What a lovely ending with Meredith, Alex and Maggie hanging out on Meredith’s bed. It had a very vintage Grey’s feeling to it, which is always appreciated and welcome after sticking with this show for 13 years. Even better was the horrified/careless look on Mer’s face when she realizes April Kepner has replaced her as interim Chief of General. I may not be excited about April taking up more screen time than she deserves, but it might seriously be worth it because it gave us that perfectly priceless reaction from Ellen Pompeo. Hilarious.
On the first viewing, you may not notice the several nods to Trump in this episode. Not only has there been an opposition at the hospital complaining about the new and unfair regime (Make Grey Sloan Memorial Great Again?), but we were also introduced to a patient who tried to climb a literal wall and ended up tangled in razor wire. It might be a little heavy-handed when you think about it, but this show was never known for its subtlety anyway. Besides, the patient waking up after surgery was a powerful if not tear-jerking moment because despite the fact that both her legs had to be amputated from the knee down, she was proud of getting out and crossing the wall that her dead husband had built.
Finally, I loved everything about Maggie’s mother. From her wonderfully cheerful interactions with all the other doctors to the unexpectedly sad moment Jackson reveals she has cancer, Diane made her daughter seem even more intolerable than usual. It still surprises me how little I seem to care about Maggie, who is supposed to be one of the main characters right now, but we know so little about her which makes her oppressed feelings about her parents’ divorce seem more like whining than actual childhood issues. To make matters worse, Maggie literally kicks her mother out (of course, she still doesn’t know about the cancer), which means more drama is on our way. She’s not as irritating as Jo (or Leah, good grief), but I still can’t seem to warm up to her even after all this time.
Bits & Scalpels
– Bailey suspending Meredith in the episode’s opening moments was very sudden. I know a lot of people are not having it with Bailey’s behavior recently (and I’m concerned there might be more to it than the show is revealing), but it makes sense considering how terrible the residency program at this hospital has been since its inception. Sorry, Webber.
– With that said, I can’t believe how much I hate Eliza Minnick. I loved Marika Domincyzk’s short guest role on Brothers & Sisters, but I can’t help but feel she’s miscast here.
– Heartwarming moment between Bailey and Alex as she hires him back. The melancholy music playing in the background was a nice touch.
– Thanks to our loyal reader Nour for pointing out that our favorite scrub nurse Bokhee was at Maggie and Riggs’ surgery! Can we get a Bokhee spinoff please, Shonda?
– It was long overdue, but I love how Alex apologizing to DeLuca was more about the latter. Seeing him scream at Alex for not apologizing sooner was a great character moment for DeLuca, something this show is always brilliant at.
– What TV shows does Meredith Grey like to bingewatch? Sound off your thoughts below.
– Super awkward scene between Arizona and Eliza in the parking lot outside the hospital. Stop pushing this, writers.
– The Owen/Amelia drama is so awful, it doesn’t even deserve to be mentioned. Forget I even said anything!
– I shockingly enjoyed watching Stephanie, Leah and Jo gossip over pizza and beer. #Guilty
– Loved the song playing at the end as Alex and Jo share a heartwarming hug. So glad they didn’t kiss, though.
– The sound of Alex locking the door as the end credits rolled was a nice touch.
Grey Banter
Catherine: I am a dragon. I’m your dragon. And you should feel free to unleash me, should you wish to. Call me if you need backup.
Bailey: (walking away) I’m a dragon too.
Meredith: Oh, I get a star? What did I do, play nicely with others?
Diane: I always taught my daughter if she wanted to know something, don’t ask the internet. Find the smartest person in the room. And if they’re not smarter than you, find another room.
Arizona: You really don’t want to make friends around here, do you?
Eliza: I didn’t come here for that.
Arizona: Well, then you’re doing a great job.
Meredith: (to Maggie, about her mom) I’m going to bingewatch TV. Tell her she can move in!
Diane: I invited Dr. Avery.
Maggie: Of course you did. Because who doesn’t invite their plastic surgeon to dinner?
Must-Download Tunes
Transformation by David Gray
Little Pieces of You by Ben Hartley
Conclusion
A solid episode with a touching case of the week and a heartwarming ending.
Chris Rating
B+