"Grey's Anatomy": Cristina Just Wants to Have Fun

Yes, "Grey's Anatomy" has an ensemble cast but any time one of the central plot lines revolves around Dr. Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh), like it did this week, the show is at its best. This is partly because Oh's character is written with layers of complexity, and partly because the actress delivers performance after performance with understated humor. Either way, without Sandra Oh as part of the cast, the show's appeal would drop sharply.

The Unemployed Dr. Yang
Picking up where it left off, this week's episode "Something's Gotta Give," finds Cristina dealing with the aftermath of quitting the program at Seattle Grace, and in the words of Dr. Torres (Sara Ramirez) her behavior is disturbing. Not wanting to face reality, Yang goes from dancing around in manic fashion, to the chopping of Torres' hair, to maxing out her credit card on an entire living room set. Along the way she also muses about the type of people who inhabit the local mall while deciding to throw a house warming party.

Of course, aside from Torres who is hurting after being dumped by Dr. Robbins (Jessica Capshaw), and Dr. Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) who understands what Yang is going through, the rest of the doctors in Cristina's life feel it's time for an intervention. Fortunately for Yang, Shepherd gets there first and saves Cristina from the ordeal. The two end up drinking wine on the roof top while the party rages on, their conversation centering around flooring for their home and not Yang's decision to quit.

April, Avery and Karev
Dr. April Kepner (Sarah Drew) spends part of the show having the hots for Dr. Karev (Justin Chambers) and almost ends up losing her virginity to him in one of the hospital's sleeping rooms. However, Karev, who has been under tremendous stress all day, goes on a tirade at the most inappropriate time and the budding relationship ends before it gets started. Meanwhile, Dr. Avery (Jesse Williams), who is also stressed out over a blown surgery, gets wind of what Karev did and stands up for April by punching out the surly doctor. In other words, it's another ho-hum day at Seattle Grace.

Meaningless Plot Lines
Sandwiched in between Cristina's walk on the unemployed side, Torres' broken heart, Avery's moping, Karev's anger, and April's fascination with the opposite sex, is a plot line involving a VIP foreign dignitary whose life is saved by Dr. Altman (Kim Raver), Dr. Hunt (Kevin McKidd), and Dr. Shepherd. As if to remind us what great surgeons they are, Altman and Shepherd open up the man's heart and head at the same time, all while bickering about what to do with Cristina. Imagine what this duo could do if they actually concentrated on the task at hand.

Impressive Medical Jargon
Apparently the pancreas is an organ not to be messed with. This is clearly pointed out by Dr. Bailey (Chandra Wilson) when she reminds Dr. Avery of the importance of the pancreas with this little intern refrain; Eat when you can, sleep when you can, and don't mess with the pancreas. Not being in a medical field, I would never have guessed that the pancreas is an organ not to be messed with (medically speaking).

Next Week
If this week was good, next week may be even better, since the previews showed a snippet that could best be titled, "Cristina goes wild." Hopefully Dr. Yang stays unemployed long enough to make for a few more memorable moments.

Sources:

Grey's Anatomy http://abc.go.com/shows/greys-anatomy