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Shock to the System
Season 7, episode 2

Meredith and Cristina look up as Owen walks in in Meredith's house.
Episode Information
Airdate	September 30, 2010
Written by	William Harper
Directed by	Tom Verica
Episode Guide
Previous	With You I'm Born Again
Next	Superfreak
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"They say lightning never strikes twice. But that's a myth. It doesn't happen often. Lightning usually gets it right the first time. When you're hit with 30,000 amperes of electricity, you feel it. It can make you forget who you are. It can burn you, blind you, stop your heart and cause massive internal injuries. But for something that happens in only a millisecond, it can change your life forever. Lightning doesn’t often strike twice. It’s a once in a lifetime thing. Even if it feels like the shock is coming over and over again. Eventually the pain will go away, the shock will wear off. And you start to heal yourself. To recover from something you never saw coming. But, sometimes the odds are in your favor. If you’re in just the right place at just the right time you can take a hell of a hit. And still have a shot at surviving."

—Meredith Grey

Shock to the System is the second episode of the seventh season and the 128th overall episode of Grey's Anatomy.

Short SummaryEdit

After weeks of concealing the fact she was pregnant and miscarried, Meredith at last tells Derek and is finally cleared to return to her surgical duties in the wake of the hospital shooting spree; Cristina experiences post-traumatic stress disorder in the midst of an operation; and Bailey refuses to let Alex operate until he agrees to have the bullet in his chest removed.

Full SummaryEdit

Meredith was struggling with the image of seeing Derek and talked to Dr. Perkins about it. The newlywed Cristina and Hunt laid in bed together, but something wasn't right with the new bride. Lexie wanted everyone to stop asking her if she was OK, even though she'd yelled and patients and freaked out.

Derek showed up at the hospital smelling like pee, while Callie and Arizona were arguing over the decorations around Callie's apartment. Arizona wanted it to be a little more "fiery" or "edgy."

Alex still had the bullet from the shooting in his chest, and Bailey wanted him to get it out. Teddy was pulling for a major heart procedure on a patient who'd been treated by Burke and Cristina in the past, but the chief was hesitant.

The patient was a familiar face from the past, who'd last heard that Cristina was getting married to Burke. Hunt was in the room, making for a bit of an awkward moment. She congratulated her on her actual marriage.

Some people came in after someone was struck by lightning while they were playing flag football.

Sloan was asking Callie what the appropriate time to wait was before proposing. She said it was "a long time."

Derek came to check on one of the lightning patients, who was suffering from a sort of paralysis. The patient wanted to see if "Kerry" was OK. Kerry, though, was getting an impromptu "I love you" from another guy who was on the flag football team. She, in turn, wanted to know if a guy named Warren was OK. He wasn't her boyfriend, but he was the one she was most concerned about.

Cristina's heart patient was worried about having surgery again, and her husband asked Cristina for advice: "If this was your husband, would you let Dr. Altman tear his heart apart?" Cristina said yes and supported the aggressive form of treatment.

Warren was surprised and excited to hear that Kerry was asking about him. The guys all then started to argue over Kerry and made their way over to her bed. Warren collapsed as he was about to say his piece to her.

Cristina told Teddy she was excited for the big heart surgery, but she seemed a little hesitant, though, and Hunt gave her a kiss.

Arizona asked Teddy how things were going with the "amazingly hot trauma counselor." Teddy said he was a great listener, and she seemed to hang on that thought for a moment.

Kerry was being wooed by another one of her flag football teammates when she started crying. Lexie thought she was crying because her teammates were looking at her differently as a result of the lightning strike, but Kerry said she was crying because she was worried about Warren.

The doctors saw a TV news report about the lightning crash, which had footage of the incident. Lexie was struck (no pun intended) by something she saw on the report.

The chief figured out that Derek had been in jail all night for reckless endangerment. Still amped up on his reckless driving, Derek talked about it excitedly and offered to take the chief out to try it.

Lexie came in and told Derek, Sloan and the chief that Kerry was paralyzed and was not going to get any better, based on what she'd seen on the news footage.

Bailey kept Alex from doing any surgery until he was "lead-free." Cristina, meanwhile, dove into her surgery.

Lexie showed Kerry the news footage, which showed that Kerry went down before the lightning even struck (and after having been bumped by Warren). Derek slated her for surgery. Kerry regretted never having told Warren how she felt about him.

Alex was feeling bad about Lexie's situation and Meredith tried to assure him he wasn't to blame.

A tray fell over in the O.R. during the heart surgery, and Cristina had some kind of flashback to the day of the shooting. When Hunt and Teddy called for Cristina, she'd panicked and we next saw her laying on the floor.

Derek told Lexie she did a job catching Kerry's malady.

Meredith ran down into the O.R. to comfort Cristina and talk her through her situation. Cristina said she couldn't "be there," and Meredith took her hand.

Callie tried to talk Sloan down from making any rash moves, like proposing to Lexie, by saying he shouldn't try to "skip steps," the way she did with Arizona. Still, he wanted Lexie to be his wife.

Meredith talked to Derek about how worried she's been about him and everyone, saying, "Nobody's alright." She said his reckless behavior was making her more worried every time he pulls out of the driveway. Then she told him she was pregnant the day of the shooting. They hugged.

Cristina told Hunt that she couldn't be in the O.R., and if she couldn't be in there she didn't know where she was supposed to be. He tried to comfort her, to little avail.

Warren had a visitor -- it was Kerry. He told her he was sorry for bumping her over on the field, then he told her he realized he was struck by lightning. She told him she loved him, and she'd loved him forever.

Bailey forced Alex to let her take the bullet out of him because it was a constant reminder to her of the shooting, and she didn't need that.

Teddy went to Andrew and asked whether she was talking too much and using him to make herself feel good because he listens so well. He said something sweet to her and they kissed.

Sloan went to talk to Lexie, presumably to propose, but she wanted him to leave her alone. She said she had a good day because she saved Kerry and she didn't need him to take care of her anymore.

Bailey took the bullet out of Alex and they both marveled at the fact that they made it through the shooting alive, saying they just had to find a way to be grateful.

Cristina and Meredith talked things out and by the time Hunt showed up to make a big speech to Cristina about how he understood if she was upset at everyone and everything, including him, but he wasn't going to leave her. She asked him to take her home and Meredith told him it was a good speech, but she'd already fixed Cristina before he arrived.

Meredith had her last meeting with Perkins and effectively gave up trying to prove to him (or anyone else, apparently) that she was OK. With that, he signed a form and told her she was cleared for surgery.

CastEdit

Main CastEdit

Guest StarsEdit

Co-StarringEdit

Medical NotesEdit

Meredith GreyEdit

Diagnosis: Psychological trauma
Doctor: Andrew Perkins (trauma counselor)
Treatment: Trauma counseling

Ever since the shooting, the surgeons had to get cleared for surgery by Andrew Perkins, the trauma counselor that was hired by the hospital. Unlike her colleagues, Meredith still hadn't been cleared.

In the beginning of the episode, she tried to get cleared by showing Andrew her emotional. She was crying and told Andrew it was really hard to see Derek bleeding out after he was shot. She then added it felt good to finally get that out. However, Andrew still didn't clear her for surgery, making her leave the conference room angrily. She later revealed to Cristina she had put on bad mascara so Dr. Perkins couldn't miss her tears.

At the end of the episode, Meredith told him that she lost a baby, almost lost her husband and that her best friend may never recover. She said she didn't have any control over what he would do and was done trying to get cleared. Andrew Perkins said that was a good plan and then cleared her for surgery.

Alex KarevEdit

Diagnosis: Bullet in chest
Doctor: Miranda Bailey (general surgeon)
Treatment: Taking the bullet out surgically

Alex was shot by Gary Clark in the season 6 finale. The wound healed properly, but the bullet was still in his body. In this episode, the bullet surfaced. However, Alex didn't want it taken out of his body as he was proud of it.

When Bailey bumped into him and felt the bullet in his chest, she refused to let him operate on any patient until someone took it. Alex then had to stand in Bailey's OR to observe her surgery so she could make sure that he wouldn't operate on anyone. After the surgery was finished, Bailey told Karev she was done bullying him and wanted the bullet removed as it reminded her of the shooting. Alex then agreed and Bailey took it out.

Linda KotlerEdit

Kerry SchultzEdit

RussEdit

MitchEdit

Warren GriffithEdit

MusicEdit

Song	Performer	Scene
"Precious"	Tobias Froberg	There's a storm in Seattle. Meredith pretends to make a breakthrough with her trauma counselor.
"Wishing He Was Dead"	The Like	Lexie tends to Kerry. Russ and Mitch make Kerry cry. Meredith, Cristina, Jackson, Alex and Lexie watch the footage of the lightning bolt.
"Into the Mystic"	Greg Laswell	Lexie shows Derek, Mark and Kerry the lightning footage, revealing something interesting. Kerry has a promising recovery.
"The Wait"	School of Seven Bells	Derek tells Lexie that Mark is afraid of her. Meredith bursts in on April.
"Calling Me"	Alva Leigh	Callie warns Mark about a significant event in his life. Owen tells Meredith and Cristina that Linda is fine. Meredith tells Derek about her miscarriage.
"Business Transaction"	Home Video	Warren apologizes to Kerry. Bailey tells Alex he has to let her remove the bullet. Teddy updates Paul on Linda's condition.
"White Blank Page"	Mumford & Sons	Meredith and Cristina talk about their marriages when Owen walks in and gives them a speech. Meredith gets cleared for surgery.

Notes and TriviaEdit

This episode's title originated from the song Shock to the Sytem, originally sung by Billy Idol.
This episode scored 12.53 million viewers.
Meredith finally gets cleared for surgery by Andrew Perkins at the end of the episode.
This episode marks the first time that Alex is being operated on in an OR in Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital. When he got shot in the Season 6 finale, Lexie and Mark gave him some first-aid help before he was transmitted to another hospital.
This episode marks Sara Ramírez' 100th episode as Callie Torres.
Meredith finally tells Derek about her miscarriage in Death and All His Friends.
This episode follows directly on With You I'm Born Again, as April mentions that Owen and Cristina's wedding was last night.
Cristina says 50% of marriages end in a divorce, so that between her and Meredith, Meredith and Derek's marriage should be fine. Ironically, in season 9, Cristina and Owen really get divorced.

GalleryEdit

Episode StillsEdit

QuotesEdit

April: Dr. Shepherd, the chief is looking for you.

Derek: I know.

April: You missed the wedding last night.

Derek: I know.

April: You smell like pee.

Derek: I know!

Derek: Hey I've heard about Cristina. Is she alright?

Meredith: No, she's not alright. No one is alright. That idiot is clearing everyone for surgery like they're fine and they're not fine.

Derek: Stop, stop it, I need to talk to you.

Meredith: Just leave it alone Derek, it was one night in jail, you drive too fast, just forget about it!

Derek: I don't wanna talk about that, don't worry about that.

Meredith (teary eyed): Don't worry about it? All I do is worry. All the time, I spend every minute of every day worrying that I'm gonna get a phone-call that you've wrapped your car around a pole. That's why I left you in jail. So that just for a little while I would know that you weren't dying like you were dying on that table. That's what I think about every time you pull out of the driveway.

Derek: I'm right here. I'm okay. We're okay.

Meredith: I was pregnant. That day, I was pregnant, and I lost it.

Derek: I... (pause) You didn't say anything. I could've helped you.

Meredith: If you wanna help me, your driving is something you can control. Just do that. Just do that.

(They kiss and hug)

Meredith (to Perkins): Go hug yourself!


Grey's Anatomy Season 7
#01	"With You I'm Born Again"	#09	"Slow Night, So Long"	#17	"This is How We Do It"
#02	"Shock to the System"	#10	"Adrift and at Peace"	#18	"Song Beneath the Song"
#03	"Superfreak"	#11	"Disarm"	#19	"It's a Long Way Back"
#04	"Can't Fight Biology"	#12	"Start Me Up"	#20	"White Wedding"
#05	"Almost Grown"	#13	"Don't Deceive Me (Please Don't Go)"	#21	"I Will Survive"
#06	"These Arms of Mine"	#14	"P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)"	#22	"Unaccompanied Minor"
#07	"That's Me Trying”"	#15	"Golden Hour"
#08	"Something's Gotta Give"	#16	"Not Responsible"
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