Cristina Yang was bearing bottles of booze, flirting with patrons and serving (ill-mixed) drinks in Joe’s bar. She concocted an electric blue drink she called “Early Onset Alzheimer’s” in honor of Derek landing a grant to study Alzheimer’s, something he fears his wife (and her best friend) has. Oh and she was lap dancing too.
Had I not seen the previews for this Grey’s Anatomy episode, I would’ve never believed that I’d see Cristina Yang tending bar and giving some guy a lap dance after having served him drinks for money.
The melancholy, sullen, shell-shocked, empty-eyed Cristina has, over the course of two episodes, been replaced by the hard drinking, hard partying, hyper-sexual Cristina. While “tending” bar, Cristina seemed lighter of spirit, as though she was having fun … until she wasn’t, until she was puking into a toilet feeling even worse than she did when she showed up at Joe’s to “work.”
I’m still liking what they’re doing with Cristina’s story. Last week Cristina spent the afternoon at the mall with the crestfallen Callie, marveling at the delicacy that is a warm mall pretzel. This week she was at Joe’s. I have no idea where her journey will eventually take her … back to the OR, or to some other place where she can make peace with herself? Regardless of the destination, I’m along for the ride.
Then there was Bailey, the only one who liked Cristina’s electric blue drink and sucked down a fair number of them. She cracked me up with her love and “needs” banter, her urging April to wait for a man who’s worth it, and obsessing about the fistula that killed the patient with whom she survived the hospital shooting only to have her die after complications from a minor surgery. Unlike Cristina who’s wildly acting out, Bailey’s been pushing her grief down, trying to keep her guilt and anger at bay. It only got trotted out because those Early Onset Alzheimer’s drinks got it out of her. When Bailey sobered up, it was, “This never happened.” If only.
Chandra Wilson was given some of the best lines of the episode, particularly the “sexual sorbet” one where she took Sloane’s notion that Callie needed a “sexual palate cleanser” in the wake of Arizona dumping her, and gave it a bit of alliterative panache. However I don’t think a McSleazy sorbet was the kind of cleanser Bailey had in mind.
Additionally, it has been interesting to watch Meredith and Alex draw closer together as Alex has been serving the role of the New Cristina since Cristina and Meredith have become estranged. Meredith’s and Alex’s observation that it was highly ironic that they were the only ones left from their original intern group seemed to indicate that they recognize that theirs is a bond formed solely because they are, frankly, still standing after Izzie’s cancer then firing, George’s death, and Cristina’s resignation.
In last night’s episode, they were forced to take on Stark — who I can’t stop seeing as Ally McBeal’s Biscuit — together. Alex and Meredith were willing to put up with Stark’s grief in order to save the patient regardless of Stark’s over-sized ego. To see the Chief peering through the window and smiling as Alex and Meredith were being blasted by Stark was somewhat provocative.
What’d you think of Cristina? Of McSleazy as “sexual sorbet?” The Meredith/Alex alliance?
Clacked by Meredith O'Brien 
on Nov 19, 2010 @ 12:00 EST5EDT
I thought Bailey was delicious. We’ve never really got to see her loosen up, so that whole scene with her and Kepner was really entertaining. Talk about calling your ex, drunk because you have needs! :))) I wish she got back together with that hot guy, they seemed right for each other, though. Cristina as a bartender/stripper was also lots of fun and I particularly liked Derek for being so caring and almost father-like. I had a feeling Mark and Callie would palate cleanse together, as a relapse for their past adventures and I also have a feeling Callie will turn out not to be so gay afterwards. The Chief was as cool as ever, getting things done at night and smiling to our last two standing residents, Karev and Grey. All in all, this has been one of the best episodes in some time. Hope they keep it up!
I hollered with laughter at the whole scene. “What you need, is a sexual palate cleanser” – the line was delivered so matter-of-factly. But Bailey’s shreiking with glee at the idea of “sexual sorbet” – the line itself, and her drunken state, made it one of my favourite scenes ever on the show. I could use some of that sorbet myself! :P Or so I thought, until I saw Callie’s face after her ‘dessert’ (oh dear)! As I’m watching from the UK we’re a little behind, but I look foward to seeing what happens to her friendship with Mark.
And to the author of this write up, great style! “and gave it a bit of alliterative panache” – I like! :P