We open to find Meredith at Joe's knitting. I guess to keep from getting drunk and going home with strangers she decides to knit. She could go home and watch a movie for the same effect, but knitting it is. McDreamy comes in and wonders what she's doing. She says that she's replacing knitting for sex, and that she's now celibate. He doesn't think she can do it. Damn, he just called her a ho. Addison comes up and they all pretend like they're friends and that Derek isn't really in love with Meredith.
At the hospital Izzie's still sorta dating Denny, who's looking much better then the last time we saw him. She tells us that since Meredith can't knit she's knitting the same parts and replacing them. Not really sure if she's doing that while Meredith is sleeping or if Meredith knows it, but it's cute either way. Talk about cute, Denny makes some comment about wanting to get in Izzie's pants and I nearly drop on the floor. Dimples and a sense of humor? Only on television.
Over at Burke's, Callie, George's girl is over and they're all playing "celebrity" or some other Pictionary/Charades type game. Callie and George are clicking, big time. Unfortunately when Christina gets the easiest person known to man, Madonna (har har), Burke just can't get it. Nothing she says jogs any sort of memory for him and they lose. Christina's a sore loser. I mean we knew this, but you can see the hate in her eyes for George being there.
Later, Meredith, Izzie and Christina are in the surgery observation room. Izzie and Meredith are knitting together, listening to Christina complain more about George and wanting him out of the apartment. Meredith suggest sleeping with him and then crying about it, that that worked for her. Down in the operating room with Alex and Burke it's clear that Alex has been doing his homework. Unfortunately, the woman they're working on doesn't have a good prognosis. Alex says that she's "toast" and Burke thinks maybe he should work on his bedside manner.
McDreamy and Addison meet up at the elevator. Apparently that mangy old mutt of theirs, Doc, is sick. Really, sick? I never would have thought it. He looked like such a heathly animal. They're both obviously concerned about him.
Christina meanwhile is participating in a surgery class. The Chief walks in and says that he likes to take these refresher courses. Always the top of her class, Christina's the first to raise her hand when the teacher starts asking questions. The Chief looks surprised and impressed while Christina's a bit intimidated to have him there.
Addison's working on her case with George. It's a young woman, Molly, who's baby is in distress. Addison's going to perform some miraculous in utero surgery that seems way too scary to talk about. Molly's mother is concerned as well and says that they hear Addy's the best. She puts them at ease by confirming that. Outside of the room George is approached by none other then Meredith's father. He asks if Meredith's working today and George suddenly recognizes who he is. He confirms that he is Thatcher and I realize that Ellis was right, they do kinda look like each other. On cue, Molly's mother walks out and we put two and two together, this is Thatcher's new family and this is Meredith's half sister having the baby. Hot damn!
McDreamy and Bailey are looking at the surgery board and The Nazi is pissed. She hasn't had a surgery in awhile and thinks The Chief is pissed at her for having a baby. I don't know what makes her think that he would be pissed because of that but there is something wrong that she hasn't been scheduled for surgery. McDreamy can feel for her and she decides to be his intern, that she'll scrub in with him. He tries to resist but who can resist The Nazi. She assures him that she hasn't even begun to freak out. And I believe her, she held in her own baby so her husband could make the birth.
Oh look, Peter Horton, he used to be on thirtysomething
In the hallway Izzie is for some reason bitching about Callie to Meredith. I think she's being a protective friend, but it's quite strange. Anyway, right at the moment she's saying the worst stuff Callie walks up behind them. She tells them both to come with her. They go into a room and are doing something nasty to a patient. I mean, it's medical, but it has to do with dislocation and relocation and it gives me the heebie jeebies. Izzie tries to get out of her if she has some secret she's hiding from George and Callie can see her coming from a mile away. She makes some rude comment about Izzie's modeling days, which she kinda had coming. Izzie insists that she's George's best friend and is just looking out for him. Callie then says that Izzie doesn't really have a good record with matchmaking, hinting towards Meredith who's in the room. Uncomfortable!
Alex and Burke's inoperable patient is none other then Jackie from Rosanne. I love this actress, especially her amazing guest spot this season on Without A Trace (http://primetimetvblog.blogspot.com/2005/11/without-trace-quickie.html). They break it to her that it's not really looking too good. She thinks there must be other things they can do, begs them to just go on and cut everything out, that she needs more time. As they're telling her there's nothing they can do her young teenage daughter walks in, oblivious to what's going on. She complains about the hospital food and wanting something decent to eat. When she notices the doctors, she surprised her mom needs more then one. Jackie tells her daughter that they were just leaving. De-Nile ain't just a river in Egypt.
Some cute moments are going on in the class Christina and the Chief are taking. They're doing some surgery practice thing that I don't know how to really explain so see picture above. While the teacher is going around the room and watching them Christina does exceptionally well while the Chief has a bit difficulty. He gets a little embarrassed and Christina feels good about herself because she finishes first and gloats.
Like two ships passing in the night Izzie and George pass each other on the stairs and take a moment to catch each other up on their days in the cute Grey's Anatomy way. She wants him to open up to her and tell her what he finds so attractive about Callie. He ignore her and starts talking about not being able to get away from "her". Izzie's relieved because she doesn't really like Callie and thinks she's a freak. George of course wasn't talking about Callie, he was talking about Meredith. Why he doesn't change the subject back and find out why the hell his "best friend" doesn't like his new girl is beyond me. But he tells Izzie about Meredith having a sister and not knowing about it. Now that Izzie knows it's her responsibility to tell Meredith and George has officially passed the torch. When George runs into Addison later she asks for Molly's test results. George's been too busy fretting about this whole sister thing and at first Addy's upset. When he explains that this is Meredith's sister she forgives him.
This poor sweet angel
In Derek and Bailey's surgery it's a young boy with a brain tumor. Bailey immediately goes into "mommy mode" and I realize why the Chief didn't want her in surgery. She somehow connects this young boy to her two month old son, because he's black. She's stunned to learn that Derek is waking the poor guy, Andrew, because he needs him awake. Not sure why she's so surprised, she is a surgeon isn't she? Anyway, when they wake him up they have him counting and he's doing a great job at it. We learn he's just in the 7th grade. Andrew has to keep talking and McDreamy's asking him dumb questions. Personally I think someone should take over because Derek's a bit busy at the moment. Bailey takes her cue and starts asking him other questions. We learn that he has just won a spelling bee championship and they start throwing words out at him. I don't know how to spell most (any) of them. He's doing great, until he starts slurring his words. Uh oh, Derek hit the wrong nerve. Luckily he's Dr. McDreamy and he does some sort of magic and Andrew starts talking normal again. Phew, that had me on the edge there. This kid is so sweet. Bailey starts crying like a hysterical woman. Geesh. Later, after the surgery, Bailey visits him and says that they got all of the tumor and that he's going to be fine. She also says that she has a little boy too and that when she goes home she's going to tell him that she met the best speller in Seattle. He won't know what the hell she's saying though because he's only 2 months old, but it's a sweet moment.
Burke and Alex go to Jackie's room and she's trying to take the tubes out and leave the hospital. Burke stops her and she says she wants to leave because it's her daughter's birthday. She tries to pretend like she's feeling better, even though she just had major surgery. Alex finally stops her and is quite harsh, saying that her kid doesn't even know she has cancer and if she leaves she'll probably drop dead in the street. This actually works and she lays back down in the bed. Outside of the room, touchy feel good Burke is pissed that Alex was so harsh. He can't really say anything since Burke's right and scuffles off.
Our group is eating lunch and everyone's talking about Meredith's new found family. Meredith's not there though. George says they're nice and Izzie says she can't imagine having family you know nothing about. Oh, you mean like your long lost daughter that we don't talk about anymore that knows nothing about you? Yeah, that sucks. The Chief comes over and tells them about how Christina's kicking his butt in the class. She pretends to be modest and he says that being fast isn't always the best way to do surgery, that having a solid foundation is most important. I don't know what that means and I don't think the interns do either because they grow quiet. When the Chief leaves Christina tells the group that she is kicking his ass. When Meredith comes to the table and sits down George, of course, leaves. Meredith continues to knit and mentions how she thinks she saw her father, which is weird. Christina asks if she saw her sister too. Way to just say it and not play games.
Christina goes back to her class and it's time for final elimination. Their final test is a surgery. They begin and she and the Chief are working side by side. She glances at him working and he has his eyes closed. Bad ass! He finishes quickly and throws his hands up, yelling, "I'm done!" He then goes into a bizarre blaxploitation 70s thing and says that that's why he's the Chief. He saunters out of the room.
Now with the knowledge that her father and newly found sister are in the hospital, Meredith lurks around her room. Addison sees her and tells her how her sister is doing. In the room Addison introduces her to Molly and almost slips that her name is Dr. Grey. Meredith starts doing the woman's vitals and basically feels like a tool the whole time because Molly gushes about her wonderful family life and her amazingly overprotective father. I think I'm gonna puke. Meredith keeps on a happy face until she gets into the orthopedic room where Izzie and Callie are working. She wants to smash something so Callie has her smash up some casts. Izzie ignores her friend's freak out and starts questioning Callie again about her intentions towards George. Callie breaks it down for her and basically says that George rocks her world. Before she leaves she tells them to clean up the mess. When she leaves Izzie makes the observation that George is her McDreamy. How cute!
Whoa, he is ugly when he's angry
In with Alex and Jackie, he watches as her daughter's bummed her mom won't be home for her birthday. She's a brat actually, even if she doesn't think her mom is dying she can still see she's in the hospital. The little bitch storms out. Alex can't take it anymore and wonders if Jackie thinks she's doing the kid any favors by lying to her. Jackie thinks he doesn't understand because he's not a mother. She goes on and does another Emmy winning performance giving a speech about mothers and daughters and smelling the top of your baby's head. Very touching. And then Alex ruins it with that mouth of his by, rightfully, pointing out that her daughter, after she dies, will end up just hating her for lying. Just then Burke walks in and is stunned. He calls Alex into the hallway but before he can tell him how he messed up Alex goes off. He says that this whole telling it like it is thing is his thing, and he may be an ass like everyone says, but he's a good doctor. This shuts Burke up.
As Meredith's walking down the hall her father's wife approaches her. She says she knows who she is, that she's seen her pictures and she looks just like her cheating whore mother. Meredith promises that she didn't say anything to Molly. The woman says that Molly knows her father was married before, that he has a daughter. Apparently Meredith has more then one sibling as well. The woman also says that Thatcher thinks about her all of the time, but that her mother broke him. Damn, that's harsh. Meredith thanks her for telling her what an awful mother hers is and how great she apparently is.
Meanwhile, Thatcher is staring at the surgery board. His nemesis, Dr. Webber, approaches. I'm hoping these two throw down. The only thing better then seeing two women fight is seeing two old men do it. Thatcher remembers how he used to play the househusband role and stand at the board with a crying baby, wondering when his wife would be home. See this? (insert me rubbing me thumb and forefinger together) This is the world's smallest violin playing for ya, buddy. The Chief wants to know if Thatcher knows about Ellis and Thatcher doesn't want to talk about his wife to him. Silly Thatcher, that was simply just a segue to talk about Meredith. He tells him about Ellis having Alzheimer's. Hey, I thought you were talking about Meredith here! He just wanted him to know so he could maybe reach out to her and help her through this.
After all of this Thatcher is wandering about the halls looking for Meredith. Luckily she sees him first and is able to hide. George sees the aversion and stops Thatcher before he can run into her. Thatcher asks him if he's friends with Meredith. George says they were friends with benefits until she freaked out and started crying while he was banging her. Thatcher says that Meredith came to see him a few weeks ago. A small light forms over George's head as he stutters, "A..a..a few weeks ago?" Thatcher then sh*t talks Ellis about how she was cold and uncaring. George goes the high road and doesn't tell him that Meredith broke his heart. He says nice and caring things about her, that she's a good surgeon, which she gets from her mom, but that rest she gets from him. You know, like the abandonment thing. Thanks Pops. I joke, but it was a touching moment. George tells him that she's gone for the day and Thatch retreats away. George gives Meredith a quick look and runs away without saying anything. Meredith is able to get in a quick "thank you" to the back of his head.
McDreamy and Meredith have a cute moment in the observation room where she's still knitting. He tells her about the boy and the brain surgery and she tells him about having a sister she never knew she had. Sister trumps boy. Sorta.
So break out the box of Kleenex. Jackie is having the heart to heart with her daughter. She starts telling her life lessons, and that she should listen to her Aunt Susie, but not about hygiene because she's a nasty pig. She then tells her about not being a drunk bride at her wedding. That's the most important one right there, nothing tackier then that. The girl starts crying, and I start crying, and my roommate starts crying and Jackie tells her that she's not going to make it. When the girl starts balling Jackie tells her about having a baby and feeling overwhelmed and that none of the small stuff matters. All that matters is that her child is happy. And then she tells her that she's going to be really sad for awhile, but that she shouldn't stay sad forever. The girl promises and I'm a bit misty just writing this. Alex listen from the door and by God, he was right.
Izzie goes into Denny's room and presents him with a sweater. Okay, I've been knitting for three years and I could never knit a sweater in one day. Who cares that I only I knit scarves, a sweater in a day? That's fast work. Maybe surgeons knit faster because of their skilled hands. Anyway, she gives it to him and tells him to smell it. He does and says it smells like "Izzie". I'm kinda grossed out but it's sorta sweet too. She says she wore it for three hours (really? we never saw her doing it) and this is the closest he's going to come to her body. At least for now I hope. Then he asks to see one of her boobs. Wow, looking death in the face really makes you bold. She just laughs it off and I hope flashes him.
Christina meets up with the Chief and asks him how he won, because he had his eyes closed! He says that it's all muscle memory, that if she wants to win she has to go back to the basics. Ding ding! Dr. Yang has an idea. The next thing we see is at Burke's apartment. He and George are just hanging out, reading, talking and- holy crap! Christina walks out naked! George averts his eyes, promising Burke he didn't see anything. He asks Christina what she's doing and she says that she's just getting comfortable in her apartment. Burke freaks and kicks George out. Christina smiles and says "Basics". Funny.
Poor George is in the familiar deserted hospital corridor and he decides to make a phone call. Good, he's finally calling Meredith to-crap. It's not Meredith, it's Callie. And the reason we know it's Callie is because we hear the phone ringing and he walks towards the sound. Sure enough, Callie's living in the basement in a very creepy, "I don't have a home" sorta way. When she sees George she tries to tell him that she's not crazy and only living in at the hospital because she's there so much. What? Is she like the only doctor who's there alot? She's an orthopedist, something tells me the ER doctors could use that space more then she could. George doesn't seem to care since he himself is now homeless. He asks her to cut his hair and they end up making out. I don't know if that place has any doors, so I'm confused.
The last scene is Meredith coming into the vets office to check on Doc. She's his other Mommy. She just wants to visit him and claims she doesn't need to see the vet. Cue the hottie McHottie Chris O'Donnell to walk in. He's looking damn fine and Meredith must think so too because after a small mouth gaping stare, she goes right back to knitting.
