Grey's Anatomy: Shelter from the Storm (15x09)

Yay I'm glad this show is finally back. So much drama. I'm going to try be brief... we'll see how that goes.

Cons:

The baby drama is not compelling to me... sorry Teddy. I really do like you as a character. It's just so... basic melodramatic. There are other basic melodrama tropes in this show - in this very episode - that I like, but it's just a personal preference thing. The angst-filled love triangle, the pregnancy, etc. etc. It's just an annoying snooze fest. I particularly didn't like that Amelia has decided to give Owen some space. Just... come on. Can we stop going down this road?

I loved the scenes with Meredith and DeLuca in the elevator, I really did, but I hate it when shows get their nerd jargon wrong. DeLuca talks about Doctor Who and calls the character Doctor Who, instead of the Doctor. Isn't there a single nerd working in the writer's room that could catch something like that? Sheesh.

Pros:

Okay. Let's rapid-fire this.

Meredith and DeLuca have some steamy chemistry, and their whole scene in the elevator was excellent. I loved finding out more about DeLuca's past, and the reveal that Meredith understands Italian was pitch perfect. So funny. I'm totally rooting for this weird potential relationship. And it is actually pretty hot when DeLuca speaks Italian, I must admit. This new confident turn for his character is really working for me.

I was complaining above about love triangles, but really it's specifically angst-y love triangles that I have a problem with. I love the goofy tone of Meredith's current romantic troubles - DeLuca or Link? Who should she choose? Why not both? I'm all about it, and I'm excited to see more.

CeCe dying was a really difficult pill to swallow. The way they framed this sad reveal in the episode was so perfect and tragic. We hear Meredith telling CeCe about her romantic relationships one last time, as she says goodbye to CeCe. Awww.

Bailey and Helm are stuck in an elevator together with CeCe's donor patient, and both of them end up having panic attacks. I loved it when Helm realized what was going on, and worked to calm Bailey down.

Speaking of Bailey... she is really going through something difficult. I loved the fact that Alex at first thought that Bailey was trying to remove him from his position, but the minute he sees how upset Bailey is, he changes tracks and is entirely sympathetic and worried about her. I also like seeing Alex take on the responsibilities of interim chief, even when it comes to awkward stuff, like...

Nico and Levi in the ambulance. Alex's advice? Find a place with a door that locks next time. I kind of think they're the cutest. We're seeing more of what makes Nico tick. I like how worried he is about making a good impression, as a new hospital employee. I'm rooting for these two crazy kids.

I liked the through-line about the electric manager guy, who got his legs smashed by the elevator. He was so grumpy, and so annoyed with all the doctors, but at the end of the day he did everything he could to get those organs to CeCe. It's such a tragedy that she didn't make it, but at least the story has a semi-happy ending for everyone else involved: it looks like this guy is going to retain the use of his legs! Jackson was such a bad-ass helping out with the stuck elevators, too.

While the Amelia/Owen/Teddy situation is annoying me, I do find myself continually intrigued by poor Betty. In this episode, she spends a lot of time talking with Richard about her addiction, but we learn that she's not ready yet to help herself. Amelia decides to help her by putting her in rehab. Ultimately it seems that Betty's goal is to get better and get Leo back, but she's got a long way to go. I want to keep checking in on her, and I hope she and Amelia can stay in each other's lives in some form.

I still think that Catherine Avery having cancer is a really stupid turn of events. But I must admit, I found myself really compelled by what we saw in this episode. Jackson's reaction is to kind of push it down and go into crisis mode, helping the hospital as best he can. Then, Jackson and Maggie have to go tell Richard. We don't get to see the actual moment the truth comes out. We just see Jackson walking up to Richard and putting a hand on his arm, and then Maggie takes Richard's hand. He accepts the comfort before he understands the reason for it, and it was just so well-acted. Poor guy. This is going to hurt. Their family dynamics are fascinating.

That's what I have for now. I find myself more compelled by the light-hearted stories, like with Meredith and her boys, or Nico and Levi, as opposed to the more heavy drama going on in other stories. This was a solid opening to the second half of Season Fifteen... here's to more great content!

8/10