| “ | The human body is designed to compensate for loss. It adapts, so it no longer needs the thing it can't have. But sometimes the loss is too great, and the body can't compensate on its own. That's when surgeons get involved. We're so hopeful at the beginning of things. It seems like there's only a world to be gained, not lost. They say the inability to accept loss is a form of insanity, it's probably true. But sometimes, it's the only way to stay alive. | ” |
Love, Loss and Legacy is the fifth episode of the eighth season and the 153rd overall episode of Grey's Anatomy.
Short Summary[]
The residents try their hardest to impress surgical great Catherine Avery-who also happens to be Jackson's mother-when she arrives at Seattle Grace to perform a groundbreaking transplant surgery. Arizona and Alex find their hands tied with a confidentiality issue when a familiar patient comes into the ER. Meanwhile, a love-struck Teddy throws a dinner party for the couples, and Bailey makes a decision regarding her love life.
Full Summary[]
Meredith is folding baby clothes in her room. Derek walks in and thinks she's taking down the crib. She's only going through Zola's clothes so she can give away the clothing Zola's grown out of. She's so big now she'll never fit in these clothes. Derek says they haven't heard anything in weeks, but Meredith says it's just taking a while like Janet said. They just have to be patient. Folding the baby clothes helps. Derek seems to have given up hope.
While dancing to loud music, Cristina is making breakfast. A half naked Owen walks into the kitchen and starts kissing her neck. She doesn't cook, he says. Sometimes she does. She gives Owen some of the eggs she baked and tells him she made it entirely with her left hand. She has been practicing as Teddy said great surgeons have two dominant hands. As Owen finds a piece of eggshell in the egg, Cristina asks him if he wants more. He wants something else and starts kissing her. They lie down on the floor and he tells her he's going to use only one hand too.
Meredith walks down the stairs with the box of baby clothes. In the hall, she meets Lexie, who's on her way out with a suitcase. She's going to visit Molly for two days. Jackson arranged it as a surprise, just as his mother is coming to town. Lexie thinks it means he's not that into her, because he'd otherwise want her to meet his mother like any other normal person. Meredith says Lexie had a mother while she and Jackson had surgeons who procreated. Meredith thinks it's sweet of him to want her to stay out of the line of fire. Outside, the cab honks. Lexie still thinks she should stay, but Meredith urges her to leave.
Bailey is watching the OR board. Ben comes over and says he'll be in her OR today. She can see that. He wants to know if that's gonna be a problem, but she says it isn't. Good, because he's been avoiding her, bringing a guy named Pierre coffees to keep him out of her surgeries, but now that he heard she's dating a nurse, he's done avoiding her. He wanted to make it easy for her as she was being held together by tape and glue, but seeing she's now being hold together by a male nurse, Pierre can get his own lattes. Bailey watches his ass as he walks off. Teddy comes over and asks if she's coming to dinner tonight. She will. Teddy asks if it's just her and Eli or if Ben's butt will be joining them too. Just a joke, she says as she walks away while Bailey gives her an angry look.
Bailey walks off too and Richard joins her. He saw she has three islet cell device surgeries and a follow-up on Henry, that's spreading it a little thin. She wants to know if he's worried about her or his trial. It's her trial, he corrects her, but she replies that seeing the way he's micromanaging her, she'd think it's still his. Richard brings up that Meredith is stepping away from neuro and now needs a new focus and that Bailey could use the help. Meredith could be a real asset, he claims, but the answer is no.
Alex, Cristina, and Meredith take seats in the lecture room. Cristina can't believe Teddy postponed their surgery for a boring lecture, but it's a mandatory one. Alex says it's just one more hour of sleep. April says it's not going to be boring at all, as it's a lecture from the urologist Catherine Avery, Jackson's mother. April met her when she was an intern at Mercy West, she's amazing. Jackson thinks she's just a lunatic, but April says she isn't. She says these things that shock you, but change your life when you think about them later. Jackson says she's just a meddler with no boundaries. Alex asks if that's why he shipped Lexie out of the state. Cristina asks who does something like that. Someone who's got a hypercritical surgeon for a mom, Meredith replies. She gets it. Jackson asks April how often she talks to his mother. They're Facebook friends. Meredith thinks that's kind of stalkery, but April tells them to just wait and meet Catherine.
Mark sits down next to Callie, Arizona, and Teddy. Callie asks if they have to bring something to dinner tonight, but Teddy's got it all covered. Mark is not invited to the dinner party at Teddy and Henry's new place, because he's the babysitter.
"Wake up everybody!" a woman yells from the stage. She powerfully tells them this is not another boring lecture about how somebody did something. Today, they're going to do. Today, she's going to change a life and maybe make medical history too. As Jackson ducks in his chair, Catherine says she can't do it on her own. She asks who wants to step into the future with her. "Woohoo!" April yells. Everybody in the room looks at her, making her duck in her chair too. That's a start, Catherine says, but she would like to get some more. She asks Ryan to come out onto the stage. She asks him to show everybody what they're here to do today. Ryan takes off his bathrobe. Everybody in the room gasps. Catherine steps forward and says she would like to invite a few lucky surgeons to scrub in on this country's first penis transplant.
Catherine tells everybody that Ryan underwent a full penectomy 11 months ago, due to penile cancer. Clear margins left him cured and cancer free. She high fives Ryan. Today, they'll be replacing the other thing Ryan lost. A suitable donor has become available here at Seattle Grace Mercy West, and Ryan agreed to fly in and make this day a teaching opportunity. She asks who wants in on it. Everybody but Jackson raises their hand. That's more like it, Catherine comments.
Mark stands up and introduces himself. He asks if a penile reconstruction isn't the standard approach in cases like these. She answers his question with a question. Does he like his penis? Everybody laughs, and Mark replies it does the job. If one day it wasn't there, wouldn't he want it back or would he be satisfied with a reconstructed organ that has very little function? He wouldn't be satisfied. Neither would Ryan. Catherine acknowledges this is new ground, but Ryan's a young man with his whole life ahead of him, with the will to live it as a whole man, with a bravery and selflessness to help advance medical science along the way. "So let's give Ryan a hand!" Catherine yells. They all start applauding for Ryan. "And now let's give Ryan a penis!" Catherine yells, making everyone applaud and cheer even harder. Jackson tries to cover his face.
Catherine is shaking hands with residents, telling them it's nice to see them again. Jackson comes over and tells her she's got to make a big show out of everything. "Here's my baby boy!" she enthusiastically yells as she kisses him on his cheek. He looks skinny, and she thinks he's not sleeping enough. He assures her he's fine. She looks at the residents, looking for the brunette that's supposed to be Lexie. Jackson never told her Lexie's name, but Catherine has her ways. He tells her Lexie's not here, she's out of town. Catherine asks if he's ashamed of her as Mark comes over. Mark tells her he's worried about Ryan rejecting the organ, while a reconstructed organ, that he and his boy here could make tomorrow, wouldn't cause any problems. Catherine is surprised to hear that Mark's mentoring Jackson. He didn't mention it. Mark says Jackson's got a great set of hands. She asks him to scrub in. He'll be there, he says and then leaves. Jackson asks why she couldn't just stay out of it. Catherine tells Jackson she would like to get to know his mentor.
Jackson and Mark are following all other residents to the skills lab. Jackson won't compete, but Mark says he should as it's the microsurgery olympics. That's exactly why, he doesn't want to get stuck in the OR for 12 hours with his mother. Mark tells him to man up. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and it'll look good on his boards. He tells Jackson to get in and make him proud.
All residents are set up in the skills lab. Catherine asks who's ever worked with the tissue of the penis before. "Kepner, keep your hand down," Alex jokes. Catherine continues that it requires a grace and elegance that not many surgeons of their station have mastered. The two surgeons to do the best end-to-end anastomosis of their chicken's femoral vessels will scrub in with her, so they have to be cautious, careful and brilliant. She tells the residents to begin as she starts walking around in the room.
She taps on April's shoulder, who thinks she's been chosen. She starts thanking Catherine, who then apologizes and tells her she's too tense and wound up. She says this isn't woodshop and asks April to step to the back of the room.
Catherine tells Cristina she needs to lay off the lattes as her left hand is shaking like a motel bedspring. Cristina says it's just tired. Catherine hears her, but they're all tired. She asks Cristina to step to the back as well. Catherine tells the others it's really simple. All it has to be is perfect.
Bailey is finishing up in her OR. It went fast, like magic. She asks Ben for the chart, but he ignores her. She grabs it herself then and asks him if there's a problem. Not that he's aware of. She's doing her best to be pleasant, but she doesn't owe him an explanation for the fact that... She's been sleeping with a nurse, Ben completes her sentence. Bailey reminds him that they broke up. He thinks she basically told him to wait for her. She said the relationship was too much back when she was traumatized. It wasn't him, it was her. She tells him it's not fair and that she still can't handle the kind of relationship they were considering. What she's doing right now is nothing like what they had. Ben wants to know what it is then, but Bailey simply tells him to take it up with Pierre if he has a problem working with her. She angrily leaves the OR.
In the skills lab, many residents are standing in the back. Catherine compliments Meredith's work. Meredith introduces herself as Dr. Grey. "As in Lexie Grey?" Catherine asks. Meredith says Lexie's her sister. Catherine moves over to Alex, who just gets a page. He watches his pager, looks at Meredith and then walks out. With his forfeit, Jackson and Meredith are the only two left. She congratulates them, but Cristina asks if there isn't a rule against her being the judge when her son's in the competition. Catherine assures her she doesn't play favorites. Nepotism is for the weak, as Jackson's birthday cards always said.
Alex and Arizona run down the hallway. They don't know what happened, and nobody else knows about this. They rush into a trauma room. Zola is lying on the gurney. Janet is standing next to it and tells them Zola had a seizure.
Ryan's brother Chad is asking questions about the measurement of the donor organ as his brother is a good looking kid. Jackson tells him he's going to be happy with it. Chad wants to know if it'll work, also being able to stand up on top of the plumbing. That's the point of the transplant, Catherine says. It'll hopefully restore urinary and sexual function. Mark reminds them there still is penile reconstruction if they're worried. Ryan replies he saw the signs months before he went to see somebody, and when he did, it was too late to salvage his penis. He's tired of being reminded of his cowardice every time he looks down. This transplant is like a second chance. If they can learn anything from him to help the next guy, he's also happy about that. Mark seems to realize now why he wants the transplant. Catherine tells him they'll see him in surgery.
Alex and Arizona are examining Zola. Her foster mother told Janet Zola had been running a fever all day and she couldn't get her to stop crying. As Arizona wants him to order a CT, Alex says he's going to page Grey and Shepherd. Janet says he can't do that as their custody was suspended. Janet knows they're their friends, but right now they're just a third party. Arizona agrees it's a breach of confidentiality. Their custody is under investigation. The last any of them needs is a breach of protocol, as it could jeopardize the adoption. Meanwhile, Arizona continues taking care of the little girl.
Jackson, Meredith, Catherine, and Mark are getting ready for the surgery. Catherine tells Meredith she was impressive in the skills lab and asks her about her specialty. Meredith replies she thought about neuro, but she's making a change now. Mark enthusiastically tells Catherine Jackson turned neuro down to join him in plastics. Catherine can't believe Jackson turned down the opportunity to work with Derek Shepherd for plastics. She questions who raised him while she wasn't looking. Mark says he's standing right there, but Catherine replies it's not about him. She then interrupts him as Ryan is wheeled over. She tells Chad this is as far as he can go. Before leaving, Chad tells Ryan he's going to take him to test drive this thing in every strip club. Ryan says his penis is all they've talked about for the past year. He misses talks about the Knicks. He asks Catherine to tell him it's going to work, because he would like his brother back. She tells him it will. She's going to harvest the organ right now, she'll see him in the OR. Ryan tells Chad he can never mention his penis again after all this is over. Chad promises this and they hug. Ryan is then wheeled into surgery.
Alex is looking at Zola's scans. Derek comes into the room and asks Alex if he's on his own with that nasty bowel obstruction. Alex says he's got Robbins and quickly leaves.
April is excited that Catherine allowed her to help harvest the penis. Catherine thought it'd give them a chance to catch up. Catherine takes the scalpel and jokes this is what millions of angry wives have dreamed of. Catherine starts cutting and asks April how it's going. April starts talking about how busy her career is, but Catherine wants to know when she's going to have sex with a man. April is shocked. Catherine doesn't know or care why she's waiting, but unless she has a good reason, she should have sex because she's all wound up. Sex will get her unwound and make her a better surgeon. While Catherine continues harvesting the organ, April asks if it's really that obvious. It is, as April keeps looking at the thing like it's going to bite her.
Catherine scrubbed in as Richard walks into the scrub room. She hugs him and tells him shame's on him for letting Jackson wander off into plastics. Richard points out Jackson looks happy, but happiness is for ordinary people, Catherine replies. Greatness is Jackson's legacy. Richard says at a certain point you have to realize you've done everything you can and you can't force people to do things they don't want to do. Catherine knows this and asks when it was that she flirted shamelessly with him at that convention in Miami and he had to tell her he was married. He remembers. She asks if he still is married, because after this surgery, she'll be needing some dinner. He's still married, he smilingly says. There's always next time, she replies. He knows she never gives up. He wishes her a good surgery.
Alex is waiting for Cristina outside an exam room. She asks what's up, as she was just about to do an art line with her left hand. He tells her Zola has a bowel obstruction and that they need to operate. She asks where Meredith is, but Alex tells her she can't know, and neither can Derek. If they get involved, Social Services flips and the adoption's shot. Zola is stable for the moment and Alex questions if it's the right call not to tell Meredith and Derek. Cristina says it is if it'll blow the adoption. He says it's her decision then. She asks how small his balls are, as he just called her down here to take responsibility for his decision. He yells Meredith didn't talk to him for weeks because he screwed up her life, so the balls are pretty small right now. A nurse shouts that the baby is seizing again. They both rush in. He yells at Cristina to page Robbins and that they're telling Meredith.
Catherine, Meredith, Jackson, and Mark are doing the penis transplant. Catherine teaches Meredith and says she inherited her mother's skills. She asks if Lexie did too, but Meredith explains Lexie is her paternal half-sister. "Sounds like somebody picked the wrong Grey," Catherine tells Jackson. Meredith and Mark both say that Lexie is brilliant and a great surgeon. Cristina comes in and pushes herself a way through the note-taking interns and residents. She apologizes, but she needs to speak with Dr. Grey. Catherine says Dr. Grey is busy making history, but Cristina urges Meredith to look at her. She does so and realizes it's serious. As Meredith steps away from the table, Catherine says Ellis Grey is rolling in her grave right now. She asks who wants to take Dr. Grey's place. Everybody raises their hands. Catherine picks April, who goes to scrub in.
Bailey explains to Henry they're doing a basic work-up today. Henry asks if he has to wait for the results or if they'll call him. Eli promises to call him. That's good, because he's marinating the fish for the tonight and if it stays in too long, it'll turn into mush. Upon seeing Bailey's face, he asks if she doesn't like fish. She does, so Henry asks Eli if he does not like fish then. Eli does like fish. Henry is relieved and realizes he should've checked earlier with his guests, but he's new at this whole dinner party thing. Eli gives Bailey a look and Henry asks what's happening. Bailey informs Eli that Teddy and Henry are throwing a dinner party and she only now tells him they're invited. She confesses to Henry she forgot to tell him. Eli thinks it's a good thing Henry stopped by then and brought up the marinade. Henry tries to steer the conversation into a new direction but Bailey asks Eli if he's free tonight. He is, but she says he doesn't have to come. "Wow, best invite ever," Eli ironically says. Bailey says it's her bad, but Henry says it's his. Eli says they both suck and tells Henry he'll see him at dinner as he leaves the room.
In surgery, an excited April thanks Catherine for having brought her in on the surgery. Catherine tells her to relax and orders her to suction lightly. They finished working on this dorsal artery and they take time to stretch and take a breath. She tells Jackson his technique has improved. Mark jumps in and says it's easy to teach when there's natural ability to work with. He says her boy was born for plastics. That might be so, but she warns him to be careful as a person might get used to taking the easy road and next thing they know, they find themselves the boob-job king of Seattle, the tummy-tuck tycoon. Mark doesn't think that's fair, but she asks if he's saying there's no easy money in plastics. He asks if she's saying there's no valuable work in plastics. "She's saying I don't have the discipline to resist the easy money," Jackson says. Catherine warns April to be gentle. They continue to argue over Jackson's choice to pursue plastics until April manages to get the vein stuck on the suction. The vein starts shredding and she's too late to stop the suction. She destroyed the dorsal vein.
Arizona, Meredith, and Derek are all asking Alex questions about Zola. Arizona thinks Alex shouldn't have told them, but Derek insists Zola is still his patient. Owen comes in and he agrees with Arizona: they can't see Zola. Arizona assures them she has a horde of nurses comforting Zola. Arizona says they need to operate and Derek wants in. He placed the shunt, which is part of the problem now, but Alex jumps in and says Janet is watching Zola like a hawk. He thinks they're looking for a reason to ding them. Arizona promises to page Derek the minute they're done with the surgery. Derek orders Alex to look at him and asks him where Zola is. "Pre-op, 16-08," Alex says. Arizona can't believe he told him.
Derek leaves the room with Owen, Arizona, and Meredith following him. Derek questions if Owen, who tries to convince him he's making a mistake, knows how long the shunt must've been malfunctioning for her bowels to have gotten this bad. Owen says the people Zola was with didn't know what to look for. "Exactly, because she should've been with us!" Derek yells. Meredith says it's her fault that she isn't and she may never sleep another night because of that, but if they want to have hope that she'll return to them, they have to follow the rules. She says Arizona is a great surgeon and she begs him not to make it worse. Derek asks what Arizona's plan is. She just the shunt is just is kinked, she'll go in, remove the adhesions, fix the obstruction and the shunt will be fine. He asks what she'll do if it's not. She'll convert to a V.A. shunt then and assures him Zola will be fine. Derek decides to trust her.
Owen meets Derek in the staircase, telling him they've started operating on Zola in the OR. Derek knows he should be with Meredith, he sees her pain, but he can't. He can barely look at her, still blaming her. Every time he starts to make progress in forgiving her, something else comes up and he's right back where he started. Owen knows how he feels, as he and Cristina went through something too. They agree their wives don't make it easy on them.
Bailey is busy with her trial and Richard asks if she heard about Zola. She did. Can't be easy on Meredith at all, he says. Bailey says he can't use Meredith's sick baby to guilt her into letting Meredith in on her trial. He points out that if she thinks Meredith lacks judgment, then she, as the moral compass of the hospital, should help her. Bailey says she's the moral compass of nothing. She's using one man like a plaything and had another man bribing a scheduler. He doesn't need to know, but she says she uses the plaything often and enthusiastically. He suggests she stop doing that and then brings up he promised Ellis Grey on her deathbed that he would take care of Meredith, but still Bailey refuses to put her on her trial. Richard leaves and Bailey continues working.
April apologizes to Dr. Avery, who comes up with a new game plan. Mark and Jackson proposes a new technique with way more advantages. She's not familiar with it, but they are and the results have been amazing. She says she's not risking Ryan's penile function to boost Mark's ego, but that's not what Mark wants to do. He says to let him do the technique and then the impressing thing will come naturally. He invites her to step into the future with him. She ultimately agrees if he feels comfortable doing it. He says he even feels comfortable letting her kid do it and tells a happy Jackson to prep the abdomen.
Meredith and Cristina are sitting on a bench outside the hospital. Meredith is worrying because Alex was supposed to call by now. Cristina calms her down and assures her Zola is not going to die. To distract her, Cristina urges her to try single-hand left-handed ties, like she's been doing all day. Meredith can pull it off on her first try, which Cristina can't believe. As Meredith tells her that she's holding her string too tight, Derek comes outside. He has a message from Karev: they had to resect a small part of the bowel, but everything else looks good so far. He sits down and easily performs some of the single-handed left-handed ties. Cristina can't believe they both can pull it off without practice and continues to practice.
In surgery, Alex tells Arizona she should get it better than anybody. What if it was Sofia? He asks if she has any parental rights. "Something happens to her, Sloan and Torres aren't around, you got some peds doc saying you don't have a right to see her," he sums up. She tells him to mind his own business. He apologizes and says it just sucks. Arizona says that what sucks is that now that Meredith and Derek know, they're imagining the worst right now and the adoption is in jeopardy, even though Zola would be fine too if they didn't know because they are awesome surgeons.
In surgery, Jackson impressively pulled off the technique and Mark presents Catherine her new dorsal vein. She says it's only impressive if it works, because now they have a sad old gray penis with a piece of belly in it. She asks April to assist, but she's hesitant due to the fear of screwing up. "Just get in there," Catherine snaps. She does so and moments later, the penis starts getting pinker. The plastics posse agrees that this is the pinkest penis they've ever seen.
Cristina, Meredith, and Derek are waiting in the residents' lounge. Alex comes in and tells them they were able to remove all the adhesions and get the shunt working again. They'll monitor her while she's here, but she should be fine. They are all relieved. Meredith starts crying and Derek comforts her. Cristina says she'll stay with Zola tonight. She will call if there's anything to worry about. She says they don't have to call every five minutes and tells them to go home.
Teddy meets up with Bailey and asks if she should set up a place for Eli, as she hears Bailey forgot to invite him. Bailey asks her why people forget to invite people to a dinner party. "Is that a true question?" Teddy asks, just as Bailey realizes she needs to break up with Eli. Teddy begs her not to do it at her party, but Bailey doesn't know how because last time she broke up with a man, he thought she was asking him to wait. And he did wait apparently and he bought lattes for a man named Pierre. Teddy thinks it's some sort of slang she doesn't know about as Bailey continues her talk. She's trying to preserve the dignity of others, and that's the problem. She is poetic, which she thinks would provide clarity, but, in fact, may simply cloud her message. Teddy advises her to use short, declarative sentences, which is what she always does. "I'm ending this, all the best to you," she gives as an example. Teddy repeats to do it before the party, but Bailey wants to do it tomorrow as she'd otherwise deprive the man of a meal he's been looking forward to because Henry couldn't shut up about the sauce. "I have to serve dinner to a dead man walking?" Teddy asks. Bailey tells her to buck up and that she can handle it.
Meredith and Derek are holding hands in the elevator. The doors open, revealing Janet was waiting to get on. She decides not to and Derek and Meredith share an intense look with her until the doors close again.
In Ryan's room, Ryan asks for a minute. His brother says it's like Christmas morning, but shuts up as he sees Ryan's look. Ryan is ready to take a look. Catherine explains there's still swelling, which will go down, and Mark assures him it'll do everything it's supposed to. Ryan says it's great and thanks Catherine. He offers his brother one last look, but he's good, he's happy if Ryan's happy. Catherine happily looks at Mark.
Cristina is checking up on Zola. Owen is in the room too. She tells Zola her scar will make her look fierce. She says Owen can go to the party, but he has to finish the work he's doing and he wanted to keep her company. She tells Zola her parents can do single-handed left-handed ties with their eyes closed. Her father Derek is a rock star, a household name, and her mother Meredith is a natural, Cristina says. She says Zola will it get from her mother, just like Meredith did from Ellis. She starts talking about Zola's career as a surgeon, and how Zola will be able to say she comes from a long line of surgeons. Upon seeing Cristina take care of Zola like that, Owen decides to head to the party anyway. He kisses her and leaves.
Bailey leaves the hospital with Eli waiting for her. They start leaving together, but Bailey then blurts out she can't do this. She needs to say something and she needs to make sure that she's clear, because apparently she has been unclear in the past. She doesn't know how to say it, but he knows she's ending this. Whatever this is, it's ending, he understands. He's right. He says she's the clearest person he knows, so she does not have a clarity problem at all. She's been telling him she doesn't want a relationship for weeks now, but he just ignored it because she's different than any woman he's ever known. So it's his fault, he says, he should've walked away a long time ago. He says he can blame her for many things, but a lack of clarity isn't one of them. She apologizes, and after one last kiss on her cheek, he wishes her a good party and walks off.
As Catherine and Mark leave the room, she tells him that Jackson told her she has problems admitting when she's wrong. "So this would be the place to say that that was an impressive save," she says. Of course it was, he replies. Jackson is a good kid, he says, probably cause of the complex she gave him for whatever reason. He says she should let him find his own way, as he'll do good. She thanks him and before walking away, Mark tells her not to count out Lexie Grey until she's met her, as Lexie is smart, she's beautiful, and she's perfect. A guy couldn't do any better.
Bailey is sitting outside the hospital as Ben leaves. He shortly greets her and walks away. She walks after him and says he's going to hear something. She tells him Eli and her have ended things. She says he's going to think it has something to do with him and for the sake of clarity, she would like to be extremely clear when saying it does not have anything to do with him. At all. "Are we clear?" she asks. He smiles and she repeats it does not have anything to do with him. He smiles, says "uh-huh" sarcastically and walks off, as she says she is being very clear with him, shouting "Are you listening to me?" "Night, Miranda Bailey. I'll see you tomorrow!" he says with a wide grin. She objects that that is not what she said, but he simply waves at her from a distance.
At Joe's, April apologizes to Catherine for suctioning that vein. Jackson brings drinks to their table and they both tell her to let it go. Catherine says she gotta learn how to relax, as she's making a good day feel bad. A guy comes over and says he wants to thank April for the drink. She has no idea what he's talking about. "I think he has the drink that you sent him," a smiling Catherine says. April can't believe that Catherine just did that. Catherine says this is the part where April has to get up and play darts with the guy. So she does. Catherine loudly laughs and Jackson can't believe she's such a meddler. "I'm using my powers for good," Catherine says. They then start drinking.
At the dinner party, Henry asks Owen if Cristina is coming while Teddy is serving appetizers. Owen replies she can't and sends her apologies. Henry thinks it's good that out of so many doctors, only three of them got stood up. Arizona shows up as Henry sits down next to Bailey on the couch and asks if Eli is going to be late. She says he's stuck at the hospital and pours herself some more wine.
Arizona asks Callie to talk and says she wants a piece of paper that says Sofia is hers. They said they were going to do it but they never actually did. "Then let's do it," Callie says while Arizona keeps on saying Sofia's her baby too, just like she is Callie's and Mark's. Arizona says she's the only one who can get her to go back sleep in the middle of the night. Callie knows. And she calls her mama, which Callie knows too. A crying Arizona says she knows it's sounds like babbling, but Sofia is saying it to her because, well, Arizona's her mama. Callie knows that she is and she promises Arizona they'll get her that piece of paper. They hug and Callie comforts her.
At Joe's, Catherine wants to talk about plastics, but he's tired and doesn't want to spend all night trying to convince her it's a legitimate specialty. She's only asking him to share his interests, or he can also tell her about the girl he shipped off to another time zone in honor of her arrival. He asks if she could blame him, as she was all over Sloan today already. Mark can take it, Catherine thinks, and she asks if he thinks this Lexie can't. Jackson states he likes her a lot and he doesn't want to start is. However, Catherine is going to meddle one more time. She warns him to be careful with Sloan if he really likes Lexie, because he talks about her the way Jackson should. Jackson says they were a thing, but that's over now. Catherine asks if he's in love with her, but he says he's not going to talk about this, much to her frustration.
Meredith and Derek are lying in bed. They get a call. Cristina asks if they're ready. They are. Cristina holds her phone next to Zola's ear and Meredith and Derek talk to her. They sing a lullaby for Zola and when they're finished, they tell her they love her and they wish her a good night. They then hang up and return to resting in their bed, worrying about their future.
Cast[]
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[]
- Jason George as Dr. Ben Warren
- Daniel Sunjata as Nurse Eli
- Debbie Allen as Dr. Catherine Avery
- Mason McCulley as Ryan
- Robert Hoffman as Chad
- Scott Foley as Henry Burton
Co-Starring[]
Uncredited[]
- Ian Gomez as Doctor
Medical Notes[]
Henry Burton[]
- Diagnosis:
- Diabetes
- Doctors:
- Miranda Bailey (general surgeon)
- Treatment:
- Islet cell device
Henry had a follow-up visit with Bailey about his islet cell device.
Ryan[]
- Diagnosis:
- Penile cancer
- Doctors:
- Catherine Avery (urologist)
- Mark Sloan (plastic surgeon)
- Meredith Grey (surgical resident)
- Jackson Avery (surgical resident)
- April Kepner (surgical resident)
- Treatment:
- Penectomy
- Penis transplant
Ryan, 28, developed cancer in his penis. By the time he sought medical help, it was to the point where his penis had to be removed. The penectomy left him cured, but he was still without a penis. He chose to seek a penis transplant rather than penile reconstruction. Catherine Avery had the residents compete to see who would scrub in with her. Meredith and Jackson won, but Meredith was called out during surgery because Zola was at the hospital. April, who had also helped with the retrieval of the donor organ, took her place. When April's suction destroyed the dorsal vein, Mark suggested a technique to replace it. The transplant was successful.
Bailey's Patient[]
- Diagnosis:
- Diabetes
- Doctors:
- Miranda Bailey (general surgeon)
- Ben Warren (anesthesiologist)
- Treatment:
- Islet cell device
Bailey inserted an islet cell device into one of her trial patients.
Zola Grey Shepherd[]
- Diagnosis:
- Seizure
- Bowel obstruction
- Doctors:
- Arizona Robbins (pediatric surgeon)
- Alex Karev (surgical resident)
- Treatment:
- Adhesion removal
- Bowel resection
Zola was brought back into the hospital after having a seizure while in foster care. Scans revealed a bowel obstruction. She had a second seizure before they could operate. Her bowels were compressing her ventriculoperitoneal shunt. Arizona said she'd go in, remove the adhesions, relieve the obstruction, and the shunt would be fine. If it wasn't, she'd convert to a VA shunt. In surgery, they had to remove a small part of her bowel, but after the adhesions were removed, her shunt started working again.
Music[]
| Song | Performer | Scene |
|---|---|---|
| "Anyone's Ghost" | The National |
|
| "Abducted" | Cults |
|
| "Hit It" | Miss Li |
|
| "Echoes" | Mostar Diving Club |
|
| "Chameleon/Comedian" | Kathleen Edwards |
|
| "Itsy Bitsy Spider" | Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey |
|
Notes and Trivia[]
Grey's Anatomy - 8x05
- This episode's title originated from the song Love, Loss and Legacy, originally sung by Kelly Winter.
- This episode scored 9.97 million viewers.[1]
- Lexie goes to see her sister Molly Thompson.
- The trailer mentions this episode being the most life-changing episode of the season, though that is a more appropriate title for Flight, this season's finale.
- Ian Gomez makes an uncredited cameo appearance as part of a Cougar Town cameo appearance series. The Cougar Town cast made cameo appearances on several other ABC shows in order to let their audience see their faces on screen during Cougar Town's hiatus. His colleagues Christa Miller and Courteney Cox appeared in the Private Practice episode Step One.
- This episode marks the first appearance of Debbie Allen as Dr. Catherine Avery.
Gallery[]
Episode Stills[]
Behind the Scenes[]
Quotes[]
- Mark: Don't count out Lexie Grey till you meet her. She's smart, she's beautiful... she's perfect. A guy couldn't do any better.
- Cristina: Hey, you just called me down here so I could take responsibility for your decision? How small are your balls?
- Alex: Meredith didn't talk to me for weeks because I screwed up her life. The balls are pretty small right now.
- Meredith: No, you had a mother. Jackson and I had surgeons who procreated. It's just a little complicated.
- Arizona: Can we talk? Um, listen, I want a piece of paper that says that Sofia's mine. We always say that we're gonna do it, but we never actually do it.
- Callie: Then let's do it.
- Arizona: Because she's mine, she's my baby. I mean, she's yours and she's Mark's but sh-she's mine, too. I mean, I'm the only one who can get her to go back to sleep in the middle of the night.
- Callie: I know.
- Arizona: And she calls me Mama. And I know it sounds like it's babbling, but she's - she's saying it to me. I'm- I'm her Mama.
- Callie: I know you are. We'll get you that piece of paper, okay? I promise.
- Mark: Jackson had a chance to be on neuro. But he turned it down to follow me into plastics.
- Catherine: You had an opportunity to work with Derek Shepherd? And you turned it down? For plastics? Jackson Avery, who raised you when I wasn't looking?
- Ben: Morning. I'm in your OR today.
- Miranda: I can see that.
- Ben: It's not gonna be a problem, is it?
- Miranda: No.
- Ben: Good. Good. 'Cause I was avoiding you and now I'm not. See, I'm told you're dating a nurse. And kudos to you, because who doesn't love a nurse? But, I've been bringing lattes to some dude in scheduling named Pierre so he'd keep me out of your surgeries. You know, I wanted to make it easier for you since you told me you were being held together by tape and glue. But, now that you're being held together by a male nurse I'm gonna let Pierre go ahead and get his own lattes. See you in surgery. (walks away)
- Teddy: Hey, Miranda, are you coming to dinner tonight?
- Miranda: (still looking at Ben) Yeah.
- Teddy: So is it just you and Eli? Or will Ben's butt be joining us too?
- Catherine: Congratulations, we have our winners.
- Cristina: Uh, he's your son and you're the judge, isn't there some rule against that?
- Catherine: I don't play favorites, dear. Nepotism is for the weak.
- Jackson: That's what my birthday cards always said.
- Teddy: Do I have to set a place for Eli? Because I hear that you forgot to invite him.
- Miranda: Why do people forget to invite people to dinner parties?
- Teddy: Is that a trick question?
- Miranda: I need to break up with him.
- Teddy: Oh, oh, oh. Please don't do it at my party.
- Miranda: See, the last time I broke up with a man, he thought I was asking him to wait for me and then he did, apparently, and he bought lattes for a man named Pierre.
- Teddy: Is that slang for something that I don't know about?
- Miranda: You see, I try to preserve the dignity of others and that's the problem. And I'm poetic which I'd like to think provides clarity, but. in fact, may simply cloud the message.
- Teddy: All right, here's what I'd do. Use short, declarative sentences. "I'm ending this, all the best to you." Got it? Oh, and do it before the party.
- Miranda: Oh, no. Not before. Tomorrow. Before is rude, before is depriving the man of a meal which he's now excited about because your husband couldn't shut up about the sauce.
- Teddy: I have to serve dinner to a dead man walking?
- Miranda: Oh, buck up. You can handle it.
- Miranda: Okay, I'm sorry. Uh... I can't do this. Uh, I-I need to say something to you and I want to make sure that I'm clear, because I a-apparently have been unclear in the past. Um...
- Eli: You're ending this, whatever this is, it's ending.
- Miranda: Yes.
- Eli: You're perfectly clear. You're the clearest person I've ever known, you do not have a clarity problem.
- Miranda: I don't?
- Eli: No, you've been telling me that you don't want a relationship every day for weeks now and I've been ignoring you because you're different than any woman I've ever known. So, that's my fault. I should've walked away a long time ago. I can blame you for many things, but a lack of clarity... it's not one of them.
- Miranda: I'm...I'm sorry
- Henry: Is Cristina coming?
- Owen: Uh, she can't. She sends her apologies.
- Henry: Ah, this many doctors and only three of you got stood up. That's not bad.
See Also[]
|
A complete overview of this episode's crew can be found here. |
| Grey's Anatomy Season 8 | ||||||
| #01 | "Free Falling" | #09 | "Dark Was the Night" | #17 | "One Step Too Far" | |
| #02 | "She's Gone" | #10 | "Suddenly" | #18 | "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" | |
| #03 | "Take the Lead" | #11 | "This Magic Moment" | #19 | "Support System" | |
| #04 | "What is It About Men" | #12 | "Hope for the Hopeless" | #20 | "The Girl with No Name" | |
| #05 | "Love, Loss and Legacy" | #13 | "If/Then" | #21 | "Moment of Truth" | |
| #06 | "Poker Face" | #14 | "All You Need is Love" | #22 | "Let the Bad Times Roll" | |
| #07 | "Put Me In, Coach" | #15 | "Have You Seen Me Lately?" | #23 | "Migration" | |
| #08 | "Heart-Shaped Box" | #16 | "If Only You Were Lonely" | #24 | "Flight" | |
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