Freedom, Part 1

"My mother used to say that for a surgeon, a day without death is a rare gift. Every day we face death. Every day we lose life. And every day, we're hoping for a stay of execution. We're attached to death. Chained, like prisoners. Captives."

- Meredith Grey

Freedom, Part 1 is the first part of the season four finale and the 77th overall episode of Grey's Anatomy.

Short Summary
A surgical team battles the clock as they try to save a boy encased in cement, Karev's situation with an ever-disintegrating Ava brings back painful memories that interfere with his judgment, Derek and Meredith have one last chance at their clinical trial.

Full Summary
Episode in detail.

Main Cast

 * Ellen Pompeo as Dr. Meredith Grey
 * Sandra Oh as Dr. Cristina Yang
 * Katherine Heigl as Dr. Izzie Stevens
 * Justin Chambers as Dr. Alex Karev
 * T.R. Knight as Dr. George O'Malley
 * 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
 * Brooke Smith as Dr. Erica Hahn
 * Patrick Dempsey as Dr. Derek Shepherd

Guest Stars

 * Amy Madigan as Dr. Katharine Wyatt
 * Elizabeth Reaser as Rebecca Pope
 * Lauren Stamile as Nurse Rose
 * John Cothran as Ken Monroe
 * James Immekus as Andrew Langston
 * Kathryn Meisle as Liz Monroe
 * Marshall Allman as Jeremy West
 * Jana Kramer as Lola
 * Jurnee Smollett as Beth Monroe

Co-Starring

 * Stephen Bishop as Firefighter
 * Sterling Knight as Kip
 * Jerry Zatarain, Jr. as David
 * Christian Alexander as Will
 * Molly Kidder as Intern Megan
 * Joy Osmanski as Intern Lucy

Uncredited

 * Michael Patrick Breen as Visitor

Notes and Trivia

 * This episode's title originated from the song Freedom, originally sung by The Isley Brothers.
 * This episode scored 18.09 million viewers.
 * Shonda Rhimes originally wanted this episode to be called Prisoners of the rock or something similar.
 * Goof: When George sneaks a peak at the residents' file cabinet in Webber's office, Meredith, Alex, and Cristina are incorrectly filed with the "First Year" group, instead of the "Second Year" group.

Quotes

 * George: I have all this power! Supposedly. I supposedly am imbued with power of being the chief's intern. But there's a cement boy, and I'm stuck in here, running labs, researching effects of cement on the body in the vain hopes somebody asks me a question. I'm not in with the cement boy because, even though I have all this power, I can't use it because it's not real power.
 * Lexie: It's fake power?
 * George: Fake power. I can go into the chief's office whenever I want. You know what he has in there? Files. Confidential on every resident in this hospital. And I'm just allowed in, and he's not worried because he knows and I know that I don't have any real power. I don't have the power to look at them!
 * Lexie: Make you feel better if you could?
 * George: Know what would make me feel better? If I feel like there was a reason for this, that there was a point.


 * Meredith: Hey.
 * Rose: drops files You intimidate me. I mean, you're not intimidating, but like, the legend of Meredith and Derek, it's, it's intimidating.
 * Meredith: There's no legend.
 * Rose: He's selling his land because of you. There's a legend.
 * Meredith: Derek's selling his land?
 * Rose: He doesn't say it's because of you, but he was making plans to build a house when the two of you were together, and now - I'm not trying to - I just really like him. And you, you intimidate me.
 * Meredith: There's no legend.
 * Rose: Okay.


 * Beth: I mean, you've done it, right?
 * Derek: With each other?
 * Meredith: (uncomfortably) He–I've–He's done it and um, I've done it, yeah.
 * Beth: What's it like? Is it magical?
 * Derek: Yes.
 * Meredith: Can be.
 * Derek: With the right person. (smiles at Meredith)