Four seasons in,and Grey's Anatomy had developed itself into a rut.Meredith and Derek get together,Meredith cries out that she can't let him love her,Izzie falls for everyone,fast,and everyone else is complaining about something in their lives.And repeat.Obviously,conflict is the heart of drama,but after four years,these old conflicts become stale.And so begins Season 5,and I must say,I am more pleased with this episode than displeased.Opening with what appears to be the death of a main character,it is drama from the get go.Meredith and Derek finally get together,and yes,she does spend the best part of the episode wondering if it's the right thing to do,but despite the focus on these two,it is the other cast that shine,and make for an interesting watch.New to the cast,is Kevin McKidd as a macho,tough,army Major surgeon,who brings some much needed life to the show,however briefly.Not enough time is given to develop this character,but,given his impact,I doubt that it is the last we'll see of him,including his romantic spark with a certain Cardio surgeon.Lexie is given little to do but pine for someone,and Callie and Erica spend the episode panicking and doubting,and not much else,and Izzie doesn't do much of anything,but does get a touching moment toward the end of the episode.As the episode closes,things begin to resolve towards a more forceful direction.Dr.Richard Webber takes charge,speaking to his surgeons about a recent fall in the quality of the hospital,and a resolution to do better.A metaphor for the show itself,if you want to look at it that way.
