In contrast to last week's episode, which focused on one story, this week we got to check in with a lot of our other characters. I'm always amazed at how much this show can cram in to one hour without it feeling crowded. I liked this episode, but unfortunately not every single plot thread could be a winner.
Cons:
Alex and Jo. This week, Jo finds the engagement ring Alex bought for her in a drawer. She waffles about what to do with it, and eventually tells him that she doesn't want to wear it for now, but she also doesn't want him to take it back. Leaving it in the drawer is fine. I used to really like Jo and Alex's relationship, but nowadays I'm just getting more and more aggravated. What's the point of drawing this out? The two of them are existing in this awkward limbo, and the longer Jo keeps stringing Alex along, the less I like her. Is it just me, or is she coming across as really selfish?
Richard, Andrew and Maggie had a plot thread that I didn't hate, but that had some troubling elements. Basically, Richard now knows that Andrew and Maggie are seeing each other. He gets Andrew as his intern and makes him a scut monkey for the whole day. In the end, Maggie confronts Richard and thanks him for looking out for her, but assures him that Andrew is a good guy. Honestly, if I were Maggie I'd be pissed at Richard's behavior. It's really immature and insulting for any man to try and police his daughter's dating life, especially when they didn't even grow up with a father/daughter relationship, and even more especially since she's a full-grown woman. I appreciated the intent of this plot thread, which was to show Richard trying to understand his place in Maggie's life. I think a better way to do it would be if Richard merely acted super awkward and tense around Andrew, instead of hazing him.
Pros:
That being said, I did like certain elements of Richard's plot thread this week. Especially, the ending. Maggie (with a more understanding tone than I would have used) confronts Richard and tells him that Andrew is a good guy and that Richard should maybe go easy on him. Richard nearly goes in to stop Andrew from working through the night on a tedious filing project, but he stops at the last second, because he really does want the filing done. Maggie, who was looking forward to spending time with Andrew, shrugs it off and asks Richard if he'd like to grab dinner. I loved that. It may have muddled the message a little bit, but it got a big laugh out of me.
Richard and Arizona also had a few cute moments. Richard expresses concern that Arizona has been playing the field a little too much, going out with a lot of different women. Arizona thanks Richard for being her wingman and reminding her that it's okay to go out and have fun, and tells him that he can't worry about her like a dad. This plot thread might have benefitted from a stronger connection to what was going on with Maggie, but I liked it all the same. Arizona and Richard's relationship has been one of the sweetest surprises of this season. You go get some, Arizona! I also liked the part where Arizona intentionally misunderstood Richard's compliments and tried to let him down easy by reminding him that she's super gay.
This week, a patient from Meredith's very first day as an intern comes back into the hospital. Meredith wants to be a part of the patient's care, but she gets caught up with a patient of her own, and Amelia has to deal with a huge and complicated aneurysm. Since Derek was the one to treat this patient all those years ago, Amelia has a crisis of confidence. She's been avoiding big cases ever since her relapse, and she's worried she's going to mess this one up. Owen gives Amelia a pep talk. They also talk about their relationship, which has still been going back-and-forth. Owen refuses to accept that Amelia can't be with him, but he's willing to back it up and start from the beginning if that would make things easier for her.
A lot of really complicated stuff was going on here. This is probably my favorite plot thread about Amelia that I've seen... well... ever. I loved the fact that even though this patient was from Meredith's past, it was Amelia who had to step up and save the day. She is successful with the patient, thank goodness. And Owen offering to slow down was also very sweet. Amelia tries to kiss him and Owen plays hard to get, saying that Amelia needs to ask him out on a date first. That was precious!
Also, I loved the way that even though Derek's memory was invoked in this episode to affect Amelia, we are really starting to see that Meredith has move past the crippling grief of a newly widowed woman. She recalls her first patient with Derek all those years ago with fondness, not overwhelming grief. Amelia is a little slower to heal, but I think we're seeing both of them move past their loss.
Meredith couldn't be apart of Katie's care, because she was dealing with a cancer patient named Daphne. Daphne apparently left her family six years ago due to a lot of problems in her personal life. Now, having turned herself around, she is just waiting to be declared cancer-free before calling her son and trying to patch up their relationship. Unfortunately, an infection leads to the need for a tricky and risky operation. Nathan Riggs and Meredith have to try and save Daphne. She calls her son before going in to surgery, but unfortunately she does not survive. Daphne's son shows up to say goodbye to his mother's body. Nathan tells Meredith what happened with Owen's sister: apparently, she got on a helicopter with a patient that never made it to its destination. Owen blamed Riggs for letting her get on the helicopter instead of him.
Again, lots of really great and complicated stuff happening in this plot thread. Daphne's story was super upsetting, and I actually got really emotional about her death. I liked the way that Nathan and Meredith were forced to work together. Professionally, they get along really well and do everything they can to help Daphne. Personally, Meredith still hates Nathan out of loyalty to Owen. But now that Meredith has heard the full story, is she going to waver in her hatred? I certainly have. I mean, not that I ever hated him to begin with. I can understand Owen blaming him for his sister's death. He'll always have to contend with the fact that Nathan let her get on the helicopter. But at the same time... what the hell, Owen? It's not Nathan's fault! He tried to stop her, out of some chivalrous nonsense, but Owen's sister was right to stick with her patient and do what she had to do. It's a tragedy that she died. It's not Nathan's fault. I hope that from here we can deepen and strengthen Nathan's relationships to some of the other people in the hospital. Hopefully eventually we can even see some reconciliation? Knowing Owen, it'll be a while.
What I thought was so fascinating about the two big medical cases of this week (Katie and Daphne) was that they sort of represented Meredith and Amelia, and their life journeys, but in reverse. Amelia worked on Katie, a symbol of how far Meredith has come as a doctor over the last decade or so. And Meredith worked on Daphne, a woman who has made a lot of bad choices (addiction was heavily implied) but wants to patch things up with the people who matter to her. That sounds a lot like Amelia's journey, doesn't it? Hopefully these two sisters-in-law can grow stronger out of the adversity they've faced. This is another relationship I hope to see patched up soon.
Finally, you've got Jackson and April. They didn't get a lot of screen time this week, but I did like what we saw of them. Basically, despite Arizona's urging, April doesn't want to tell Jackson about the baby just yet. After all these months of turmoil, she's finally happy for the first time. Jackson wants to try and put their relationship behind him, and April doesn't want to complicate that for the time being. In the end, Alex figures out that April is pregnant and advises her to tell Jackson before he guesses. I like the fact that even though this pregnancy is enormously complicated, April is happy about it. She's always wanted a child, and she's finally come to a point where she can accept the death of Samuel and hope for a bright future with another kid. Jackson will of course want to be a part of his child's life, but how is it all going to work out?
That's where I'll stop for this episode. I'm so impressed by the amount of stuff they're able to cram in. I really liked most of the plot threads here, and can't wait to see what comes next!
8/10
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