Season 7 ofGrey’s Anatomyis known for several things – dealing with the aftermath of the Season 6 shooting, havinga divisive musical episode, and ending the season with a quieter finale that dealt with more adult problems. But another highlight from this season is having a Christmas episode that impacted the show and its future. For this hour of the show, the focus shifted to the part of the ensemble that needed some fixing.
Teddy (Kim Raver)meets someone who eventually mends her unrequited love for Owen (Kevin McKidd). Lexie (Chyler Leigh) and Mark (Eric Dane) rekindle their love, while Callie (Sara Ramirez) and Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) face a rockier restart. Last but not least, Cristina (Sandra Oh) pairs up with the unlikeliest person to finally deal with her trauma.“Adrift and at Peace,” the season’s tenth episode, has the usual dramabut with a holiday backdrop and the kickstart ofextremely relevant future storylines.
Scott Foley’s Character Debuts in This ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Christmas Episode
“Adrift and at Peace” marks the first appearance ofScott Foley’s Henry Burton. What at first seems like a chance encounter between Teddy and a patient-of-the-week, is eventually revealed to be the starting point forone ofGrey’s Anatomy’s most endearing couples. When Teddy learns Henry’s insurance has run out, and he can no longer get treatment for his rare disease, she suggests marrying him so he can acquire her insurance plan.
The ramifications of this episode can be seen throughout the remainder of Season 7 and well into Season 8. After their marriage, their relationship is kept strictly as doctor-patient. But, as time progresses, Teddy and Henry bond over the chronicles of her failed dates. Henry then recovers his insurance, and after facing the prospect of getting divorced, they decide to stay together. But – in trueGrey’s Anatomyfashion –Henry relapses and dies, kicking off aDenny Duquette 2.0 situationthat ends with Teddy leaving the hospital.
The eternal on-and-off saga of Mark and Lexie takes part of the spotlight in this Christmas outing. When she asks him for help on getting Eli (Daniel Sunjata) to attend her requests, he bribes her to go on a date. They hadn’t been together since Season 6 when Mark’s daughter Sloan (Leven Rambin) caused a rift in their relationship, and Lexie started dating Alex (Justin Chambers). Ending the episode with a kiss at Joe’s was one of several reencounters the couple would see beforetheir fatal demise.
For a very brief moment, the episode’s final shot features the return of Arizona. Following her leaving Callie at the airport to go to Africa, she comes back because of her inability to live without her. An understandably angry Callie shuts the door on her face. And though this ending could indicate they will never recover,the remainder of the season sees them working through their relationship and patching up their wounds. They are the protagonists of the car crash that leads to the infamous musical episode, andtheir wedding takes placein one of the season’s final episodes.
‘Adrift and at Peace’ Showcases Cristina Dealing with Her Trauma
Cristina’s trauma followingGary Clark’s (Michael O’Neill) shooting rampagehit her where it hurt the most – her profession. For almost half of Season 7, Cristina isn’t able to step into the hospital, much less into an O.R. Her spiraling pushes her into rash decisions, like marrying Owen (Kevin McKidd), falling out with Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and bartending at Joe’s. The highlight of “Adrift and at Peace” is Derek (Patrick Dempsey) – perhaps Cristina’s least favorite person at Seattle Grace – taking her on a fishing trip. Forced to stand still, without making noise, and just existing, Cristina finally comes to terms with the traumatic event she went through.
Sometimes facing your trauma doesn’t involve a bang or a great moment, it’s justmaking peace with the fact that what you went through is now a part of you. After facing that fact – and catching a giant fish – Cristina lets it all sink in and cries. Derek understands the feeling and asks for her picture to be taken, for she’ll want to remember that exact moment. In the following episodes, this soothing lets Cristina trust herself and her abilities again, making way for her to resume her path to becomingthe best cardiothoracic surgeon.
Christmas episodeson TV shows have a way of passing undetected, for sometimes they might be considered fillers. But, inGrey’s Anatomy’s case, “Adrift and at Peace” stands out as one of the holiday-themed chapters in which the storylines spilled over into further episodes and seasons.The overall character arcs of six characters of the ensemble were changed forever, starting with this episode.
Grey’s AnatomySeason 21 airs Thursday nights on ABC and is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.
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Grey’s Anatomy
A high-intensity medical drama which follows Meredith Grey and the team of doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial, who are faced with life-or-death decisions on a daily basis. They seek comfort from one another, and, at times, more than just friendship. Together they discover that neither medicine nor relationships can be defined in black and white.
