Grey's Anatomy: 1-800-799-7233 (14x09)

Poor Jo! Man, this was a good episode. Or, at least, the main story was.

Cons:

The hacker plot thread was pretty stupid in the last episode, and it continues to be pretty stupid here. Luckily we don't spend a ton of time on it. I still maintain that such a level of control is unrealistic... and hey, are we ever going to find out who did the hacking? Seems like a weird thing to leave unanswered. One of the new interns is the one who saves the day, single-handed, with Bailey's laptop. I'll admit I know nothing about computers, but is that really... how this all works? I'm all for more representation in Grey's Anatomy, and in TV in general - this guy, it turns out, is transgender. Cool. But what are the odds that a genius hacker guy would become a surgeon and be on hand to save a hospital attacked by hackers? Seems like a clumsy way to introduce this character, even if I'm glad he's here.

Jackson and Maggie are still just not doing it for me. Maggie didn't annoy me the way she has in the past, but all of the scenes with the two of them are just kinda... eh. Their whole dynamic seems to be based on the fact that they both grew up in the same area but with wildly different childhoods. There's only so much I can hear about Jackson's incredible upbringing. I don't hate the idea of the two of them together, but I'm still rooting for April and Jackson, honestly.

Pros:

Let's start with the big story - Paul, Jo's evil husband, is in the hospital. He is incredibly charming, and he has a new fiancee. He's here to sign divorce papers with Jo. Paul is a fairly well-respected doctor, so everyone is lining up to meet him, and they all seem delighted to learn that Jo knows him. Only Meredith, Jo, and Alex know who this guy really is. That makes for some delicious tension. There were too many great moments to count - the way Alex reacted was really amazing. The minute he learns that Paul is in the hospital, he sends an intern to track down Jo, with instructions to bring her straight to him, and not leave her alone. I love how fiercely Meredith and Alex both protect her. As Paul starts weaving his web of lies, Meredith doesn't buy in to it for a second.

This was actually all a very good example of gas-lighting - Paul does seem like a totally reasonable person. We see no hint of his violence or abusiveness throughout most of the episode. He seems happy to see that Jo has "gotten help" because she was such a mess in the past. He blames everything on her, but in a way where he simply regrets all of the pain she put him through, not the other way around. I like the fact that throughout most of the episode, Jo is completely unable to speak around him. She only manages it once she's signed the divorce papers. She tells him he's a monster who deserves nothing good. It's like finally being legally free of this man has opened a dam within her. I liked the fact that Jo was unable to be a strong, confident woman instantly when Paul showed up. She's still deeply traumatized and absolutely terrified of him. But she tries to do the right thing, in warning Paul's fiancee...

The jury's out on the twist at the end of the episode. Paul gets hit by a car and is in the hospital with serious injuries. Meredith sees this and asks Jo and Alex: "what did you do?" I'd be shocked - and not in a good way - if Jo and Alex were actually responsible for the accident. But that begs the question: was it the new fiancee? Was it someone totally random? Did someone else in the hospital get wind of the truth and decide to help Jo out? There are ways in which this twist could be a big disappointment, but I'll have to wait and see before I make a judgment on that.

Some other little moments to mention - I liked Schmitt (AKA "glasses") saving a patient's life by giving blood. The moment when the patient thanks him for saving her was actually really sweet. I also like how when Richard finds out that someone passed out in Meredith's OR, he says "was it glasses?" This poor kid is the new 007.

Arizona and Carina get a moment to contemplate their sexual tension. I hope these two continue their love story, and I hope we get to see some of what Arizona and Sofia's life is like together now that Sofia is back in the picture. This little scene was just enough to make me want more Arizona.

Richard asks April to basically run Bailey's new medical contest. This was just such a cute scene. Richard made it out like April would be doing him a big favor, but it was obvious that he was giving April a gift. It's always sweet when Richard fills in something of a father-figure role for the younger gang.

And... I think that's all I've got to say. It's a powerful gesture to name the episode the phone number for the National Domestic Violence Hotline. I also liked the little PSA from Camilla Luddington (the actress who plays Jo) that pointed out that abuse is not always physical, and that any behavior that causes fear or manipulates a victim is abuse. This is a really strange, momentous time we're living in when it comes to discussions of abuse, specifically against women, and I feel pretty pleased with Grey's Anatomy's take on it. We'll see how this all shakes out in the coming episodes!

8/10