‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Recap: Cristina’s Career Hits A Major Milestone
On the April 10 episode of ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ spirits are lifted as the entire Grey Sloane Memorial Hospital is celebrating Cristina Yang being nominated for a major award. Meanwhile, Karev debates leaving the hospital, while Callie and Arizona face a major decision about their future together.
Cristina’s time at Grey Sloane Memorial Hospital is slowly coming to an end, but the April 10 episode of Grey’s Anatomy revealed she is going out with high honors.
‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Celebrates Cristina’s Career
The opening of the April 10 episode of Grey’s Anatomy is drastically different — and less gross — than it’s predecessor.
Exciting news is announced when we find out that Cristina (Sandra Oh) has been nominated for the Harper Avery Award. Just two weeks prior to this episode she was imagining her future, both with and without Dr. Hunt (Kevin McKidd), and only one of the outcomes included her winning the very same award. So, what does this mean for Cristina? Or more importantly, Cristina and Hunt? Well, we don’t know yet. But I think I’m the only one left who still has hope.
Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) sets up a surprise for Cristina in the lobby, which is essentially a trap to get her to celebrate something she does not want to celebrate. Cristina is taking the nominated in stride, and trying to act like it’s just a normal work day. However, Hunt and Arizona (Jessica Capshaw), lead her directly into the surprise/trap — and it’s actually pretty awesome. Who knew that many people worked at the hospital?!
Even though Cristina is a big-time award nominee now, she is still a doctor, and she still has to work like the rest of the hospital staff. Her patient of the episode is a little boy in desperate need of a heart transplant. You might remember the little boy and his family from last week’s episode, when his two sisters were treated for the exact same heart condition. Now, all three children are in critical condition and the future is bleak. What’s worse is that no one can seem to figure out how this happened, and it’s frustrated their parents to no end.
Cristina’s award nomination has turned her into a hospital celebrity. While she’s at lunch with Meredith and Callie, an intern comes up to congratulate her on her win. In true Cristina fashion she is rude to him, but thankfully Meredith is around to provide a polite response before he leaves.
Meredith Loses A Major Surgery
Even though Cristina isn’t really feeling the surprise, the excited atmosphere inspires Dr. Webber (James Pickens Jr.). He may not be “Chief” any more, but he is so proud of the doctors that he helped mold — and he should be!
In intern news: Leah (Tessa Ferrer) is helping Meredith with a major first: an HIV positive kidney transplant. Apparently a new law in Washington has taken effect, which makes the procedure legal. The two patients involved are a pair of guy friends who have known each other for a very, very long time. Unfortunately, the donor decides that he does not want to give his friend his kidney, and Meredith is forced to tell the patient dying of kidney disease that he now has to go on a waiting list.
Later on, the donor changes his mind. Again. Well, at least his friend is going to live! He doesn’t want Meredith as his doctor though, so Bailey suggests that Dr. Webber take over the surgery.
Bailey joins Dr. Webber in the operating room, and the HIV transplant inspires her. Suddenly, she is thinking about gene therapy, stem cells, all sorts of other doctor terms we don’t know. Will this help her find a cure for the little boy without an immune system?
Not only are interns fawning over Cristina, but when Hunt throws her name around with the FDA, they put a device that can save the little boy who needs a heart transplant on the first flight to Seattle. Cristina’s name has klout — serious klout. Sadly, she’s not half as excited about it as Hunt is. The device arrives within hours, and the viewing room above the operating room is packed with onlookers desperate to watch Cristina conduct a surgery. While they are all gushing over how brilliant she is, Meredith bites her tongue.
Is she jealous? Dare I even suggest that? It certainly seems that way! This sucks big time, because Meredith and Cristina just repaired their friendship. Are they headed for the outs again? Eek.
Derek is the first on to catch on that Meredith is jealous, and he immediately calls her out on it. Meredith is able to joke about it with him, which makes me think maybe this won’t affect their friendship just yet. Fingers crossed.
Callie Asks Arizona To Make Another Sacrifice
Derek is testing out an awesome machine that measures brain waves and allows doctors to tell if a patient is mentally stable. His first victim? Jo (Camilla Luddington). This was probably a bad choice, because it’s clear that she’s partially insane considering she has put multiple grown men into the hospital after inflicting physical harm on them. Thankfully, no one seems to notice her brain is a little wonky.
Next up to test out the machine is Callie (Sara Ramirez), but when Derek starts showing her cute pictures of kittens the machine reveals that she is depressed. No one seems to be concerned about this too much, either.
Later, when Callie is continuously telling stories about things that are supposed to make her happy, the machine continues to tell Derek that she is depressed. That is until Meredith walks in with her son Bailey in her arms, and suddenly Callie’s brain gets excited. Derek jokes that she might have a crush on his wife, but Callie instantly knows what it is: she wants another baby.
At the end of the day, Callie meets Arizona outside the hospital and breaks the news to her. But in a surprising turn of events, Arizona wants another baby too! Really! Her reasoning for it is a little morbid — that Sophia should have someone to help her bury them when they grow old — but it’s still exciting news!
The Interns Rag On Shane
The interns are on Shane’s (Charles Gaius) case now that he’s working with Bailey (Chandra Wilson), but only because he’s gotten kind of cocky about it. Shane has come such a long way from being the forgetful intern that got one of his co-workers killed simply because he was lazy, hasn’t he? I guess he has a little room to brag, but just a little.
Plus, Bailey is trying to find a genetic cure for a little boy who doesn’t have an immune system. If the two of them succeed at this, it would be groundbreaking, and it would also make that little boy’s traumatized parents feel a lot better.
The Harper Avery nomination has the interns in a frenzy, and they are all discussing who they are going to thank when they win their award in the future. Well, everyone except for Leah, who knows she will never win an award and decides she wants to move to Oklahoma (or something) and become a farmer. Thankfully, she’s just kidding. At least I hope so!
Karev Debates Joining A Private Practice
The little boy without an immune system is such a sad case, because he’s trapped inside a plastic bubble. Yes, exactly like that Jake Gyllenhaal movie Bubble Boy. While Bailey is searching for a fix, Karev is checking up on Bubble Boy and trying to keep him occupied.
Karev is debating the offer he received on the previous episode — to become a partner at a private practice. His decision-making tie is cut short when Brayden, the boy without an immune system, has gone missing. He broke out of his plastic bubble, and is now running around the hospital playing tag with a little girl. When Karev finds him, he demands that everyone move away from the little boy, because even breathing near him can compromise his life. Karev is trying to save Brayden’s life, but it’s clear that Brayden feels like an alien. It has to be embarrassing to be called out like that in front of such a large group of people, even if it’s not his fault.
After securing Brayden, Karev goes out of his way to find him something that will keep him entertained: a remote control truck. Brayden is thrilled, and Karev is pleased that he was able to make the little boy smile again.
Right after leaving a happy Brayden, Karev meets up with Jo in the hallway and tells her that he told Dr. Butthole he was interested in joining the private practice. Our worst fears are confirmed: Karev might be leaving.
Cristina & Hunt’s Happy Ending
At the end of the episode, Cristina has accepted her nomination and decided to celebrate. Who does she celebrate with? Hunt. He brings her down into the basement, into the room they shared their first kiss, and they celebrate over drinks. It’s romantic, and sweet, and my heart is swooning for them. The perfect ending!
Tell us, HollywoodLifers — Do you think Cristina will win the Harper Avery Award? Do you think Karev is going to leave? Should Callie and Arizona have another baby? Let us know your thoughts below!
— Lauren Cox
Follow @Iaurencox
More ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ News:
- ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Recap: A Vicious Viral Infection Puts Everyone At Risk
- ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Recap: Cristina Has An Imaginary Relationship With Hunt
- ‘Grey’s Anatomy’: Tessa Ferrer & Gaius Charles Leaving After Season