Grey's Anatomy Recap, "Song Beneath the Song"

by Becky Kirsch 17

Tonight we finally found out just exactly what a "Grey's Anatomy Musical Event" means, in an episode that basically plays out like a series of music videos interspersed with typical hospital babble. After a car crash, the lives of both Callie and her baby are in danger, which is naturally stressful to the close friends and colleagues that have to work tirelessly to save them. As Callie lays unconscious, she has an out-of-body experience that involves quite a bit of singing. Sara Ramirez and her Tony-winning pipes are obviously the stars of the episode, but I was impressed by how many of the other actors also get in the spirit.

Though the episode maintains a serious tone throughout, the songs run the gamut from chilling (particularly the most iconic songs like "How to Save a Life" and "Chasing Cars") to downright laughable. It was refreshing that a dash of humor was thrown in on numbers like "Running on Sunshine," but some of the segues were so cheesy that I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Overall, though, it made for an entertaining hour at "Seattle Grace Mercy Death," so let's break it down by highlighting the most memorable musical numbers when you read more.

• "Chasing Cars": Any card-carrying Grey's fan can easily get choked up by this one, solely because it brings back memories of the emotional season finale where Izzie grieves for Denny. This time around, it starts out beautifully as Callie is, literally, just laying there, but it gets a little jerky when Owen joins in . . . and then Bailey. Eventually I got used to the group performances, but Callie's numbers felt less awkward than the ones that took place with the doctors in the OR.
• "Breathe (2AM)": Little Grey gets to show off her own vocals when she's asked to leave the OR and watch over Mark. The transition is a bit obvious to say the least ("Just breathe, Callie!"), but once it gets going, it makes for a tender scene where a cautious Lexie has to comfort a tearful Mark. Though there's a bit of tension between Jackson and Lexie at the end of the episode, I was glad the love triangle isn't a huge focal point of the episode.
• "Running on Sunshine": Despite what the writers and actors have been saying for weeks, the musical episode does include a dance number! Sort of. In this little homage to the coupled-off docs at Seattle Grace, we see Eli bust a move and romance Bailey, while Karev joins in the fun and sings a whole verse (my jaw dropped). Even Henry gets to make a quick appearance to belt out a few lines to Teddy. In some ways it undermines the emotional subject matter of the episode (Callie's life is on the line after all), but the gratuitously cheesy scene just might be my favorite of the night.
• "How to Save a Life": Some of the songs get a little tired toward the end ("Get Set Go" didn't really do anything for me), but "How to Save a Life" is the definitive number of the episode. All the doctors get in on the song from behind their scrubs as they work to save both Callie and Arizona. Even if they don't all have American Idol-worthy voices, I loved the unity. It's also ties the whole episode together, as Mark and Arizona join forces and rush into the OR to save their girls.
• "The Story": Just as the episode begins with Sara Ramirez showcasing her voice, it ends with an emotional number as out-of-body Callie sees her baby girl and pushes herself to wake up. When it happens, Arizona still doesn't know if Callie has permanent brain damage until she utters, "Yes. Yes I'll marry you." It's the frosting on the cake of an emotional/sappy episode, but it looks like the road to the altar might be a long one for Callie, who's going to be in recovery for quite some time.

How did you feel about the episode? Do you think the writers jumped the shark? Which number was your favorite? Let's get chatting!

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