Superpowers and the Ortho Glow

Calzona Review 10 x 18  “You Be Illin’”

Once upon a time,  a cute child patient  sneezed… and thank goodness for that sneeze, our heroine Arizona’s superpowers were unleashed.

Because of the promo and sneak peeks, I was kind of worried for a while that we might see Arizona in a sickbed throughout the episode, because she had been labeled after the promo as the "Outbreak monkey".

Well, in reality,  she was the first one who contracted the virus that hit the doctors of our mother ship, Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

Technically, a peds patient sneezed, directly at our beloved peds surgeon.

And as we know, the speed of  a sneeze is over 100 mph and that can spread 5,000 droplets containing 10,000 bacteria to a distance of 12 feet.

Yes, Arizona welcomed the little droplets respectfully, without armor.

And that’s how this Illin' episode all started.

It starts with this enlightening voice-over from Meredith:

"The average person touches her face about 18 times every waking hour. That leaves you susceptible to infection 100 times a day. Infection has a nasty habit of taking over our everyday behaviors. It spreads by touching doors, desks,elevator buttons, pens, sharing cups, even money. All we can do is to try our best to prevent it from spreading.

Because once it's out there, the infection usually wins."

The Infection Invasion

The show opens with a scene where Arizona is attending to a peds patient, and the child suddenly sneezes.

The little droplets from the sneeze are visible on screen, all scurrying toward Arizona, as If in a 100-meter dash.

The droplets land right smack in Arizona’s face, she  senses the germs from the droplets and touches her face, 

contaminated with the droplets, then touches her tablet, where the droplets have spread  their venom, and then she proceeds to touch the wall as she leaves the room.

All camera shots from thereon focuses on how the  germs or the virus was transferred  from every little common thing they touch, as most bacteria are transferred by the hand.

Arizona was at the receiving end of the “droplets of infection blast",  but as a peds surgeon, she was very used to this, as if it were a normal occurrence, she just instinctively wiped her face of the droplets. She didn’t even flinch.

Arizona then meets Karev and somehow predicts that she’d get sick, which Alex responded to with amusement and sarcasm:

Arizona: Okay, Im gonna call Dr Lebackes and you move up our anoplasty cause I'm gonna be sick this afternoon

Alex: What are you, psychic?

Adorable how Arizona replied to Alex’s question, referring to the virus as some kind of  breathing being. Nice touch there by episode writer Zoanne Clack:

Arizona: No, I felt it.  You know, just sick. I felt it. The kid sneezed on me, I felt it go in, looked around and It sat down

Alex: You felt that?

Arizona: Yeah, I ve been doing this a while. You start to develop a sense. I got seven hours, tops

To be honest, I believed every word Arizona said. And I was in awe of her matter-of-fact manner. Her acceptance of the imminent possibility of  getting infected. 

That’s how professional and experienced she is. That’s the head of peds for you! What a trouper. 

[As an aside, let's note the geographical route of the  infection droplets’ journey through Arizona’s touch sequence: After touching the tablet, the edge of the wall, the tablet again, and as she talked with Alex, she touched the acrylic brochure holder, the stethoscope, the tablet again, a wall, Alex’s lab coat, then a door handle, then the tablet again.  Suffice it to say, the tablet got most of it especially the touch lcd screen, and she passed the tablet on to Alex.] 

Also good to note that in their ensuing conversation, we see in full display the Peds team in action. With Arizona being a very willing and able mentor to Alex.  Don’t we just love to see them like this:

Alex: So let’s just cancel it

Arizona: No! One in 5,000 babies is born with a birth defect resulting in an ..actually you need to learn this

Alex: Fine I have to learn it from Dr. Butthole?

Arizona: Don’t call him that.  Dr Lebackes is a great pediatric surgeon who specializes in anoplasty . You hadn’t met him yet

Alex: Oh I know him. He’s a private practice doctor who’s only thinking how much they can charge.

Arizona: Hey cancel tomorrow’s procedures, okay?

Alex: Why?

Yeah we guessed it….

Arizona: Because I will be sick. I’ll page you when I get the time from Lebackes

Alex: Just tell me with your mind

Arizona: Uh huh

Arizona was just so certain. It was amusing, really.

In conclusion, Arizona is 90% a veteran medical professional (and knows the hazards  of the peds profession) and maybe 10% psychic. That’s my opinion. Please don’t object.

If Callie says Arizona has superpowers, then she does!

Then we see Alex and Arizona walking down the hospital hall seemingly coming from a surgery, and they came across Callie.

Arizona: Oh hey! Im gonna need you to get Sofia to school in the morning cause Im gonna be home sick

Alex: This again

It was interesting and amusing to note Callie’s knowing reaction. She knew her wife well.  Who wouldn’t be delighted at this display of familiarity. It was just  endearing seeing them understanding the other’s quirks well. 

Callie: No, no, this is her superpower. She looks fine now but..

Just take note that it was Callie who first coined the "Superpower" tag attached to Arizona's talent. A term which will be mentioned again in the episode.

Alex: She looks fine

Arizona: No I'm thinking it’s gonna be about three days. You know what you should cancel dinner with...

Callie: Oh can you call? I don’t even have a resident today everyone’s down with the plague so…(and she leaves)

Alex: If youre gonna cancel, you sure Dr. Butthole’s gonna be here? He’s gonna be late

So Dr Butthole arrives and gives a comical commentary on himself and what names people know him by. Then he turns to Arizona,

Lebackes: My friends call me Oliver, And you, look radiant as always

It was gloriously sweet and gentlemanly  to see him reach out for Arizona’s hand and kiss it. Ha! Fantastic timing to give that hand a kiss…just great timing, what can I say…

Arizona: It’s so nice to see you, Ollie

Alex tried to apologize but Lebackes just dismissed what he overheard in his own wacky way

Lebackes: “No offense taken. I’ll just cry myself to sleep tonight on my piles and piles of money. You ready?

Arizona:Yes, Let’s go

Bow wow wow yippie yo yippie yay  dancing in the O.R.

Then the best moment of the episode has come upon us.

We are transported into an O.R. where all the assisting doctors and nurses were swaying to the beat of the music blaring throughout the O.R. Coolness overload.

I had to do  a double take because I couldn’t believe my eyes that the interns, residents and nurses assisting and observing, were actually dancing in the O.R.

So this is peds surgeon  Dr. Lebackes. He shows much promise as a really fun guy. A certified cool dude!

Alex: You always listen to music like this during surgery?

Lebackes: Anything with a beat. Spend enough time here at work, you gotta have fun, right? The 80’s were nothing but not fun

Arizona: I know this is old hat but Dr Karev had never seen this procedure first hand, you wanna walk him through it?

Lebackes: Oh I'm sorry, kill the music, will you?

Alex: No it’s cool

Then after he teaches Karev how to work the procedure, he suddenly shouts to his beat-filled O.R. posse All right, here we go!

Then everyone in unison chants: Bow wow wow yippie yo yippie yay bow wow yippie yo yippie yay (2x)

And the O.R. suddenly seemed transformed into one awesome surgical dance party . Simply everybody was gyrating to the beat of the music, except the beleaguered Alex Karev.

I could not stop from laughing, when the camera focused on Arizona, looking at Alex, as if egging him on. Hilarious!

As  Sara Ramirez described in her livetweet,  for Jessica  to “work that head and neck dance”. Just like Sara, I loved it and Im sure so many Calzona fans too!

Yes, Sara, we were all bobbing along too just like you!

Jessica Capshaw’s head bobbing motion was too cute. She obviously dances well. Man, she sure  got “rhythm.”

I actually couldn’t stop watching that scene. It has been on endless repeat since I watched it.

And I could not take my eyes off a vine I recently found on twitter, of that head bobbing scene. It’s so amusing! I’d say Adorableness is Jessica’s middle name.

Fun scenes like this are life.

Can you even rewind to  those sad,  tearful scenes (which are for me, distant memory) , then fast forward to this present scene, with Arizona doing that head bobbing thing, Wow! We have come a loooooong way. And we love that the old Arizona is back and that she’s having a lot of good FUN.

Breaking a bone to put it back together

Then we see the dawning of a new partnership and mentorship.

Jo consulted Callie on a tetanus patient who broke his arm.

Callie: That is a nasty break. You see this? He has a fracture that never healed properly. See how …left a bone weaker than it should have been.

Jo had been in deep thought, Callie had to call her attention, “Wilson?”

Jo: I think that this is my fault. The guy was getting to me and I was pissed. And I was just trying to restrain him.

Callie: You think you broke his arm? (laughing) Wilson, don’t flatter yourself. Spasms can be so intense…

Jo: He broke his own arm?

Callie: But, were not gonna be able to realign the new break without re-breaking the old fracture.

Jo: So, you have to break his bone in order to put it back together again?

Callie: No, I think you do.

Jo: I cant do that

Callie: You thought you could a second ago?

And here we see the birth of a newly formed Team Ortho

Callie’s mentor capabilities are raring to be utilized.

Next scene we see Jo and Callie getting ready for surgery, scrubbing in. Jo was having a light argument with Alex and Callie couldn’t help but overhear, and was laughing at the “Scrooge McDuck” exchange.

Callie: Your rejoinders need work

Jo: I'm sorry, I'm sorry you know, can I just take a minute? I need to cool down

Callie: Oh no. No no no, that kind of rage is exactly what we’re gonna need. Keep going. Scrub! Come on hustle!

Team Peds in Recap Mode

In this scene,  we see Peds Team Arizona and Alex talking, with Dr Lebackes within their line of sight.

Arizona: Okay so what’d you  think?

Alex: Oh surgery was cool, but that Lebackes, you like that guy?

Arizona: Yeah! He’s ridiculously talented and runs a really fun O.R.

Yeah, just ask him

And as Lebackes turns to face them, and announces it’s time to unwind, Arizona happily watches Lebackes invite Alex to play “golf”

The birth of Team Ortho

Then we see the O.R scene where Callie and Jo work on the tetanus patient with the broken arm.

It was a golden opportunity for Callie  to showcase her generosity as mentor again, handing Jo the reins to do the procedure

Jo: Really?

Callie: Really. Alright here, hold that, now, you gotta hit it, hard

Jo: This is just, this feels wrong

Callie: No hey, I told you. The bone is misaligned, alright, so we have to complete the break,  and put it back together

And Jo pounded the hammer ever so lightly and carefully

Callie found it funny , “Oh  God, don’t be a weenie”

Jo: I can’t

Callie: Look, youre stronger than you think

Jo: No Im stronger than you think. I took guys from the hospital before

Callie: Okay yeah I know, the guy from OB

Jo: Yeah and two guys before him

Callie: Wow, okay, wow

Jo: But when I get mad, I get, I don’t trust myself. That’s why I thought I hurt him this morning. I don’t wanna do ths. I don’t wanna hurt people and and fix them

Callie: Well this is the only way to fix them. And it’s an easy fix. Look, that’s the nice thing about Ortho, most of them are easy fixes, but, they take strength, and power that not a lot of people have. Or the fearlessness

THEN WE HEAR A LOUD POUND. It was Jo. She seemed to be hyper about the bone she just broke, “what’s next?”

Callie: Ah, Next,

Then she gets the drill and raises it for Jo to use. Badass Ortho mentor on the loose, with sly , menacing beautiful eyes she says, “we drill”

There on full display in the O.R is how our beloved Calliope willingly taught the initially hesitant Jo to be inspired about Orthopedic surgery.

She knew Jo had it in her. She sensed Jo had the strength, power and fearlessness.

Character traits that we have known  Calliope Iphigenia by.

And true to being the fine mentor that she was, she knew exactly what  to do to bring out Jo’s innate talent and propensity to be a skillful Ortho surgeon.

That’s the mark of a brilliant mentor. It starts with being a generous spirit, and then she let her ward discover her own capabilities, inspired her, motivated her,  enabled her, empowered her and gave her the confidence to do what she should, with what she initially thought she was not capable of doing.

Callie as mentor was highly  impressive. Thus, we bear witness to the birth of a new duo : Team Ortho.

Both badass, both talented. This team is pound for pound (pardon the pun) a team to reckon with. 

They deserve their own TV series :  Breaking Bones starring Calliope Torres and Josephine Wilson.

(pass the corn please)

The Ortho Glow

In the next scene, Callie and Jo talk to their patient’s brother

Callie:But the bone will heal straight

Brother: So his body, his organically pure grass-fed body is full of titanium?

Callie wasn’t pleased with what she was hearing

Brother: Can I get the list of the materials that you guys used, the rods, like anesthesia and stuff

Callie: Well, I don’t know that could take a while, we’d have to contact distributors

Brother: Normally I wouldn’t ask this but our dad died when we were really young and he was done in by corned beef hash and cigarettes. Since then, Logan’s been obsessed with what he put in his body. He’s a pain in the ass, I wish he  wouldn’t take it so far but that’s just  how he deals.

“I’ll do it” Jo volunteers

Callie: Really?

Jo: Sure. No biggie!

Callie was quick to spot Jo’s enthusiasm for this. And I could see the sparkle in Callie’s eyes. She was sensing keen interest from Jo. This was a good sign.

“Any chance the titanium was locally mined?” was the brother's rather unnecessary joke. 

Outside the room, Callie couldn’t help but enthuse "Ah, you're feeling it aren’tcha? The Ortho Glow (she said this in a very thrilled but cute voice)

Jo: Oh is that what this is

Callie: Oh you know I can be fairly turbulent myself. I've had my share of things to get angry about. Ortho saved me a couple of times. I got to work my crap out, someone else has healed in the process, and, I get paid. So when, when, when?

Jo: Right now, I feel like I might never feel angry again

Callie: Oh sweetie, you date Alex Karev, you always have a reason to be angry.

Aside from being a funny conversation, it also gives us an eyeopener on how Callie views Orthopedic surgery. It was wonderful to discover why she is this passionate about her specialization.

If memory serves me right, I have reason to believe this is her first time to convey what Ortho means to her. As she said, it saved her. It had also become a way to sort out her internal emotions, specifically occasional anger. And it did benefit patients as it made her perform her work well. Plus being remunerated for it.

Team Peds Boundaries

Arizona: Hey where've you been?

Alex: This place is disgusting. Arent you supposed to be sick by now?

Arizona: Oh crap, I'm losing my touch with my superpower

Alex: How much money do you make?

Arizona: Excuse me?

Alex: I mean As an attending here, what’s your salary?

Arizona: Im not answering that

Alex: Why? You're ashamed?

Arizona: No because it’s classless and you should be ashamed you hobo

Alex: Just tell me

Arizona: No. Get to work, Alex

Alex was getting attracted to Lebackes’ lifestyle and how we was handling his job. He seemed to be having fun. And Alex wanted that. So now it was time to bug Arizona but Arizona wouldn’t let him. 

Neither did she answer his somewhat unprofessional question. Arizona might be his mentor, she cares about Alex’s well-being as a surgeon, but she had boundaries. 

Another Lovely Bathroom Scene

This next scene is the high point of Calzona screen time in this episode.

I was so very curious about who Callie was talking to, her eyes were gleaming with delight. Like a girl at the initial phase of a romantic relationship. 

It was a close shot and you could only see her face.

"It’s just exciting you know,  when you meet someone, and then there’s this connection. We just clicked."

Then the camera moves farther, and we see that she’s leaning on a bathroom door. Oh, she’s speaking to someone inside the bathroom, telling her "smitten girl" story.

Then we see from afar that she is in the doctors' lounge.

"She just, I don’t know, she gets it. She gets me. And there’s still a big chance it might not work out, I mean only something like 4% of ortho surgeons are women. 

But that’s also why it’d be so cool"

It was hilarious. Callie was over the moon at the seeming vocation connection she had with Jo Wilson. She felt it. And she’s beaming with pride. She was seeing a future talented Ortho surgeon in the making, and seemed that she was very happy to mentor Jo.

Who wouldn’t believe Callie was excited? She couldn’t even wait for Arizona to get out of the bathroom to tell her story. She was stationed outside the bathroom door gushing in delight just like a girl falling in love for the first time.

Here, we see how Callie's romance with Ortho has come to full bloom. She is this passionate about her profession, and it is truly amazing and even inspiring to see a fictional character have this kind of attachment to the work that she does. In all angles, it's all good.

Then Arizona, who it turns out, was inside the bathroom called to her

Arizona: Callie

Callie sensed Arizona’s weak voice calling to her, she got alarmed and opened the door

Callie: Oh my God did you fall?

Arizona: No. No the floor is just really nice. And cool. And this is my friend. But, guess what?

Callie: What?

Arizona: I still got it. My superpowers are intact. Yay!

Callie: Super.

After I say how wonderful this scene was directed, as executed by the able hands of  Paramedic Nicole herself, Nicole Rubio, please indulge me with a few guide questions about this scene:

1. Did you notice how concerned Callie was when she opened the bathroom door and saw Arizona sitting on the floor, thinking she fell down?

2. Did you notice how supportive Callie was when Arizona explained how she felt good to sit on the floor cause it was cool?

3. Did you see how Callie listened intently to Arizona and was eager to know what Arizona wanted to say when Arizona said “guess what”?

4. Did you see how happy Callie was for Arizona when Arizona said she still had her superpowers?

5. Did you see that Arizona wanted to share her happiness with Callie about still having her superpowers, even if she was feeling so weak?

6. Does that mean these two love each other so much?

If  you answered yes to all the above questions then you are awesome.

This bathroom scene was sweet. Really tender, even if they were not even touching, or intimate with each other. 

With just their words and facial expressions, you could feel their affinity. You could feel the love between them, even with eccentric  topics as the virus, the toilet, the superpowers. There was love. Genuine love.

I guess I will always be seeing love and chemistry between Callie and Arizona in any situation even if they're just brushing their teeth or staring at a wall, so pardon me but that’s what I truly see.

Add to that the fantastic chemistry between the two actors. I don’t even have to elaborate. 

They always radiate that kind of realistic portrayal as life partners, maybe due to the fact that they have worked with each other for five seasons now, and the undeniable chemistry just shines through in each episode.

This episode on infection and germs, was importantly for Calzona, an episode that showcases an important dimension to their characters--their mentorships.

They are both  respected surgeons in their own fields and it is wonderful that they are, too, generous mentors, all too willing to share their knowledge and expertise, training their protégés in theory and in practical terms, giving them enough motivation and inspiration to be successful surgeons, without sacrificing professional or personal boundaries.

Interestingly, the couple are individually mentoring half of another romantic couple. That may be irrelevant but worthy of note.

The only difference lies in that Arizona had been mentoring Alex for some time now, and Callie had just found in Jo, someone who can have the same energy, interest, skill  and “rage” to be a successful Ortho surgeon.

Both Callie and Arizona have my full respect as mentors. Period.

The closing voice-over goes:

"It’s a known fact that doctors make  the worst patients. We ignore our symptoms till we are face- down on the ground. But none of us are invincible. Eventually we have to face the fact that we’re human. And that sometimes, even the mightiest of us need help."

Even doctors get sick. They aren’t exempt from diseases, from illnesses, from life problems. And even if they do seem untouchable by difficulties, as we have seen by Calzona’s roller coaster experience,  let’s not forget that they too are human, are not perfect, and in one way or another, need help and understanding from their friends or loved ones too.

The press release for 10x20 says that “Callie and Arizona try to reconnect in their marriage.” I surely have expectations that in that episode, we get to see more tender, intimate  loving scenes between the two. Only six episodes left of the season, I hope Shonda grants our little wish.

Specifically, my wishlist includes: we'd really want to see them say "I Love You" even if Shonda said in a tweet that saying that is nothing compared to love through actions; we hope to see more intimate scenes; we'd like to see  Robbins-Torres family scenes, meaning more Calzona and Sofia family time scenes.

Callie and Arizona were shining brightly in this episode. Especially Arizona, who, even if infected with the virus, still managed to do that special head bobbing thing that made many a Calzona fan laugh in amazement.

Wishing for the best of love for Calzona for the coming last six episodes.

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@GAFan8