Grey's Anatomy: Put It to the Test (18x15)

Wow, the stuff with Schmitt was stressful as hell! This was an intense episode.

Cons:

I liked the intensity of the performances during Meredith and Bailey's big fight, but I felt like it wasn't totally justified on the merits of the situation. Bailey went from zero to one hundred in being angry with Meredith for... checks notes... getting a job offer. She doesn't even ask her if she's taking it before she starts screaming at her and throwing Derek in her face, it's just awful and doesn't feel like it was built up enough.

Nick, as I've said a thousand times, is pretty boring. It's not that there's anything wrong with his transplant plot thread here, or how he's trying to grapple with the despair he feels in career. It's all perfectly unobjectionable. It's just not interesting. I'm glad his cool new medical procedure works, I guess, but I'm not interested in seeing how he responds to any of it.

I wish Nico could have been in this episode. I loved the focus on Schmitt and Webber's relationship, but I wish someone had at least told him about what was going on with Schmitt and his mother. I hope we get some of the fallout, some reckoning between them soon. Their breakup was so unceremonious, and so clearly a part of Levi's spiral, that it needs more focus soon!

Atticus being a little baby about Amelia and Kai pisses me off. Grow up, dude.

Pros:

So, like I said, the performances in that yelling scene... Bailey yelling at Meredith, Meredith standing her ground, defending Nick... man, that was some great stuff. There was so much going into that conversation. Bailey's stress about the residency program, her career, all of that, her relationship with Meredith, all their history. I thought Meredith made a good and interesting point about how the legacy of her past will always follow her around if she stays at Grey Sloan. I don't want Meredith to leave, but I kind of don't blame her? Which is not something I was expecting to feel, so kudos to this episode for making that work.

The stuff with Schmitt was... holy shit... this guy is a good actor. The sheer terror during the whole situation with his mom and her fall down the stairs, the way he calls for help, calls Richard, does everything right and then breaks down at the hospital, Richard holding him... I was really feeling for him the whole way through. I love Richard, but when you see the consequences of the Webber Method in such a stark and specific way, it's hard not to think that people might be right in saying that he messed up majorly.

I liked Hamilton and Kai giving Richard his assessment. It was reassuring and interesting to see him doing so well, I worried he was going to bomb and have to retire again, and I feel like we've done so many stories around "is this the end of Richard's career?" that I wasn't interested in dragging this one out any further. Instead, he does really well. I like how Kai and Hamilton are firm but fair, and how Kai has to wrestle with some conflicting feelings, since Richard means a lot to Amelia. But it's not a big fight or anything, just a stressful day that resolves peacefully for all involved.

Then there's the residency program... they did kind of a trick ending with this plot thread. We see the assessors going around the hospital asking tough questions about the program, and at first it seems it's going really poorly, what with their witnessing of Schmitt's breakdown, and Richard being MIA for the interviewing at first, and Meredith flaking out on being there for the program. At every turn, Bailey is confronted with the weaknesses of her teaching hospital. It's no wonder she works herself up into a panic attack. But then, at the moment of reckoning, Bailey is told that the residents seem happy and fulfilled, that this is one of the better, healthier residency programs they've ever examined. But they can't ignore the complaints, and the poor retention, and what they're seeing on paper, so... the program is on probation, with only a couple of weeks to turn things around, or they'll get shut down!

This is some good drama. I think I've mentioned this before, but I like when instead of literally putting all the characters in life and death situations, you have stories that have more thematic/administrative consequences. It feels a little more grounded, and the stakes are different in an interesting way. I hope they can save the residency program! I hope Schmitt is okay, whether he chooses to come back or not!

As always, I'm sure I missed out on plenty of detail, but I'll leave things there for now. Things are getting dramatic up in here... we've got a couple weeks off before the next episode. See you then!

8/10