Grey's Anatomy: Help Me Through the Night (16x10)

Heyyy we're back. And Alex Karev is gone. This episode isn't about that, but I'm deep in my feelings about it, so... be prepared for me to rant when it becomes relevant.

Cons:

So, guess what I'm going to complain about? Teddy and Owen got engaged. And I think I'm supposed to be charmed by that in some way, or think it's a cute resolution for them. But it's just so hollow. I don't feel a connection between them. I hate that they made Koracick an asshole for a good chunk of the season, just to distance us from that ship so we'd get on board with Owen. Nope. Still team Tom Koracick, if I'm being honest.

And the fact that Amelia's baby might be Owen's is straight-up one of the most annoying twists this show has ever, ever had. Please no. Just let Link and Amelia raise their baby. And Scout is such a cute name, because Link's name is Atticus... get it?

Who's the guy that Jackson and Owen were operating on? Koracick's protege? Did I forget a new character that's been introduced, or are we just now meeting him? I lost track completely of the existence of such a character.

(Also, I'm sad about Alex being gone... did I mention that?)

Pros:

Bailey's emotional arc was really the centerpiece of this episode. After the chaos of the injuries in the bar, Bailey focuses all of her energies on helping her injured interns. Everyone makes it through alive, but then she has a breakdown about her miscarriage. I really like that there were no major character deaths in this episode, because it meant that Bailey's grief got to take center stage, and wasn't pushed aside. Nobody performs grief like Chandra Wilson. She is the master of it on this show, and it gets to me every time. I liked how Richard was there for her, despite their falling out, and Meredith talked about how when she had a miscarriage, she'd never felt so lonely. Ben, meanwhile, is focusing on taking care of Miranda instead of processing his own grief. Hopefully we'll see him come to terms with it as well.

As I said, I'm so frustrated with the Owen/Teddy/Koracick/Amelia/Link situation. That would be a weird orgy. But you know what I mean - just the mess of Amelia's pregnancy, the love triangle, etc. etc. But I did like that Koracick's character got a bit of rehabilitation here, what with his being worried about his patient, and shaking hands with Owen and making peace, and the way the patient's grandmother talked about "Dr. Tommy" and how wonderful he is. Tom is wonderful, and I want the show to remember that!

The other potential love triangle setup is one I can get behind a little more. You've got DeLuca, who told Meredith to take some time to think, and then you've got sexy new pediatric doctor. Not much motion on this front, but I remain intrigued. And I like that DeLuca went to Maggie, to tell her the good news about one of her patients, but also to ask for advice about Meredith. He knows he messed up, and wants to fix it. (Hey, remember when Maggie and Andrew were a thing? This show is weird).

Jo un-kidnaps the baby she took, bringing it to the hospital like she was supposed to. I loved the scene with Meredith and Jo where they baby-talk about Meredith being a felon. Adorable. Their friendship was hard-won but so worth it. Jo was drawn to this little baby so much that it's looking like kids might be in her future for sure. She and Link have a sweet moment of bonding over falling in love with little ones, and Jo also meets Meredith's new love interest, whose name I don't know yet. I love Jo Karev a lot, and I'm really curious what her future on the show is going to be, without Alex around. I hope that they just play it like Alex is around but off-screen, working at a different hospital (maybe Richard and Owen come back, and Alex stays at the other place?) Because I want Jo to stick around, but it's too sad if she and Alex have to break up in order to manage that. We'll have to see, I suppose! I like following her journey of recovery and joy.

The best thing about this episode was the stuff with the interns, which honestly bodes well for the show's future, now that we're down to so few original cast members. I loved that we spent some time with Dr. Casey Parker, who is a veteran and who was triggered by the crash at the bar. He is struggling with it, but Teddy is there for him, lamenting the fact that this country doesn't give mental healthcare to the people who are traumatized in the armed forces. Then you've got Helm, who is loopy due to alcohol and pain meds, and is also the most injured of the bunch, coming close to dying but ultimately surviving. She confesses her love to Meredith, who thanks Helm and seems quietly amused.

But meanwhile, there's the added drama of Schmitt and Helm being on the outs due to Schmitt "betraying" Meredith and getting her fired. While loopy and drugged up, Helm says mean things about Schmitt, who then passes out in the operating room. Turns out, poor Levi has "broken heart syndrome" due to extreme stress and emotional upheaval. He ends up being okay as well, and after getting a cuddle from Nico, he is wheeled in to Helm's room, and the two make up. I think they are really sweet, and I'm touched by their reconciliation. I hope we get more screen-time for them. Also, get Helm a girlfriend, stat!

Obviously I'm still obsessed with Levi and Nico being all adorable and stuff. Nico calls out Levi's name and rushes to him when he falls down, and then we get that classic shot of Nico sleeping in a chair next to Levi's hospital bed, which I am all about, and then the cuddle, and then when the interns are all together in Helm's room, Levi and Nico are just so affectionate with each other, holding hands and staying close. This is adorable and I just want more and more of it, please and thanks.

I think that's it. This show always manages to survive big losses, but I am curious to see how things shake out without Alex. I'll miss him a lot.

8/10