If/Then - Recap

The scene opens in an alternate reality, which explores an if/ then situation. It begins with Meredith putting Zola to sleep. She then drowns her thoughts, into an alternate version of reality. In it Ellis isn’t afflicted with Alzheimer’s, hence she is still at the top of her game, and considered one of the best doctors around, and in addition she has held onto Richard, and thus a successful relationship. She’s also shown as being the chief of surgery at Seattle Grace, thanks to her capabilities and she not having come down with any serious ailments, unlike in reality. It is also shown in this version of reality that Seattle Grace has never endured any hardships, and has absorbed not just Mercy West but is soon to absorb another hospital, thanks to its resounding success as a multi-specialty hospital.

She is quite the dictator though, owing to her success as doctor. She is shown running the hospital with an iron fist, working hard and expecting others to do the same. She is in fact shown, going to lengths to push her daughter into the deep end too soon. Meanwhile in this version of reality, Meredith Webber is shown living with Ellis and Richard (aka “Dad”), she is shown wearing a whole lot of pink as a part of her revamped personality in this version, and is shown blissfully engaged to Alex. However, this version of reality, serves up a bad day for Mer, as she discovers that Alex is cheating on her with April Kepner, much to her dismay, and she also has a less-than-great surgical experience with Yang, all in all this version of reality isn’t shown being too kind on her. At the end of it all, she is shown catching a break, by bonding with Cristina at the bar; she is also shown managing to warm up the icy-cold one known as “McDreary.”

Just as she manages to do in the present. Meanwhile, Christina is featured with a completely different hairdo, and thus sporting a visibly different look to her usual one. She is shown strutting around with her own hard-rock soundtrack and in this version of reality she doesn’t sit at the cool kids’ table, like she does in reality. And yet, she still hooked up with the esteemed Dr. Preston Burke in this version of reality. Although things are shown to have gone badly south between them, hence she is shown to have skedaddled out of Seattle. She is shown to deem Mer a nimrod after their joint operation, but later the two find common ground at the bar, and patch up. Meanwhile in this version of reality, Owen’s married to Callie, with whom he has two tow-headed sons and a brunette daughter, in short a complete family. But his issues aren’t apparently dealt with as deftly as in reality. In fact in this reality, he is shown to still have anger management issues, as a proof he punches a window at one point in the show, and then begs Cristina to help him conceal it, lest he lose his family.

Meanwhile, Alex was apparently a jerk when shown first in reality, but Mer changed him into a polo-wearing go-getter. Here in this version of reality though, it turns out he still is a jerk, this is evidenced when Yang catches him cavorting with Kepner; he though, is remorseless regarding his actions. It’s his pattern, he sighs, always screwing a good thing up. But the saving grace to all his negatives is that, this lout is mild-mannered Mandy’s or rather in this version a mild mannered Miranda‘s – champion. Meanwhile in this version of reality it’s shown that, Bailey having never been properly mentored by Richard Webber is terribly soft-spoken, and is also shown to lack confidence. In fact, it’s to an extent where, her acquiescence completely torpedoes a critical surgery of Ellis’s, where she was to show off a new technique to the press, and owing to Bailey’s mistake, Ellis is left thoroughly embarrassed in front of everyone and is visibly angered.

Ellis is shown getting her fired for the misstep, an event that seems to put a much-needed fire in Bailey’s belly. Managing to stir something within the seething Bailey. Meanwhile April, in this version of reality is shown, apparently not being the virgin everyone paints her out to normally be. Dr. Charles Percy is shown chasing after her, completely enamored, in this version of the reality. It’s shown in this version that, Lexie’s dad Thatcher killed himself, and her mom is dead. Thus, she is shown in this reality as having turned into a cokehead thief replete with dreadlocks, piercing and tattoos. Her look is that of a perfect junkie. She reveals to Avery that she has a half-sister working at SGH, but never divulges details, it’s apparent that her parent’s deaths have deeply affected both her and her sister, leaving an indelible mark in both their lives.

But she is also shown as being brilliant in this version, just as in reality. Meanwhile, Derek and Addison, in this version of reality are perceived by everyone as the perfect couple, though it turns out that everything isn’t hunky dory between the two and theirs is just an act to keep people from talking. This fact is sometimes shown becoming apparent in public, in this version of reality. It is shown that “McDreary” has failed to meet his potential; something that Ellis makes clear will jeopardize his future at SGH. In this version of reality Ad, meanwhile, remains far from perfect, seeing as the baby she’s carrying is Mark’s. Meanwhile, Mark is shown carrying an unconscious Lexie back into the ER. Meanwhile, in this version of reality, Callie is the head of cardio, having been steered into that specialty by Ellis — though she privately laments not choosing orthopedics, something that she makes visibly clear.

At work she is shown locking horns with Arizona, over a case, regarding which they have a difference in opinion, until the case brings them… closer. In this reality , their closeness is shown reaching a point where Dr. Robbins and her million-watt smile declare her to be “amazing,” and they ponder having drinks “sometime.”, especially in order to celebrate their newfound friendship. Callie also ends up sharing certain intimate details of her life with Arizona. In this version of reality, George is shown having failed his intern exam, and thus is never seen again, unlike in reality. Meanwhile in this version of reality Alex and Mer use Izzie’s name as a synonym for “crazy”.

They arrive at this conclusion with good reason. The reason is that, she sleeps with a patient and even steals a heart transplant for the guy. Mer is shown getting her fired for the ethical errors, as what Izzie has done is inexcusable. Izzie Sets the Record Straight about returning to Grey’s Anatomy, with this version of reality making things clear. In the end, though Meredith is moved by the fact that in the alternative reality one thing changing – namely her mother’s health – could have made a world of difference, and affected everyone involved; she concludes, “Some things are going to work out as if they were destined to happen.” The episode ends.

Written By David Sibert

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