The attack really puts Meredith out of commission. She can't hear. She can't speak. In the trauma room, her jaw seems to be clamped shut. Once the essential work of saving her is over, she still doesn't really have much to say. This presents actress Ellen Pompeo with a unique challenge. She has to portray all the pain and suffering — and all the fear and dread experienced by her character — without the ability to speak. Directly after the attack, she only has her wide, pleading eyes and exasperated screams of pain to express herself. As she recovers for a large portion of the episode, she really only has the luxury of facial expressions. And yet, we connect deeply to Meredith, maybe because we've known her so long. A lot of it, though, is Pompeo's personal legwork as an actress. She positively shines.
