Grey's Anatomy: The Me Nobody Knows (12x06)

I think we'll just jump right in with this one. I'm generally pretty happy.

Cons:

The main story this week, which I quite liked, centered on Penny starting work at the hospital. She's on Meredith's service, so awkwardness ensues. I did like this plot thread over all, but there's one significant thing I need to mention... Penny is boring. Grey's Anatomy is amazing at creating nuanced and complex characters. Penny is still new, but in the three episodes she's appeared in, I've gotten the sense of a timid girl in an impossible situation, and nothing else. I don't feel like I know her. That could be an intentional thing, as she's definitely supposed to be an outsider, but at the same time I do hope that she gets more distinct and interesting soon. It's difficult for me to understand Callie's attraction to her as of right now. I'll need to see more.

Pros:

For the most part, the main plot thread was excellent. Meredith is really harsh with Penny, constantly snapping at her for forgetting things and not being up to scratch. Penny is letting Meredith get in her head, while Meredith is of course going harder on her than she needs to. Amelia and Meredith aren't talking, because Amelia is still angry that Meredith let her be friendly with Penny at the dinner party before revealing the truth of who she was. All of this causes delicious conflict. Richard tells Meredith she's being too hard on Penny, and also reveals that he knew who Penny was before hiring her. Callie then scolds Meredith, calling her a bully.

I can totally understand everybody's feelings on this subject. Callie cares for Penny, but her connection to Meredith - and Derek, for that matter - is a lot older and probably stronger. Still, she sees what's going on, and she knows she has to stand up for Penny. Then there's Richard, who didn't want to hire Penny at first, but realized that she was the best candidate. He didn't want to keep coddling Meredith like he's done in the past. Then there's Meredith, who knows logically she's being unreasonable... but how can she not be? This situation is impossible. Amelia is going too extreme in her hatred of Penny, but at the same time, how can she not feel anger? It's deliciously complex, and every angle is being properly explored.

Then there's April and Jackson. I've made no secret of the fact that their ongoing story isn't my favorite - it never has been. But this week had a few interesting details that kept me engaged. April, along with a fellow surgeon from her days serving in Jordan, bring a patient with severe tumors on his hands for Jackson to help. April had lied about the extent of the tumors, knowing that Jackson would think it a lost cause. In the end, due to April's resilience and hope, Jackson and Callie decide to try and save the boy's hands. They manage it successfully. April and Jackson share a hug. The best parts of this plot thread were the two guest characters. The adorable little boy with the hand tumors was too precious for words, and April's doctor friend seemed very interesting and charismatic. There was one tantalizing scene with him and Owen, where we learn that these two men have some sort of prior association. Owen tells him to leave, clearly furious for some reason. I can't wait to see more about that! April and Jackson were also sweet. They didn't bore me the way they sometimes do. In a way, I root for them. I just think April needs to come to terms with her actions, and understand why Jackson is keeping his distance.

And then there's the most adorable plot thread of the evening. An old friend of Richard's comes into the hospital after a car crash. He and his daughter are both hurt, but both will be fine. Things get awkward when the old friend asks Richard if he has any children, angrily refuting Richard's advice about how to handle his daughter. Richard says he doesn't have kids, which upsets Maggie, who was also assigned to the patient. Later, Richard tells his friend that he had an affair thirty years ago, and that even though he caused a lot of people a lot of pain, something good came out of it. He's honored to know his amazing daughter. Maggie is touched by this declaration. My heart just melted with all of this stuff. I mean honestly. These two are just the sweetest. Maggie is one of the best things to ever come out of this show, which is amazing when you think about it. I was not a fan of the idea of Richard and Ellis having had a kid together. I thought it was a stupid way to introduce more conflict into the story. But since we got Maggie out of it, I'm thrilled.

I think that's all I've got to say. This was mostly a very successful episode. I'm still waiting for Penny to form more of a distinct personality so I can form a more thorough opinion of her, but other than that I don't have anything to complain about!

8/10