Grey's Anatomy Season 12 Episode 9 Review: The Sound of Silence
Ashley Bissette Sumerel
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Where do I begin?
After seeing the trailer for Grey's Anatomy Season 12 Episode 9, I was fully prepared to dislike this episode.
But though it's yet another life or death situation at Seattle Grace Mercy Death Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, it still stands as a unique story that allows Meredith's character to continue to develop.
It must be the case that Meredith has nine lives. I've lost count at the times she's nearly died or been faced with some impossible situation. It even seems as though the running joke of Grey's Anatomy is to have freak accidents and intern deaths at every corner.
And so in that context, I find it annoying that Meredith gets attacked in the hospital. I mean, she's already survived a plane crash and a mass shooting, nearly drowned at a ferry boat crash, held a bomb, and given birth in impossible circumstances (what am I forgetting? I must be forgetting something).
That's not even considering the other characters. If I were a doctor at this hospital, I'd have quit by now, assuming that the place must be cursed or something.
Okay, but here's the thing. If I take this episode on its own and don't allow myself to consider how many times Meredith has faced death, it's actually really great.
It presents us with situations we haven't seen before, and it's done in an artistic way. We actually spend ten full minutes in silence as we watch the story unfold from Meredith's point of view. It's unnerving and uncomfortable in a way that I find hard to describe.
There's nothing, and I mean nothing, worse though than when Meredith's children come to see her. Meredith is still in casts, and her mouth is wired shut, so when she smiles at her children, they're afraid. They don't want to hug her or go near her. It's painful. It evokes an emotion in me that makes me a little nauseous.
Both of those instances give the audience just a small idea of what it must be like to be disabled in some way. It's this sort of thing that I always appreciate about Grey's Anatomy. It's social commentary in the most dramatic form possible, but it's makes you think. It makes you more aware.
It also gives Meredith a chance to grow more as a character. She's forced to deal with something impossible, and we see her struggle with it. Through her eyes, we also see what's happening with some of the other characters, including Jackson and April getting a divorce and Amelia acting out.
Alex is the one who really remains by Meredith's side. Of everything I'm rooting for on this show right now, I'm rooting for their friendship.
Richard: You can't work on your family.
Alex: Everybody in this damn room is her family.
Meredith's anger starts to subside after getting some unsolicited advice from the chief Richard, who takes her out into the sunshine and tells her it's time to forgive.
She isn't ready to forgive Amelia just yet, but she does take that step by meeting with the man who attacked her and showing him a sign of forgiveness.
Other Thoughts:
- Meredith's attack reminded me a little of Charlotte's rape on Private Practice, which was one of the most awful scenes I've probably ever seen on television.
- Additionally, Meredith looking up at all the doctors while her head is secured feels very similar to the moments before Derek's death. The looking up, the fear in her eyes, the not being able to talk – it's all a little too familiar.
- As with most new characters, my initial disdain for Penny is going away, mostly because of the scene when she opens up Meredith's mouth and allows her to breathe.
What did you think of this episode of Grey's Anatomy? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Need to catch up on past episodes? You can always watch Grey's Anatomy online right here via TV Fanatic!
While Meredith may have miraculously survived her ordeal, it's her recovery that may kill her. Get your first look at Grey's Anatomy Season 12 Episode 10, "All I Want is You," below!
Ashley Bissette Sumerel was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in September 2017. Follow her on Twitter and on Google+.
