Stairway to Heaven

Season 5, Episode 12, Aired
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Episode Summary

Bailey grows desperate as a patient's condition becomes more and more dire. Everyone in the hospital is stepping up to try to find the boy a new organ donor, including Meredith, who considers a death row patient's wish to die before execution. Meanwhile, an injury leaves Mark in a compromising position in the OR, Cristina awkwardly avoids Owen, and Izzie finally learns why Denny has been appearing to her.moreless
8.7
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EPISODE RATING: Great
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Fan Episode Reviews (19)

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  • This episode made me remember how I felt after watching one of the old times episodes.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By nuria_er_gg, Jan 27, 2011 Report Abuse
    I'm not liking the whole bringing back Denny thing, it really dropped with that, I find it boring and sick, even silly.
    However, the serial killer arc was excellent, not from the begginig, but in this episode it kind of exploded.
    It didn't have lots and lots of sex as always, instead it made us think about something very controversial as death sentence, and about how Meredith was able to see 'greys' in this man, who had killed several people.
    It also touched another hot topic, that is, organ donation, how far should it go? Crossing the lines, should those lines be modified?
    So, to conclude, if it weren't for Denny this episode would be perfect.
    I still scored it 10 because the ending, when Meredith is watching the execution was just brilliant.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    8 2

  • Music makes this show yet again

    8.0
    "Great"
    By mermayd, Jan 22, 2011 Report Abuse
    This episode made me realise why I like Grey's Anatomy. It's the breathtaking use of music. Not that I didn't know that music can make a show but something clicked in my head during the finale song by Aussie band Powderfinger. It is emotion of Grey's which makes it so involving. And music is key to that.

    Recently I've been watching my old ER DVDs and although that show is terrific, their use of music is rubbish. I can count at least a dozen songs which have been used in Grey's, often songs I'd never heard of before but went out and downloaded immediately after I finished watching the episode. (Chasing Cars especially springs to mind.)

    With ER. None.

    The Meredith/death row storyline came to it's climax in this episode. I had anticipated that the guy's organs would be used to save the child so am VERY glad they avoided that cliche. And that the Doctors didn't make decisions they would possibly live to regret to save the life of the little boy.

    And Derek's mother is dead right about Meredith. It IS easy to find compassion for good people. The fact that Meredith can find compassion for people who are not so good is what the audience loves about her too. How can she judge people when she herself is so flawed. Which is a pertinent point about humanity: let he (or she) who is without sin cast the first stone.

    I'm not sick of the Denny storyline. Mainly because I love looking at the actor. And it's nice to see a tv show which doesn't gloss over grief - these things do take time. Often in tv land, a person recovers from physicl or psychological trauma in one episode. In real life it can take years to recover. If at all.

    This is one of the few shows I'm watching at the moment which isn't boring me. I feel like they still have fresh ideas and things to say. And characters which aren't long past their sell by date.

    I look forward to seeing what will happen next.moreless

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    5 3

  • It hurts to even talk about this episode!!

    1.0
    "Abysmal"
    By idontcare249, Oct 30, 2010 Report Abuse
    By far the WORST episode of Grey's anatomy to ever air. I felt like shooting myself after the first 20 minutes of the show and it only got worse in the other 20 minutes. This show should either improve drastically or just go down the drain. They finally decided to quit the whole meredith drama (Thank GOD) only to start even worse ones. Denny is very annoying and so is ezzie, the psycho sleeping with the dead!! What were the writers on? I can't help but wonder!! the whole crazy meredith and the rest of the staff was just painful to watch. Overall, I Do NOt REcOMMEND this episode except to people I dislike!!moreless

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    8 19

  • If it weren't for the Izzie/Danny storyline (one I was fed up with eons ago) this episode would have gotten a 9.5 from me. I found myself torn, just like Mer, how to feel towards the PDR and am looking forward to the McEngagementmoreless

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By Calani, Aug 26, 2010 Report Abuse
    Truth to be told, I haven't been watching Grey's Anatomy for long, only since last October I think. In this short amount of time I have found myself getting more and more emotionaly attached to the characters I see every week on my computer screen. I liked the first two seasons very much indeed but seasons 3 and 4, though still good, were not up to par. This season however would be, in my opinion, the best one yet if it weren't for Denny and Izzie taking up far too much screen time with a storyline that I didn't like much in the first place. What I have enjoyed most about this season is the Mer/Der relationship, how stable and yet normal it feels, and now they are getting engaged and I can't wait!moreless

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    3 4

  • third and last part of ana amazing story arc, we'll know if doctor Baley will let the prisoner die in order to save her baby patient's life. Danny finally explains himself to Izziemoreless

    10
    "Perfect"
    By alexnat84, Aug 26, 2010 Report Abuse
    grey's anatomy as always been one of my favourite show 'cause can bring strong emotions straight to people's heart like it's nothing, but we know it's a lot...
    not so much shows can do that, can let u feel the emotions and live them with the characters as this one does.
    the serial killer story-arc brought me back to season 3, to some amazing episodes like 6 days and the ferry boat arc.
    season 4 was good, but nothing special.
    season five is great, the only thing i complain is that i miss george a lot!
    but men, stairway to heaven was so well written and acted i couldn't take my eyes off it!
    all the storylines were great (ok, MsSteamy not so much...)
    and finally everybody know the mining of Danny's presence.
    Godd Job writers, very good job!moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    6 2
 

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • "Penile fracture," as Mark suffers, can (very rarely) happen when an erect penis encounters unusual force. What "breaks" -- or rather tears -- is the tissue that creates the erection.

      Edit
    • Denny asks Izzie if she believes in Heaven. In the season 2 episode "Into You Like a Train", Bonnie asked that of Tom (they were the people impaled on a metal pole). Weirdly enough, in the season 3 episode "Some Kind of Miracle", Denny and Bonnie knew each other in Meredith's afterlife. Edit
    • Denny first says that he's here for Izzie in the episode These Ties That Bind. Izzie finally figures out what he means by that in this episode. He also says it in a couple of other episodes leading up to this one. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • International Episode Titles: Slovakia: Schody do neba (Stairs to Heaven) Czech Republic: Nebe, či peklo (Heaven or Hell) Edit
    • Original International Air Dates: Italy: Monday, April 27, 2009 on Fox Life Latin America: April 27, 2009 on Sony Entertainment Television (aka Canal Sony) Australia: May 7, 2009 on Channel 7 Germany: June 24, 2009 on ProSieben Norway: November 10, 2009 on TV2 Slovakia: December 14, 2009 on STV1 Czech Republic: May 13, 2010 on Prima Edit
    • Every season (except for the first one) has an episode where someone other than Meredith narrates. In this episode, it was Denny. However, it's the first time a guest character does it. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • (After Meredith went to see William's execution. Derek knocks on Cristina's door) Derek: She's in the car. She's in the car and she won't stop crying. Cristina: Did you propose? Derek: No. She went to William's execution. (the next shot is of Cristina in the car with Meredith, and Derek sitting on the steps outside of Cristina's apartment) Edit
    • Bailey: I crossed a line today... I crossed a line. Richard: ... So did I. Edit
    • William: I'm alive. Meredith: Yes, you are. William: I was playing you. Your boyfriend was right. I wanted to destroy your career, I was playing you, the whole time, Dr. Grey. And I wanted to be here to see the fallout. Meredith: You were scared, William. Death is scary, I would've been scared too. William: It would be nice to have a friendly face in the crowd... When they kill me. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Episode Title: Stairway to Heaven A song by the musical group Led Zeppelin, from their untitled fourth album commonly referred to as Zoso or Led Zeppelin IV. Edit

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