Grey's Anatomy: Cold as Ice (14x23)

This show is so manipulative but you know what, it gets to me. I'll allow it.

Cons:

I guess I'm okay with April and Matthew being a thing again, but honestly how is Matthew over the fact that April left him at the alter? Also, I don't really like the fact that it was hidden from us. I feel deprived of the opportunity to get to know them as a couple, so I can have some assurances that April will be happy as she leaves the show. Also, here's the thing: I've tried to be a good sport about Jackson and Maggie, and I don't hate them or anything, but watching Jackson sob over April, and pray for her, made me realize how much more interesting Jackson and April are. I love them together, and this episode reminded me that Maggie and Jackson are, in comparison, a total snooze, and kind of annoying.

We also do some more setup for Arizona's departure, as Dr. Herman (Geena Davis) shows up to get a checkup, and then it turns out that she has all this grant money, and she wants to partner with Arizona to help save more babies and mothers, and sure, why not, they can do it in New York, and yay everything is just coming up daisies for Arizona. I'm happy for her, but I'll admit that I think Dr. Herman is an odd choice as the character who comes along to sweep Arizona out of the narrative. The thing is, I remember a lot of stuff between her and Amelia, but I don't really remember caring too much about Arizona and Dr. Herman at the time. Maybe I did, and I'm just forgetting it? Who knows.

Pros:

I mean, please. The amount of angst and pain in this episode was just delicious to me. I can't help it - I'd watch hours of this kind of crap, as everyone rallies around April and tries to save her, each of them freaking out in their own way. That's the draw of a show like this. I would have thrown quite the fit if they'd decided to kill April off, but because she pulls through, I'm all for it. Meredith's reaction was great, because she stays in business mode until the moment that she runs to find help, and Alex talks about going to taste wedding cakes with Kepner. Suddenly, Meredith breaks, and then grabs Alex's hand and runs down the hall with him. I've always loved Meredith and Alex's relationship, obviously. Alex's reaction to April was great as well - it's interesting, because Alex and Meredith both are actually not all that close to April, when you really think about it. They've known her a long time, they have a lot of shared history and shared loved ones, but they don't spend a ton of time together outside of work or anything. So, it was nice to see the two of them work so hard to save her.

Then you have Maggie, who is shocked and horrified upon seeing April on the gurney. She worries about Jackson first and foremost, but at the end of the day, she's the one who saves April. She notices a rhythm on the monitor and brings her back, when nobody else thought it was possible. I loved the moment with Maggie and April, where April holds Maggie's hand and asks her not to leave. As uninteresting as I find the Maggie and Jackson relationship, I do like that these two women can form a bond, and that we're not showing any lingering resentment or jealousies there.

Arizona, along with getting a career dream off the ground, spends the end of the episode utterly devastated by April's condition. Their friendship is something that isn't necessarily shown all of the time, but it's clear that they're really close, and Arizona's tears of pain and loss were excellently angst-y.

Before I turn to the Jackson issue, there's the Amelia subplot with the drug addict mother thing. When I step back and think about this plot thread using the logic centers of my brain, it makes me roll my eyes. But I can't deny that this episode made me feel connected to Amelia in a way that I haven't in a while. I'm glad Geena Davis' tumor didn't grow back, because that would just open a whole other shit storm. I love the fact that Tom Koracick and Dr. Herman had a thing, and that she found out about Amelia's tumor that way. It added a dose of comedy to a dark episode. There's also the fact that the young woman Amelia is taking care of actually came back to her, even though she did relapse. Again, it's not like everything is sunshine and rainbows, but I'm glad that there's still hope for this girl going forward.

The stuff with April gave some of the other characters a chance to reflect on the love in their lives, and the losses. Meredith reflects on the time that she got brought back after being unresponsive due to hypothermia and having no life signs. She says that this means all the time she had with Derek, their kids, their marriage, was a bonus - something she almost didn't get to have. And Bailey reflects on the fear she feels every time Ben goes to work, and we see that this fear is going to be an ongoing part of their marriage, but that she will work to get through it.

Okay. So. Jackson totally broke my heart in this episode and I just cannot get over it. His reaction to April being on death's door was... well, he was desperate. He was in agony. The look on his face when he sees her, the way he lunges for her, the way he holds her hand... and the prayer. The prayer, you guys. For some context, I'm an atheist. And I always found Jackson and April's differing religious beliefs to be one of the more interesting aspects of their relationship. And while I myself am not a believer, I don't begrudge people who are, who take comfort and community from their relationship to a certain faith. And the moment when Jackson prays to God was pitch perfect. Even more perfect, and this was the moment that made me cry, was when Jackson is holding Harriett and he walks by the hospital chapel, and then he walks back and stares at it for a good second. April gave him faith. She gave him faith, and just knowing how important that's always been to her made me sooooo emotional. I can't handle how much I loved this moment.

The scene when April is just waking up and is surrounded by all of her friends was also a special highlight. I liked the way she teased Jackson: "you prayed for me. And it worked! Ha ha." And she had to keep comforting Arizona, who kept bursting into tears... just... too good.

So, yeah. I'm really going to miss April and Arizona. Next week is the finale, and I suppose it's up in the air right now as to what kind of finale we're going to get. I mean, I know it's Jo and Alex's wedding, but is it going to be a happy finale with some bittersweet goodbyes, or is there going to be an emergency of some sort, or a cliffhanger propelling us into Season Fifteen? I'm excited to find out!

8.5/10