Grey’s Anatomy: Return to Form?

I will be the first to admit that Grey’s Anatomy has gone downhill since its golden years. Gone are the days of 25 million viewers, and with good reason. In short, how many times can we see the same people break up and make up, break up and make up? However, I’ll also stick up for the show in saying that they have done a good job trying to combat this. They brought in new blood with the Mercy West merger, and they have allowed couples (see: Callie and Arizona) to remain relatively obstacle-free (this may seem unbelievable in its own right, but compared to the repetitive antics of Meredith and McDreamy, it’s a breath of fresh air). In the latest episode, Grey’s Anatomy did a pretty good job of bringing a relationship crisis to a believable impasse. Christina and Owen are currently in heated couples therapy to deal with their disagreement over whether or not to have kids, and this seems like perhaps the most realistic depiction of an adult relationship I’ve seen thus far on the series. Too often, the dynamics of dating in this universe are too simplistic or simply nonsensical. Christina and Owen’s relationship is very deep, though, with real problems. Embedded resentment is popping up all over the place, in addition to dissonant expectations for each other, staples of any troubled relationship in the real world. I will also say that I’m glad to see Grey’s Anatomy has returned its focus to the journey of the interns. Each of the interns is prepping for what seems like the ultimate exam, and it’s building up to a climactic series finale, where I’m sure we’ll find out who passed and who didn’t. Speaking of which, Meredith’s confusion in her case of the week had me wondering “God, will you EVER be a doctor?” My friend thinks she’ll be the one to not pass the exam, resulting in a life-changing decision before she exits the series (which would make sense, since the actor who plays her spouse, Patrick Dempsey, has already announced he’ll be leaving after this season airs)…what do you think? I’m not sure I buy it, but it would be a much better ending than what happened to Izzy.