Grey's Anatomy: Danger Zone (14x05)

An episode about the Hunt siblings. This was delightful and actually made me tear up a few times.

Cons:

We learn the full story of what happened to Megan leading up to her kidnapping. And while for the most part I really enjoyed the story, there were aspects of it that made me dislike certain characters. I knew that Riggs had cheated on Megan, but the idea that he proposed with another woman's necklace? Ew! And the fact that Megan apparently cheated on Nathan first sort of undercuts the story of redemption we're going for, right? And Owen is overprotective, we all know that, but getting in the way of his sister's career is a really despicable thing to do. All of these bad things are overshadowed by the lovely moments we have in this episode, but I'll admit I felt like some of this behavior was crossing some serious lines!

Pros:

Most of the episode is taken up with Owen and Megan road-tripping from Seattle to LA, where Megan is going to live with Nathan and Farouk. Scenes of them driving together are cut with flashbacks to the events overseas. We see Megan and Nathan get engaged and then learn that each was cheating on the other, we see Megan miss out on an important career opportunity and suspect that Owen is the cause, we see Megan helping a woman who turns out to be one of the bad guys, while the actual hero is accused, while unconscious, of terrorism.

The flashback scenes were good. I really like the camaraderie established between Owen, Teddy, Megan, and Nathan. They make a good team. But the meat of the episode was watching Owen and Megan work through their issues on the long drive to California. (Small nitpick - the show seems to imply that they made the drive in one day without stopping to sleep. Seattle to LA is not a one day trip, okay?) But these scenes were great. We see the siblings smile and laugh, and also scream and cry. Megan reveals that she cheated on Nathan, and Owen realizes that Nathan is actually a good guy - all these years, and he never said a word about it. In the end, this plot thread is about Owen learning to let Megan be her own person. She needs to move to the warm and sunny beach. She wants to start over with Nathan and Farouk. And Owen finds a way to make peace with that before the episode is over.

Nathan and Farouk, meanwhile, are already settling in to their new California home, trying to make it ready for Megan's arrival. Farouk is honestly the cutest little kid. I cannot even handle it. And watching Nathan interact with him made me so happy. Farouk is baffled by the luxury of his new life, and is having a hard time adjusting to some of the changes, but he's a sweet kid, and Nathan helps him out by telling him that he's a little scared of starting over as well. Megan's arrival sees the three of them starting off on their new grand family adventure.

The last shots of Megan were one of the things that made me cry. Earlier, she told Owen that she always promised herself that if she escaped, she'd find a beach so she could be on the water, and she'd treasure that freedom. We see her standing in the water, laughing and crying, and then Nathan and Farouk are there, and the three of them play together on the beach. Undeniably cheesy, but just so cathartic.

The other moment that made me cry was when Nathan texts Meredith. He simply says "thank you" and Meredith replies with her own text that also just says "thank you." It's their way of saying goodbye to one another, and it encapsulates something beautiful about their relationship. Being together was so important to both of them. It helped them in ways they desperately needed. But Nathan belongs with Megan, and he has Meredith to thank for making that happen.

I'm sad Nathan is leaving the show. I'm actually pretty bummed that we didn't get a final scene between Nathan and Owen. But this is actually the best way for this character to depart. He gets peace and happiness, along with new challenges - starting over in a new city, suddenly being thrust into the role of a father... it's all pretty big stuff, and I'm excited for Nathan to get a chance to move forward with his life.

Speaking of moving forward, this episode is mainly focused on the Hunt siblings, but we do get a rather dramatic plot point right there at the end... Owen and Amelia break up. It's a gentle, quiet moment, that comes from one of Owen's epiphanies on his road trip with Megan. He's too loyal to ideas. He has this image for what his life is supposed to be, and that makes him hold on too tight. He knows that he can't stay with Amelia just because he feels responsible, or because he wants things to be different. He needs to let go and find what can make him happy, and he wants happiness for her, too. In a mimicry of ceremony, the two take off their wedding rings and hand them to each other, and then share a hug.

I was never really convinced by Amelia and Owen's relationship, and silly tumor nonsense aside, I think this is probably what's best for the two characters. I was surprised that we got to this point so quickly, but I think it works really well. It was touching to see them come to this moment together, and wish each other the best.

Grey's Anatomy often makes a really strong showing when it chooses to zero in on a smaller group of characters. I like that we never saw the hospital, and that with the exception of brief moments from Meredith and that ending with Amelia, we focused just on the army gang this week. I think it made for a very successful installment.

9/10