While season 11 of Grey’s Anatomy left fans in a fragile state—thanks to emotions evoked in part by the temporary disappearance of Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), the will-they-won’t-they relationship of Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) and Catherine Avery (Debbie Allen), and the inconceivable death of one sweet-talking, chiseled-jawed Dr. McDreamy (Patrick Dempsey)—season 12 returns to the relatively optimistic roots of Grey’s Anatomy.
With the winter finale of season 12 looming ominously in the not-so-distant future, fans anxiously anticipate a signature Shonda-Rhimes shake-up. The TV producer has played it safe so far, as the first seven episodes of the newest season are unusually lacking in drama. As if acknowledging the emotional strife she imposed upon her loyal Grey’s groupies, Rhimes treats her recovering fans to a light-hearted start for the show’s 12th season.
The new season takes on touchy social issues like white privilege and homophobia, includes more awkward sexual encounters, and is sprinkled with surprise reunions of the most uncomfortable sort. Maggie (Kelly McCreary) follows in the footsteps of her surgical superiors by having supposedly meaningless sex with an intern. Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) skirts awkwardly around Owen (Kevin McKidd) due to their inability to determine their relationship. Callie (Sara Ramirez) and Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) are still separated after agreeing to see other people. Without making any more heartbreaking decisions to kill off more favorite characters, Rhimes has held off from inflicting any emotional injury on her viewers—well, at least for now.
The most shocking aspect of the new season is undoubtedly the arrival of Callie’s new girlfriend, Penny, a soft-spoken surgeon who is perfect apart from one minor detail: her negligence was the ultimate cause of Derek’s untimely death. While Meredith grapples with this incredible coincidence, she seeks the reassuring consolation of her best friend and “person” Alex (Justin Chambers). Tensions rise even higher when yet another individual emerges from a main character’s past, for signs of Owen’s posttraumatic stress resurface when he sees the face of nemesis Nathan Riggs. Because Riggs’ identity is still shrouded in mystery, viewers simply see this new cast member as yet another hot doctor with an incredible intellect, but this time with a dreamy Australian accent to boot.
Throughout the newest seven episodes of the critically-acclaimed hospital drama, the viewers have laughed, they’ve cried, but mostly they’ve lamented over the glory days when Grey’s had Christina Yang’s sarcastic quips and Derek’s perfectly-coiffed head of hair. Despite cursing Rhimes for sending the earth spiralling off its orbital axis by ruining Derek and Meredith’s intoxicating love story, faithful fans tune in each week to catch up on the newest gossip at the Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital.
Most of the new episodes follow the same formula. April (Sarah Drew) and Jackson (Jesse Williams) avoid their marital woes with sex. Jo (Camilla Luddington) picks fights with one friend after another while a brooding Meredith sits sneering at someone from the sidelines. The only apparent inconsistency from one episode to the next is that virtually every character takes their turn as the ever-changing object of Meredith’s hatred.
Despite plot redundancy, however, Rhimes keeps Grey’s Anatomy engaging. Even after the countless freak accidents and traumatic character deaths that have transpired over the course of 12 seasons, the show has yet to falter in content quality and popularity. While this season has not yet reached the absurd melodrama of the preceding season, Grey’s Anatomy delivers episodes that allow viewers to sit back, relax, and recuperate from the emotional onslaught of Derek Shepherd’s demise—if only for a moment. Because much like the familiar first notes of The Fray’s “How To Save A Life” played during the show’s most distressing scenes, the familiar pangs of Rhimes-ian doctor drama are sure to return to the ABC original series in due time.
Featured Image by ABC Television
