Critic’s Score: 4.6 / 5.0
4.6
It’s official; Gray’s Anatomy simply wrapped for the midseason break, and boy, did the most recent episode go away us with quite a bit to consider till spring.
The primary couple of minutes have been deceptively lackluster, with a complicated November warmth wave and a six-week time bounce to set the stage.
However after that, the remainder of the hour saved up a gradual tempo, with scenes starting from eyebrow-raisers to jaw-droppers. Let’s get into it!
Callbacks on Gray’s Anatomy Season 21 Episode 8
I’ve talked about it earlier than, however this season has been stuffed stuffed with callbacks, hints, and delicate references to older Gray’s Anatomy storylines.
This episode saved up the pattern with a number of moments that felt nostalgic.
The obvious instance concerned placing Lucas within the middle of a comfort retailer gunpoint theft, making him the third era of males in his household to face a gun-related demise (or near-death expertise).
It’s possible you’ll recall from earlier seasons that Christopher Shepherd (father of Derek, Amelia, and their different three sisters — one in all whom is Lucas’s mom) died when his personal comfort retailer was robbed at gunpoint.
Derek and Amelia have been young children and each have been current on the time of their father’s demise, marking the primary of many main traumas for the 2 of them.
Years later, Derek would face his personal brush with demise after a mass shooter within the hospital focused him on Gray’s Anatomy Season 6 Episode 24.
Suffice it to say, Lucas ending up on this place was most likely inevitable, given his household historical past.
Extra (Sure, Extra) Callbacks
The comfort retailer worker (Gladys) couldn’t preserve her eyes off of Jo and Lucas whereas the gunman was educated on her, resulting in him clocking the docs’ presence and foiling their escape plan.
That second felt awfully harking back to the time throughout the mass taking pictures when Bailey tried to cover from Gary, solely to be caught as a result of Charles wouldn’t cease her underneath the mattress.
Our reminiscence was additionally jogged a bit throughout the second a grieving Mika reached out to Jules, in search of bodily consolation, and just about begging when Jules tried to redirect her.
On Gray’s Anatomy Season 4 Episode 15, Alex stated goodbye to Rebecca when she was hospitalized for her psychological well being, and he sought consolation for Izzie in a lot the identical means Mika did within the newest episode.
Plus, the affected person Amelia and Winston operated on obtained a surgical procedure that seemed quite a bit like Joe’s standstill surgical procedure throughout Gray’s Anatomy Season 2!
There are undoubtedly some Gray’s followers who’re disenchanted in what they take into account to be recycled storylines, however I discover them comforting in a means. It’s good to know that the present remembers its roots and may proceed growing characters and their tales by leaning on a historical past that has already been constructed.
Whereas there are many causes to gripe in regards to the instructions the present has taken lately, their dedication to threading new tales into outdated ones is a part of the explanation the sequence remains to be satisfying.
When Will Amelia Get to be Glad?
Look, Amelia Shepherd is my favourite character on this present.
I feel she’s criminally misunderstood and underutilized, and whereas I’m grateful they introduced her over after Non-public Apply ended, I don’t assume Gray’s has achieved an incredible job of migrating her historical past along with her.
This fall finale proved that even once they do spotlight Amelia, they do it in a means that makes her endure.
As soon as upon a time, she grieved overtly about how each man she’s ever liked has died. Her father, her brother, her fiance, and her son have been all taken from her in horrible methods.
The most recent terrifying cliffhanger put Jo and Lucas at risk and instructed that Lucas suffered a gunshot wound proper earlier than the credit rolled.
That signifies that when the present returns subsequent 12 months, Amelia must face the potential of yet one more man she loves dying horribly, and there gained’t be something she will be able to do about it.
She additionally simply handled an almost-panic assault throughout surgical procedure, which is so extremely out of character for Amelia that I couldn’t truly imagine what I used to be seeing.
Amelia — competent, good, assured Amelia, who offers along with her worry and stress by putting a superhero pose and shifting into life-saving mode — will not be somebody who breaks down from nerves on the O.R. desk.
Whereas admittedly, it gave us a pleasant second of camaraderie and friendship between Amelia and her sort-of-ex-brother-in-law, it type of felt like a pointless second of wrestle.
Dr. Beltran was annoyingly lacking from the episode, so we didn’t even get any stolen glances or kisses or flirtatious moments between them for our bother.
Saying Goodbye to One other Fan Favourite
It was no secret that Midori Francis was leaving her position on Gray’s Anatomy this season, and Mika Yasuda’s arc lastly got here to an in depth throughout the fall finale.
Nonetheless within the painful grip of grief six weeks after her sister’s demise, Mika returned to work even supposing she was nonetheless reeling from the trauma of her loss and her personal brush with demise.
Francis’s efficiency on this episode was nothing wanting unbelievable, and her portrayal of how consuming grief is in the best way it rearranges your very molecules was uncooked and exquisite.
Yasuda skilled a few moments the place her grief overcame her, even going as far as to scream at Bailey whereas she ran a code, and it actually seemed like she was going to be written out of the present by means of a straitjacket.
Mercifully, the writers allowed Yasuda to return to phrases with what she wanted on her personal. When Bailey provided her prolonged bereavement go away, Mika selected to resign as an alternative.
The choice honored what Mika knew about herself and what she might deal with, in addition to what she wanted to heal and transfer ahead.
Telling Grief’s Story
All through the episode, Mika sought recommendation and luxury from individuals she trusted.
Bailey linked with the intern by sharing her expertise with shedding her mom.
Griffith provided a form ear as Mika stared into the room the place Chloe died, and the recommendation she gave her buddy was a extremely profound reality about grief. Mika requested Simone if she’d ever really feel regular once more, and Simone’s response was stunning:
“I feel that is your regular now, and on daily basis you’ll get a bit of extra snug with it.”
From my very own private expertise with loss, I’ve discovered that to be true. Issues by no means actually return to regular, and also you’re by no means the individual you have been earlier than your loss.
However you retain going, and the loss will get weaved into your soul and turns into a part of who you’re, together with 1,000,000 different issues — good and unhealthy.
The Worst Place to Be Pregnant is Gray Sloan Memorial Hospital
Not that I’m concerned with getting pregnant once more, but when I do, preserve me the hell away from Seattle and this hospital.
We’ve seen these characters undergo miscarriages, expertise stillbirths, lose their youngsters shortly after delivery, and cope with nearly each being pregnant complication underneath the son.
Has the present allowed births that resulted in wholesome infants? Positive, however even these deliveries have been absurd.
Meredith had child Bailey throughout a blackout, Bailey had Tucker whereas her husband was in mind surgical procedure, Callie had Sofia prematurely after a near-fatal automobile accident, April had Harriet through a DIY C-section in Meredith’s front room … want I proceed?
Anyway, the purpose is, I feel all of us knew that Jo’s being pregnant was destined to be dramatic indirectly.
So nobody was stunned when she began bleeding and cramping whereas actively being held hostage at gunpoint.
We gained’t discover out her destiny (or that of the twins) till subsequent 12 months, however a scare like that’s terrifying sufficient even with out the added stress of being pregnant.
My guess is that the story will one way or the other contain Jo feeling immense guilt for the way she’s complained and apprehensive in regards to the being pregnant now that the twins are at risk, and I despise that trope.
Being pregnant is tough. It’s typically scary, uncomfortable, and limiting. It’s generally painful, even excruciatingly so, and might be debilitating.
So if pregnant individuals can undergo it, they need to complain about it, guilt-free.
Hopefully, Jo’s scenario will present a ok purpose for one Dr. Carina DeLuca to return, which has been on my wishlist since Station 19 ran its sequence finale.
Bits and Bobs
- The stress between Beckman and Altman is clearly nonetheless there, and so is the warmth between Owen and his buddy Nora. Perhaps the doorways haven’t fully closed on the Altman/Hunt open marriage concept?
- It’s so good to have Ben again, however he’s nonetheless simply as hot-headed and boastful as he was earlier than he turned a firefighter. He at all times thinks he is aware of what’s greatest, and it’s by no means not gotten him into bother.
- Did Gladys skip the comfort retailer worker coaching day the place they taught the entire “don’t be a hero” factor? Nothing in that secure is value your life, Gladys!
- I’m not thrilled in regards to the Blue/Molly storyline, and I don’t assume it’s honest for her to maintain exhibiting up whereas he’s working. I really like Blue and need him to be completely happy, and he deserves higher than this.
- Far be it from me to say something good about Teddy, however I’ve to confess, she’s a extremely certified and efficient chief.
That’s all for now, of us! Gray’s Anatomy will return with a brand new episode within the spring, however the conversations don’t cease right here.
Keep tuned for my mid-season report card coming quickly, and let’s chat within the feedback in regards to the season to this point!
I additionally need to hear all of your theories about how the remainder of the season will go, so don’t be a stranger.
Gray’s Anatomy will return on Thursday, March 6, at 10/9c on ABC.
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