TV Fanatic

Community Review: A Plan Changs Together

d4cella@gmail.com (Dan Forcella) — Fri, 18 May 2012 06:19:39 EST

After a long season of reviewing The Office and 30 Rock here at TV Fanatic, giving both middling grades at best, it was a breath of fresh air when the boss asked me to help out with one of this week's trio of Community episodes.

Unlike its elder Comedy Night Done Right brothers, which in one way or another are shells of their former selves, Community is in the midst of one of the best two-season sitcom runs of all-time. It may be getting banished to Friday nights next season, but right now our favorite Human Beings are still the funniest people on television.

"The First Chang Dynasty" did not let me down in that regard. The penultimate episode of Community's third season had a nearly perfect combination of parody, physical comedy, sight gags, puns, characterization, heart and plot development. I know, that's a lot, but I don't get to review Community very often, so I need to stress how fantastic it truly is.

As a huge fan of Ocean's Eleven, I absolutely loved the Greendale Seven's parody of it. My favorite moment might have been the description of just how difficult the plan was going to be. There is no way they’re going to be able to get past Joshua, or figure out the code that is changed... once a day!

I liked that the Ocean's bit ended early, because it gave time for them to work through other things before the conclusion of the episode, most notably the heartfelt goodbyes from Troy. Those final moments were some of the best examples of why Community is the best sitcom on television at achieving heartfelt moments and comedic ones simultaneously.

Troy whispering something to Abed as he said goodbye to his best friend was so very chilling, but the fact that he was saying "I know you hate when people do this in movies" made it ridiculously hilarious at the same time.

While the ending gave us heart, and moved the plot along enough to give the finale somewhere to go, the elaborate heist was filled with a number of the more silly moments from the episode. Between Shirley's beard, Abed and Troy as plumbers, and Jeff and Britta as the rock 'n roll magicians, I couldn't pick a favorite disguise. Actually, I can. It was Troy and Abed, mainly due to their incredible plumber voices.

Before leaving you with some of our favorite quotes from "The First Chang Dynasty," here are some other memorable moments during the second to last Community of the season...

Is he a deanleganger, doppledeaner, or deanlechanger?
Is it a copera or a policeical?
Did you know binoculars are like telephones for your eyes?
Troy's excitement about Chang's party.
A.C. school won't let you say "sensational."
Chang's file folders: lock combinations, miscellaneous Chang puns and extra file folders.
The Dean was so upset that it was Britta saving him instead of Jeffrey.

What did you think of "The First Chang Dynasty," TV Fanatics? Check out some of our favorite lines in our Community quotes section.

The Mentalist Review: A Wicked Game

christine@tvfanatic.com (C. Orlando) — Fri, 18 May 2012 04:07:01 EST

As many fans suspected after last week's episode, Patrick Jane was playing a long con. A very long con, and all in the hopes of luring out Red John. But in "The Crimson Hat," who really got played?

I loved the opening sequence where Jane meets Lorelei. Even the music set the mood, as Chris Isaac's Wicked Game played in the background.

When Oscar told Jane that the dead mother he claimed to have spoken to had actually wasn't dead - but had run off with her aerobics instructor years ago - I literally laughed out loud. Jane's response? "That explains why she was so easy to contact."

Jane loves telling people what they want to hear. Of course, this time - along with getting paid handsomely for it - he also nearly got both of his legs broken.

Apparently Red John had a generous streak. If he had to send a messenger, he couldn't have sent one more gorgeous. Then he ordered her to pay Jane's bail, sleep with him and cook him breakfast. What more could you ask for?

Patrick finally ended up in bed with someone and it ended up being a Red John disciple. A stunningly beautiful disciple, but still. That definitely tarnished the moment.

Unfortunately, Patrick didn't share his plan to snare Red John with anyone, including Lisbon. Teresa looked worried sick sitting in that church, praying for guidance on how to help Jane. It had been six long months and for once, I think even Jane felt guilty.

Horror was the only word to describe the look on Jane's face when he realized that the price for being allowed into Red John's inner sanctum was Teresa's death.

From the look on Lisbon's face I couldn't tell if Jane had let her in on the plan when he walked into the CBI. Then, I realized that her shocked expression was due to his words, not the gun he pulled on her. In this The Mentalist quote, Jane told Lisbon,

Good luck Teresa. Love you. | permalink

... just before he pulled the trigger. Apparently it was the last two words that threw her.

So do you think Darcy's the mole in the FBI? Red John only said he had a friend there. Once Darcy blew the whistle lots of other agents would have had the same information and could have passed it along. But what made Darcy so suspicious that she went down to the morgue to measure a faceless corpse? Who would even think to do that?

In the end, I wondered if Jane was going to lose a finger and I was sure they'd open that limo and find it empty. Instead Darcy opened that door to find the dead but horror-filled eyes of Luther Wainwright. Oh, what a terrifying way to die.

From the moment Wainwright came on the scene I figured he was either Red John's next victim or another disciple. I really wish I had been wrong.

When Lisbon finally found a battered Patrick Jane what struck me was that she didn't touch him. She actually sat a couple of feet away as she asked if he was okay. He's the one who reached out for her hand to hold.

Will we see Lorelei again next season? Why was Jane so sure he could make her talk? Will the rest of the CBI team forgive Jane for his long con and how it ended? Is Lisbon now a target nd who in Hell is Red John?

The Mentalist managed to keep the Red John saga going for another season and delivered yet another twist. A wicked game, indeed.

Touch Review: Leap of Faith

christine@tvfanatic.com (C. Orlando) — Fri, 18 May 2012 03:37:38 EST

Last week's episode of Touch may have been a favorite, but "Tessellations" left me with more questions than answers.

First, Abigail wasn't the only one surprised that Martin offered an olive branch. Just two weeks ago these two were at one another's throats, battling for custody of Jake, but suddenly they were bonding over his care. I don't doubt that they should work together for Jake's sake; I just didn't buy them getting there this quickly.

That said, it's anyone's guess whether this shaky truce will stick or if Abigail will reinstate her custody suit as soon as Martin's back is turned.

Next question: why was Avram putting the emphasis on the wrong words in his sentences? It's not quirky. It's just annoying and it's really starting to bug me. Sometimes his dialogue reminded me of bad voice over work and it distracted me from what he was trying to say.

I didn't really feel much of a pull towards the heist story line but I did wonder one thing: If Joey's wife couldn't afford her prescriptions, how could she afford the expensive chemicals and paper to develop her own film?

And Joey certainly jumped into a life of crime rather quickly. He'd only gotten fired two weeks ago and was still collecting unemployment. I suppose he couldn't afford the insurance payments, which was the biggest issue, but the way he spoke in the beginning I would have thought he'd been out of work for months, not two weeks.

I had to give Martin credit in that he certainly has great faith when it comes to following Jake's numbers. As he said in this Touch quote:

Sometimes in life you're just suppose to take a leap of faith and hope you land on your feet. | permalink

But he dove right into the middle of a heist. If he'd gotten caught he surely would have lost custody of Jake. That's a heck of a risk.

The Romeo and Juliet story in Palestine didn't make me feel the love the way I wish it had. I was more interested in the connection back to Avram and his interpretation of the numbers. So eights mean death but twos and fives mean love. Who knew?

Is the director helping Jake or simply using him? Is there really a giant corporation searching for the 36 righteous ones among autistic children and what's their end game? Does Abigail have any idea that her employer is using her nephew for some nefarious end? What happened to Amelia and is Jake susceptible to the same fate?

So many questions left unanswered. Hopefully the Touch two-hour season finale will give us some answers but we'll have to wait two more weeks to find out.

Missing Series Finale Review: Lost and Found

leigh.raines@gmail.com (Leigh Raines) — Fri, 18 May 2012 02:26:08 EST

Well, it's been quite an intense ride. To be honest, I wasn't sure how Missing was going to end since the finale was shot before the news of the cancellation came about, so I spent much of "The Rain on the Evil and on the Good" holding my breath.

One thing I was pretty sure of, and I was right, was that in the finale Becca would be doing every single thing possible to get her son back. She was ready to go to lengths she hadn't gone to before.

I was so relieved when Becca got Dax on the phone. I've mentioned before that if these two could finally get onto the same page and really trust each other that they could make a lot of headway. It took 10 episodes, but they did.

It's clear that Violet had messed with Dax's head a lot. Things got to a boiling point on this finale. First, Dax put himself on the line to bust Paul out of jail. I love that after everything Becca had been through, she still insisted Michael be rescued by both parents. Paul may have faked his death and just resurfaced days ago, but he was crucial in protecting Michael behind the scenes and he is still his father.

As far as things getting to a boiling point, a person can only be pushed so far before he/she breaks and it was clear that Becca was hitting her limit with her patience. When Violet tried to break free and Dax and Paul tried to coax information out of her, I knew a torture situation was coming. Holy crap, was that some speech Becca delivered. Violet may not have believed Becca would go through with it, but I didn't hesitate for a second. Becca is a mother bear protecting her cub.

Meanwhile, Michael was getting suspicious and I was gearing up for him and Oksana to make a run for it. Finally, everything came to a head and when Michael and Becca spotted each other I let out a huge exhale and tears welled up in my eyes. These tears were let out in heaving sobs and hour later on the Grey's Anatomy finale, but I digress. It was a beautiful Winstone family reunion and Martin Newman was no more.

Personally, I wish that after the producers knew the show had been cancelled, that they went back in and edited out the last scene of Becca getting kidnapped. Now that there is no second season it would've been good to just end things on a happy note. After all, how often do we get a happy ending on TV these days? I really enjoyed the ride that Missing took us on with it's phenomenal cast and intriguing storyline. What did you all think? Hit the comments!

Awake Review: Perilous Positions

snickrz@gmail.com (Nick McHatton) — Fri, 18 May 2012 02:12:10 EST

All realities collided in "Two Birds" - and things aren’t looking so good for Britten.

While I thought the conspiracy might be contained in the red reality, it’s looking more and more likely that may not be the case, and it shouldn’t be. The repercussions of the accident ripple out in both realities, and they both have lasting consequences on Britten because of it. Therefore, it then becomes a question of who can Britten trust, because he can’t involve his family, and both Dr. Lee and Dr. Evans refused to believe his predicament.

It’s hard not to blame them. Britten looks like someone who’s finally experienced a mental break. Jason Isaacs portrayed it physically as well. Many times a character that suffers a mental break still looks completely put together. Michael, on the other hand, isn’t clean-shaven and doesn’t look like he’s slept in days. Which would make sense because if he's sleeping he's potentially not in green, and that means he can't focus all of his energy on that conspiracy board in the garage.

Getting back to trust, since both doctors refused to help Britten, and, as I predicted last week, since the two of them refused to participate in the conspiracy things did get worse. Which makes Britten such a tragic character tonight. He’s so focused on this conspiracy and the why behind the accident that he’s losing sight of his realities. He’s put himself in peril on both sides, hovering near death on Red, and locked away for potential murder in Green.

Simply put, Britten’s put himself in a corner, Bird now has a target on his back (while the other is target practice – Rest in Peace Red Bird), and he’s one step away from his son and wife losing everything.

Harper continues to be an enigma, however, and just when it seems she might be interested in helping Britten she retreats back to covering her tracks. There’s a big, unknown grey area to her. In one scene she’s breaking down crying by herself, and in the next she’s grilling Vega (who finally grew a backbone and defended his partner!). It does open up a dichotomy though, as it seems in Green she’s at least somewhat interested in hearing Britten out. It might all be a clever ruse to learn what exactly he has so she can cover up her tracks, or it could another one of Awake’s underlying themes of small differences.

Real Reality Check

With so much going on tonight, it’s very hard to pick which side is real. With the conspiracy now bleeding over to Green, it’s even harder to choose. However, I’m choosing Green again only because Britten getting shot sent him back there.

Two More Thoughts

As predicted, NBC has cancelled Awake. I’m certainly going to miss this world every Thursday, and I wish the cast and crew all the best in their future projects.
Awake works so much better when there’s one unifying case. It’s too bad it took this long for the show to try that instead of constantly trying to juggle two different ones.

What did you think of tonight's Awake?

30 Rock Review: I Now Pronounce You Divorced

d4cella@gmail.com (Dan Forcella) — Fri, 18 May 2012 02:07:37 EST

Television shows, especially sitcoms, normally lose some of their luster as time goes on. Whether it be that the series actually gets worse, or simply our perception of it does because the novelty has worn off, more often than not, things are not going to be the same by season six.

Because of that fact, 30 Rock should be commended for how good its sixth season has been. There have been misses like Hazel Wassername, and big hits like the second live show, but all in all, this spring has been a solid run for the veteran sitcom.

Unfortunately, "What Will Happen to the Gang Next Year?" wasn't one of 30 Rock's better outings. The season finale had some one-offs that were nice enough, like the different things Liz's plant baby was up to, the fact that Criss has seen everything The Beek has done except Dawson's and Kenneth's reasons for calling people he likes bitches.

There were very few truly hilarious moments, though, and that is what we usually look for in a great episode of 30 Rock. For a season finale, this was pretty underwhelming. There was too much Hazel, Jack and Avery weren't at their best, and Jenna and Tracy were sidelined a bit too much.

It was good to see Jack and Avery divorce before heading into next year's final run. There wasn't much more story to tell there, and they had to leave room for the inevitable push by fans to cheer for a final Jack/Lemon get together. Let me stop you now. It ain't happenin'.

Before taking off for the long off-season, check out some of our favorite lines from the season finale below and then head to our 30 Rock quotes section for the rest.

When you get back, sound off in the comments about what you liked, what you didn't like, and who is a better role model; Rosa Parks or Tyler Perry.

Liz: Hey, I don't bail. I am still watching Smash, Criss. | permalink

Jenna: Oh, poor baby. Can't hack it in the big city? Gonna move to the bay area now, pretend that that was your dream the whole time? Have fun always carrying a light sweater. | permalink

Kim Jong Il: I'm greatest waiter of all time. | permalink

Jenna: I played Avery Jessup in Kidnapped By Danger, now available on Sega Genesis. | permalink

Person of Interest Season Finale Review: Catch Me If You Can

smckenna412@gmail.com (Sean McKenna) — Fri, 18 May 2012 01:14:48 EST

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from the season finale of Person of Interest. After all, the show has managed to perfectly sync the standard case of the week with an overarching story, all while adding more and more depth to the characters that encompass each moment. And with a variety of plot directions, the episode (and in a way, leading into season two as well) could simply go anywhere.

So, when "Firewall" began, it felt like it was following in the safe footsteps of its predecessor episodes: the person of interest pops up, Reese and Finch gather intel, a few twists and turns take place, they save the day. Happy ending stuff. Always entertaining, but nothing that might truly make it stand out as a season ender.

Except as the hour went on, everything began to snowball towards something more than the usual, drawing up the mood of a tense action thriller and pacing expertly to the final compellingly mysterious pay phone ring.

Of course, with everything converging together and more specifically on Reese, the entertaining chase provided its thrills of who was going to get to the man in the suit first. Not only was the FBI breathing down his neck, the HR goons on his heals, but Finch and Carter were simultaneously trying to guide Reese through the labyrinth pathways of the hotel towards the safe exit. And while I enjoyed the cutting back and forth between each group (even the furtive glances of Fusco and Carter in the control room,) actually seeing Reese look worried made me question the outcome.

Not that Reese would get shot or fail (although I did think it would be interesting if the person of interest died) but the idea that this normally invincible man had the potential to be beaten. He certainly could hold his own, but I think even he recognized the feeling of being backed into a corner and not having the upper hand. I guess being so popular has its downsides.

Yet what I enjoy about Reese's character is his ability to come out on top, to save the day, and to tear it up like its his job (and it is.) Not to mention, he does it with such swagger and bravado all while remaining quiet and serious, even when cracking witty one liners. I couldn't help but laugh after he blew up the car and then casually tossed in the lines, "We should all grab a drink together sometime. My treat."

And in a way the focus of the action and the tightening around Reese distracted from the true focus of the episode: Finch. The sleight of hand was a good way to twist the story in another direction.

Alicia Corwin was finally able to confront Finch, but it was her fears that proved most interesting. She seemed on the crazy end of sanity, but her desires to destroy the Machine struck true. Yet, what made her think it was the Machine that was killing people, killed Nathan, hunted her? Off her rocker or onto something Finch doesn't want us to know?

Just as we think we might get somewhere, bam, Alicia is dead.

In fact, Caroline turned out to be the master manipulator who set up the entire hit on herself. It's funny that in a way Reese and Finch's predictably to always save the day ended up costing them. But the real kicker was that Caroline was none other than "Root," the enigmatic computer hacker from the episode "Root Cause." At first I was expecting it to be Reese's old partner, who recently revealed she's back in NY, but I actually enjoyed this particular callback.

Even as Root seemed to essentially pull all the strings to get her sitting next to Finch, she inadvertently brought the team closer together.

Zoe was brought back for her helpful assistance and although she had limited screen time, she was a welcome return. You could tell Reese was happy to see her if, for anything, the fact that she proves to be a worthy player in the master game that all of them are a part of. There's great chemistry between Jim Caviezel and Paige Turco and I hope she keeps coming back for more episodes in the future.

Similarly, Fusco and Carter finally discovered that they are both working for the same guy. I wasn't sure how long that secret would be kept from them, and I'm glad that the cat is out of the bag. Not only does it mean more resources, but the two can actually back each other up as partners instead of assuming the worst. These two are on their way to getting closer, but I still think that there are some trust issues.

Although it was also great that Fusco was able to step up and place the anonymous tip about HR. But I wonder what's going to become of Officer Simmons...

But what does Reese speaking to the Machine and demanding its help mean at the end? It can't actually think by itself can it? Is the Machine actually running things? Can it turn into the next Skynet and bring about a Terminator revolution?

The potential prospects of what the Machine can do seem more vast and dangerous, but what/how/who was that final phone call? What does that mean in terms of the direction the show is going to take?

What a perfect way to end the finale by captivating me at the last second and eagerly baiting me to know more..

Person of Interest found a way to bring action packed fun with a riveting, entertaining, and fast paced story to close everything out. Sure, the season was not without its imperfections, even starting rather slow before finding its groove, but once it hit its stride, there was no slowing down.

The finale delivered a fantastic cap to that season illustrating everything that's great about the show, while simply turning it on its head, incorporating clever twists, and showing that it's only scratched the surface of its capabilities.

Did you enjoy the finale? What does the phone call at the end mean? What's in store for season two? Sound off with your comments, questions, and theories below.

Community Review: Journey to the Center of Hawkthorne

leigh.raines@gmail.com (Leigh Raines) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:42:15 EST

Have you ever wondered what your favorite study group characters would be like digitized in a video game? The first episode in tonight's Community trio answered exactly that question!

In "Digital Estate Planning," Pierce was sent to Hawthorne's headquarters presumably to collect his inheritance, but it turns out it wasn't as easy as he thought.

Pierce's father's longtime assistant Gilbert, played by Once Upon A Time and Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito, had a surprise in store. Thirty years prior, when Pierce begged his father to get into the video gaming business, only to be passed over for moist towelettes, Mr. Hawthorne decided to develop his own video interactive video game that Pierce would one day participate in.

The only hitch here is that Gilbert was playing Pierce for the inheritance. Not only did Gilbert feel that he deserved the inheritance for working for Pierce's father all of these years - after all the man did once sit on Gilbert's lap at church just to get a better seat - but Gilbert had a secret of his own.

Pierce's openly racist father had an affair with Pierce's hot African American nanny's sister and that woman gave birth to Gilbert! Lo and behold, Pierce has a half brother! This episode really pushed the envelope as far as offensive jokes and comments, but it was done in an almost ironic way because the crux of Pierce's character is that he's completely oblivious and often makes prejudicial comments. In fact, the only person more offensive than Pierce was really Pierce's father.

We all know that Dan Harmon likes to do fun gimmicky episodes, for instance "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas." I liked seeing the video game versions of the study group. I also enjoyed seeing how they each reacted to the video game world.

Of course, Abed thrived and fell in love with a woman who had an extensive knowledge in programming. Pierce could barely figure out how to walk. Annie was trying to be nice but threw down when she had to. When she and Shirley accidentally killed the people in the weapons shop, I have to admit I was laughing. Jeff was trying to take control and strategize, but per usual he was making a mess of things.

The ending was sweet as the study group realized that winning wasn't everything. The only thing I really missed from this episode was Dean Pelton. I really miss my Dean! Will he pop up in parts 2 and 3 of the Community trio tonight? Tune in to find out and don't forget to check our Community quotes from this episode!

Scandal Review: Worlds Collide

miranda.wicker@gmail.com (Miranda W.) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:11:52 EST

Kerry Washington promised in our interview that the Scandal season finale would bring it. And "Grant For the People" certainly did. Consider my jaw sufficiently dropped and my mind officially blown.

I can't tell you how glad I am that this show was picked up for a second season. Seven episodes is simply not enough of such an awesome series.

This was a night of masterful storytelling. Things came together and characters fell apart beautifully.

Quinn as a client was a perfect intersection of the show's usual format of two stories. Quinn needed her secret identity to stay hidden, so she called Olivia instead of 911 after Gideon bled out all over his rug. Olivia, despite her team's protests, demanded that Quinn was a client and she would be treated like one. The team's reluctance to clean the crime scene, followed by its meticulous scrubbing, indicates that maybe this isn't their first time doing something like this. They knew exactly what they were doing: protecting a client at the cost of being able to prosecute the real criminal.

But still, they did it. Because those are the lengths to which Olivia will go when someone needs her help.

Olivia's professional and personal lives collided as she had to save an employee and her lover from Billy Chambers. He killed Gideon and then torpedoed the Fitz' presidency by telling the media about the President's affair with Amanda Tanner and leaking the tape, leaving Cyrus and Olivia to do the impossible one more time. The choices left to Fitz after it looked that they would be unsuccessful were so grim I felt bad for him.

He could lie, but he won't do that. Olivia could tell the media that she's the woman on the tape, but that just makes him look worse. Or he could resign and they could have a normal life. Together. He could have the life he wants with the woman he loves. (For the full line, check out the Scandal quotes page.)

In that moment, I hoped he would resign and the two of them would ride off into the sunset. They deserve a normal life together. We're conditioned not to root for infidelity, but there I was, excited that these two could have a happily ever after. But Cyrus and Stephen had to meddle and tell Olivia 1) Fitz was born to be a leader and 2) this is basically her fault. And while both of those may be true, sort of, when she choked out "Normal is overrated" to Stephen I felt so bad for her, almost broken.

And then she was even gracious enough to save Billy Chambers from Huck. Sort of.

Huck, after promising not to kill Billy, used a technicality to try and get rid of the snake. And that technicality--Charlie, the CIA operative Huck tortured for information about Amanda Tanner--was in Cyrus' pocket the whole time.

Did you catch that? Cyrus Beene was behind Amanda Tanner's murder.

Or he was working with Billy Chambers. Or they were both out to have the girl murdered. And how does the First Lady figure in?

It's clear that she knew the President had an affair with Amanda Tanner. She had the audacity to blame Olivia for it. And then she swept in and saved the day by saying that she was the woman on the tape and that she and the President are expecting a new baby. The First Lady has no scruples! None at all! Fitz and Olivia essentially breaking up after hope had been so high earlier in the day was heartbreaking. Knowing that the entire story was likely Olivia's idea made it worse.

She's willing to give up everything for Fitz. She'll even give him up.

With that, season one is done, and the biggest question remaining of the season is "Who is Quinn Perkins really?" And it's not a question to which we got an answer. I suppose they had to save something for season two. I know that between that question and the Cyrus reveal, I'm eager for September.

Were you shocked to find out that Cyrus was behind Amanda Tanner's death? Do you think we've seen the last of Billy Chambers? What did you think of tonight's finale?

Grey's Anatomy Review: Unanswered Fates

courtney831831@yahoo.com (Courtney Morrison) — Thu, 17 May 2012 22:56:02 EST

Seriously? Seriously.

I need a few minutes to catch my breath after what can be remembered as one of the most emotional and gory finales in Grey’s Anatomy history.

We were warned. We knew this episode was going to be rough. Someone was going to die. The only problem? Knowing it’s going to happen doesn’t make it any easier. So let’s get to it for the last time this season. Put down those tissues, time to discuss “Flight."

At Seattle Grace Mercy West Death. Back at the hospital, Webber prepared to take the residents to his annual dinner to celebrate. Ben and Bailey decided to get married and Callie was waiting for her wife to come home. Alex made the decision to go to Hopkins because he needs to know he is good without Arizona holding his hand.

Teddy was offered an incredible opportunity as the chief of Medcom. She didn’t want to take it because she can’t leave Owen in the state he is in. Talk about loyalty. Just a few episodes ago, these two weren’t even talking. This just shows how strong of a friendship Owen and Teddy share. Of course, Owen recognized what Teddy was doing and fired her so she would have to take the job.

How sad of a scene was it to watch Webber, April, Jackson and Alex wait for Meredith and Cristina. Little do they know...

And Then There Were Five. Leading into this episode, I had constantly checked the comments on for the Grey’s Anatomy previews to see who the fans thought were going to die. Top of the list on the death poll? Arizona and April. In reality? Lexie Grey.

RIP Little Grey. In an extremely sad farewell (and in the first 20 minutes!) Lexie Grey died. What an emotional scene! Mark held her hand and confessed his love for her and that they were meant to be. The acting in this scene was incredible. Kudos to Eric Dane for his stellar performance.

So what is the fallout of losing Little Grey? Meredith has now lost another family member, Mark has lost the love of his life and Derek has lost his little sis. I’m not sure how you come back from this.

I have to be honest, I was pretty surprised it was Lexie. I knew there was a chance, but I really didn’t expect it. Will this lead to Meredith back to a dark and twisty place? The one positive to losing Lexie was that it led to a sweet exchange between her and the man she loved.

“I’ve always been in love with you. I’ll always be in love with you."

Heartbreaking.

Damaged Goods. Lexie wasn’t the only one with injuries. Mark needed a make shift surgery, Cristina’s shoulder was out of place, Meredith had a piece of plane in her leg and Derek’s hand is most definitely broken. The most gory? Arizona’s bone peaking out of her leg.

So Where Does This Leave Us? Shonda had made it clear that at the time of filming, no contracts had been signed. This means the fate of all of our favorite docs are up in the air. So what can we expect next season?

Derek’s hand. Will he be able to operate? Will Mark make it until they are found? Cristina is sure she wants to leave Seattle. Jackson chose Tulane. April and Teddy do not have jobs at Seattle anymore. Alex is headed to Hopkins.

Finale Standards? If there is one thing that Grey’s Anatomy does right, it is finales. They are always intense and always emotional. Season eight was a bit of a challenge. Because of not knowing if the actors would be returning, we were left with an open ending. It worked and it didn’t. It felt a bit like the writers were jumping back and forth to hit each story to make sure us viewers know their fates are questionable.

It’s a big cast and it’s hard to coordinate. It would have worked better if SGH was just shown in the beginning and the end; Richard and the other residents waiting at dinner and Owen firing Teddy. Other than that, another great ending to a solid season.

Some After Thoughts

I loved the flashback to the pilot episode in the beginning and the voice over at the end mimicking Webber’s words. Ah, nostalgia.
How gory was this episode? I had to look away when Arizona showed her bone popping out.
In an emotionally charged episode, the writers still found time to throw in a couple jokes. Thank you for that!
How good is Yang in a crisis? PS. How funny was she with her shoe?
How long until Owen saves them?

So what did you think, TV Fanatics? Was the finale everything you hoped for or did it fall short in comparison to the other season endings? Will everyone else survive the plane crash? Who will return to our beloved TV screen next season? Were you surprised that it was Lexie?

It’s time to say goodbye until next season. Check out the Grey’s Anatomy quotes for the best lines from the hour and make sure to check back for the Grey’s Anatomy Round Table. Hit the comments and let us know what you thought of “Flight” and the death of Lexie Grey. Chyler Leigh, you will most definitely be missed.