Welcome to the Grey’s Anatomy Season 8 finale “Flight.” Warning: there are a lot of blood, guts and tears in this episode, so if you get squeamish stop reading now.
“Flight” begins with a flashback to the original season of Grey’s Anatomy. A young George, Meredith, Cristina, Izzie and Alex tour a bright shiny ER then we are transported back to the present time. At the end of last week’s episode a private plane carrying Derek, Meredith, Cristina, Mark, Lexie and Arizona crashed into the woods. This week we are dealing with the aftereffects and Shonda Rhimes has promised that at least one Grey‘s cast member will die by the end of this episode. Gulp!
AfterEllen Bait
What will happen to Arizona? Will Callie be a widow? Will Meredith Grey be killed off, forcing the show to be renamed just Anatomy?
Feelings, Feelings, Feelings!
Where is everyone after the plane crash? Derek is missing after being sucked out the side of the plane, Lexie is trapped underneath the back of the plane, Arizona is screaming because her bone is sticking out of her leg and Mark, Cristina and Meredith are in shock but at least they are able to move. Meredith is frantically trying to find Derek as Cristina is desperate to find her other shoe. Arizona is screaming like an Eli Roth victim and Cristina snaps at her to “shut up!” Cristina has terrific bedside manner.
Mark, Cristina and Meredith race off to help Lexie (why did no one check on Arizona and help her out?) leaving Arizona talking to the pilot, Jerry, who is stuck inside the cockpit with no feeling in his lower body and a bad head wound.
Arizona starts to laugh and says, “I’m married to an orthopedic surgeon and I’m staring at my bone. I think I’m in shock.” Um … you think?
Mark and Cristina stay to help Lexie as Meredith goes off to find Derek.
Cristina’s arm-shoulder-something is out of place and so Mark (painfully) pops it back in. (There is so much screaming and crying in this episode that I really feel bad for the show’s sound mixer.)
Derek wakes up and realizes his hand is trapped inside of some plane debris. What’s a talented neurosurgeon to do? Well, grab a rock and smash one’s own hand free of course!
Back at Seattle Grace the staff is preparing for a big celebratory dinner for the residents. Who cares! Let’s get back to the plane crash.
Lexie cries hysterically as Cristina and Mark try to free her trapped lower body. Mark screams at Lexie,”You’re going to be fine.” Cristina asks Lexie to diagnose herself and with a rundown of Lexie’s injuries Cristina looks at Lexie and we all know Lexie is Shonda Rhimes’s latest victim. Can Shonda be prosecuted for a fictitious crime?
Cristina races off for food and fluids which she knows won’t help Lexie, but Mark insists she make the effort anyway. Now that Lexie and Mark are alone, the former couple have a final heart to heart.
Lexie: Mark, I’m dying. I am. Tell Meredith that I love her and that she was a good sister and please tell my dad …
Mark: You’re not dying. You’re going to be fine.
Lexie: Hold my hand.
Mark: I’m not holding your hand because you’re not dying.
Lexie: Hold my hand.
Mark: No, you’re not dying. Do you hear me? You don’t die today!
Mark tries again to move the plane debris and when he can’t he lies on the ground and holds Lexie’s hand ’til the end.
Mark: I love you.
Lexie: You don’t have to say it just because …
Mark: No, I love you. I’ve always been in love with you. I will always be in love with you. I love you which is why you have to stay alive. We’re going to get married and you’re going to be an amazing surgeon and we’re going to have two or three kids.
Lexie begins to gasp for air.
Lexie: So, Sofia can have siblings?
Mark: Yeah, a sister and two brothers.
Lexie: That’s nice.
Mark: We’re going to have the best life Lex, you and me. We’re going to be so happy so you can’t die, ok? You can’t die because we’re supposed to end up together. We’re meant to be.
Lexie: Meant to be…
And with that final sentiment, Lexie dies.
(This episode is sponsored by Kleenex with aloe.)
Mark rubs Lexie’s face and repeats over and over again, “I love you.” Meredith still can’t find Derek so she returns and Cristina tells her she needs to see Lexie immediately. But it’s too late. Meredith wails over the death of her sister, Cristina shakes her head and Mark just stares off in the distance.
RIP Dr. Lexie Grey. May 10, 2007- May 17, 2012.
Back at the hospital, Teddy has a job offer at the military medical institution MetComm but she refuses to take it because she doesn’t want to leave Owen.
Teddy: I would love to leave here and never look back but you are as beaten and broken as I have ever seen you. And after everything that I have put you through, the tolerance and kindness and friendship that you have shown me, I am not going to leave you because of my loyalty. I am not going to leave you for MetComm or anywhere else.
Back in the woods, Meredith and Cristina are still trying to find Derek.
Cristina finally says what’s on everyone’s mind, “I don’t understand how this keeps happening. We keep dying. We’re in a plane crash, Mer, like right now. Let me tell you one thing, when we get out of here I’m getting the hell away from Seattle Grace Mercy Death and I’m never looking back!”
Meredith cries to Cristina, “My sister is dead. Do you think Derek is dead?”
Cristina, “I don’t know, maybe, but I have PTSD, so you know I’m not reliable.”
Meredith, “Cristina you’re still my person even if I’m not yours.” (Is this really the best time to bring this up?)
At that moment Derek appears from the woods and collapses in front of them. Unable to move Derek, Cristina wanders back to the plane for supplies. Arizona sits in the exact same spot, spitting up blood. (Why isn’t anyone helping Arizona?) Meredith tries to mend Derek’s arm back together. Derek bites down on a shirt and hopes he passes out so he doesn’t have to endure the excruciating pain.
Back at Seattle Grace, Owen tells Teddy to take the job because he’ll be fine without her.
Teddy: No, Owen you won’t. You are losing the love of your life.
(Yeah, literally because she’s currently dying in the woods. Why hasn’t anyone found out that they are missing yet?)
Cristina finds matches and tries to get Mark to help her build a fire. But Mark’s skin is grey and he’s not moving. Mark is having some sort of cardiac issue so Cristina, Meredith and Derek have to operate on Mark right then and there. And it is disgusting.
As night falls, Mark lies on Arizona’s lap and prepares to say his goodbyes.
Mark: I should have said it earlier. That I loved her. I should have said it earlier.
Arizona: She knew. I think she knew
Mark: She didn’t know. She didn’t know.
Arizona: Mark, I need you to hold on.
Mark: You’ll be ok. You don’t need me. You take care of our girl.
Arizona: No, shut up. Shut up. Do you hear me? Shut up!
Mark: Lexie is waiting for me. I’ll be ok.
Arizona: No, Mark Sloan, no! Hey, no, no, Sofia is waiting for you and Callie is waiting for you and I’m waiting for you. We are going home together, ok?
Mark: Ok. Ok.
Arizona: Ok.
Jerry brings to light that the plane’s transmitter has been damaged and no one knows where they are. Meredith thinks of Zola and Cristina reassures them that Owen must have figured out that they are all missing and has sent for help, but Owen still has no idea.
After all this, it’s time for some positive feelings. Bailey proposes to Ben and they are absolutely adorable together.
Bailey: Tell me it’s going to be ok.
Ben: It’s going to be wonderful.
Whores & Gore
At Seattle Grace Callie gives Bailey some relationship advice.
Callie: Long-distance relationship? Not the end of the world. Absence makes the sex grow hotter. Arizona has only been gone for one night and she’s already inspired a hot I-miss-you-thing when she gets back. I have lingerie and flavored body paint.
At the end of the episode Callie keeps her promise and lies on her bed wearing lingerie and waiting for Arizona to walk in the door, which, of course, she does not.
Meanwhile April is still torn over her feelings for Avery.
April: I loved having sex with you. You made me feel things … you changed me Jackson and I love that, but I hate that I’m not a virgin for the man I’m going to marry. I’m not freaking happy about that. And I’m really not happy that you feel bad about it because you’re my best friend.
Dear April, Jesus has gotten over it, you should too. Love Bridget.
Medical Mishaps
Finally a helicopter shows up in the sky. Cristina and Meredith scream for help but the flare gun is jammed and the helicopter flies off.
Owen, not wanting to hold Teddy back, fires her effective immediately. Owen and Teddy fight, cry and eventually hug it out.
Callie tells the pouting April, Alex and Avery to suck it up and celebrate their accomplishments because life passes by so fast.
Callie: I got fired from Chief resident, then I got fired from this hospital. Oh and my husband cheated on me.
April: What? You were married? To a man?
Alex nods.
Callie: And then he died so I didn’t think I was ever going to be happy again. But now my life is pretty damn great. So you’re having a rough time it’s nothing. It’s a blip and in the meantime you’re missing your moment. You survived residency. Stop and celebrate that because life changes in an instant. Turns on a dime. One minute you’re miserable and the next you’ve met the most amazing woman in the world and are in love. This moment, your moment, it only happens once.
Richard, April, Alex and Avery sit at the celebratory dinner and wait for the others to arrive.
At the end of the day Owen finally checks his voicemail and realizes he’s missed a handful of calls from the other hospital asking when the doctors will show up. Owen makes a face expressing “what do you mean they haven’t arrived?” Now that Owen has finally realized that his wife and that half his staff are missing, the hunt for them must begin. But we’re at the end of this episode and with no more matches left Cristina, Meredith, Derek , Arizona, Mark and Jerry must stay conscious in the dark in the hopes of staying alive.
What did you think of this episode? Will you miss Dr. Lexie Grey? Why didn’t anyone know that the staff was missing sooner? Why didn’t Callie call Arizona’s cell phone to check in? How long will Callie lie on the bed half-dressed? I guess you’ll have to wait a few months to find out.
