Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Grey’s Anatomy 14x15 Recap: “Old Scars, Future Hearts” (Happy Morning After) [Contributor: Julia Siegel]


“Old Scars, Future Hearts”
Original Airdate: March 15, 2018

When we last saw our favorite TV doctors, most of them were getting down and dirty in surprising pairs. The fallout of the new relationships, plus the impending continuation or death of Meredith and Jo’s Surgical Innovation Contest project, are the major plot points of the latest episode of Grey’s Anatomy. With Richard revealing that Meredith’s Aunt Marie might have ulterior motives, it’s time to clear up the truth about yet another rocky past relationship, while plenty of other relationships are blossoming. The moments get bigger as the episode goes on, so it is definitely one that you will want to watch until the very end.


EXTORTION 


Meredith doesn’t have a big role in this episode, but her plot is very important for the future. For those of you who didn't notice, Meredith’s lesser screen time is equated to Ellen Pompeo directing this episode. Pompeo does a wonderful job of capturing all of the characters’ emotions in every scene, which is a very important aspect in directing. When you have an episode like this one — where there are incredibly important reactions from multiple people in every scene — it is imperative to capture every angle. For only her second time directing, Pompeo’s style shines and is immediately recognizable.

Back to Meredith: We learned at the end of the last episode that Aunt Marie had a falling out with Ellis Grey a long time ago, which could affect her reasoning. According to Marie, the surgical procedure dubbed the “Grey Procedure” that won Ellis her second Harper Avery Award was actually based on the work that both Ellis and Marie did together. Marie argues that Ellis flat-out stole her work and that if Meredith wants to buy the patent for the polymer, she must publicly announce that the procedure’s name be changed to reflect both doctors’ contributions.

I do agree with Meredith’s reason of not destroying her late mother’s legacy since she cannot get her side of the story. It makes a lot of sense, but what comes next is downright petty. Marie threatens that she will keep her polymer and Meredith’s science and continue with Meredith’s experiments herself if her name isn’t added to Ellis’ procedure. Extortion is a bit low for someone who claims to be your aunt. This is also the definition of being stuck between a rock and a hard place. There is no way for Meredith to win, so it will be interesting to see what she decides.


FINDING FAITH


Another subplot occurs between April and Tom after their surprising night together. Tom brings up the fact that April is not the same person he met a few months back when he was at Grey Sloan to remove Amelia’s tumor. Since he is too smart for everyone, Tom starts listing all the possibilities for April’s change and gets his answer when April tells him to stop after his long list ends with a crisis in faith.

I wouldn’t think that Tom is a character who has a strong religious faith due to the way he acts, talks, and holds himself. He is too self-righteous for anyone to suspect that he is anything other than an arrogant narcissist. However, as partially suspected, that is all a front to hide the pain that the real Tom deals with on a daily basis. Through a very telling conversation, we actually get to learn who Tom really is: a divorced man living with the pain that his young son was killed in a freak baseball accident.

Tom reveals that he grew up a Catholic and had a similar crisis in faith when his son died. His story seemed to strike a real chord with April, who didn’t explain herself on camera. This might be the wake-up call that she needs and could lead to a potential deeper relationship with Tom. I would never suspect that these two characters would have anything in common or would even match up well, but Tom’s reveal actually makes them sort of good for each other at the moment.


START OF SOMETHING NEW


The other pairing that everyone has been waiting to couple up starts heating up even more this week. Maggie and Jackson finally kissed the previous night, and now they can’t even function properly without thinking of the other. In this episode, they are more like a teenage couple who can’t stop flirting. Oddly, Maggie’s teen patient brings the two together when Jackson assists with a sternal reconstruction after a heart transplant. Some flashbacks let us see a young Maggie, Alex, and Jo experiencing their first loves thanks to the love story their teen patient experiencing.

Maggie is explaining her dorky past to Alex and Jo, and doesn’t realize that Jackson is in the room and had heard the whole thing. When she does realize he is there, she is embarrassed. After blowing off a dinner date with him twice, Maggie runs into Jackson at the bar later that night and sort of turns that into their first date. She tells Jackson all about her nerdy tendencies and that she has plenty of baggage, but there is more good than bad with her. Mr. Smooth then tells her the same thing, which brings them together physically (according to the very funny trailer for the next episode). So the Maggie and Jackson ship is sailing, and I can’t wait to see where it’s going.

FINALLY!


In my opinion, the biggest story of the episode occurs between Alex and Jo. Alex spends a majority of the episode sulking because Jo is looking to apply for fellowships around the country. Time has flown, and it is crazy to think that Jo is eligible to be an attending next season. Jo doesn’t understand why Alex is so upset until he says that he didn’t realize that Paul was the only thing keeping her in Seattle. While they both spend a day sad and not sure what to do with the other, we get some nice insight into their teenage years. This also marks the first time we get to see Alex’s mother, who appears to be much more mentally ill and unstable than we knew.

In flashbacks, Alex gets his heart broken by a girl who thinks he will be just as crazy as his mom. Even as a teenager Alex had poor taste in women and couldn’t catch a break. Jo was the opposite and actually broke the heart of what appeared to be a perfect teenage boy who took her in when she was living in her car. If these flashbacks prove anything, it is that Jo and Alex are so messed up that they are beyond perfect for each other. While Alex has always thought this, Jo finally catches up and realizes that she can’t go on without Alex.

At the end of the episode, Alex arrives home to a beautiful speech about love from Jo. As he goes to find the ring he has been saving for ages, Jo proposes to Alex in the sweetest moment of the season. The couple will most certainly be staying in Seattle, and this is the happy ending that we all needed this year. These two deserve that happiness after all they have gone through over the years, particularly with Paul. Hopefully everyone can ride the love train a little longer so this upward emotional stretch of episodes continues.

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