'Grey's Anatomy' Review - 9.03 Love the One You're With

        On the newest episode of ABC's Grey's Anatomy, the survivors from the crash are asked to make an almost impossible decision that will affect the rest of their lives; tension grows between Jackson and April after they're forced to work together; and Alex tries to restrain himself with one of the interns.

        It pleases me to no end that Grey's Anatomy this season has no intention to shuffle the ramifications of last season's concluding plane crash under the rug in the short term. That development has helped revitalized many dramatic elements of the series and the show should milk out all of the great material while it is still vital to the development and progression of the doctors.
        The idea and tension around the survivors trying to decide whether or not to take the settlement is a great concept for an episodic plot. The many characters pondering on what to do is great for character growth. That whole story was the real highlight of the hour. It had just the right amount of time devoted to it and with all the people who would be effected by the outcome. That bathroom scene between Callie and Arizona was phenomenal and continues to showcase the ongoing struggle between these two so well. Conversely, Cristina and Owen had some nice, quiet moments. Their love is still so palpable and the audience still strongly roots for them even with their differences of opinion. Derek going to see the plane wreckage didn't feel realistic but after you got over that fact it was equally moving. I'm in to all of these stories and hoping that we continue to see all of this great drama and tension for the rest of the season.
        The people who aren't directly connected to the settlement felt separated from the main great storyline of the episode. Some of their stories had the potential to have great emotional weight but were truncated for the overall structure of the episode to work well for the main plot. The prospect that was raised in Bailey was most used for comedic effect but the deeper meaning is a wonderful development for the character that was limited to just the one scene with Webber. The story with the solo boater was introduced as severe and then tossed aside in the middle of the episode. It's obvious that the show is working towards a pairing between Alex and Jo - which I could see rooting for if we got to see and understand more about her and their interactions so I have something to care about. The drama around April and Jackson seeing each other again was the most prevalent of the subplots. The series is striving for every issue with that couple to be taken seriously while being different but there is just something about the way it's being told that just doesn't sit right with me.

So what did everyone think of the episode? Are the stories with the plane crash survivors and their family much more interesting than the rest of the show? Share your thoughts in the comments.