Okay, Grey's, what is with that promo for next week? If you kill April Kepner I will throw such a fit. But let's not talk about that yet, let's talk about this week.
Cons:
I still don't know what I think of Amelia and Owen living together with the baby and the baby mama. Looks like Amelia's flight-risk drug addict teen did indeed run away, and I found myself a) not surprised, and b) not caring. The whole scenario feels so very soap opera-y. Which I know this show is, but usually I really care about the people involved, and I'm finding it hard to do that in this case, for whatever reason.
One of the larger problems with Grey's over all is that the focus on the kids is always really inconsistent. It's been easy to see for a while now that Arizona's exit will be because she needs to move to New York with Sofia. That's fine, or whatever, but the fact of the matter is, we didn't really get to see why this came about. We know Sofia has been having a really rough time since coming to live with Arizona, but weren't we told that she wanted to come? The whole thing is confusing and weird. The kids only become important when needed for some plot reason.
Pros:
The funniest plot of the night for me was Bailey and Webber trying to come to a settlement agreement with Dr. Roy, the intern who was fired for being high and lying about it. I mean, I know this plot thread took serious liberties with the way that the legal system would react to this situation, but still. The recurring refrain of "your honor" every time pieces of the story were contemplated was great, like when Schmidt says that firing Dr. Roy was the right thing to do, because when Bailey was high and standing over a patient she had opened up, she made the right call and stepped away. Or what about the story about the patient who tried to cut off his own hand for masturbating? The context is so important with stories like this. It was also great that Bailey didn't compromise her standards. She decides to let Dr. Roy come back, but she refuses to give him an apology he doesn't deserve. The nature of this show is such that everybody has made horrible mistakes and done monstrous things. Just because Dr. Roy is a bit of a dick doesn't mean he shouldn't get a second chance like everybody else has gotten. Still, he better watch himself. Dr. Bailey doesn't mess around.
Despite being annoyed that the importance of children yo-yos on this show depending on plot needs, I actually really liked Arizona's plot thread. She works with a patient who has an intense phobia of hospitals, due to the fact that when she was a child, her father died during a basic appendectomy. Now, this woman needs to get surgery to help her unborn child, but she's so petrified of having surgery that she bails and runs out. Arizona sits with her and talks about her own life experiences and helps her get through this horrible traumatic event. The woman and her unborn child are both fine in the end, and it helps Arizona realize that she needs to do what's best for Sofia, no matter what. I really liked the scared patient, and I liked hearing Arizona tell her story - it's easy to forget she's an amputee, so it's nice to hear a bit about that and to remember Arizona's beginnings on the show, when she used to roller-skate around the hospital. It felt like a good, appropriate plot thread to give to her since we know we'll be saying goodbye in just a couple of short weeks. (pssst Shonda, we need more queer people on this show now that Penny, Callie, and Arizona are all going to be gone).
Alex and Jo's plot thread was wholly disconnected from the hospital, but I didn't mind that at all. The two of them travel to Iowa to find out what has happened to Alex's mom. He is expecting the worst, but he learns that actually she is doing better - she has gotten her old job working at a local library back, and is keeping to a routine that's really working for her. Alex is somewhat upset that his mom didn't tell him she was better, and this seems to upset her. I loved watching Alex struggle with this enormously complicated situation. Jo takes him to the batting cages to work off some aggression, which is just such a creative, supportive thing for her to think of. Alex practices healthy communication with his fiance and lets out some of his anger. His situation feels so true to life. He always wanted a healthy mother, but all during the time growing up when he really could have used her, she wasn't able to be there for him. And now, after everything, her recovery seems to be damaged by his very presence. Imagine how frustrating that would be!
Of course, their reconciliation is super adorable. Alex helps his mom change the due-date stamp, something he used to do for her when he was a little boy, and then Alex introduces his mom to Jo. I like that the situation is a little awkward, and that not everything is instantly fixed. For example, Jo invites her to the wedding, but travel is too stressful for her, so she probably won't be able to come. Baby steps. I really appreciated this nuanced plot thread. Lots of good moments, and some tough material as well.
A brief subplot shows that Jackson is paying settlements out of his own pocket because the Catherine Fox foundation money needs to go to keeping the hospitals up and running. He puts money aside to make sure Harriett is taken care of, but he may be facing financial ruin if things break bad for him. I like that we've got this ongoing plot thread focusing on Jackson's absurd wealth. I'm glad that it's going towards something worthwhile. And I'm glad that he's weathering the storm and making amends for his grandfather's disgusting behavior, even though he shouldn't have to do that.
And speaking of Harper Avery being the literal worst, we should end this review by talking about Meredith Grey. She is about to give a talk about her mini-livers, but ends up talking to a nice man in the bar beforehand. The two really hit it off, even though when he finds out who she is, he confesses that he's always kind of hated her because she got to a medical breakthrough before him and took all the glory. Meredith tells this guy the whole story with Marie Cerone, and it helps her realize the right thing to do. Before her presentation, she says that the Grey Method should now be known as the Grey-Cerone method. However, after her talk, Meredith indicates quite clearly that she can't forgive Marie for stabbing her in the back.
Give Meredith a new boyfriend 2K18. I liked this random guy in the bar and I hope he comes back. Ellen Pompeo is good at being charming even if she is a little intense. Also, I love the way the Cerone plot thread resolved itself. I had a lot of doubts about it, and thought that Meredith's focus on legacy and recognition was a little bit conceited and shortsighted. But now I see how complex the situation is. Meredith righted the wrongs of Harper Avery and Ellis Grey by giving Marie Cerone her due. But that doesn't mean she forgives Cerone for trying to screw her over in her own professional successes. This was a great balance.
As I mentioned at the start of this review, I'm going to be LIVID if they kill off April Kepner after everything they've put her through this season. Still, I'm all for a bit of good old fashioned Grey's Anatomy angst!
8/10
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