On this episode of Grey’s Anatomy, “You’re Gonna Need Someone On Your Side,” friendships are tested as both Callie and Arizona try to line up friends to testify on their behalf at the upcoming custody hearing. Stephanie doesn’t deal well with being on the other side of the red line, Ben and Miranda bicker incessantly at work and Meredith (who should know) urges Amelia and Owen to grasp the happiness that is within their reach before it is too late.
We Should Be Congratulating You!
As the episode opens, Meredith and Maggie are heading out the door in the morning, kids in tow, and vowing to leave Amelia (who has a habit of making them late) behind. Where could she be, anyway? Why, she’s in the living room! With Owen. And both of them are naked, so M&M see Owen in a whole new way, which becomes a recurring joke throughout the hour. Owen, ever the gentlemen, is mortified and Amelia, who’s also embarrassed, begs the sisters to let this go because, she says in all seriousness, she and Owen aren’t actually…you know…a thing. Oh, Amelia. It’s so cute you really believe that. (Related Aside: Cristina was mentioned! And Meredith clearly wonders how she gave up that.)
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I’m His Doorman
In a very anvil-like Patient-of-the-Week story, Leo Paulson is brought in to the hospital by his doorman, Vincent, after taking a bad fall and suffering a serious spinal injury. Leo is married with three kids and seven grandchildren and another on the way. Leo loves his wife, but (as Meredith discovers after walking in during an intimate moment) he also loves Vincent. In fact, they’ve been pining for each other in secret for 15 years, stealing moments of time together, but never acting on those feeling. Leo tells Meredith that he’s never cheated on his wife. But his feelings for Vincent are different than anything he’s ever felt for her. During Leo’s surgery our docs discover that Leo is full of cancer. He has six to twelve months to live. Meredith encourages Leo to spend those months with Vincent. But Leo instead sends Vincent away and decides to stay with his wife, Angelina, as Meredith ponders why anyone could let the love of their life slip through their fingers. Spurred on by Meredith (who gives Amelia a good talking to) and the Leo/Vincent saga (Owen was one of Leo’s surgeons), Omelia decides that the chance of love is worth the risk of disaster and they seemingly commit to being a real couple.
Battle Lines Are Drawn
Much of this episode set in motion what is to come next week as Callie and Arizona’s custody battle for Sofia moves to the forefront. Both Torres and Robbins decide to try to line up friends to testify on their behalf. Alex is the wisest of the bunch in my opinion. He likes them both and refuses to take sides. Meredith and Owen, however, agree without hesitation to testify for Callie. Richard is clearly siding with Arizona. Arizona had planned to ask April and Jackson to testify for her but a potential problem with the Japril baby (which turned out to be nothing – thank heavens – how much more can these people take?) rightly takes all of their attention and Arizona never gets a good moment to ask. She also tells April she can no longer be her doctor, because she wants to be her friend and she can’t be both, which segues nicely into the Kyle/Stephanie saga.
Loved One vs. Surgeon
Unlike Arizona, who can recognize a conflict of interest, Stephanie stubbornly spends the episode trying to be both Kyle’s girlfriend and his doctor. Despite being told in no uncertain terms to back off, Stephanie insinuates herself into the case in every possible way. Amelia finally has to banish her to the waiting room and confiscates her badge/key card so Steph can’t try to sneak into the surgical gallery. Andrew comes out to tell Stephanie that the surgery went well, but she knows that already because he’s the “B” team. If things had gone poorly, Amelia would be bringing the news. After kissing the sleeping Kyle on the cheek, Stephanie leaves him a Dear John Kyle letter, breaking up with him. After Jo asks why, Stephanie tells her that having been sick as a child, she can’t be in a relationship with someone who is sick all of the time. She cares for Kyle but she’s choosing herself and surgery over him.
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Husband vs. Wife
Finally, who should be the anesthesiologist on Miranda’s surgery? Why, Ben, of course! They argue ceaselessly in the OR, pausing only when Ben performs another “cowboy move” to save the patient. Maggie and Nathan, who had the sense to stay out of things during the surgery, set Miranda and Ben straight after the procedure is over. Nathan explains to Miranda that Ben is already being punished and perhaps she should back off and let him do what he needs to do to learn and to cope. Maggie explains to Ben that despite his clever plan, if Miranda really didn’t want him to be working, he wouldn’t be. She is the Chief of Surgery. She’s allowing it to happen. In the end, Ben finds Miranda putting Ben’s name on the board to be in more surgeries. But he’s still sleeping on the couch.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
Amelia (explaining her and Owen in the living room): “We fell asleep.”
Meredith: “Someone was awake…”
Maggie: “Yeah. Major Owen Hunt reporting for duty.”
Callie: “I have to get Meredith on my side. People will follow her lead.”
Penny: “Grey is going to take your side.”
Callie: “She might side with Arizona. They were in a plane crash together.”
Meredith (to Owen): “I tell my children, ‘when you’re finished’ with your toys, put them away’. My kids don’t need to see your penis, so the same goes for you.”
Owen: “Meredith, please…”
Richard (to Jo, who is also witnessing this conversation): “There was a time I would ask, but I’ve learned.”
April (to Arizona, when Robbins pauses during April’s ultrasound): “You stopped talking. You mouth smiles but your eyes keep thinking. It’s that thing you do.”
Meredith (to Callie): “You know this morning? I saw Owen’s junk.”
Stephanie (about Kyle): “I can be impartial!”
Amelia: “Edwards, you have been the family member from hell today.”
Meredith (to Callie, Owen and Jo about Leo and Vincent): “I caught them. Just holding hands. Very P.G. Nothing like what I saw this morning.”
(Okay, seriously, I felt so badly for Arizona in this episode. And I love that Richard has her back.)
Andrew: “Okay, Stephanie, Kyle’s out of surgery.”
Stephanie: “It’s Dr. Edwards.”
Andrew: “With the loved ones, we like to use a first name basis.”
Stephanie: “You shut up. I taught you that.”
Amelia: “There’s no ‘me and Owen’! We’re not a thing.”
Maggie: “Oh! ‘Cuz it seemed like you were when we saw his thing.”
Meredith: “Oh my god.”
Maggie: “Oh! Are we not doing that anymore?”
Meredith (to Amelia): “You have happiness and you keep throwing it away. Stop the drama and just get on with it already.”
Amelia: “It’s harder to love somebody than to walk away from them.”
Owen: “If you and I decide to be together, I mean really together, I will wind up screwing all of this up.”
Amelia: “Me, too! That is how I feel. I screw everything up. All the time.”
Owen: “Oh well. (Pulls her into an embrace) Let’s screw some things up.”
Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 8pm on ABC.
(Image courtesy of ABC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
