Grey's Anatomy -- Happy Birthday, Richard
And here's your retirement package
It's Richard's birthday and he arrives at the hospital with a zip in his step. It's a far cry from the man who wanted to die not so long ago and thought he'd never recover. Unfortunately, Owen kills his buzz when he gives him a package from the board about how isn't it time he retired and then Owen suggests reducing Richard's surgical schedule, which makes Richard feel that Owen is trying to push him out and force him into retirement.
Thankfully, Bailey gets the Freak Of The Week patient who comes in complaining of pain and they realize upon x-raying him that he's got a fetus inside him. Turns out when he was in the womb, he absorbed his twin. The man has a weird reaction to it; he wants to keep it inside of him. Richard, however, gets him agree to have it removed if he gives it to him in a specimen jar so he can keep. But when the man sees it after the operation he screams and wants nothing to do with the horrible thing.
Meredith gave Alex the idea of a love contract so he and Jo can screw at work and not get in trouble. She, however, balks about signing it. That it, until Alex points out as long as she doesn't sign it she can't participate in all the nifty surgeries he's doing. So she signs it.
The newlyweds honeymoon bliss gets rained all over when the Wicked Witch of Grey-Sloane Mercy-West, Catherine Avery, drops in for a visit. Mommy Avery is not happy she was not invited to the wedding and she takes it out on the newlyweds by demanding a post nuptial be signed to make sure April isn't a gold digger out for all her baby boy's money. She also starts up more trouble that will surely outlast her visit be demanding to know in what religion any potential children Jackson and April have will be raised in. After things are patched up with Mommy Avery April reveals she wants their children to be raised in her religion which goes against Jackson's beliefs. So there won't be any return to martial bliss thanks to Mommy Avery.
Last week it was Leah who was filing a complaint against Callie and this week it was Callie threatening Derek with a lawsuit. She wasn't going to let him have full rights to those sensors they'd been working on. When Derek tries to play hardball with her, he discovers Callie has balls of steel and she won't back down. Eventually, Derek gets on Team Callie and demands the White House allow Callie to continue her work with the sensors.
Cristina is running trials on the experimental op she pulled off and a pregnant teen wants to be a trial subject. Problem is she's too old. Ross hopes that Cristina might change her mind if she meets her, but Cristina tells her no. Meanwhile, Cristina is trying to push Owen into online dating. He finally tells her the only woman he's interested in is her.
Meredith brings in help to find out why her project isn't working, only she won't let the guy do anything. She's so afraid she won't get the credit for the project and gets all possessive about this being her mother's project and that she's going to make it work.
I actually thought Witchiepoo Catherine might have been behind the whole retirement thing. Turns out she was appalled by it and told Richard to fight it. But Richard found out to his surprise that Owen wasn't trying to force him into retirement and wanted him to reduce his surgery schedule so he could become mentor to the interns, since Owen says he just doesn't click with them and Richard does. Richard happily accepts Owen's offer and can now have a happy birthday and enjoy his surprise birthday party.
You know, since the show came back from it's hiatus it's kind of jarring to watch. It seems to lack a definite continuity. Like all the problems the characters were having were magically resolved. Before the break Meredith and Cristina were at each other's throat, and after all is well in Twisted Sister Land. And now one week Leah is accusing Callie of not teaching her and this week everything is fine with Leah, as she works with Bailey. Speaking of Bailey she's suddenly back working with patients and all over her obsessive compulsive disorder and she and Ben's problems have magically been solved and all is lovey dovey between them. As I said it's rather jarring, especially when the viewer has no idea how they got from A to B.
It makes no sense to create all these problems that the viewers have to be subjected to week upon week and not show viewers how the problems were resolved. It's really bad writing. I don't see why they couldn't have just picked up the story right where they left off.
I also don't know why they can't just get rid of Ross. Speaking of which, the finale made it look like he was going to go up to the roof and jump off. Again, we don't know just what happened. But he supposedly got suspended for a time and then was brought back.
Anyway, next week looks interesting as Cristina looks like she has a sliding doors episode in regards to her and Owen and the road not taken.
Can I also say I'm not thrilled Burke is coming back and I sure hope Cristina doesn't go off with the crud that left her standing at the altar and took all the credit for the medical procedure she helped him with? I honestly couldn't stand the character when he was on the show and was glad when he was gone. I really don't know why they have to bring him back.