There are some episodes that I truly enjoy from start to finish even though I realize they’re quite bland when I look back and process what I watched later. Has this show become too much like comfort food for long time viewers like me? Perhaps. Because this was one of those episodes.
It’s astonishing that Jackson finally had an interesting storyline that did not include the fun-sucking April, and that’s all due to the amazing Catherine Avery. Minnick’s arrival to the hospital created a huge shift in their family dynamics, and it’s surprisingly riveting to watch them bicker over the Avery name. I wouldn’t mind seeing more of this particular subplot because the more screen-time Debbie Allen gets, the better.
I also did not expect to like Meredith and Riggs’ scenes, but their chemistry is unexpectedly amusing. While we know that the new McDreamy will unfortunately be dragging Mer into the eye-rolling love triangle with Maggie, there’s something refreshing about watching our heroine become speechless once she’s forced to admit she likes him. I don’t imagine Riggs being The One, but for now (and until his wife inevitably returns from the dead), the guy’s okay.
The rest of the hour is where things get slightly clunky and dull. There’s absolutely no reason to believe that an adult like Amelia—and a doctor nonetheless—would be hiding from her husband because she can’t just tell him about the child she lost a few years back. The Alex/Riggs drama is just as convoluted and it only existed to remind us that DeLuca was almost beaten to death by a superior and is still allowed to work for him for some reason, and the less we speak of the atrocious final Jackson/April scene, the better. These are the kind of sloppy stories Grey’s forces upon us every now and then; they’re not great, they’re not fun, but the characters and the show’s world, and the fact that we can’t stop watching this show, makes us want to tune in every week anyway.
Bits & Scalpels
– Whenever the show introduces babies as patients, I immediately worry they’re about to be killed off, but honestly I cannot even remember how this case ended because the Riggs/Alex/DeLuca drama was too distracting and I might have nodded off a little.
– The guy who burnt his boyfriend’s father with a deep fryer was even more annoying. Give us interesting patients, writers!
– What exactly is so game-changing about Minnick’s teaching method anyway? Isn’t she just telling residents to perform solo surgeries they’re obviously not qualified for (wink, wink, Stephanie)?
– Loved seeing the hospital stairs again.
– That was Nurse Bokhee in the OR with Richard, Catherine and Jackson. When is she getting that spinoff, Shonda?
– Powerful speech by Catherine to her son about owning the family name and not just using the title.
– Loved the Mark Sloan nod. More of this, please.
– Why did Alex go complaining to Maggie about Riggs and DeLuca? #confused
– Love that they used Way Down We Go, a song I recently discovered thanks to one of the trailers for Logan. Also: go watch Logan if you haven’t already.
– In case you missed it, we’re getting #JaprilTheSequel next week. I’ll try my best to make it through the entire hour without screaming into a pillow.
Grey Banter
Meredith: I was gonna do that.
April: Of course you were. I just figured, you know, the same way you fill the tank with gas when you return someone’s car.
Meredith: You stole the car.
Catherine: Jackson, stop it! Just stop it! You keep saying, “I’m an Avery, I’m an Avery,” but you’re not, not in the way you’re trying to be. A title doesn’t mean anything. It’s the person who owns it. Yes, I took your father’s name, but it’s what I did with it. That’s what matters.
Must-Download Tunes
Way Down We Go by Kaleo
(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano by Sampha
I Know Better by John Legend
Conclusion
A subpar episode with a few entertaining moments here and there.
Chris Rating
B-