Well, that was actually thoroughly entertaining.
I haven’t been enjoying Grey’s a lot this season because the cast keeps expanding with every passing episode, and it’s exhausting to catch up sometimes. There’s Maggie whose presence I still find pretty useless, not to mention her derivative romance with the intern, all of which is immensely reminiscent of the earlier seasons. There’s a huge Jackson/April problem as well, and it was very evident in this episode where April suddenly keeps avoiding Jackson even though she’s been begging him to talk ever since the premiere, not to mention the fact that the writers aren’t sure what to do with Penny other than make her life a living hell at the hospital.
And yet, the good stuff crazily evens out the bad stuff this week. Arizona and the Chief (by that I mean Richard because he’ll always be the Chief) have one of the most amusing dynamics I’ve seen on this show in a while. This was quite the unlikely pairing that really works because it finally makes Arizona likable (after the show arguably ruined this character after her affair) and it gives Richard the opportunity to be comical and light rather than always giving out serious pep talks. It even made me want Arizona to finally find someone besides Callie so I hope the show continues to develop these two with more hilarious subplots.
The biggest elephant in the room is clearly the raw moment between Meredith and Amelia. I was never a huge fan of the latter, but Caterina Scorsone gives her season-best performance in that scene, completely selling the vulnerable, emotional state of mind her character is in. It’s all very heart-wrenching to watch, especially since the episode built up that moment spotlessly: showing us how Owen continually ignored Amelia then seeing his mother open up to Meredith instead of her. So while most of the stuff she screamed at her non-sister was mostly despicable, it was all incredibly honest and real at the same time. That’s one thing this show never fails at doing: creating characters that are undeniably complex and three-dimensional in a way that’s so plausible and relatable.
Meredith also has some true shining moments in the midseason finale, telling Amelia that Cristina is her real person no matter how far she might be. It feels like a true nod to the fans who are still watching this show after a dozen years, and there’s nothing I love more than this show appreciating its history. How about a shoutout to Lexie too next time?
Finally, the Owen/Riggs mystery is put to rest with that surprising cliffhanger. It’s still a bit vague, but it does seem that Riggs was married to Owen’s sister. I can’t believe I’m actually quite intrigued in this storyline seeing as how Owen has had the least character development on this show. Let’s hope the writers know what they’re doing with this one.
Bits & Scalpels
– The medical case of the week involving the firefighter was also quite emotional. We haven’t seen Bailey interact with patients in quite some time so it was nice to see her back on track after being sidelined for a while. I hope the show relies on its medical stories more often.
– Richard telling Bailey to stand higher on the stairs while speaking to the staff is hilarious. Also feels like a nice wink to the fans.
– Jo’s jealousy of Meredith and Alex’s friendship is tiring, always has been. The show’s attempt at creating a cliffhanger with Alex proposing was kind of weak as I don’t really care about this pairing even though I love Jo and Alex as individual characters.
– Don’t get me started on the Jo/Stephanie fight either. Thank God that seems to be over.
– Loved the entire staff trying to guess what Owen and Riggs’ fight is about in the opening.
– Speaking of, Riggs does call Owen’s mom “ma” which is ambiguous. Could Riggs be Owen’s transsexual sister or is this a too far-fetched storyline even for Grey’s?
– Jackson and April’s fight outside the hospital is RIDICULOUS.
– I absolutely love Debra Mooney and I wish the show finds a way to utilize her more in the future.
– Is it bad that I laughed at Amelia screaming at Penny who walked in on her and Meredith fighting?
– So Amelia getting a drink at the end is huge foreshadowing for some future relapse problems, right? Are we not sick of that?
– I actually enjoyed the Backstreet Boys cover!
Grey Banter
Richard: Oh, and stand on the stairs when you talk to them. Makes them feel watched over.
Bailey: Is that why you do that?
Richard: Sure, why don’t you write her a little note, you know the ones with the boxes that you can check off and I’ll pass it along.
Arizona: Mmm, don’t you think that sounds a little childish?
Richard: Yes it does! I’m not gonna wingman a patient for you!
Amelia: You’re in some sort of three-way trust circle with Owen and his ex-girlfriend?
Meredith: Ex-wife.
Amelia: God, Merdith, you are the most loyal person I have ever met to everyone except me. You’re loyal to some woman halfway across the world…
Meredith: Yes, I am.
Amelia: …when I am right here. Cristina left you. I’m here. I’m your sister.
Meredith: You are not my sister. Cristina is my sister. You are Derek’s sister, and Derek is gone.
Amelia [points at Penny]: Am I like her? Something you cling to to keep the memory alive?
Meredith: You are such a child.
Amelia: You wrap her around you like some sick widow shawl. The widow Grey. “She’s okay, she’s moving on, she’ll never love again, but she’s holding it together.” That is crap. You’ve given up. You are crawling into your little hole and dying. You are hollow. And Derek would be sick about it if he could see it. He would be disgusted.
Meredith: I want you out of my house.
Amelia: Done!
Must-Download Tunes
As Long as You Love Me by Sleeping at Last
Love Story by Barcelona
Conclusion
An emotional and constantly entertaining fall finale that could course-correct an otherwise cluttered season.
Chris Rating
B+
Wow I LOVED this too. I hate April, Jackson, Stephanie, Joe AND Maggie…but the rest of this episode was still top-notch (I just realise how wrong that sentence is because that's 50 percent of the cast).
The firefighter captain dying was heartbreaking, and the Owen twist was quite effective (I also wondered if his brother was a woman perhaps ).
But Meredith shouting at Amelia? That was beyond raw and intense and harsh!
And that Backstreet cover… amazing!