Grey's Anatomy: Slippin' and Slidin' (23x02)

Oy. Okay. Let's... talk.

Cons:

I worry this is just going to be a repeat of last week's review, because I feel like I had the exact same frustrations and also enjoyed the exact same characters/story-lines.

Winston and Jules... the WORST! Both of them characters I have historically enjoyed, and then you put them together and it just sucks all the joy out of the room. Seriously. I wanted to punch Winston in the face but I also wanted to grab Jules by the shoulders and shake some sense into her. He was so condescending, she was so petty, they were both such dumbasses. If I believed this was the end of their story, I'd be jumping for joy, but instead I think we're just going to have to endure another round of yearning or whatever. They're trying to capture some of that forbidden love stuff that characterized the earlier seasons of the show, and it just is not working.

Grey's Anatomy: Collide (23x01)

Twenty-three seasons, what else is there to say about hospitals and doctors and drama? Well, there is new stuff to cover, and there's also... new stuff to bemoan.

Cons:

This whole plot where there's going to be a VIP section of the hospital, and Richard and Catherine are all in, but Meredith is against it... I guess it's just stupid to think that Meredith isn't correct, here. Drama with a new chief is going to feel so tedious and just stoke my bad feelings about Richard and Catherine even more than usual. Ugh. Why does Meredith always get screwed over by her colleagues and supposed friends?

When Jo walked in the door at the end and said she quit her job, I nearly swore at the screen. Are we going to do ANOTHER story about how Jo isn't certain of her place in her career / is dealing with bad mental health stuff? I just don't want to watch it. I don't want to watch her and Link's boring marriage. I don't want to deal with Link's opioid addiction stuff. I just can't be bothered with these two.

Grey's Anatomy: Bridge over Troubled Water (22x18)

I want to be nice, but I can't be too nice. A lot of this stuff sucks!

Cons:

I'm not going to harp about Owen and Teddy too much here, I actually have compliments to pay them later. But I will say their big emotional reconciliation scene just felt kind of... tepid to me. The fact that they're leaving the show is the only reason I'm cool with them getting back together. I still think they are utter poison for each other and make each other worse.

Checking in with our other established relationships that I hate, I don't have a ton to say about Jo and Link other than that I think I'd be excited to explore their story lines next season if they were still just bffs who weren't supposed to be in love and married. They just don't give off that energy at all, and it makes everything about them feel so... paint by numbers. Bland.

Grey's Anatomy: Through the Fire (22x17)

Oh my god if Kwan is leaving the show... I don't know how I'm going to cope with that.

Cons:

As is typical with this show I do have a long list of complaints. I believe next week's episode is the finale of this season so it'll be interesting to see which of these plot threads is something that will carry over, what ends up resolved next week, etc. etc... I'm going to try and rapid-fire this because there's a lot to cover.

Simone and Lucas sleeping together is a big no from me, obviously, I'm so tired of these two. I also feel like it's weird that there was no actual apology from Lucas for blaming Simone for Katie's death, they just kinda... ignored that elephant in the room? Ugh.

Grey's Anatomy: Feel It Still (22x16)

I didn't realize going in that we'd have a couple weeks off from this show before just a two-part finale and then we're done with season 22! Wild, time flies.

Cons:

I won't bore you by repeating myself, but Jules and Winston is a big yuck from me. I think we're supposed to think it's so sweet, the contrast between them wanting to make out in the elevator at the start of the episode, to just Winston pulling her in for a hug at the end, just wanting to be a comforting presence... man, I wish I didn't hate the two of them together so I could hypothetically enjoy this.

It's so weird, because historically I've always noted that Grey's is bad about portraying parenthood; so many characters over the years have had kids they seem to never interact with, because all of the important story stuff is happening in the hospital. Sure, there might be some degree of drama around the having of children, but once that kid exists they become a footnote. But with Jo... man, it seems like they can't think of anything to do with her character anymore that's not about motherhood. And I think that's because they've written her into a corner where she's supposed to be all happily ever after with Link. I don't know, man, I'm just bummed out by not enjoying Jo Wilson as a character anymore, it sucks.

Grey's Anatomy: Take Me to the River (22x15)

Why do so many of these characters SUCK omg. Yuck.

Cons:

Where to start? I heard the amazing news that Owen and Teddy are leaving at the end of the season, it is BEYOND past time for that. I assume they'll depart as a couple, having decided to give it another go, and this is annoying and bad story-telling, but at this point I'm just glad they're leaving, so... fine. Whatever. This plot about Owen maybe taking another job and then never mind was just very... blah. Nothing to really talk about.

I already thought Winston was garbage but now... ohhhhh boy. Jesus. Am I supposed to think it's sweet that he broke up with his girlfriend on her birthday so he could be with Jules? The thing is, last week when he was agonizing over the ethics of the situation, I didn't even remember he'd been kinda going out with that nurse lady... so now he's a pathetic loser who doesn't have the restraint or the courage to deal with his current dating life before starting something new? I hate this man so much at this point and I don't want to, I used to like Winston. Blue giving Jules harsh advice was the best part of this story; he's right. (And Jules should be with him instead. Sigh.)

Grey's Anatomy: Wrecking Ball (22x14)

I don't actually enjoy being a hater about this show as much as it might seem that way! Sigh.

Cons:

I watched this episode with a friend (hi) so she heard my commentary about certain things and we were both in agreement that Lucas in this episode was... it was too much. Up until this point I had really praised the story-line with Katie, I thought it was sweet, and Lucas was still being annoying like he always is but it felt like his annoying-ness was built into the narrative, with Bailey trying to temper his behavior and them working through this situation together as Katie went from getting better to dying. I liked that nothing explicit had been mentioned about there being a romantic vibe between the two of them, but it was plain to see if you were paying any attention. It was all working for me.

Grey's Anatomy: Love the Way You Lie (22x13)

No! No Winston and Jules! Bad!

Cons:

The thing is, I don't have any objections because of age difference or power imbalance or anything like that. If I thought Jules and Winston were compelling in any way, I wouldn't be so annoyed. It's just... that scene at the end, she's looking up at him with the wettest, saddest little bambi eyes, and he's giving... nothing. There's just nothing there, the spark does not exist, and it feels like they're trying to push this romance based on absolutely nothing. Where is this coming from? Why are we bothering with it? Ugh.

I lost some respect for Dr. Wright in this episode. Her little speech to Jules about how residency is like high school and she needs everyone to rise above the petty drama... girl, this is serious. You're the one who keeps talking about how serious it is, how there's been neglect. I'm not saying believe Jules without proof, but don't brush off what she's saying like it's not important. That felt like a serious breach of leadership there.

Grey's Anatomy: Get Lucky (22x12)

Noooooo. No no nooooo.

Cons:

Teddy and Owen whyyyy. I knew it was too good to be true. I kept waiting for the bait and switch. Imagine a world where I liked them as a couple, and was getting more and more discouraged the longer their divorce story-line continued and then they kiss and I get to celebrate. Lol. Instead it's the opposite, I was so freakin' jazzed these two were splitting up and now they're falling back into bed together right after their divorce is final.... HEAVY SIGH. This is either the beginning of their grand reconciliation or it's another bump in the road and they'll both be weird about it and we'll have to deal with their bullshit some more. I want to get off this ride, please.

Grey's Anatomy: (If You Want It) Do It Yourself (22x11)

Did I cry at the Eric Dane tribute at the end? Yes of course I did. Oof.

Cons:

I actually don't have a ton of strong negative feelings about this episode, which is the first time that's happened in a while. I maybe could have done without the Teddy and Winston conflict, as it feels a little rehashed, and I also think this show has done a weirdly large number of plot threads focusing on the humbling of Ben Warren, like, does anybody feel like he's had to learn his lesson about how to be a good doctor one too many times? But these are relatively small complaints, I was actually overall very happy with this episode.

Grey's Anatomy: Strip That Down (22x10)

I liked this episode just fine! Gonna try to keep it short.

Cons:

I think maybe part of the Jo and Link issue for me is just that I find stories about having babies to be kind of dull, so on top of not liking them as a couple, seeing them deal with new parenthood is also just like... not that gripping? Jo has taken on almost a comic relief role here, which I wasn't expecting. She's so frazzled and stressed but it's in a light, funny way, and Link is indulgent... I don't know. It's not like it makes me angry, it just makes me feel.... blah.

Grey's Anatomy: Fortunate Son (22x09)

My hatred is pure, it fuels me, I am invigorated by it in this moment.

Cons:

FUCK Nick Marsh, he SUCKS.

Grey's Anatomy: Heavy On Me (22x08)

I really really don't want them to do this Jules and Winston thing!!

Cons:

She's got little Bambi eyes and I love her and for whatever reason the idea of her and Winston just icks me out. It's not necessarily the age/power dynamic thing, like, I've obviously gotten over that in past relationships on this show, it's not even close to being a deal breaker for me. In fact, exploring romantic relationships along the axis of power differences is really fascinating for me in fiction. I just think their vibe, in specific is kinda weirdly rancid in this unspecified way. I'm bored and grossed out all at the same time. And right now we're in "Jules is jealous/pining" mode and I'm already exhausted by it.

I miss Jo Wilson. By which I mean I miss when I liked her character. She was one of my faves, genuinely! But her and Link always suck all the fun out of any room they're in together. They have like... anti-chemistry. I am so bored and annoyed. A familiar mantra, I think.

Grey's Anatomy: Skyfall (22x07)

I liked some things about this episode, I guess! I'm still tired of the same stuff though.

Cons:

It's not even that Link did anything wrong in this episode it's just that I've been so thoroughly sapped of giving a shit about him and about the Jo/Link romance that I couldn't muster up any emotional response to his distress. Like. The babies in the NICU, Jo on a vent... I'm sitting here yawning because I'm fairly sure Jo is going to wake up and be fine and then they'll give their babies sappy reference names to other characters and that'll be that. I'm also annoyed, in a distant sort of way, about Amelia's absence: giving the actor a sabbatical is great, giving the character a sabbatical is great, but when you see how harried Link is with juggling his wife and two new babies in the hospital, and then he's talking about coordinating childcare for Scout and Luna, you just go... where the fuck is Amelia? Scout's mother? They could have fixed this so easily with one sentence that says "Amelia is on a flight back to help with the kids" and then in subsequent episodes we can just say she's off-screen with Scout (and maybe Luna too). Without adding in that little detail it makes Amelia seem kind of awful, which I don't want!

Grey's Anatomy: When I Crash (22x06)

LET RICHARD RETIRE. Jesus Christ.

Cons:

A thing I don't like is how our broken up couples are in this stage of like... oh, we're not so angry anymore, we're starting to be wistful/fond about things. I was happy that Teddy said she and Owen were making the right decision breaking up, but I still don't trust that we won't have to get back on this merry-go-round. And with Lucas and Simone, I'm almost positive they're building to them being back together eventually. They're making Lucas nicer than usual and less annoying but it's not working on me because I feel like I know his true colors, and his true colors are whiny baby. ALSO in the romance department, Jules asked Winston out for a drink and to that I say boooooo. Stoppppp.

Grey's Anatomy: Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child (22x05)

There were a couple of things I liked about this episode, where my faves got lots of fun stuff to do, but I wouldn't be me if I didn't also have my complaints.

Cons:

The biggest "ugh" of this week to me was the Jo and Link story. They've done story-lines before where a romantic couple featured one religious person and one atheist, and really tried to grapple with it, but this was just... not it. Jo being a Christian who would want to baptize her kids is just nothing that's ever been addressed before. She didn't give a shit about having Luna baptized, did she? It came out of left field for me. It was also frustrating because I wanted Link to make the best and most undeniable argument against it for Jo: it's about consent. Let's teach our kids about different faith traditions and if when they're old enough to give it some thought they want to be baptized, then great, we'll be there to support them. It frustrated me that Link didn't lay it out for her like that, and it's annoying that things are so unsettled now as we go into Jo's Dramatique Giving Birth Episode next week. I find the topic tedious and Link, while annoying and bad at presenting his argument, is 100% in the right here.

Grey's Anatomy: Goodbye Horses (22x04)

Even when Jackson's being a bit of a jerk it's good to see him.

Cons:

I'd love to be able to say "get it, girl, we love to see it" about Teddy and Cass having a steamy love affair but the issue is this: Teddy still sucks. I'm not mad at her on Owen's behalf, because Owen also sucks, and that's what makes them so frustrating as a couple. With Jo and Link, a couple I also hate, at least I still love Jo so I can grudgingly accept that seeing her happy is nice. With Owen and Teddy, it's just this big mess of crap. I don't want there to be more relationship drama, but now both the people that Owen and Teddy used to test out an open marriage are back in the picture, and I can't imagine they're just going to quietly separate and move on with their lives. It's going to be more angst, more back-and-forth, and I so, so, so don't want to see it. If I'm supposed to root for these two and want them to move on and find happiness elsewhere, then the show is doing a bad job of that as well. I don't think going to dinner with Nora when you're in the early stages of a painful divorce is like... the smartest move, there, Owen Hunt. But what else is new.

Grey's Anatomy: Between Two Lungs (22x03)

Lucas Adams is the worst, y'all.

Cons:

Okay, let's start there: I feel like one of the things that bothers me about this character is that at every turn, the writing is making the least interesting possible choices about him. It would have been better and more nuanced if perhaps he hadn't been a dick to the intern dude, had actually behaved really well, and maybe then it's a thing where Simone assumes he's going to be a big baby about it but actually sees him being the bigger man. But no, he's a total whiny bitch about it, the poor intern dude (who also seems really annoying not gonna lie) has no recourse, this is his career, he's trying to learn how to save lives here, and Lucas is just so shitty about it. Bailey has to put him in his place, and it's like... are we in kindergarten, dude? What gives? Grow the hell up. The problem of course is broader than just the incidences of this episode, because ultimately I don't believe in the relationship between Lucas and Simone to begin with. I don't want more drama, I don't want there to be back and forth. I want them to leave each other alone, please.

Grey's Anatomy: We Built This City (22x02)

I oddly enjoyed many different pieces of this episode, while still being frustrated as fuck by the same stuff that's been frustrating me for years now. Let's hop in.

Cons:

So... I don't want to be rude about Monica, I don't, but she really wasn't much of a character on this show! She had endless potential, I really liked her, which is why I'm so frustrated by her death. But the way Amelia reacted to it feels wildly out of scope. She wasn't uniquely close to Monica. They like... flirted a couple times. We didn't understand them as close friends. I like the idea of Amelia finding herself in a depression and taking real steps to get out of it, but the stakes here just felt off. I don't find the argument that she's to blame for the explosion particularly compelling, either. Sorry. Also, ugh, how long is Amelia going to be on sabbatical for? She's one of the only tolerable characters left on this show.

Link's angst is also not particularly interesting to me, nor is Owen and Teddy's relationship strain. Still rooting for them to stay broken up, fingers fucking crossed. Lucas needs to knock it off, the way he's treating Simone is beyond inappropriate. And Richard's going to be interim chief? Again? My god, let this man retire! Or rather, at this point, force him to retire. I'm sorry, but when he was giving the first day spiel to the new interns he sounded so tired and checked out. It's too much. It's been going on for too long. This man has been at the end of his career for like a decade at this point. And I must keep banging this drum: Winston, stay away from Jules. Please.

Grey's Anatomy: Only the Strong Survive (22x01)

Welp. Sometimes I wonder what the hell I'm even still doing here.

Cons:

I had sort of willfully forgotten the sad state of the romance arcs in Grey's Anatomy these days, to the point where I really don't give a flying fuck about any romantic subplot, and in the cases where I do care, it's because I want them to break up because I think they're terrible together. Let's run these through really quick.

Jo and Link - I know they want me to care, I know they want me to feel something about Link's brush with death. And Jo is a character I have so much fondness for, I want the best for her, so for her sake I don't want her to suffer a terrible loss, but godddd are they boring. There's just no passion or chemistry between them. I had forgotten they were going through a bit of a tiff with Link being anxious about the new babies. There's this really telling moment where Jo says "he's been my best friend for twenty years" and also talks about him being her only family, and it just pinged to me as the show needing to remind the audience why the stakes are high for Jo here. This deep lifelong friendship between the two of them is something that we never saw, we just get told it exists over and over again in the vain hope that one day it will feel true. And it doesn't.