“The Last Supper”
Original Airdate: February 6, 2020
The latest episode of Grey’s Anatomy is the simplest one in a long time in terms of story structure. With only two storylines, the featured characters get fleshed out in ways that were sorely needed. The Station 19/Grey’s Anatomy symmetry also grows stronger, as Jackson, Nico, and Koracick showed up on the firefighter drama and Vic Hughes and Dean Miller crash Richard and Catherine’s dinner party.
A DINNER TO REMEMBER
First on Station 19, Vic was nervous about attending her first family dinner and invites fellow firefighter Dean Miller to come with her in an attempt to set him up with Maggie. Miller is unsure at first, but he eventually agrees to go. Jackson visits the firehouse and assures Vic that she will be most welcome at the dinner and has nothing to be worried about. Well, Jackson couldn’t have been more wrong. Grey’s Anatomy starts with Jackson running into Maggie in the halls of Grey Sloan Memorial. She is coming from a meeting with Koracick where she asked for her job back. Richard and Catherine, who are also in the hospital, are walking and arguing about the dinner. Richard wants to cancel because he doesn’t feel it is the best way to tell Jackson and Maggie that he and Catherine are separating. Catherine wants to throw a dinner party for their kids as a way to lessen the blow of the news. The first awkward moment occurs when the four of them bump into each other in the hall and walk their separate ways.
Later that day, Maggie is the first one to show up at Richard and Catherine’s house. She brings them a box of chocolates for their anniversary. Funny enough, Richard and Catherine have completely forgotten that their anniversary is in a few days, but they don’t tell Maggie that their anniversary isn’t the reason they are holding the dinner. Jackson shows up with a piece of artwork from a South African artist that Catherine admires. Richard is all kinds of nervous once both of the kids are home and wants to spit out the news. Catherine beats around the bush and wants to wait until after dinner. The doorbell rings for a third time, and Jackson answers the door expecting to find his girlfriend. Vic and Miller have arrived, and Jackson didn’t know that Vic invited Miller. That’s better than Catherine, Richard, and Maggie, none of whom knew that either firefighter was coming to dinner.
Miller introduces himself to Richard and Catherine, as this is their first meeting. Vic also meets Richard for the first time. Maggie is none too pleased that Vic has shown up and doesn’t even try to hide her disdain. Catherine and Richard excuse themselves to the kitchen, and Catherine tells her husband that they can’t possibly tell the kids about the separation now that they have dates in attendance. Richard says that they should have already broken the news to them. Back in the sitting room, an awkward silence hangs in the air, until Jackson breaks the tension by asking Vic and Miller if they have had any cool calls lately. They recount the details of Station 19’s episode, which serves as a small primer for anyone who didn’t tune in to the first TGIT hour.
Maggie can’t take the conversation, so she goes to set the dining room table. Jackson follows her in an attempt to not be rude, but Maggie starts an argument over how quickly Jackson jumps into relationships and doesn’t mourn the ending of one first. She recounts how they immediately started dating after he got divorced from April and that he jumped into things with Vic right after they called it quits. Maggie is also mad that Jackson is trying to set her up with Miller, which he vehemently denies. The viewers know that it’s really Vic who is trying to set up Maggie and Miller, but Jackson isn’t privy to that knowledge. Maggie tells Jackson that Miller asked her out a few months back when Jackson was on his nature walk. She turned him down once and still doesn’t seem interested in him. Back in the sitting room, Miller doesn’t understand why Vic didn’t tell Maggie that he was coming. He’s none too pleased with being thrown in over his head either.
On that note, dinner gets off to a great start, as tensions are running extremely high. Catherine continues to be extremely cold to Vic, going so far to rudely ask her if the food is to her liking. Miller blurts out that Vic will put anything into her mouth and quickly amends that she will eat any food. He tries to rebound by telling a story about the time Vic stopped a snake from eating a baby, and his charm eventually irons out some of the awkwardness. He asks Richard and Catherine what they prefer to be called, which turns into another funny moment. Richard naturally tells Miller to call him Richard, while Catherine says he should call her Dr. Fox. Miller continues to run the conversation by asking Jackson and Maggie whether they started dating before or after their parents got married, which leads to a hot debate about whether the step-siblings considered each other family or had qualms about their relationship.
Maggie says there was nothing wrong with her and Jackson dating because they had very different upbringings and didn’t grow up together. Vic takes the opportunity to reveal that Miller’s family also has a lot of money in hopes of Maggie warming up to him a bit. As the conversation continues, Vic asks Richard about working at Pac-North and says that the hospital’s reputation has been getting a lot better with the first responders over the past several months. This makes Catherine go from cold to pure ice because her hospital, Grey Sloan, isn’t getting the same attention as Pac-North, which is becoming a competitor.
Miller tries to warm the atmosphere with his natural charm by asking Richard and Catherine how they met and how they got engaged. Maggie tells the story of Richard’s proposal as everyone at the table listens and smiles. Even Richard and Catherine can’t stop themselves from enjoying reliving the happy moment. After the story, Jackson gives a very sweet toast to Catherine and Richard and says that no matter what hardships they face, they always find a way to make it through. He also says that Richard has been more to a father to him than his biological father.
Catherine and Richard take another moment in the kitchen, where she says that maybe they rushed into getting a separation and shouldn’t split up. She admits that Jackson is right that they always find a way back to each other, so she doesn’t want to give up. Richard isn’t buying it, and Catherine continues to tell him that she still loves him. If things are to work out between them, Richard wants Catherine to apologize for not standing by him when Bailey fired him. Richard knows apologizing isn’t Catherine’s strong suit, but he says that if she loves him and wants to fix their marriage, she has to apologize. Catherine tearfully says she’s sorry and starts to add a “but.” Richard cuts her off by saying that apologies can’t have buts after them. He says that it’s too late for them and leaves Catherine crying in the kitchen.
Jackson finds Catherine in the kitchen and asks her what is really going on. Catherine quips about having two extra people at dinner, which prompts Jackson to ask what the big deal is. She says now isn’t the time to talk, so they go back to the table. Tensions between Maggie and Jackson escalate again, causing Catherine to shout out that it’s clear that Maggie and Jackson hate each other. She then gets on Richard’s case for texting and accuses him of having a girlfriend and talking to her throughout dinner. She steals his phone and finds out that he has been texting Alex about giving Maggie an offer to lead Pac-North’s cardio department. Maggie wants to know if this is the news that they wanted to say earlier, and Catherine shuts her down by announcing that she and Richard are separating. The table gets real quiet, and Richard apologizes for everyone finding out this way. Jackson and Maggie follow their parents out of the room, leaving a stunned Vic and Miller behind. Miller tells Vic that he owes her big time.
Jackson consoles his mother in the kitchen and is sorry that she and Richard hadn’t worked things out. Catherine is crying and blubbering about how she is a failure. She also says that she doesn’t want Jackson to lose Richard, but he says that he isn’t losing anything. Vic walks in to drop off some dirty dishes. Catherine takes the opportunity to finally warm up to Vic by offering her some of her famous cobbler. Richard and Maggie talk outside and explains that no one knew because he and Catherine tend to keep their problems to themselves. He does think that their relationship is really over, which Maggie is sorry about. However, Maggie is happy that she and Jackson can stop pretending to get along. Maggie also wants to know what the price of the Pac-North offer is. When Richard shows her the number that Alex sent him, Maggie is stunned, as it is much higher than she expected. Maggie tells Richard she will take the job and start on Monday. As Maggie walks inside, Miller is getting ready to leave. The two awkwardly hug before he walks out. Vic apologizes to Maggie for bringing Miller along on her way out. Maggie also apologizes for taking her hatred of Jackson out on her, and they agree to have a fresh start.
After all four guests leave, Richard tells Catherine that he will spend the night at a hotel. She says her driver is on the way, so he doesn’t have to leave. Catherine is disappointed to learn that Maggie took the offer and accuses Richard of dragging Maggie’s career down with him by encouraging her to work at Pac-North. Richard is very offended and completely disagrees. Catherine picks up her phone and calls one of her people to have them find out what the price to buy Pac-North is. Richard doesn’t think the scheme will work, but Catherine is sure of herself. She thinks that if the hospital is truly turning around, it could be a good investment. Or, she could just shut it down to spite him. In typical Catherine fashion, she tells Richard that she isn’t sorry for anything before walking out of the house.
NO MORE HIDING
The second story follows a very poignant day for Schmitt. He is at home in his basement resting and still not back at work following his broken heart syndrome. Nico is there hanging out with him, and the couple have seem to only grow stronger lately. Mrs. Schmitt comes downstairs to inform her son that his favorite uncle, Saul, is dying in hospice care and that now might be the only time to go say goodbye. Schmitt is quite distraught by the news and tells Nico how Saul always treated him much better than anyone else in the family. They decide to go visit Uncle Saul together.
Upon arriving at the hospice center, Schmitt learns that Saul is in end stage heart failure and probably doesn’t have much longer to live. Schmitt decides to come out to his uncle and introduces him to Nico. He tells his uncle that he is in love with Nico, and Saul immediately flatlines and dies. Schmitt can’t believe what he saw and thinks that he killed his uncle with his gayness, which causes the young doctor to spiral. He starts obsessing about Jewish tradition and feels that he can’t leave his uncle’s body until he is buried or the burden is passed on to someone else in the family. Schmitt is very happy when his Aunt Gerty, Saul’s wife, shows up, as she can take over the responsibility of sitting with her dead husband. Gerty informs Schmitt that she has no intention of staying with Saul’s body, as she really doesn’t care. It’s quite the odd encounter that leaves Schmitt and the audience confused.
Schmitt and Nico pass the time by playing some cards, as the hospice center is backed up with the number of people who passed away on that particular day. Out of nowhere, an older man walks into the room, sees Saul’s dead body, and starts crying. He starts saying that he didn’t know Saul had passed and he knows exactly who Schmitt is. The man also immediately knows that Nico is Schmitt’s boyfriend and reveals that Saul knew that Schmitt was gay because he too was gay. The man introduces himself as Daniel Schwartz, Saul’s longtime partner and love of his life. Schmitt is shocked at the reveal, especially when he finds out that Aunt Gerty knew her husband was gay all along too.
The three men sit with Saul, and Schmitt tells Daniel and Nico stories about his favorite memories with his uncle. Daniel says that he can teach Schmitt how to prepare Saul’s body following Jewish tradition, as Saul taught him what to do. Nico leaves the room, and Schmitt and Daniel don yaurmulkes while cleaning Saul’s body. The process is one of the strongest religious moments that Grey’s Anatomy has ever had, and it really is touching. Schmitt asks Daniel why Saul pretended not to be gay his whole life and married Gerty. Daniel explains that it was a different time and that Schmitt takes the freedom that he has for granted. He goes on to say that Saul was ashamed of himself for being gay and wouldn’t let himself be out and proud. Saul asked Gerty to pretend to be with him and get married, which she agreed to because they did care for each other. Daniel doesn’t think it was an accident that Schmitt was there at the end of Saul’s life because Saul would have wanted Schmitt to know that it’s okay that he is gay and that Schmitt has the freedom that he never gave himself. The men finish by covering Saul’s body in a sheet and saying a prayer.
Nico and Schmitt return to Schmitt’s house and start packing up his belongings. Mrs. Schmitt comes downstairs and wants to know what is going on. Schmitt informs her that Saul died and that he is moving out. He is not fine with the fact that his mother doesn’t accept him for who he is and he tells her that he can’t stand it anymore. Mrs. Schmitt accuses Nico of putting her son up to moving out. Nico says it was all Schmitt’s idea and that he agrees with everything his boyfriend said. The two take Schmitt’s possessions and leave his mother flabbergasted in the basement.
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