<P> The episode opened to generally positive feedback, and aired back - to - back with the next episode, "Goodbye", as a two - hour season premiere special . Alan Sepinwall of NJ.com commented on the two episodes being conjoined into one week: "I keep going back and forth on whether it was a good idea to do that, or if we'd have been better off spacing out the tearful speeches over two weeks . That isn't to say that there shouldn't have been tears, or speeches . George's death, no matter how marginal he had become last season, is and should be a huge event in the lives of these characters . Had the show raced through Elizabeth Kubler - Ross's famous five stages of grief, it would have rang false, as if everyone making the show was in a hurry to move past the events of the wildly uneven fifth season . My problem is, when you put two episodes back - to - back, those rhythms - the pace at which the acts build to emotional crescendos and then briefly recede - start to become too predictable, and it sucks some of the life and emotion away ." Sepinwall also praised Wilson's, Ramirez's, and Chamber's performances, in addition to the laughing at O'Malley's funeral . </P> <P> Michael Pascua of The Huffington Post also praised Ramirez's performance, calling her "the most genuine character". Although he enjoyed Ramirez's performance, Pascua was critical of the rest of the episode, writing: "The funeral wasn't as sad as I thought it would be . There were so many pre-episode pictures up that I thought the funeral would take up half the show, then it was five minutes and it wasn't sad at all . The core group walked away and Izzie spread the giggles . She laughs at the fact that she has cancer, like this was all some really badly written show . Oh wait, it is ." </P> <P> Kelly West of TV Blend was also critical of the episode, writing: "I don't think based on the first episode that we can say that Grey's is headed in a new direction, nor do I think the writers are making much of an effort to bring the series back to the greatness that was its earlier seasons . That said, this is Grey's Anatomy and with that comes the usual drama, sex, love and whacky medical mysteries thrown in the mix to keep things moving . If that's what you're looking for, I think you'll enjoy the season premiere just fine ." Glenn Diaz of BuddyTV noted that the special foreshadowed a "very dark" season, adding: "The talk between George's mom and one of the surgeons (Torres) proved to be one of the more heart - breaking scenes in an episode that in itself is heartbreaking enough ." </P>

What episode does georges dad die in grey anatomy