What happens when an old friend's past merges with your present and you are forced to show some kind of good nature out of the sake of obligation? Except when Betsy arrived on the Private Practice elevator floor, being forced out of obligation should not have been the initial feeling for Dell's beloved friends. I couldn't imagine the impact it had on Betsy, being told in front of her face that her aunt didn't want her. I mean really! Couldn't she have put her aside and have Violet relay the hard truth, choosing the lesser of two evils! Poor Betsy, she probably knew her aunt's true intentions the moment she stumbled back into her deceased dad's office, at least she had the courtesy to leave her some place familiar. I only resented Violet's plea for anyone to take a helpless child, it was so pathetic, their pitiful faces!
My personal feelings aside on the matter, Betsy has endured a lot within her short childhood. Her mother was a drug abuser, her parents fought and her dad died before she even got to have her first boyfriend, or even a crush. So we all felt for Betsy, and we wanted her to have a save, healthy home. There was a particular scene I admired when Violet took responsibility for her; she spilled some juice on the kitchen floor and it seemed as though it were the end of her world because of the spill. It showed how much little love she had in her life and because of the simplest mistake, she feared the worst punishment. It made me realize that her aunt probably punished her for the petty things out of resentment for her label as the guardian. I applauded Violet for showing Betsy that spilling was natural and she joined in by spilling some bottles of her own. Betsy did not expect that reaction, which made her love Violet deeply.
At first I was concerned for Lucas' sake, Betsy isn't used to having people and babies around her, so she reacts to natural instinct, without considering the effect her actions would have on others. Taking Lucas was Betsy's way of caring, because she hasn't been able to show it much. She had no good parenting role for a huge part of her life and it makes sense why she would do things considered as unnerving to others. The speech Sheldon gave to Violet which painted her as tormented, was slightly extreme. I was surprised that everyone was reluctant to take responsibility for Betsy. It seemed rational that they would try to keep her out of the system, or at least get a good family for her to stay with, through their many connections. They didn't even seem pushed to lift a finger to help. They owed that much to Dell, if he meant anything to them!
Addison, Cooper and Violet were the only ones capable of taking responsibility. Charlotte barely knew Betsy and given her reluctance to have children, it made sense why she wouldn't push. Addison on the other hand wanted children and the writers painted Sam as her reason for not wanting to give Betsy a home, rather than her reluctance to keep a child out of fear of losing them if she became attached. In fact that would have been more an Addison response to the Betsy situation. Violet allowed Pete to dictate how things ran and it made me resent Pete for being so cruel. He has a soft spot for children, but when this tough situation comes along, it is almost impossible for him to think like a grown up. I am certain Pete would have some connections of his own to make his wife happy that Betsy wasn't going in to an already broken system.
Poor Amelia didn't even know who Betsy was and was forced to play catch up on the Dell situation. The thought that seemed to pass through her mind was "I'm so young, I'm not ready to be a mother". Even as the obligation card was played and Violet said the "This was wrong" speech, no one looked as though they cared, there was guilt written all over their faces.
Still I liked the case Addison had to deal with and the tip given by Amelia given her skills as a neurosurgeon. Addison and Pete had this dilemma over a patient and her child. What a horrible situation for a patient to be in every time, no one wants to be in pain every second of their life! It leads me to wonder, had Amelia not been there, how would they have solved this situation? Would a mother be forced to terminate her pregnancy without being given the very best possible alternates? I am happy that Amelia is part of the team for the Practice's sake.
The following case regarding the boy who was moved because he was teased continuously in school reminded be a bit of a previous case where a mother covered her son's face so he wouldn't eat everything in his path. Each parent had good intentions, but incredibly extreme solutions to each problem. No one wants to have their child abused in school, but when she called her son weak, it was so cruel of her to not even want to give the son a fighting chance to succumb to his fears and battle his dilemmas. That would be the only way he could survive in the real world. He was definitely fortunate to land up on Cooper's door step. It is funny sometimes to see Cooper be such a good father type then be a sex object for Charlotte.
Charlotte: "I'm horny, want a quickie?"
Regardless, my best wishes for Betsy remain and I hope for a follow up episode that tells us that Betsy is okay for Dell's sake. They at least owe it to Dell to make sure she is okay.
Picture Courtesy: tvfanatic.com
Lexa
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Four Stars
Grade B-
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