Grey's Anatomy: Life on Mars? (16x17)

Ugh Teddy what the actual fuck. I have a lot of things to complain about for this one, so strap on in.

Cons:

I'm a fan of Tom/Teddy obviously, but Teddy cheating on Owen, and then being all pissy about Amelia, of all things? And telling Owen that Amelia's baby might be his, and not confessing about Tom? I've been annoyed with Teddy in the past for some things, but right now she is angering me to the nth degree. Really frustrating stuff. Owen gets to be the bright-eyed innocent, ready to make his relationship work no matter what, but he's just... so annoying, you know?

I'm happy that Amelia and Link worked things out, but I'm still annoyed that that whole plot thread even happened, and Amelia absolutely should have found out the paternity right away and just told him? So yeah... I guess I can file this under "I'm glad it's over." Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

I'm not watching Station 19, which means I have a less than accurate picture of Jackson and Vic's whole situation than some. But from what I saw just in this episode? Jackson is being a dick. Vic is totally right - he's giving her mixed signals. He doesn't want to be serious with her, but he gets all pissy and jealous about her new roommate? Come on. Vic is a good enough character that she almost makes me want to watch Station 19, while Jackson has become steadily less and less the character I once loved.

Jo and Link are bonding over their respective heartbreaks at the start of this episode, until Link and Amelia figure their shit out at the end. I am a fan of the two of them spending time together and being friends, but I do have to say... the way Alex is being painted is infuriating to me. Jo and Alex were each other's happy endings. Their relationship was not a transitional part of their lives. They were married and planned to be together forever. And then an actor left the show and suddenly, we're meant to believe that Jo was changed by Alex and grateful to him for the love he showed her, but ready to move on? The way this was framed, it was like we were meant to believe Jo and Link were going through equivalent heartbreaks. No! Come on, that's patently ridiculous and we all know it. I understand they're in a bad spot because of the actor leaving the show, but I continue to be baffled by how badly they've handled Alex's exit. Baffled, I say!

The Jeff Bezos character was just kinda... I mean, he certainly made me hate him on sight, so that part was accurate. I just felt like Koracick's decision was such a stupid, idiotic one. It didn't feel like an interesting moral quandary to me. It didn't feel like some of the other times throughout the history of the show that a character has broken a rule and had to really grapple with the consequences. It just felt like Koracick doing a dumb thing that's obviously going to cause problems.

Pros:

I will say, though, I'm... enjoying might be the wrong word, but I'm intrigued by DeLuca's downward spiral. I felt really, really bad for him in this one, and felt like Jo's harsh advice was completely warranted. He's not okay. He needs help. He needs to listen to the people in his life who are telling him that something's really wrong. I hope he gets the help he needs!

I am also feeling a lot of grief and empathy for Richard, in what he's going through. We're really seeing the compounding effects of his recent separation from Catherine, and his hand shaking meaning his career as a surgeon is over. The way he talked to Bailey was completely uncalled for, but it showed just how rough of a spot Richard is in, and I hope he can find a way to transition more gracefully into this stage of his life.

As I said, I'm happy for Link and Amelia. Their relationship became serious because of Amelia's pregnancy, but through it all they really do seem to like each other a lot. I think Link gets Amelia out of her head a little bit, and Amelia helps Link to take things more seriously. Their relationship is one I can root for. I'm just hoping that Owen finds out the baby is not his right away, and that part of the drama can be over.

Meredith and Bailey had a nice little moment where they reflect on losing some system of support in their lives. Meredith because Alex left, and Bailey because of Richard stepping down from surgery. They reflect on being the last remaining people at the hospital from their respective classes of interns. With so few original characters left on the show, it's nice to see this bond emphasized.

I feel frustrated with Grey's Anatomy right now. Because of the Alex thing mostly, but also the ongoing Owen drama has me less than thrilled, and even Jackson is grinding my gears. I hope we get some Schmitt and Nico content next week, and maybe a few other things can start to grab my interest again.

6/10