Season 4 of Grey’s Anatomy returned with Episode 12 right before Lost did. I thought they ended the season with episode 11 due to the writer’s strike, but turns out they are just carrying on.

Warning: If you have not watched the first three seasons, there will be major spoilers ahead!

Season 3 precipitated the downhill-slide of Grey’s Anatomy, and broke viewers’ hearts by spinning off Addison into Private Practice, which meant she left the show. Season 4 completed the degeneration with the campiness, bad bad writing, stretched cliches and metaphors, and most of all, puzzling romances (think O’Mizzie, aka George and Izzie).

So, the return meant there was some fair amount of salvaging to be done, and even from my critical point of view, Episode 12 was a good baby-step in the right direction. Meredith FINALLY got a therapist (which should have happened 2 seasons go), Meredith and Derek are staying broken, and she is being an adult about it for a change. Izzie and George are also staying broken (thank god) but Izzie is being a McMoron. Cristina is being… Cristina.

I would not have blogged about it, except for a small inkling that I picked up, between Hahn and Callie, who are doing a “we are great friends and hanging out every single night”. But what else am I supposed to take them lounging around in Callie’s apartment (or rather the one Cristina and her share), dressed in their little black dresses and sipping wine, and having a really good time?

I was hoping for four seasons that there would be a queer romance on the show between two main characters (besides Joe and Walter, fringe characters), and I hope this is where it is going. In case you think I am dreaming things up, a popular Grey’s Anatomy podcast, the McPodcast said exactly the same thing when I listened to them later with this idea in mind. Part of it was accentuated by the fact that Brooke Smith, the actress who plays Dr. Erika Hahn has said that she is open to the idea if her character is queer. No comment from Sara Remirez, who plays Dr. Callie Torres so far.

If that’s where it is headed, I hope they do a good job of it, and not pull a fly-by lesbian romance for the sake of ratings. Like that other show, The OC. Or Ally McBeal. Or One Tree Hill.

I have a little more faith in Shonda in this respect of this, though, because of the way gay characters have been handled so far on Grey’s Anatomy, with respect and tolerance. In fact, they won a GLAAD award for S3E07 “Where The Boys Are”, for a simultaneous portrayal of Joe and Walter as a stable loving gay couple (compared to all the straight couples in shambles), and a lesbian MTF with her wife, who was coping with the fact that her husband was going to turn into a girl. Not to mention the way they took a clear stance against Isaiah Washington’s “faggot” slur. There have been other gay and lesbian couples portrayed positively/neutrally as well, and this combined with the fact that Grey’s has had the most racially diverse cast (they cast people by talent, not physical characteristics or race), raises my respect level for them quite a bit.

If this goes where I think it is going, watch out for updates!