Grey's Anatomy Fodder

Getting Ready for Season 4 of "Grey's Anatomy"

"Testing 3-2-1" Recap

After a brief hiatus, welcome back to TV Fodder’s “Grey’s Anatomy” blog. And just in time. We’re getting down to the wire—the Season 4 premiere is only two weeks away—and the end of reruns are in sight. Thank God! As if watching Season 3 the first time wasn’t bad enough, ya know what I’m sayin’?!

I will add, however, that Shonda began to get back on track in the last two episodes in May. Tonight the second-to-last eppie aired, “Testing 3-2-1” and it was certainly packed with its fair share of drama. Here’s a recap:

The kids are cramming for their boards test but Meredith has her mom’s funeral the same day. Murphy’s Law, right. But this is just standard crap on crap in the Grey universe. Things go even further south after Meredith’s father comes to the hospital and tells her she’s not wanted at the funeral since, as far as he’s concerned, she killed Susan, the love of his life. He completely balls her out, right there in front of the Chief, George, et al. The Chief tries to console her but she launches back with the old ‘you’re not my dad just some guy that boffed my mom so stop acting like it.’ Because this is a good thing to say to your boss . . . .

During the exam, George notices Mer isn’t writing anything and afterwards, she avoids everyone, including Derek, though its clear to him that at least everyone else knows what’s going on. The girl is in a mood but we’re kind of used to that, aren’t we? Luckily, the Chief let’s her take the test later because, really, what would “Grey’s Anatomy” be without Meredith Grey?

There is, of course, plenty of Gizzie drama. Now I think I’m just about the only person on planet Earth that actually likes George and Izzie as a couple, mostly because I really like the idea of being in love with your best friend. But like I said, I’m the only one. Anyway, Callie’s ecstatic that George has been accepted to Mercy West, but Izzie is less than thrilled. When she tells George he doesn’t have to defect to Mercy West he tells her he can’t stand to see her every day and oh, by the way, the snogging in the elevator has got to stop! When Bailey finds out George is thinking of leaving, she tells him flat out, in that flat out Bailey way we so love, that’s he’s a total rube if he leaves the best surgical residency program in the country. Meanwhile, Callie is really beginning notice sparks between her husband and Izzie. At one point, Callie, Meredith, and Izzie all try to help Christina with her vows, which she has not yet written though it’s the day before her wedding. Though Callie and Mer tell her the “love and cherish” thing is overrated, Izzie chimes in that if they couldn’t be with their true loves they’d feel differently. Callie gives her a filthy look, even though Izzie says she was talking about Denny.

Alex finally figures out that Jane Doe/Ava has already regained her memory and is just being a big faker. Turns out she ran away from a husband she doesn’t really love in search of big city living. She refuses to give Alex her real name because she doesn’t want him to turn her in. They fight and Alex threatens to tell the police she’s regained her memory, telling her pointedly that she’s right, he really has no idea who she is. Finally she relents and tells him her name is Rebecca Pope.

In the aftermath of Addison’s flight to L.A. where she finds out she can’t have kids in what can only be described as a tragic pilot for “Private Practice,” Addison spends the day getting inundated by pregnant chicks. First, Joe, the bartender, and his partner Walter (you remember them from the boys’ fishing weekend in Season 2?) bring Rina, the birth mother of their potentially adoptive child, in for apparent heartburn. Addison, who’s been fretting over her own chances of having children, discovers Rina is, in fact, carrying twins. The less fun news is that Rina hasn’t quite made up her mind about who to give the kids to, Joe and Walter or some other couple. Addison begins to suspect the universe is trying to tell her something when later the chief’s ex, Adele, is brought to the ER after being in a fender bender. But what’s really up is that, despite her separation from Richard and her rather advanced years for this sort of thing, Adele is in a family way. Addison agrees not to tell Richard Adele is in the hospital though later Richard sees her going into the restroom. When she doesn’t respond to his knocking, he barges in to find her passed out on the floor. In a parallel scene, Rina passes out at Joe’s bar and is rushed to the hospital.

As if the episode isn’t juggling enough plotlines, three climbers are brought in from Mt. Rainier with severe frostbite and other icky injuries. Seems they were tied together when a big storm hit and they fell an obscenely long way down, killing a fourth friend, whom they had to leave behind in order to survive. There are lots of furtive looks and strained silences and it becomes clear that there is something being left unsaid here. Limbs are flying as all three hikers go in for surgery, and in some freak of storytelling and surgery timing, Callie assists on all three. Mark praises her and suggests Bailey isn’t the only option for Chief Resident. Bailey begins to sweat.

Burke’s best man can’t make it to the wedding so he turns to Derek, who’s now got to plan a last-minute bachelor party. The impromptu gig is over at Joe’s where Derek asks Burke whether or not Christina has written her vows. Burke is, alas, clueless on that score. He returns the favor by asking after Meredith and Derek admits he has no freaking clue. Maybe this is why the pretty girl at the bar turns his head with her flirtations, though he does ultimately refuse the drink she’s offering to buy him. Interesting to re-watch this scene knowing who the pretty girl actually is—Lexi Grey.

In a killer final scene, the fourth climber is brought into the ER, still alive, with an axe buried in his skull! As Bailey so succinctly puts it, “What the hell happened up on that mountain?!”

--Tracy Blanchard

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Posted by on September 14, 2007 3:02 PM
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