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

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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.”

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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.”

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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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