Shock to the System

"They say lightning never strikes twice. But that's a myth. It doesn't happen often. Lightning usually gets it right the first time. When you're hit with 30,000 amperes of electricity, you feel it. It can make you forget who you are. It can burn you, blind you, stop your heart and cause massive internal injuries. But for something that happens in only a millisecond, it can change your life forever. Lightning doesn’t often strike twice. It’s a once in a lifetime thing. Even if it feels like the shock is coming over and over again. Eventually the pain will go away, the shock will wear off. And you start to heal yourself. To recover from something you never saw coming. But, sometimes the odds are in your favor. If you’re in just the right place at just the right time you can take a hell of a hit. And still have a shot at surviving."

- Meredith Grey

Shock to the System is the second episode of the seventh season and the 128th overall episode of Grey's Anatomy.

Short Summary
After weeks of concealing the fact she was pregnant and miscarried, Meredith at last tells Derek and is finally cleared to return to her surgical duties in the wake of the hospital shooting spree; Cristina experiences post-traumatic stress disorder in the midst of an operation; and Bailey refuses to let Alex operate until he agrees to have the bullet in his chest removed.

Full Summary
Episode in detail.

Main Cast

 * Ellen Pompeo as Dr. Meredith Grey
 * Sandra Oh as Dr. Cristina Yang
 * Justin Chambers as Dr. Alex Karev
 * Chandra Wilson as Dr. Miranda Bailey
 * James Pickens, Jr. as Dr. Richard Webber
 * Sara Ramírez as Dr. Callie Torres
 * Eric Dane as Dr. Mark Sloan
 * Chyler Leigh as Dr. Lexie Grey
 * Kevin McKidd as Dr. Owen Hunt
 * Jessica Capshaw as Dr. Arizona Robbins
 * Kim Raver as Dr. Teddy Altman
 * Sarah Drew as Dr. April Kepner
 * Jesse Williams as Dr. Jackson Avery
 * Patrick Dempsey as Dr. Derek Shepherd

Guest Stars

 * James Tupper as Dr. Andrew Perkins
 * Ashley Crow as Linda Cotler
 * John Walcutt as Mr. Cotler
 * Camille Chen as Kerry Schultz
 * Walter Perez as Russ
 * Chuck Hittinger as Mitch
 * Eric James Ramey as Warren Griffith

Meredith Grey
Ever since the shooting, the surgeons had to get cleared for surgery by Andrew Perkins, the trauma counselor that was hired by the hospital. Unlike her colleagues, Meredith still hadn't been cleared.
 * Diagnosis: Psychological trauma
 * Doctor: Andrew Perkins (trauma counselor)
 * Treatment: Trauma counseling

In the beginning of the episode, she tried to get cleared by showing Andrew her emotional. She was crying and told Andrew it was really hard to see Derek bleeding out after he was shot. She then added it felt good to finally get that out. However, Andrew still didn't clear her for surgery, making her leave the conference room angrily. She later revealed to Cristina she had put on bad mascara so Dr. Perkins couldn't miss her tears.

At the end of the episode, Meredith told him that she lost a baby, almost lost her husband and that her best friend may never recover. She said she didn't have any control over what he would do and was done trying to get cleared. Andrew Perkins said that was a good plan and then cleared her for surgery.

Alex Karev
Alex was shot by Gary Clark in the season 6 finale. The wound healed properly, but the bullet was still in his body. In this episode, the bullet surfaced. However, Alex didn't want it taken out of his body as he was proud of it.
 * Diagnosis: Bullet in chest
 * Doctor: Miranda Bailey (general surgeon)
 * Treatment: Taking the bullet out surgically

When Bailey bumped into him and felt the bullet in his chest, she refused to let him operate on any patient until someone took it out. Alex then had to stand in Bailey's OR to observe her surgery so she could make sure that he wouldn't operate on anyone. After the surgery was finished, Bailey told Karev she was done bullying him and wanted the bullet removed as it reminded her of the shooting. Alex then agreed and Bailey took it out.

Notes and Trivia
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 * This episode's title originated from the song Shock to the Sytem, originally sung by Billy Idol.
 * This episode scored 12.53 million viewers.
 * Meredith finally gets cleared for surgery by Andrew Perkins at the end of the episode.
 * This episode marks the first time that Alex is being operated on in an OR in Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital. When he got shot in the Season 6 finale, Lexie and Mark gave him some first-aid help before he was transmitted to another hospital.
 * This episode marks Sara Ramírez' 100th episode as Callie Torres.
 * Meredith finally tells Derek about her miscarriage in Death and All His Friends.
 * This episode follows directly on With You I'm Born Again, as April mentions that Owen and Cristina's wedding was last night.
 * Cristina says 50% of marriages end in a divorce, so that between her and Meredith, Meredith and Derek's marriage should be fine. Ironically, in season 9, Cristina and Owen really get divorced.

Quotes

 * April: Dr. Shepherd, the chief is looking for you.
 * Derek: I know.
 * April: You missed the wedding last night.
 * Derek: I know.
 * April: You smell like pee.
 * Derek: I know!


 * Derek: Hey I've heard about Cristina. Is she alright?
 * Meredith: No, she's not alright. No one is alright. That idiot is clearing everyone for surgery like they're fine and they're not fine.
 * Derek: Stop, stop it, I need to talk to you.
 * Meredith: Just leave it alone Derek, it was one night in jail, you drive too fast, just forget about it!
 * Derek: I don't wanna talk about that, don't worry about that.
 * Meredith (teary eyed): Don't worry about it? All I do is worry. All the time, I spend every minute of every day worrying that I'm gonna get a phone-call that you've wrapped your car around a pole. That's why I left you in jail. So that just for a little while I would know that you weren't dying like you were dying on that table. That's what I think about every time you pull out of the driveway.
 * Derek: I'm right here. I'm okay. We're okay.
 * Meredith: I was pregnant. That day, I was pregnant, and I lost it.
 * Derek: I... (pause) You didn't say anything. I could've helped you.
 * Meredith: If you wanna help me, your driving is something you can control. Just do that. Just do that.
 * (They kiss and hug)


 * Meredith (to Perkins): Go hug yourself!