My major problem with this episode of Grey's Anatomy can pretty much be summed up by its title: "The Becoming." All the characters still seem stuck. This whole season is supposedly about change, as the promos remind us each week. But here we are, with only two episodes and three hours of Grey's left, and we're still just in the "becoming" phase. I'm ready for some being.

This episode did advance some characters' stories, however slowly: Cristina, Bailey, and Mark — Mark! — had some touching moments. I'd like to say Meredith is ready to make a change, too, but I've been burned on that before. To see my thoughts and add your own, just read more.

As far as Meredith is concerned, what's our big takeaway? That she's delusional? She insisted it was going to be a good day, that she was going to put all her feelings about Derek behind her. And of course that wasn't going to work; every time Meredith has tried to bury it all inside, she's ended up worse for it (including, you know, dead). There's just no way to deny their chemistry when they're "exactly in sync." (How many times, by the way, did that phrase need to be said?) I'm glad Meredith's therapist called her a coward — even if that final scene with them fell a little flat. If Addison's push last week didn't convince her to fight, maybe this one will.

I will say that Grey's had its first scene in a while to make me teary: when Derek showed up with the champagne and told Meredith they'd open it when they have their first success in the trial and toast to all the lives they've lost. Man, I'm a sap.

Speaking of Derek, any hope I'd had that they might try to develop Rose went out the window as soon as we found out Derek and Rose slept together. I thought she wanted it to be special, but instead, we didn't see or hear a thing about it besides Rose requesting some paperwork! Did she get shamed into sleeping with him because everyone else had obviously had intra-hospital sex? That would be interesting, if we were supposed to care about Rose. Which we aren't. So . . . moving on.

The sex forms gave Cristina and Bailey two of their finest moments. Bailey first: She's always prided herself on keeping her personal life private, but now that she's single, the idea that she couldn't possibly be sleeping with someone at work takes on a new meaning. Meanwhile, Cristina spent the whole episode not talking about Burke's award (and singing "Like a Virgin" while slicing open bodies) until blurting out her whole "I was his hand, and now I'm a ghost" speech. Granted, it was a little on-the-nose, but Cristina has a history of that (see also: "I used to have an edge"), so I'm willing to let that ride for the sake of seeing her deal with the difference between who she was with Burke and who she is now.

Some other thoughts:

  • Mark's plotline with the nurses was supposed to be minor and light until the read-through, when Eric Dane made it so emotional. It was fascinating to watch his bravado break down from the masculine high of "Everything I do is consensual . . . some of them even begged for it."
  • Did anyone else want to slap Meredith when she announced she was in therapy right in the middle of Cristina's breakdown?
  • Also, did anyone else think at first that maybe, just maybe, the Chief didn't want Bailey to fill out a form because the two of them had slept together?
  • It just doesn't seem wise for George to know the sexual history of everyone at Seattle Grace. Don't they have HR?
  • Alex telling the kids about Snow White dying (but not really!) both made me laugh and broke my heart. He's just so scared that he's not going to be a good dad.

Your thoughts? Anyone else desperate for some action? Sick of wasting time on Rose? Ready for Alex's dark secrets to emerge?

Photos copyright 2008 ABC, Inc.

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