concerned. or to kurt, who has an amazing voice which we've only heard once in the last 3 shows. rachel and finn get alot of singing time; everybody else, not so much. (and frankly, as good as he is, i don't need to see Mr. Shuster with so many solos; i really want to hear from the students more. ditto Kristin Chenowith.)
but SUE??? it's a waste and it goes against her character.
we see she has a heart when she is in the scenes with her down syndrome sister, that's enough of a departure i think from her as a meanie - her singing???? It's just wrong.

[colin]

um, Donna, whats with the Glee?

Thought the episode was really good - especially well written all around. The resolution of both cases could have been predictable - I thought I could predict the Big Speech moments and how they would play out but each actor and the writing made each one authentic and heart-breaking.

The conversation the gang had about how the obese patient and his wife have sex was the awkward question I was reluctantly asking - so I liked that awareness being written in.

Sandra Oh was amazing, and I liked how she was still herself with Avery - yet also so transformed -crying in Owen's arms, opting to be there for the girl over surgery.

I liked the different perspectives of the obese guy - his wife, Alex, Derek, ex-Chief, Yang .

Also though the relationship with Callie and Arizona was nicely done - very mature but sad because they did work so well, and also Callie wasn't so together before the relationship and she may go all loose cannon again and shes gets rather annoying...

Alex and Lexie - yay! that kiss was awesome!

Love that Bailey was the winer of the bet!

Was it just me or did McDreamy's lawyer look like she was liking what she saw?

Oh, and isn't hitting golf balls of a roof of a building (hospital!) in the middle of the city you know, dangerous?