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Yes. It has happened. Ten seasons. Innumerable magical moments. Life long memories. And Sandra Oh has bid the final adieus to Grey’s Anatomy and her on screen shade – Doctor Cristina Yang.

As fans across the world cope with the departure of one of the strongest characters of television and the GA fans wait for the next installment of show starting from September 25th,2014  here is the journey of Cristina Yang’s life  and her friendship with Meredith Grey in twelve highlights.

 1. The getting along of the ‘Twisted Sisters’

The beautiful relationship of Meredith Grey & Cristina Yang that went through all phases of happiness, gloom, success, failures, irrevocable personal losses and proud professional highs has had to its credit an equally dramatic start. Both of them, as interns at Seattle Grace Hospital,  were working upon the same case. Grey got to be the intern who performed the surgery which Yang longed for. However, the professional competitiveness soon subdued, for the relation had to thrive.

Cristina – “We don’t have to do that thing, where you know, I say something, and then you say something, and somebody cries, and there’s like a moment…”

Meredith – “Yuck”

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2. My person, my soul mate, my sole partner in crime

As Meredith drowns in a lake while rescuing a patient in an outstation medical emergency, Cristina gets worried over her sudden disappearance. Cristina, on being questioned about her anxiousness by her husband to be Dr. Preston Burke says, “She’s my person. If I murdered someone, she’s the person I’d call to help me drag the corpse across the living room floor. She’s my person.” 

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3. All they could do, was to keep breathing!

Dressed in a white wedding gown, Cristina Yang is all set to get married to Preston Burke. The man she loved, for whom she got her eyebrows plucked and the person for whom she performed dozens of extra ordinary Cardiothoracic procedures she wasn’t authorized to, left her at the altar on their wedding day. Yang gets overwhelmed and Meredith consoles her and gets her out of the wedding gown. However, this incident inspires Yang to stand up,  for all she says after she retains her composure is, ” He is gone, I am free, Meredith.” 

 

4.  Have some fire and be unstoppable!

Cristina who had been the significant pillar for Preston Burke when his hand injury had rendered him incapable of performing surgeries, got no mention when the latter won the prestigious Harper Avery award. This along with her disturbed personal life, made her grow ruder day by day. On being questioned about her well being by a fellow, she said what became, one of the most famous quotes of the show.

Lexie Grey: “Are you okay?”

Cristina Yang: “Don’t ask me if I’m okay. Have some fire. Be unstoppable. Be a force of nature. Be better than anyone here, and don’t give a damn about what anyone thinks. There are no teams here, no buddies. You’re on your own. Be on your own.”

 

5. The ‘Cro-wen’ Paradox

Cristina Yang gradually falls in love again with a trauma surgeon, Dr. Owen Hunt who joins work at hospital after a tough life as a surgeon in the army. The spark between the two is amazing, the love is bold and passionate. However, their life isn’t that easy, courtesy Owen’s initial aggressive flashbacks and their different desires from and meaning of life.

 

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6. Had I known how to save a life!

As a shooter enters the premises of Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in a bid to murder all the surgeons to avenge his wife’s death, Dr. Derek Shepherd is shot in chest. To save the life of her friend’s husband Cristina performs a surgery with gun at her temple with amazing grit and smartness. This by far continues to be, one of the strongest moments of the show.

 

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7. I know she likes the trauma

The act of shooting and operating at gun point leaves Dr. Yang traumatized for months. Not being able to come to terms with the excruciating pressure, she gives up medical practice and finds alternative employment, including bar-tending at Joe’s bar. However, as Derek takes her off on a fishing spree, she catches a giant one. As she feels the taste of success and rush of adrenaline again, she realizes what is missing from her life after giving up surgery. That moment of tears of happiness from Cristina Yang’s eyes, priceless!

8. The continuous consuming interrogation by Teddy Altman

After months of training under cardiac surgeon Dr. Teddy Altman, Yang has to perform an emergency surgery on Altman’s husband due to her pre-occupation. Cristina puts the best of her medical skills to test, but the patient dies. When informed about Henry’s death,  she asks Cristina to repeat the procedure followed time and again to evaluate it. She says, “You did all what I would have done in that OR, Don’t be sorry.”

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One of the most emotional scenes of the series, it shows the actress’s talent of conveying most  in the minimal words.

 

8. Seattle Grace Mercy ‘Death’, the place where bad things happen

Post the plane crash that claims the lives of two major doctors of the hospital and with terrorist attacks and shootings in backdrop, Cristina Yang gets sick of the place replete with deaths, dearths and disorders and decides to leave the hospital for a job elsewhere. However, her tuning with Meredith is the same, relationship is no where strained, they stay in touch. The catch phrase “You’re my person” comes up again, Yang gradually overcomes the fear of planes and ultimately gets back to her parent hospital to revive it from a financial crisis. ( now called the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.)

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9. Somebody that I used to know!

Competition, jealousy and ego can ruin all relations. The same happened in the  relation of ‘the twisted sisters’. As Meredith became a family woman, Cristina’s career scaled new heights. Consequently, there were things said and interpreted, all of which envisaged a cold war. However, soon came a face off, where in things got cleared.

 

10. If love could be ‘enough’ to keep people together!

Cristina and Owen were deeply in love, but sadly there wasn’t a way in which both of their lives could run in parallel without making the compromises that would alter their individual definitions and existence. Hence, Cristina found that the best way was to let it go.

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11. Tall towers, false shadows: The Harper Avery fiasco

One of the most hyped and prestigious awards in medicine, the Harper Avery Award – 2014 had Cristina Yang as a nominee, she being one of the five forerunners. However, the internal politics at the Harper Avery Board and Board’s relation with the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital screwed up the chances of Yang winning the award, even though her 3D conduits had the jury’s vote.

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12. This is not the end, this is not the beginning!

While addressing a conference about her 3D conduits in Zurich, Yang meets Preston Burke again, the man who once left her at the altar, offers Yang to takeover for him at a research hospital in Switzerland. Yang knows this is the next step for her, gradually finishes over her work and dealings at Seattle and shifts her base of operation to Switzerland bidding adieus to her companions of over ten years with some ‘stay in touch’ promises, compassionate hugs,pieces of advice, emotional goodbyes and the last ‘Cristina -Meredith’ 30 seconds dance party.

It is rather magical how both of the friends have been there for one another in all times, despite of difference of opinions, attitudes and cultures. Even though the television saga would continue to go on without her, but for sure, both the friends would continue to influence each other’s lives for ever. For that’s what friendship means, to be together, even if not physically around.

Thank you Sandra Oh for the beautiful, motivating and unforgettable portrayal of Dr. Cristina Yang.

You’ll be always remembered and thoroughly missed!

Happy friendship day to all our readers and Grey’s Anatomy fans!

Featured Image Credits: Meredith Grey Quotes ( Facebook Page)

March 31st, 2014 would certainly be a ‘red letter day’ in the history of American sitcoms. While one legen-wait for it-dary show went off air forever and  its famous characters bid their adieus to their fans, another show that might be the new ‘apple of all eyes’ in the years to come kick started its journey. The much talked about show ‘Friends with Better Lives’ premiered just after the series finale of ‘How I Met Your Mother  which had left some fans heartbroken, dissatisfied and wanting for more. The much talked about show is written by the writers of famous American show ‘Friends’ and is being successfully promoted on the established brand value of same.

The Positives

FWBL revolves around six friends, thirty something of age, all at different stages of life, each of whom thinks that the other has it better. Talking about the leads, Bobby and Andi– the happily married couple and parents of a toddler, Will – a divorcee, Kate – a single career oriented woman who has not found the right match yet and the ‘just engaged’ couple – Jules and Lowell.

The pilot episode is woven around characters of Bobby, Will and Kate played by Entourage fame Kevin Connolly, James Van Der Beek and Zoe Lister Jones, known for their amazing comic timing as they never miss a beat to entertain and tickle the audiences. Being on spot with his dialogue delivery, Kevin Connolly has delivered an excellent performance. The pilot belongs to Zoe Lister Jones who plays Kate, the single unlucky with dating woman, who is the highlight of the episode and might be the person around whom this show could revolve.

The Neutrals

The show yet again revolves around three men and three women, and so far looks like it talks about their personal relations, ups& downs. From the comic perspective the show looks promising, but the storyline looks like ‘old wine in new bottle.’ There isn’t a catchy theme song introduced yet, that can be the USP of the show like ‘I’ll be there for you’ for Friends & the HIMYM theme tune.

The Negatives

Sitcoms do not usually garner much of positive response in their pilots because of the sheer disability of the people to understand and recognize the characters and their relations. FWBL needs to have more character development in the next few episodes for audiences to be able to relate to and care for. The show can overcome the familiar story line challenge and  and could become something special if the group solidifies,strengthens into a strong dynamic where viewers begin to identify with the characters and relate them to people in real life.

The Overall View

Watch the show as an independent comedy, not drawing comparisons from any of the classics and you will certainly not be disappointed. Another reason to watch it would be the amazing star cast The channel CBS has not been quite successful with their new shows but FWBL with some excellent writing and by not going for the obvious jokes and gags, could be the next big thing.

The Official Trailer of ‘Friends with better lives’

Guest post by Abhinn Khanna
Abhinn Khanna is a fourth semester Commerce student at Delhi college of Arts & Commerce and an avid TV series and movies buff.

Summer vacations are already underway and if you are not the unlucky ones who are wading their way through Delhi University admissions under the hot sun and now the water logged roads, count your blessings and write a thank you note to your stars. Now, for some it is essential to stretch those limbs and exercise that derriere after they have been on the receiving ends of their mother’s love and affection,via the stomach, but if you are anything like your’s truly, you shall dump that piece of spandex and hop into a pair of comfortable, roomy, colourful pajamas, open that laptop, log into the neighbour’s unsecured WiFi, and make yourself mighty comfortable on the bed, because tables are for pansies.

Holidays are an opportunity to watch sitcoms and movies we just could not during the semester, and this is exactly what we are going to do.Here is a friendly guide of TV series which you can spend your time watching and enjoying.

 1. Da Vinci’s Demons

Now, if the name itself is not enough to heighten your intrigue, the fact that is a historical fantasy packed with a whole lot of action, mystery, sex and violence should make you running for that DVD. In complete opposition to it’s title, the series has little resemblance to the life of the man behind the name but, what it does have, is this young artist/inventor/engineer battling Draculas, solving complicated puzzles using his sheer brilliance and of course, investing himself in a love triangle. Just lovely! Directed by David Goyer, co-writer of ‘ The Dark Knight’ trilogy, season 1 is a whole of 8 episodes, a complete fix for a lazy weekend.

 

2. Sherlock

If Benedict Cumberbatch grew on tree, I would have a whole orchard of him. As if the accent is not swoon-worthy enough, he is also an amazing actor.You might remember him from Star Trek Into Darkness as Khan Noonien Singh, and he will also be portraying famed news-leaker, Julian Assange, in The Fifth Estate. Sherlock is a contemporary adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s work, in which Sherlock and Watson use the modern day technology available to them to solve crimes. So there are websites, blogging, Google maps and nicotine patches. There are two seasons with a total of six episodes. The third season is currently under production.


3. Orphan Black

Tatiana Maslany deserves an Emmy for her performance. Being cited as one of the best show to be aired on television recently, BBC’s Orphan Black is fast paced with a fierce plot that almost keeps you at the edge of your seat. What Priyanka Chopra failed to deliver with her tragically flop film What’s your Rashee?, Maslany achieves it and some more. Sarah Manning (Maslany), is a young British mother living in Canada. A small-time con artist, she sees her doppelganger commit suicide by stepping in front of a train, after stealing the woman’s purse and identity, Sarah the con artist becomes Beth the cop, scrambling to fool her partner and discovering more women who look just like her. Maslany does justice to every role she portrays, be it the hipster or the suburban mom, it is hard to believe that it is one woman playing all the characters. Watch this sci-fi series for the future of cloning and for Tatiana Maslany.

4. Awkward

High School, boys, embarrassing parents, conniving Asians, love triangle or quadrangle (depending on the episode) and a whole lot of awkwardness, 15- year old Jenna Hamilton is victim of a freak accident which everybody thinks is a suicide attempt and thus begins her journey of awkwardness. The series is easy to watch, a light comedy and with typical teenage elements. Best thing about the show is the sarcastic and snarky voice-over and the counsellor, yes the fanny pack wearing counsellor. Currently in it’s third season, watch it if nostalgia sets in  or a break from too much mind work is needed.


5. Downton Abbey

This one is for the ladies. Downton Abbey, a British period drama set in and after the World War II easily draws you into the life of the Crawley family and their servants. At the beginning of the season, Titanic has just sunk, taking with it the Downton heir and leaving the house in jeopardy. The series seems familiar and there just might be episodes which are disinteresting, but it manages to captivate and soon, you find yourself rooting for the lovers and hoping for the best. The series is currently in it’s third season.

Also, must watch:

Hannibal, Girls, The Americans, Games of Thrones, Bate’s Motel, GO ON

reality-shows-in-indiaREAL FUN!

By Tanya Agarwal

A seventy year old man forced to admit to having slept with a prostitute as his tense wife and daughter look on, Rakhi Sawant fluttering her eyes at the camera and accusing participants in her Swyamvar of playing with her delicate heart, Gauhar Khan bursting into tears and piling all the blame for her bad dancing on her hapless choreographer… if you condemn such harmless, albeit theatrical entertainment and say it debases popular taste, then you’re just a puffed up snob who hasn’t yet tried watching the said shows, conveniently assuming that it’s for those with low intellect and no one but the likes of Udita Goswami to look to for amusement.

The supposedly blatant unreality of reality television creates the most unlikely situations and the reaction of the various pseudo celebrities featured in these shows is pure entertainment. It is precisely this that keeps even the cerebral people glued to shows like ‘Big Boss’ and ‘Sach Ka Saamna’. High brow attitudes are out of vogue and society sees no harm in being entertained by any kind of entertainment at all nowadays. Reality shows are the symbols of the age of mass culture that we live in today.

We are so accustomed to the petty dramas of everyday life that they’re no longer of much interest to us anymore. The lives of people like Manmohan Tiwari and Abhijeet Sawant played out on national television therefore, comes as a refreshing change, presenting us with a peek into a world exotically different from our monotonous, scheduled existence. It is amazing fun to watch celebrities on TV and find out how they actually are in real life and whether they truly live up to their typecast roles. It also funny to hear Anu Malik, the architect of songs like “do me a favour, let’s play holi” and “oonchi hai building”, pretend to be a connoisseur of music and dole out advice to participants. Once in a while, it’s good to just go with the deception and sit back and enjoy.

Reality shows not only keep us entertained but they are also a great platform for those with aptitude and willingness to work hard. These shows can be credited with churning out some pretty great talent, examples being Sunidhi Chauhan and Sonu Nigam – both hugely successful singers.

In the end, we are after all, a democracy. Neither is anyone compelled to participate in these shows, nor is anyone obliged to watch them. So cheers to those who can afford to step down from their high ground and appreciate some mindless fun, and to the rest, live and let live, people!

ISS REALITY TV SE MUJHE BACHAO

By Aina Mathew

If on one channel you have old men jumping up and cracking coconuts with their heads in the name of entertainment, on another rival one you get chubby little toothless girls prancing around dressed as bais, all to instigate laughter. While Shah Rukh tackles fifth graders, Salman has roti-making competitions with Mallika Sherawat. At absolutely no time of the day can you channel-surf without coming across at least ten reality shows featuring complete madcap behaviour. The idiot box is truly living up to its name these days.

With the overwhelming number of reality shows flooding our TV screens, you’d think we’d get to see fascinating, inventive programmes with something new being offered each day. On the contrary, almost all these shows are rip-offs of popular western shows. ‘Indian Idol’ is an exact copy of ‘American Idol’; ‘Is Jungle Se Mujhe Bachao!’ follows in the footsteps of ‘I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!’; ‘Sach Ka Saamna’ is modeled exactly along the lines of ‘The Moment of Truth’ and so on and so forth, until originality, much less sense is the last thing you’d associate with Indian television. The format is the same, the rules are the same, and everything is the same except the quality, which falls dreadfully below tolerance levels. Our answer to Simon Cowell’s sharp, witty remarks is the sad shayari of Anu Malik who, by the way, takes up more footage than the participants themselves with his histrionics. While western audiences are left shaken by the candid confessions of participants on The Moment of Truth, we have to contend with the ramblings of retired cricketers. Why would anyone want to subject themselves to such torture?

I fail to understand why the producers of all these nutty programmes classify them under reality TV. Whether it’s a stand up comedy competition or a game show or a singing contest, it all eventually turns into a K-serial anyway. Drama, suspense, romance – name it and you have it. All the elements of an Ekta Kapoor hit are intrinsic to every “reality” show that have graced Indian television sets. More than their singing abilities, endurance levels or dancing skill, the talent that always comes out best among participants is their acting. With every elimination, rivals who couldn’t stand being in the same room without a torrent of beeps renting the air turn into friends for life who drown themselves in tears of remorse. Thanks to “reality” TV, our desi Pamela Anderson has turned into a blushing, demure sati savitri who gets a heart attack every time a potential husband so much as brushes against her little finger. If this is all the reality that TV can offer, I’d rather just revert to the saas bahu serials, thank you very much.

In conclusion, reality TV is a complete waste of time and energy. If anyone gains from these shows, it’s the medicine industry that now has a bigger market for headache pills and those resuscitated stars of yesteryears who can finally stop selling water purifiers and scream at wannabe dancers instead.

rakhi-ka-swayamvara300Once in a while comes a show that shakes the very foundations of television sanity. NDTV Imagine’s latest reality show: Rakhi ka Swayamvar takes the cake , with icing and even the cherry on top!

Reality television never got so entertaining. The sky rocketing TRPs are ample proof of that. Detractors of the damsel in question maybe falling over themselves criticizing her as the epitome of “ PDA- public display of annoyance” but love it or hate it the show can become an absolute obsession.

As the recently single television star embarks on her quest to find true love, one can’t help but marvel at the sheer drama of this particular swayamvar. Choosing from a host of prospective grooms who range from an age of 18 to 35, the show is to culminate in a live video cast of Rakhi marrying one of these knights in shining armour. However, the “prize”, which in this case is the fair one’s hand, is not a matter of run of the mill wooing .This picky lady shall ensure the physical and mental agility of her suitors.

Whether it is the sudden transformation of the in your face item girl to the coy lass or the string of the arduous suitors going through obstacle courses to get “the moon and stars” for the lady of their dreams, the high entertainment quotient is undeniable.

A brilliant albeit unintentional comedy, the show has definitely created waves. As the inmates of the desi big brother, gear up to stupefy the small screen Indian viewers with another big bother, you are left with two alternatives. You can curl up your lip in distaste, roll your eyes and waggle your head or simply sit back switch off your brain and unabashedly watch the show for its cheap thrills.