On Scuttlebutt and Butts

Calzona Review 12x08 “Things We Lost In the Fire”

We see Arizona bring up the possibility of Hunt and Riggs being a romantic thing, owing to the gossip that spread about their  controversial scene last ep.

And what was cute,  Callie brought it up too with Jackson as they were scrubbing in.

Jackson: No way
Callie: Haha i didn’t say it Arizona did

(Callie talked to Arizona? Awwww cutiees)

But as Callie said, it wasn’t  not gossip. It was “scuttlebutt”

Jackson quickly segued into asking a relevant interesting question: 

Jackson: Callie you and Arizona,  before you guys split you did the counselor thing right?

I liked that Jackson asked Callie this question. It was a question implying that the Calzona relationship was seen by Jackson, as a relationship just like all others. It did not matter if it was a lesbian relationship. To Jackson and to Greys Anatomy, it was plainly a relationship. It may be 2016 and this should be common but allow me to applaud in unending appreciation.

Callie answered with a reflective "yeah" yeah and in  her sad expression was etched how that didn’t exactly work out for them. There was that sadness that could easily be.read in Callie's eyes. She remembered her own broken marriage.

I like to think that this question was asked to remind Callie about how great her intimacy was with Arizona.

Arizona flirtin'

So parallel to Callie's scuttlebutt, Arizona meanwhile amidst the chaos because  the hospital was treating a large number of burn patients, was protective and took charge of treating a lady firefighter patient's butt with her own brand of flirty doctoring as the patient asked her not to expose the burnt butt.

Arizona: The burn is confined to one cheek. Luckily, I have a good one to compare  it to.

Patient: Thank you

Arizona caught herself too late. She was subconsciously complimenting and in essence, flirting.

As the  firefighter patient opened up about her predicament that in order to make a living, there had to be fires. , Arizona shared  having the same guilt in how she earned her income.
"I make a living out of sick babies."

This was a good insight on how Arizona perceived her job and i am wont to think that she liked having something in common with the female patient.

The lesbian in her took over due to the butt exposure? Arizona had become weak, or vulnerable to say the least, I don’t think I  have ever seen her have any attraction to a patient as Callie had.

Callie's advice

Callie was curious about Jackson's plans and gave unsolicited advice.She asked Jackson if he wanted to get back with Kepner:

Callie: One thing our therapist said that turned out to be true is do not have sex while youre sorting things out. It's messy, it's confusing. No sex. You guys had sex.

The upside to Callie's unsolicited advice is she seems to be reminiscing about how she and Arizona made mistakes and here she was, making sense of what happened to her falling out with Arizona, by giving Jackson the unsolicited advice.

Callie: Yeah we did too. It was messy.

So now we discover after one season,  how her  thoughts were about that sex night.during  the time they were having their counseling sessions. She found it confusing.

In a later scene, Callie wouldn't let the topic go.

Callie: So what kind of sex was it? Break up sex or make up sex? ause 

Cause you know break up sex is (quote)  sad-happy. It's an emotional potpourri. All the feelings, all the history..all of it it's all just right there cause you just know that it's the last time and it's like taking it all in there again before you go underwater.Like "do me or die" break up sex is the best.

Ben : But then you're broken up.

Callie: Yeah you're right. Make up sex is better because make up sex is like coming up for air when you thought there wouldnt be any more air. So uts like ll is forgiven so you throw off ll your troubles and your clothes and you get out out of the daark and into the light full speed ahead, oh God it's the best.

We can always count on Calliope Iphigenia to perfectly articulate the true essence of break up sex and make up sex right. That moving sex speech  there in the O.R. She tells it with such passion,as her nonchalant humor comes to play. No one else does it better than Sara Ramirez.

I loved that she revealed how great their make up sex was. She was referring to Arizona and with that I find great happiness. In the memories, No it's not pathetic to dwell on Calzona memories.

Arizona hits on her crush but

Arizona was so cute about relaying to  her loyal wingman Webber that she found one. An option. Who was funny, cute and contributes to public safety. But Richard wasn't going to wingman  a patient for her. It was childish according to the wingman. So with this good advice, Arizona, instead of giving closure to this childish attraction, had scored herself a future appointment or yeah like a date with the girl.

Arizona:So maybe we could see each other again? 

Patient: Like a follow up appointment?

Arizona: No ...

And then she just lost her bearings. The woman's exposed butt was grossly causing turbulence in Arizona's train of thought.

She had to run to Webber for help.

This didnt sit well with Wingman Webber so Arizona had to do what he said,

"You're a smart confident woman. Stretch your wings Robbins! Stretch em out. Feel the air!"

So when Robbins was discharging the patient who was worried about sitting, as her butt healed, Arizona could not control herself and invited her to coffee as soon as she healed.

Timing tho that another woman stepped into the scene and as luck would have it, she was the patient's girlfriend. Poor Arizona. She did stretch her wings, but then they were clipped by this setback. This is slowly becoming frustrating for her. Finding a suitable partner for herself.

As we can recall, she had always been about her career in the recent seasons. When she got her groove back, she focused on self fullfillmemt. She had focused on improving herself and got a new specialty. Never did we see her date or long for anyone. Not even have a crush.

Fiction wise, Arizona needed to fix herself after her much ballyhooed shortlived romances.

Audience-wise, seeing Arizona date anyone after Leah or crush on anyone was not going to be strategic for her character. Fans wouldnt be able to accept it at the time. Because fresh from the uproar from the Leah fling, it was just no

Wise to have her seek or have a new partner. The show focused on Callie's search for self, for love.

Now, we slowly see Arizona evolving. She has had her share of pain and she has painfully broken up with her wife. They did try to save it through counseling but this was not.to be.

Now that she had seen Callie.move on, and seen her wife hae a new girlfriend, the little bit of hope of getting back together with her wife had very miniscule possibility of coming true.

So gradually, she has decided to be on her own too and search for her happiness. Outside of Callie. If Callie was happy with someone, then the time is ripe for her to have a new person too. But she realized it was not easy.

The marriage has truly ended. And she is lonely, now she is doing something about it.

Noted though that at this stage, Arizona is vulnerable. She had given in to hitting on a patient due to butt exposure. This is not the Arizona  i know. She doesn't hit on patients. Nah uh. I don't think so.

Anyway, the search continues. And I hope she finds someone interesting and caring in the meantime.

Yes I'm okay with her having her own relationship while Callie has hers. Both temporarily of course. If this is the way to grow and mature and find their way back, i'm all for it.

Postscript

I miss Calzona together. There, i said it. I actually always say it on my mind. In every single episode since 11x05.

I actually don't remember when they did break up because it has been too long. I had to do some research how many eps ago it was.

What i have been guarded about is that i don’t fall into the abyss of finally giving up on my ship.

This is why I would like to draft a personal letter to Ms Rhimes to hear me out and agree to my request to expedite the Calzona reconciliation because too many hearts are broken already, and some have already jumped ship.

It is all right to have twists and turns in the story of a beloved tv couple, I just am terribly scared that I might get used to Callie and Arizona being apart.

It has been 27 episodes since they fell apart. And i doubt i will last one more season of them not being together. I might fall apart.

I  need to expedite my letter-writing plan to Queen Shon.

This 12B, I've learned not to guess anything anymore because Shonda has mastered the art of unpredictability.

I still trust the journey. Shonda said to trust it. I never wavered. 

But i am human enough to notice that it has been  taking too long. My patience is being tested painfully.

We have tended to ship new ships. And gloried in the romantic sweet moments of other tv couples. And yes. We do miss Calzona too much already.

I don't want to ship other ships more than Calzona but i need advice on how to deal with my ship that has capsized, and is left midsea, so distant from the shore.

Wait, this sea talk is making me sea sick :)

I just cannot help but be sentimental now and then.

Back in the day when lesbian relationships depicted on TV was  taboo, and some just hinted on it or some shows did have it but not as Greys Anatomy did, i rejoiced in how groundbreaking the Calzona characterization came to be.

It was the show that truly made us watch lesbians on tv without much fanfare. It treated a relationship between two women as such a normal thing. The other characters treated it as any other relationship, and the audience followed suit.

It did this groundbreaking achievement in a subtle, smooth mannner that greatly propelled lesbianism to being a normal thing in society. Well at least in the world of Greys Anatomy, it was just so normal to have two women fall in love, handle a relationship, and this  affected and touched so many lives that have been silently internally  oppressed by societal norms.

Not to mention the ensuing White Wedding which sealed Greys' stature as one of the few shows that recognized and respected gender differences. It pushed a new normal in the psyche of many, which i believe hugely contributed to how media, the public and the courts recognize gender equality.

Calzona is a beloved couple that has undeniably been instrumental in  influencing a new recognition and  regard for women who love women all over the world. It is obvious by the huge, dedicated fandom that has remained loyal to it even if things have  looked bleak for the pair for more than a year now.

To be honest, i noticed so many shows have followed suit. And they have produced so many loved pairings as well, which i have grown to love too. And i am so happy about this because i would like to think Greys Anatomy's Calzona was a major driving force of this, albeit unintentionally.

Eons of years after that Puppy Episode of Ellen DeGeneres' sitcom created havoc in the tv  status quo and created hopelessness in me  (because i sensed networks will always be strict about gay or lesbian content on network tv,  being careful not to disturb the wrath of the guardians of morality and led me to search for underground films and books on lesbian women), i am so proud to live in a time where a relationship between two women on network tv is loved and beloved and respected and even hailed just as a relationship between a man and a woman would.

Calzona is a simple tv couple. With the same challenges and share  tenderness as other couples do. But it is not just a tv relationship. It is an icon of gender equality. Of recognition of equal love among people of the  world.

In respect to this icon of equal and beautiful love, i strongly believe we deserve to see them come together again, no matter how long it takes.

For that is what true love means.

Jessica was announced to be on the way and we had hoped this pregnancy would be written in to the Calzona SL but that doesn't seem so. Maybe this season is too soon for that. Maybe S13 then ;)

No matter how bumpy and long and  winding the road is, i believe that this kind of true love deserves a happy future.

So here's to the future.

i promise to smile.  And  to smell the flowers as I travel on this journey.

Hold tight. Let’s enjoy 12B.

Calzona Deserves Forever.

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@GAFan8