Space Princess

Calzona Review 10x07  “Thriller”

I had the impression everybody was so ready for a scary, exciting  and fun Grey's Anatomy 10x07. Ha, zombies, ghouls, that zombie bite, the halloween costumes, the party, …we were PREPARED.

Since Shonda tweeted it’s one of her favorite episodes and  editor Joe Mitacek said it's a brilliant episode, I was MORE than ready to see this ep.

What I saw in that very first scene was the one I was definitely NOT PREPARED FOR.

Arizona was sleeping like an angel, and as the cam slowly moved upward, we could  see that she was not alone in her bed, we close our eyes, hoping it was not... hoping.... BOOM. Yes, it was. It was the intern of the hour, Leah.

I couldn't hold my twitter tongue when I got a first glimpse of this.  I had nothing to hug. I was devastated. I was not okay at all. I was angry and hurt, but more of hurt.

I was one of those naïve people who hoped against hope that the promo video for this ep of Arizona naked was not true. I kept believing Leah won’t go to the hotel, I thought she would somehow not  be able to read that text. Pardon my naïvete, my innate denial tendencies, got the best of me. And look where it got me.

Wounded,  I slowly tried to absorb Leah getting up from bed, ughhhhh shirtless, 

and yes, Arizona was too, and yes, let me say that again Leah WAS shirtless. 

And Arizona was shirtless and she had her necklace on. It only meant one thing.

At this moment, a knife was cutting through  my heart and dicing it into cubes.

Leah was in a hurry to go. Arizona was offering her breakfast.  

AZ:     You want some breakfast?

Leah: You don’t have to do this

           I know I'm not supposed to sleep over,   

           I’m just so tired I thought I was gonna 

           close my eyes for a sec

AZ:     It's okay

Leah: Its not. I totally agree with you. This is  

           casual, this is not about snuggling in the 

           morning. Its easy. That’s me. Easy

           peasy lemon squeezy.

I wanted to leave right there.I did not want to continue watching the show. How could I go on watching the show?  

Okay, I told myself to cut the drama queen business  and get on with the show. I really wanted to see Zola, Sofia and Baby Bailey’s costumes.

One observation, Arizona was so nice to Leah. She was so kind. I re-watched this scene three times, observing her facial expressions. I was looking to see if she was just being the kind, normal Arizona that she was. The verdict? She was just being 'nice Arizona.'

I mean seriously.. just because she offered Leah breakfast doesn't mean she CARES for or she LOVES Leah. C'mon. Let's not jump to conclusions.

Any normal human being with whom one spends the night with, and shared intimacy with, of course it'd be nice to offer him/her breakfast.

What made me feel  a bit better was  Leah’s "easy peasy" line. 

She knew her place. She knew it was nothing personal. She knew it was not love. (maybe what Arizona  told her last ep stuck to her. That that's all it will ever be, and she had to adjust her expectations.)

They had sex, okay, but it was a sex-buddy type of sex. Nothing personal. I’m not saying this is okay. It definitely is not okay. 

I’m just describing it for what it is: No feelings attached. She was selling herself short as a text-for-a-booty-call gal. 

Honestly? Even if it made me feel good that both Leah and Az knew it was nothing serious, I was kinda concerned for Leah. 

She’s a bright girl, a future surgeon and she takes whatever intimacy she can get, at a single text from an attending she has a girl crush on? Bad.

As I've said time and again: Leah, don’t sell yourself short. You have a good future ahead of you. Do not moonlight as an easy peasy trampsy . You deserve someone who will love you for you and not just, sorry to say, need you for some neat hotel room action because of loneliness or something.

This is why we shouldn’t fault Arizona for being nice to Leah.  I don’t think the writers would have wanted to totally  put  Arizona’s character in a very negative light. 

Think about it. If she just let Leah rush off without even offering her breakfast, what would we think of Arizona? That she’s just a plain unfeeling user? That she got what she wanted and she can now easily dispose of her toy?

The least she could do was offer her breakfast. It’s normal.

We don’t have to feel bad that she was nice to Leah. Leah is a human being who was there for her in her time of need. In this case, need for company, need for sexual intimacy. If at all, we should really feel sorry for Leah.

And Arizona, we feel we should already be given a glimpse of why this is all happening. Why? Up to now, the perennial question is: why is Arizona acting this way? We have been waiting for the answers for a long time now. As an Arizona fan, it's too painful already.

While we leave Arizona to mull over the night she had with Leah, as she thinks and stares at the ceiling, we see cheerful Callie  who’s all about Halloween (with no knowledge at all about her estranged wife’s easy peasy adventure that night). 

In a cheerful mood, asks  about April and Owen’s Halloween plans. 

This ends in April and Callie egging Owen who stopped dating Emma that he’s ready to date and call Emma again.

I'm thinking why this scene was necessary. 

Maybe Callie is basing Owen’s readiness to her own readiness? Maybe she’s ready too?

Maybe, just maybe, if she knows about Az’s Leah adventures, maybe she’ll be okay with it? Just a random thought.

Princess or Astronaut

Then comes my most awaited scene. A Calzona scene! We were so hungry for a Calzona scene cause we didn’t get one last ep. And yes, as expected, sadly, they were bickering again.

Oh well, at least they were together in the scene so that’s enough for me for now (gosh, im satisfied with crumbs, this is bad).

They were detached. No trace of the red dress drama that we saw in the therapist's waiting room. It was all-business, about Sofia's costume for the Halloween party that night.

AZ       : Hey I have the costume in my car what time do u wanna meet

Callie  : No I have the costume

AZ       : Oh please don’t tell me we have two astronaut costumes

Callie  : We don’t, we have a princess

AZ       : What?

Callie  : Yeah!

AZ       : You want her to strive to be a princess?

Callie  : No, its what she wants. It's what she asked for

AZ       : No she told me she wants to become an astronaut. That’s why I spent three hours last

             night sewing up little patches on a tiny little flight suit

Callie  : I spent the night gluing daisies on a tutu.

AZ       : We`can all bring the costumes and so she can decide whose work she loves more

Callie  : You know what forget it. You take her. Im not doing this

Here we catch a peek at how our newly separated couple deals with important kids’ matters like this. It was close to becoming a competition. 

Little Sofia had her mommies confused. 

Who was supposed to have the better costume? Arizona was willing to compete for it. Good thing Callie didn’t continue the argument further. She opted out.

Callie and Mer and halloween party  talk

As Callie and Mer worked together on the lady who had an infected bug bite and was having chronic  anxiety around doctors/hospitals, the began talking about the Mer's Halloween party at Alex’s.

Callie: “Yeah about that, I'm bowing out tonight. Arizona and I can’t be in the same room for even 5 minutes before it devolves into gunfire and screaming. Sofia’s been so excited by Halloween, and I’m not about to let her mommies’ bickering ruin that so, taking one for the team.”

Clearly, Callie was not interested to be in the same party where Arizona will be. She'd rather not be there for her kid's party.

When Callie talks to the woman patient, whom she helped move to a private room where the lady wont get anxious, she asked the  patient if she wanted her to stay. And the patient cleared Callie’s mind:

Callie   : You want me to stay?

Patient : Don’t you have kids to get to for Halloween

Callie   :Yeah, you know, it’s okay

Patient : No, you don’t wanna miss it, you only get 10 before they go off on Halloween with their

               friends getting into trouble. You gotta enjoy it while you can

Here we see Callie  fully taking note of what the patient said, and led her to decide to go to  Mer's party. Realization was, just because she was avoiding having to bicker with Arizona, she will have to miss her daughter's party. 

Kids grow up so fast, she realized she didn't want to miss fun moments with Sofia.  

The needlestick speech

Then we were surprised to know that we were "lucky" enough to have another  Leah-Arizona scene which somehow follows through on what happened in that first scene of the ep.

Arizona finds the weeping Leah in the locker room, who just got bitten by a drug crazed patient,

Az      :What’s wrong?

Leah  :Nothing’s wrong

Az      :Youre crying

Leah  : I got bit by a delusional psychotic drug addict who thinks he’s the undead. And I'm

            waiting for the guy’s HIV results

Az      : Why didn’t u tell me?

Leah  : I'm trying to be easy peasy

To think that a lot of us did playfully like the idea of Leah getting bitten by a patient because she's the girl who comes between Calzona, after seeing her like this, I did feel sorry for her.

And we see Arizona’s exact same reaction (something like a pitying sigh) when Leah said she’s easy peasy lemon squeezy during that darned first scene.

I sensed Arizona was being kind to Leah. Because that’s her natural self. I don’t want to entertain any other thoughts because I’m just not programmed to. 

This takes away a lot of objectivity, but I do not want to jump to conclusions right now, on whether Arizona cares about Leah in that way.

I choose to just take it at face value. She’s a friend to Leah, so she sits by Leah and gives her golden advice.

She sits herself down on the bench and starts her speech, I felt we were going to get a “Good Man in a Storm” speech moment there.

Believe me, try to re-watch this locker room scene, Arizona does the same sigh and breathing timing as she did before when she did her "Good man.." speech to Daddy Torres. Even the tone of her first sentence was the same.

"My first needlestick happened on a Tuesday. It was the 2^nd month of the 3^rd year of my internal medicine rotation. And my patient was suffering from end-stage AIDS. We had just switched over to these retractable needles (I swear, this speech, it really has the exact tone as Good Man in a Storm) and when I went to put his in the hazardous waste, I didn’t retract it right and it jammed right into my palm, and my whole body went cold. And I had never felt fear like that in my whole life. Right now is not the time to be easy peasy."

One comment. Jessica handles this needle stick speech very well. She says it earnestly.  Simply. Matter-of-factly. No overacting. This is why I love Jessica’s acting. 

I always label it as "understated brilliance." She totally gets into character, you forget she’s Jessica, and in your eyes, that’s Arizona talking and you listen to her and get mesmerized, and believe what she says. 

Now that’s what acting skill means.

Back to Arizona, it was easy to see her concern for this young intern. May I be very clear, It was not a romantic kind of concern. 

In this particular scene, we will see how we should not panic all that much about that first scene. This locker room scene shows how this hook up will be nothing more than friendship. 

The Arizona-Leah Friendship

It actually has the potential of a good friendship, I would like to label it as  kind of a ‘been there done that” mentor-kind of relationship. Well, yeah there’s some easy peasy hanky panky on the side, but that’s just something else that will have to be explained by the writers later on.

Here, we see what the writers are trying to convey: that Arizona and Leah’s relationship is described as being a:

a) sex buddy relationship  b) mentor-friend  relationship

That’s all it is. 

So even if we have so much  feelings of betrayal (which I do personally have), and anger at that surprise morning scene, we also have to accept Arizona  does not have love, nor special care in a romantic way for Leah, 

It’s a platonic kind of concern. The kind you’d have for any other ordinary friend. It’s just that Leah also happens to be a sex buddy. (I better stop repeating that term. It hurts to type it out and see it on my screen.)

I personally am not in favor of Arizona having a  sex buddy,  especially fresh from a broken marriage. It just isn’t good to see her like this on screen. But still. I am patient about where this story is going. 

I’m still being patient how the writers will make us understand why Arizona is doing this. Hopefully by 10x08, we will gradually start getting some answers.

Mer's Halloween party 

I’m sure I wasn’t the only one thrilled and surprised again to see that Arizona and Callie were at the party  together. I was sooo glad.  

Before the show, I was too pessimistic.

I was ready for the fireworks again between the two, or I thought only one of them will bring Sofia to the party.

It was such an amazing sight too see the two of them, cooperating in being there for Sofia in what I assume to be Sofia’s first Halloween party.

And Sofia was sooo cute in her consolidated costume for the night, she was a space princess!!!   

So the two reached a compromise and didn’t have to let Sofia choose between being a princess or an astronaut. 

Who would've thought , she could be a space princess. 

Aww, she confused her moms on what she really wanted for a costume and it’s wonderful that her two smart moms gave her the chance to be both an astronaut and a princess. Now isn’t that pure genius? Genius brought to you by the combined effort of our beloved Calzona.

It was so sweet when Callie brought out Sofia who amazed everyone with her costume, and asked her to “go to mommy” (Arizona). Awww, whose heart wouldn’t melt at Callie’s reference to her estranged wife, then.

Then Mer chides Callie on the seemingly peaceful interaction of Calzona involving Sofia:

Mer :I don’t hear any gunfire

Callie: Yeah well, we only got 10 of these before she starts wanting to  wear slutty costumes and run off with her friends and I’m not about to cut that number in half. It’s the first thing Arizona and I have agreed on in months.”

That patient’s advice  clearly knocked some sense into Callie. It’s true. Sofia will only be a child once. She’ll have 10 years of Halloween trick or treating as a child. Why would Callie let all those years pass by, just because she’s having problems with Sofia’s other mom?

At least both Callie and Arizona set their bickering aside. They did not let their issues get the better of them, in trying to give a good childhood to their child.

Then we succumb to our precious bits of thrills when we see Callie and Arizona in one scene together, not fighting, but serenely playing with Sofia.

And didn’t we get such a refill of hope when we saw them leave the house together to go trick or treating with the kids. It was such a happy sight.

It gives us a lot of hope of Callie and Arizona at least taking a first step toward peace, or at least peacefully co-existing. For now, I do not wish to think about what will happen if Callie finds out about Leah. I don’t want to deal with that now. I would rather enjoy this moment first, and bask in the sunshiny promise that this gives.

The Calzona Family 

This is why this episode brings to the foreground something very important to the Calzona family.

I take it to mean, that even if the Calzona relationship is so broken right now, there is one precious and permanent thing that holds them together, and that is  the common bond they share, personified in the adorable Sofia, the child they both love with all their hearts. 

For me, this episode significantly posits that yes, Calzona may have all the issues in the world, but even if everything crumbles down to bits, their child is the one thing that will always bring them together, even if they do not see eye to eye, even if they hate each other or cannot stay in one room together.

Nothing could have convinced Callie to come to that party, knowing that Arizona would be there. It was only her realization and extreme love and concern for Sofia that she did go. 

And Callie said it, it was the one thing that they agreed on. They both did not want to be responsible for the potential  of Sofia missing out on her childhood because of her issue- laden parents.  

So when it comes to Sofia, Calzona conflicts are pushed to the background. It  feels so safe that future situations that will  involve Sofia and her parents will always mean that Calzona will be fully supportive of the kid. That both are always willing to set aside their differences just to be able to be good mothers to Sofia, which we see as both their priorities.

My heart floats and my eyes shed tears just thinking about this. Callie and Arizona may have had their faults. They have their own personal flaws, but there is one thing we cannot take away from them,-- that they are very good, loving mothers to Sofia, their beloved Space Princess.

Callie has been a straight A gal in being a wife and mother. No doubt.

Arizona gets an F  in the wife-department, but we can never not give her an A for being a loving mother to Sofia. Even spending three hours sewing up patches in that tiny little flight suit, despite her surgery and lemon squeezy  schedules.

Pardon me for being playful about her easy peasy thing with Leah. It’s my only way to cope with the pain.

So how do we assess this episode?

This Grey’s Anatomy episode is so far one of the good episodes for this season. It was a fun episode, and was so  wonderfully directed, with good pacing, good shots, even the music and horror sound effects were superb.  I enjoyed every minute. This is an all-Calzona review though, so  I must stick to the Calzona components.

I must say that this episode importantly makes us discover and remember very important things about Calzona.

That morning surprise scene,  was painful for all of us. We dreaded this from the onset, after she sent that dfghjklghjk text message from last episode. And this is what happened.

We discover, almost graphically,  how Arizona has moved on, and this is the way she copes. I was thinking, it could have been easier for us if they just talked about this event, but seeing them on that bed, together, shirtless, that is really not for us of faint Calzona hearts.

We have to learn to accept that people have different ways of coping with problems, and this is Arizona’s way. We can judge all we want, but I say, let’s wait for the whole explanation.

Yes, she has become a person in need of company and of sexual intimacy ( we just do not know at what level), after her estrangement from her wife. But again, this is not cheating. They both have moved on. She and Callie have gone their separate ways, this is the path she chose.

 It’s a no-brainer to pass judgment, but let’s give Arizona a chance. Let’s give the writers a chance to explain this.

Wearing the necklace

On the lighter side, try to re-watch that first Arizona-Leah scene, it funnily had  horror-comedy music as background, which conveys subtly that we really shouldn’t take this scene  very  seriously.  

Another noticeable fact was that Arizona did not take her necklace off. They had sex, obviously, but she just did not take it off.

We may react in two ways:

1  1) How dare she have sex with another woman without taking it off?

2  2)  It’s great that even if she had sex with another person, she still had the necklace on, meaning she still holds the marriage dear to her heart, and the marriage is still important to her

I lean toward  the latter. One may think that it is such a great disrespect to still wear that necklace, when she was having sex with someone that’s not Callie.

Think about it, if she took it off, wouldn’t that be more painful? Because it would mean that she takes the sex with this other person seriously? It means she would be plagued with guilt while doing the sex act with somebody else so she has to take it off.

May I just honestly say, just writing about this, and mentioning “sex with somebody else” makes my heart bleed. It’s not a healthy thing for me to write something of this nature about Calzona, but I guess I have to be mature enough to tackle such an “adult” reality concerning our heroines.

What’s next?

I have no answers, just a few further questions  to look out for:

·        *  Will Arizona feel fulfilled with her current adventures with her new “friend” or will it leave her

            still feeling empty?

·        *  What happens when Callie discovers that Arizona and Leah had a thing? Will she feel

           jealous? Will she feel hurt?  Even if I feel she may get mad at Leah, I don’t think she’ll take it  

           seriously because right now they are officially not together so it’s not infidelity.

·         

       * Will we finally have an initial glimpse into Arizona’s past in the next episode so that we can  

        understand her present actions?

·         

        *When will Arizona discover that she is suffering the effects of PTSD?

·         * When Callie discovers Arizona has PTSD, and if ever this is one of the causes of the

          cheating, will she find it in her heart to understand and forgive Arizona?

I don’t even want to ask if Leah’s easy peasy relationship with Arizona will last because I already know the answer. 

Of course it won’t. I was too emotional about that first scene earlier, but now that I have become calm because of the Calzona trick or treat thing, I can now think clearly.

Obviously Leah will just be a diversion (sorry to Leah), and eventually be a way for Arizona (or maybe even Callie), to realize what she really wants and needs. 

Leah is but a “necessary circumstance”  who will unknowingly lead Arizona in the right direction. Hopefully, this is the right direction to getting back together with Callie.

How that will happen, only the writers know.

The Future

No matter how I shrieked in shock at that morning easy peasy Leah scene, and for sure we will still see more  Shondaland surprises, I still stay true to my belief that Calzona is endgame.

No matter what happens in every episode, we know these are all necessary steps so that we will love the Calzona relationship even more.

With this much pain, I know we will appreciate even more how they will get back together. I’m too optimistic about this, but that’s just me.

Being objective, I love how this is all playing out, even if it hurts deeply. Because we are definitely not bored. We are so involved. We are really invested. And that’s what makes us a great audience. Of a great TV show.

So as they all say, let’s brace ourselves for the even more intense episodes, especially 8 and 9.

We are in this very exciting journey. Let’s enjoy it as much as we can. Let’s  cry and get angry as much as we can, too, if that’s what will make our hearts sing.

Let’s hold tight, keep calm and let Calzona be.

Let’s enjoy the ride. A ride that doesn’t have to break us. But a ride that will build us and put us back together.

Team Calzona for always.

Twitter: @GAFan8