Grey's Anatomy: I Want a New Drug (15x14)

This was one of those "event" episodes that Grey's Anatomy does sometimes, where one centralizing catastrophe is supposed to tie most of the plot threads together. But it actually didn't end up going at all where I expected.

Cons:

So, like I said, this was an "event" episode, like with a hurricane or a ferry crash or something like that, where the hospital is flooded with patients all there because of the same catastrophe. This week, it was a mass drug overdose in a park. But the weird thing is, only Amelia and Owen's plot thread with Britney and Leo actually connected to the big hospital thing. Everybody else's subplots were pretty separate. Sure, people were interacting with the patients in the OR, but the central plot wasn't feeding the smaller stories, if that makes sense. For the most part I'm okay with that, but I thought it was odd to give so much pride of place to discussing the epidemic of drug addiction in this country, but then not give it the entire episode.

There were these two brief scenes between Link and Amelia where they comfort each other after this hard day of seeing all of these kids fight for their lives. Amelia is obviously extra upset because of Betty/Britney. I didn't hate the scenes in and of themselves. It gave some added dimension to Link's character. But it felt like they were foreshadowing some sort of romance there, and I'm just not about that. It has taken me a very long time to get on board with the idea of Amelia and Owen as a couple. If they honestly try to threaten that now, I'm going to be really frustrated.

Pros:

I'm glad that Owen is giving up Leo without a fight. I was a little surprised at first, but it makes sense. Owen really loves that kid, and he wants to do what's best for him, no matter what. In general, I just love how supportive Amelia and Owen both were with Britney's parents during this difficult time. They're about to take in a baby, their own grandchild, and their daughter has overdosed and might never wake up. There could have been hostility between these two couples who both love the same children, but instead they were brought closer through adversity, and decided to focus on the kids, which is what really matters.

The story with Linus, Britney's boyfriend, was just so, so, sad. That kid really did adore her and wanted to be with her no matter what. But he was also sick, and in the end the sickness stole him away. I hope we get to see more of Britney and how she handles things moving forward. I understand that her parents want to care for her, but I think Amelia could be a really helpful influence if she is allowed to be a part of Britney's life. I thought Amelia's character was really strong this week, and I hope that trend continues.

There were a few smaller subplots in this episode that added some good shape to certain characters and relationships. First up, Jackson is excited to take Maggie camping, while she dreads the process. She later cancels because she needs to be there to support Amelia through this difficult time, and Jackson is disappointed but understanding. He then decides to gift all of his camping gear to a patient of his that needs help healing his feet, but who has been living in a park. I thought the moment when Jackson handed over the stuff was really powerful, because for this homeless man, that bounty was overwhelming, and for Jackson... it was just the stuff he had in the trunk of his car. It's difficult to fully appreciate the magnitude of wealth inequality in this country, and I think it's important that we keep checking in with Jackson as a character with immense wealth. It's something he can, and should, be thinking seriously about.

Alex and Jo have become such a solid, dependable aspect of this show for me. I'm sure that at some point in the future, their relationship with have drama in it in some way shape or form, but for now we know that the Karevs are in a good place, and they support each other no matter what. One of the patients who was taking drugs in the park has a little boy. While Jo tells this woman's husband that she's sick and needs help, Alex is much more concerned with protecting the child, which prompts him to tell Jo that when he was six, his addict father abandoned him in a parking lot. I love seeing how far Alex and Jo have both come, not just with each other, but as individuals. Alex has a lot of trauma in his past, and it makes sense that sometimes that trauma would come out to bite, but he also has a good career and a loving support system.

Nico and Levi are precious and adorable. I love that Levi is just all in with this relationship, being open and honest about how amazing he finds Nico. He's so demonstrative and clear with how much this relationship means to him, and you can see how much he's gained in confidence, partially as a result of this new love.

Meredith gets the meatiest of the subplots. She's working on a surgery that is taking her over 24 hours. She is very close to beating the record for the longest single surgery in the hospital's history. In fact, she does end up beating the record by the time the episode ends. One thing I really liked about this plot thread is that while at first everyone was determined to be there to witness and support Meredith, as the episode goes on, there's very clearly more important stuff to be worrying about. Alex is sad he can't be there to support his friend, but he's got a hospital to run. The residents are all excited to watch, but they have to help out with the overdoses when the patients start flooding in. And Meredith just quietly finds herself breaking a record, with DeLuca by her side. Andrew was adorable, wheeling the sleeping Meredith into a quiet room and covering her with a blanket after the long surgery. We haven't had a chance to see much of their relationship yet, but I'm still definitely on board.

That's all I've got for now. Apparently next week, Grey's Anatomy will officially become the longest running medical drama show ever. I can only guess that ER is the current record holder. I'm so excited for Shonda's accomplishment, and I'll cheerfully keep watching this show for many more years.

8.5/10