(S06E06) There were so many people on screen last week on Grey's Anatomy that I didn't even realize that Mark Sloan wasn't in the whole episode. Luckily for any Mark fan, he becomes an essential character when burn victims show up.

This week, one of many hotel fire victims dies because of negligence; everyone tells their side. The multiple perspectives became more and more difficult to keep up with, because the original Seattle Grace doctors defended each other, while the Mercy West doctors tried to throw any of the Seattle Grace doctors under the bus.

I didn't see twelve different perspectives as the commercials announced, there were only nine perspectives that had any effect on the story:

1. Owen
2. Cristina
3. April
4. Bailey
5. Charlie
6. Lexie
7. Jackson
8. Alex
9. Reed

The other three, I assume came from the interviewers. The commercials disappointed me again. I know that Derek, Mark, Callie, and Arizona were not interviewed, even though several of them were waiting outside to find out what happened.

There was a lot of potential that this episode could have gone with. With Mitch Pleggi guest-starring again, I'm reminded of one great episode of X-Files, "Bad Blood," where Mulder and Scully had to recount a vampire story. The thing about what made the X-Files episode good and the Grey's episode poor was the fact that in Grey's all perspectives were the same. The medical charts didn't lie and everyone was in the same area at the same time for the whole episode. There was no big change in perspective. Both Owen and Bailey weren't in the room when the mother died. We could have omitted their interviews and it wouldn't make any difference.

How does someone that doesn't even show up on the screen mess up the whole show? The thing that I hate even more about Izzie was the fact that if she just talked to Alex when he was about to get his blood drawn, half of the events that happened wouldn't have. I didn't think that I would watch a tough guy like Alex crumble, and he doesn't deserve all the crap that Izzie gives him.

I still haven't warmed up to the Mercy West characters, though it seems like Reed is the only one warming to me. It's probably because of her squeaky voice and pixie haircut. Do people really call people douches when they've never talked to each other? Their first impressions of the Seattle Grace doctors was a bad first impression for me. Why didn't the doctors have icebreakers or a luncheon so that they could at least know each others' names? Luckily, with one gone, Izzie not around, and Meredith recovering, I'm hoping that Charlie, Jackson, and Reed grow as characters.

Without Meredith, I think Lexie did a fine job being the Grey for the episode. Even though she cried and still reacted the same as she always does, she sucked it up and did her job. Big kudos goes to Arizona who snapped her into place. I was cringing when I kept hearing Evan, the Asian burn victim, scream and how they cut his arm. If I was Lexie I'd need a few minutes to compose myself, as well. Are dangling earrings kosher in a hospital? That accessory seems like it would just get in the way.

The little things that I liked about the episode were the over the shoulder transitions, the way they covered Ellen Pompeo's pregnancy bump with a wheelchair and a big bag, and the firefighters flanking their fellow officer near the end of the episode. What did everyone think of this a-typical episode? Should they attempt it ever again? Leave comments below.

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