Benign
- Whoever thought we’d see Bailey at Joe’s, sipping away her troubles? The sight of her with a fruity drink by her side while wearing cute, yet childish, eyeglasses was comical and showed that she was once a defeated intern too, just like the rest of them. Seeing the usually tough Bailey being kicked around shows us that it does take failure to achieve success. Corny, but these cheesy lessons are what Grey’s is for.
- Having a plotline involving AIDS brought to light a medical issue that hasn’t been heavily covered on television recently. The man’s initial denial of his homosexuality was obviously false, but it shows the harsh prejudices evident only less than 50 years ago. His struggle to escape the hospital room and the question of his sexuality was sad, solely because he was so fearful of answering the question. His eventual admission and plea for help showed the severity of his condition and his desperation, displaying his courage in an age of discrimination.
Malignant
- Callie and Karev’s surgery together, though enlightening, is too recent history to belong in this episode. The story of Bailey as a young, scared intern and Richard as a surgeon in forbidden love gives us a glimpse into a past that we only hear about through the characters’ conversations, if even. But the man’s foot surgery could have easily fit into an episode in any of the last five seasons, therefore giving us no insight into the past like the revealing of Richard’s forceful introduction to hard liquor by Ellis did.
- “You leave Adele, and I’ll leave Thatcher.” Team, break. While Ellis’ oft-mentioned surgical skill should warrant respect, her selfish personality is less than worthy of reverence. She so easily forgets the daughter she has back at home, even when little Meredith is right in front of her. While staying in an unhappy marriage is hurtful for everyone, abruptly leaving your husband for another man you’ve been surreptitiously having sex with isn’t any better.