Grey's Anatomy Episode Thoughts: "Freedom" (season finale)

Oh. My. Gosh. I LOVED this episode!!! Absolutely flippin' LOVED it!!!

* Normally, this would be the last thing I would post after commenting on everything else but since it's all I can think about I HAVE to talk about it FIRST.....THAT ENDING ROCKED!!!! I loved the house built by candle light on Derek's land and Meredith's ADORABLE ramble as she paced not knowing that Derek was watching, the way Derek said her name and then how Mer went on yet another adorable ramble about which rooms were where and for what...KIDS....She mentioned THEIR KIDS....Meredith Grey mentioned KIDS...."OUR kids" she called them! That's HUGE! And Derek...He put his hands behind his back and listened. Then he walked into the "house" and gave his take on the rooms...And HE mentions "the kids." And then....Meredith Grey was honest...."I'm still mad at you, I don't know if I trust you. I want to trust you but I don't know if I do so I'm just gonna try, I'm gonna try and trust you because I believe we can be extraordinary together rather than ordinary apart..." She rambles and vents until while Derek slowly walks toward her and silences it all with a "lean into your televisions" kind of kiss! And then...he says he has to go speak to Rose so he can kiss her the way he wants to kiss her, so he can do more than kiss her..."Stay here. Don't move. Wait for me." with THE BIGGEST smile on his face...And as he turned to go, he was STILL smiling! And Meredith...She stayed. She's waiting. She's trusting. It was AMAZING!!!!!!! I flippin' LOVED IT!!!!!!!

* Did anyone notice how Ellen was on her tip toes while she was kissing Patrick. I didn't really notice it until I was re-watching the scene and after they broke the kiss, Ellen balances on her feet again. And when the camera pans out during the kiss, one of Ellen's feet is visible and she's definitely on her tip toes!! I think that's adorable!!

* Great camera work during the kiss...I love how the camera slowly circled them and then came in for a close up shot of their faces.

* Derek was totally smiling as they broke the long kiss and went into several short kisses. I think part of that was Patrick's relief that FINALLY....FINALLY they were together!!! Meredith and Derek were together! Patrick and Ellen have wanted their characters REALLY together for a very long time...I think both should be very pleased with how that reunion scene was written. They both were incredible! I know I was smiling through my tears!!

Okay...Now that I've gotten that out of the way, maybe just MAYBE I can focus on the rest of the things I found comment worthy....

* I loved Bailey with "cement boy" tonight... "If you see a warm, welcoming light....Don't go into it!" LOL! One of my favorite lines of the night!

* I actually felt for Izzie tonight! I know, I was looking out the window to see if pigs were flying too!

* I'm SO glad SOOOOO glad someone FINALLY put Hahn in her place tonight!! Go Cristina for telling her to "Shut up!" And go Webber for telling her she needed to be better in order to work there! Sorry, but that girl needed to be humbled!

* Have I mentioned how much I LOVE it when we see Derek interact with his patients?! I loved how gentle he was helping Beth back in the wheelchair after she was caught trying to go see Jeremy.

* Speaking of Beth...Can someone PLEASE PLEASE tell me what else that actress has played in??? It's driving me nuts trying to figure it out!! HELP!

* ROTFL at Meredith and Derek acting as "pimps" outside the hospital room. "No, she's not in any pain..." ROTFL!!!!!! And the looks Mer and Der exchanged as they went off to fill out paperwork that Meredith must of HAD to make up! "I'll be here, doin' my thing.." That was hysterical!

* Lexie and George...FINALLY! I was wondering when they were going to go that route! It was only a matter of time!

* Loved Bailey's speech to Izzie and how she gave the clinic to Izzie, taking steps toward fixing her marriage.

* Loved this exchange: Beth: Are you scared?" Derek: "Yes." Beth: "Me too, so let's just leap, okay?" I think that was very telling of his feelings on his relationship with Meredith...Yes, he's scared but sometimes you just have to take the leap and see what happens.

* Alex going off on Izzie....I get why he did it, but I was surprised at just HOW angry he got with her. I was however intrigued with what he had to say about how he took care of his Mom. I really hope more light is shed on that in season five.

* Webber and Meredith....I'm glad she finally told him about Ellis trying to kill herself. It'll be interesting to see where they stand when season five opens.

* Watching Meredith clean up the blood on the floor was heartbreaking and intense at the same time. I kept thinking that as the camera panned up we would see a young version of Mer doing the same thing years earlier.

* I LOVED that Mer finally got that when Ellis said, be extraordinary, how she wasn't talking about surgery and how that put her in high gear to find Derek.

* I've said it before and I'll say it again...Amy Madigan ROCKS! I REALLY REALLY REALLY want Dr. Wyatt back next season perhaps for both Meredith AND Derek!

* I liked how the episode ended with a bit of closure on everything but left the doors open enough to leave us curious about what's to come next season....Ava will be gone, but where are things headed with Alex and Izzie? George gets to retake his test, how will this change things for him? And what is brewing for he and Lexie? Webber and Adele are back together, can he make it work and STILL be chief? Callie and Erica...WHERE is that going and HOW will it work? Bailey...She's delegating. She went home to Tucker tonight...Can her marriage survive? I'm worried for Mark...What's next for him? Who is there left for him to be with? And of course...Meredith and Derek...They're together "for good" but clearly still have things they need to work through.

It will be REALLY interesting to see where Season Five picks up. I for one would like to see it pick up on the same night that it ended...He comes back to the house and he and Meredith TALK. It'll be interesting to see how they choose to handle closure on he and Rose. I think with them picking up on the same night it ended, there's more of a chance for Meredith and Derek to really look at their issues and say, "Okay, we're in this for good, let's work on things..." I think if it picks up weeks later then we're left to assume a lot and I don't want to have to assume...I want to SEE them working on things between them TOGETHER. I know it won't be easy, and they won't be in a happy place all the time, but they'll stick it out and work through it together...because that's what couples do.

I remember when season three ended, I was so sad because of how they left things with Meredith and Derek and then when the season was cut short during the writers strike how Meredith and Derek were basically "finished." I was dreading the show coming back and seeing them want each other but do nothing about it. Then I heard that Shonda had gained perspective during the strike and was putting Derek and Meredith together "for good." I didn't know how she was going to do it, but I was excited and I knew it wouldn't be until the finale that the reunion happened. Shonda proved herself. She did it!

For the first time in a long time I can look at the finale and instead of being tortured for three months about whether Meredith and Derek are together or apart, I'm full of hope for what season five is going to bring...For everyone! Thank you, Shonda! Thank you, writers!

"Stay here. Don't move. Wait for me." That we will do....With great anticipation!