Ted Lasso, Rom-Coms, and Emotional Vulnerability

Why is it important that a show about men who play soccer did a rom-com homage?

Dickinson Behind-the-Scenes: An Interview With the Artisans

Meet the artists who brought the Apple TV+ series to life!

If You Like This, Watch That

Looking for a new TV series to watch? We recommend them based on your preference for musicals, ensemble shows, mysteries, and more!

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Jenn's Pick: If You Like This, Watch That! [Contributor: Jenn]


I feel like every year I write an article about how we’re in a season of peak TV. And the truth is that every year, I’m technically right — with more and more streaming services developing their own content in addition to cable networks continuing to create their own, peak TV is constant. With so much content available to consume, you might feel a little bit overwhelmed. Where do you even begin? 

I thought it would be helpful to create a little “if/then” guide for you: “If you like ___, then you might like _____.” The categories below feature mostly shows I haven’t discussed before or ones that are newer (though you can always check out lists of some of my 2022 favorites if you want discussions about how great Abbott Elementary and Mythic Quest are). 

So let’s dive in, shall we?

IF YOU LIKE ENSEMBLE SHOWS, WATCH …



Ghosts (CBS/Paramount+)

I have talked about Ghosts before but I feel like it’s important to reiterate just how fun this CBS show is and what a stellar ensemble cast it has. The tricky thing with ensemble shows is that some characters get left behind storytelling-wise. But Ghosts strikes a really intricate balance with a cast of 10 people — and most of them are the ghosts! 

The show manages to tell compelling, funny, character-based stories while depicting different combinations of characters each week. Whether we’re meeting Trevor’s parents, watching Sas have a love story, or joining Alberta on her quest to discover who killed her, each week of Ghosts is something different and fun. Everyone should be watching this charming series!


Grand Crew (Peacock)

A true ensemble, Grand Crew is a story about shenanigans and wine. I could stop right there and most of you would already be sold, but I’ll elaborate: this series is all about supporting your friends through career highs and lows, relationship disasters, family issues, and misunderstandings. And it also features wine! The whole cast is stellar and they all have their own specific comedic strengths, but for me personally it’s been really fun to see Nicole Byer and Echo Kellum play siblings. If you’re looking for your Happy Endings/Cougartown successor, this is the series for you!


The Bear (Hulu)

I really enjoyed The Bear when I binged it this past year. I wouldn’t classify it as a comedy (I know awards rules dictate that it is), but it’s a really powerful show about grief, pursuing your dreams, and complex familial — and coworking — dynamics. Jeremy Allen White is a fantastic lead who is dynamic and compelling and heartbreaking, but Ayo Edebiri as Sydney truly blew me away. What stands out most to me in shows is when they refuse to depict characters as flawless — The Bear is great at depicting characters’ flaws and complexities. It’s also an unexpectedly tense show that makes you feel on edge whenever there is a kitchen-related crisis. (Or maybe I just feel stressed whenever I see people rushing and struggling to complete a task in a certain timeframe, or witness their failings.)

The Bear will be back for a second season, so be sure you binge the first season on Hulu before it returns.


Loot (Apple TV+)

Talk about a show with an incredible ensemble: Maya Rudolph, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Nat Faxon, Joel Kim Booster, and Ron Funches lead the cast (with a recurring Adam Scott in an unlikable role!). Loot follows billionaire Molly who receives a massive settlement after her divorce and decides to invest it — and herself — in a charitable foundation she forgot she’d founded. The first season is so great, balancing individual stories and pairings with the overarching narrative of Molly trying to figure out who she is and become the best version of herself. 

I like that Loot is unafraid to make Molly unlikable or craft stories where she makes mistakes. The joy of it all is watching Molly slowly become passionate about the other people in her life and the foundation that she runs. Loot is a fantastic ensemble show that I wish more people watched. Catch up before the second season now! 

IF YOU LIKE ADAPTATIONS, WATCH …



Daisy Jones & the Six (Amazon Prime)

I read “Daisy Jones & the Six” in two days. Why, you ask? Because I knew the Amazon Prime series had just dropped and was already getting a serious case of FOMO. Even though there are a few things that the series changed from the book (and only one I didn’t care for), the TV version of Daisy Jones & the Six is so good and compelling. The show stars Riley Keough as the titular Daisy who joins a band and skyrockets to fame with them — only to have the band dissolve in a short period of time. 

Both the book and series are framed as a “behind the music” interview. And this leads to such a great exploration of memory and complex relationships. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll take center stage with dynamics between band members ranging from distrust and petty jealousy to affection and love. Daisy and Billy’s relationship is tumultuous and so captivating because of the chemistry between Claflin and Keough.

Even though Claflin did a great job playing a character who is often unlikable, making decisions that serve his own self-interest and desire for control at all costs, Keough is truly what sells the series to me. She depicts Daisy’s addiction with such vulnerability and raw power. Daisy Jones is a talent and a star, but there’s a part of her that is leaning on her alcohol and drugs in order to survive the voices in her head and the people in the world who don’t believe she is enough.

The music in the series is fantastic and catchy (I definitely downloaded most of the Aurora album), and I’d be truly surprised if the series didn’t get nominated for an award in some capacity this season.


The Last of Us (HBO Max)

I heard the buzz for The Last of Us, but knew relatively nothing about the series apart from the fact that Pedro Pascal was in it, it was adapted from the popular video game of the same name, and was being adapted by Craig Mazin (who I knew as a writer and actor from one of my favorite series, Mythic Quest). After consulting with trusted friends that this show was not too scary or gory for me, a 34-year-old baby, I checked it out. And I was hooked.

I knew I’d be hooked because of Pedro Pascal (what a dreamy man), but truly everyone in the series delivers: no one, perhaps, more than Bella Ramsey as Ellie. The quick recap is that a fungus-based (Cordyceps) apocalypse has destroyed the world as we know it. Once you’re infected with the fungus, it takes over your body, essentially using you as a host while you mutate into various forms. Except if you’re Ellie. Ellie is apparently immune. And that means she may be able to help find a cure. Enter the grumpy Joel (Pascal) who lost his daughter early on in this world-ending disaster and hasn’t been the same in the 20 years since. He desperately tries to not form an emotional attachment to Ellie, who he’s tasked to deliver to a group who is researching the cure, and ends up treating her like his surrogate daughter.

The world-building in The Last of Us is incredible. The scope of set and production design is immaculate, as well as the prosthetics and makeup on the infected/Clickers, etc. is impressive. But the storytelling is truly what makes this show top-tier. I knew from mass positivity that I’d love the episode “Long, Long Time” (and not just because it had Nick Offerman). And I did. I found the ability for the show to tell stories of love and tenderness and longing within such an intensely traumatic backdrop really inspiring. I can’t say enough good things about the show’s ability to craft character-centered content, so just go and check it out for yourself! You won’t be disappointed.

IF YOU LIKE THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF, WATCH …



The Big Brunch (HBO Max)

When I heard that Dan Levy was going to be hosting and judging a brunch-related show, I was immediately in. So if you’re looking for a charming, fun competition show... The Big Brunch is the one for you! I don’t know how much I really need to sell you on it (10 competitors battle it out by creating intricate brunch dishes) but it’s got incredible food and fun challenges. All the chefs are great and it made me want to go out to brunch. You’re welcome!


Selena + Chef (HBO Max)

Selena Gomez is a treasure and a delight. And in the midst of the pandemic, she created and starred in her own cooking show, Selena + Chef. It was a clever, wonderful concept to get us through social distancing: Selena wanted to learn how to cook and professional chefs sent her all the ingredients she’d need each episode to make a good meal. They’d video call into Selena’s house (where she was staying with her grandparents and roommates) and they’d walk her through how to cook the meal while they cooked it in their home. “Cooking a good meal together, apart” was pretty much the tagline and it was truly great.

Selena’s skills have improved so much over the course of the seasons, and we’ve gotten the chance to see so many amazing appetizers, entrees, and dessert recipes cooked on screen (available on the HBO Max website, by the way). Better still is that Selena donates money to the charity of the chef’s choice at the end of every episode.

Silly and fun, featuring hilarious appearances from Selena’s close friends and family, this is not a cooking competition show but it’s 100% worth watching anyway!


The Great Pottery Throw Down (HBO Max)

By the way, I didn’t intend for these all to be from HBO Max but here we are! From the same universe that brought you The Great British Bake Off comes a pottery competition show with the same spirit. I love watching shows where people practice skills that I don’t even remotely have (hence why I love dancing series). This show is exactly what it sounds like: competitors participate in two challenges each week just like The Great British Bake Off — a small challenge and then a “main make” which is the main challenge. The judges are so sweet and encouraging, the amateur potters are so supportive of one another. If someone finishes early, there’s a chance they’re helping other contestants. They truly become a little family and it’s precious. Get your happy tears out while watching this British competition series!

IF YOU LIKE MUSICALS, WATCH …



Schmigadoon! (Apple TV+)

If you’re even a casual lover of musical theatre and haven’t yet watched Schmigadoon!, please stop reading this article and immediately remedy that. The first season of the show is a star-studded affair — starring alongside leads Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key are Ariana DeBose, Kristin Chenoweth, Fred Armisen, Martin Short, Aaron Tveit, Ann Harada, Alan Cumming, Dove Cameron, Jane Krakowski, and Jaime Camil. The show follows a couple, played by Strong and Key, who are at a crossroads in their relationship and stumble into a small town stuck in a 1940s musical vibe.

There are parodies of The Music Man, The Sound of Music, Brigadoon, Oklahoma!, and many more in the first season. The second season takes the majority of the cast — while adding icons Tituss Burgess and Patrick Page — and transports them into the gritty “Schmicago” (of course parodying darker musicals like Chicago, Sweeney Todd, as well Hair and Godspell). The music is fantastic. The jokes are so layered and clever. The characters are nuanced. And truly it’s one of the best shows on TV that more people need to be watching.


Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies (Paramount+)

If you’re looking for fun musical camp, look no further than the new show on Paramount+ with a familiar title. Because while Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies will give viewers some little Easter eggs for fans of the initial film, original members of the Pink Ladies are front and center in the series. Four young women are outcasts at Rydell High and band together in order to find their own place in school and make a difference for people who are outsiders. 

There’s Jane (Marisa Davila) who is the studious “good girl” whose reputation is soured thanks to her ex-boyfriend and the high school rumor mill. Cheyenne Isabel Wells is Olivia who hangs with the T-Birds (her brother is a member) and has been shunned at school for an alleged affair. Speaking of the T-Birds, Ari Notartomaso (who does go by they/them/he when they are not playing their character) plays Cynthia. And Cynthia is desperate to be in the T-Birds gang but they shut her out because she’s a girl. Rounding out the Pink Ladies is Tricia Fukuhara playing Nancy — obsessed with fashion and dramatic and witty.

The show is, as I’ve alluded to, a musical. The songs are catchy and fun and it’s the kind of show bursting with fun energy and choreography, 1950s wardrobes and sets. It’s got a lot of representation and new, young talent which is refreshing to see. If you have Paramount+ and are looking for something to tap your foot along to, check out Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies!

IF YOU LIKE COMEDIES THAT WILL ALSO MAKE YOU CRY, WATCH …



Shrinking (Apple TV+)

There’s one comedy on TV right now that’s vying for Ted Lasso’s spot as a show that “claims to be a comedy but makes you cry a whole lot” and it’s the new series, Shrinking. Honestly it should be no surprise that this show gives you similar vibes as it’s co-created by Bill Lawrence, Brett Goldstein, and Jason Segel. 

Shrinking is a show about a therapist named Jimmy (Segel) who’s mourning the loss of his wife and making pretty unhealthy decisions due to the pain of that loss. He’s stopped parenting his daughter, Alice (Lukita Maxwell), leaving his neighbor Liz (Christa Miller) to pick up the slack. He gets frustrated with his clients one particular day and gives them impulsive advice — which seems to actually help a client who he couldn’t get through to before. This leads Jimmy to believe that he needs to rethink his approach to his clients. Not everyone is thrilled with this idea, especially Jimmy’s curmudgeonly mentor Paul (Harrison Ford). Meanwhile Jimmy’s friend and therapist colleague Gaby (Jessica Williams) is also navigating her own divorce and clients.

The reason that Shrinking is so wonderful is because it combines everything that I have come to know and love about a Bill Lawrence show (silly comedy and zany moments, with some of the absolute best occurring between Jessica Williams and Harrison Ford) while also incorporating some bite (Jimmy is wholly unlikable on many occasions! Characters are mean and things don’t get resolved neatly in the next episode! Grief is depicted as all kinds of things and not just sadness!) and some unexpected twists.

Honestly, I hope every actor in this cast is up for an Emmy nomination this year. Everything about the first season worked for me, and I look forward to seeing how the show plays out in season two!


Trying (Apple TV+)

I’ve talked about Trying and I will keep yelling about it until more people I know watch this Apple TV+ gem. A British comedy, Trying is about a couple: Nikki (Esther Smith) and Jason (Rafe Spall) who want to have kids but can’t. Thus begins their journey to adoption. Along the way they face personal and professional hurdles, deal with their wacky family and close friends, and discover what it means to be parents.

Honestly, it’s a comedy that made me cry multiple times. It’s heartwarming and sweet, hilarious and just the perfect antidote to bleak shows (some of which you’ll find on this list). If you want something that will make you feel hopeful and remind you of the idea that family is what you make it, watch Trying now!

IF YOU LIKE SOLVING MYSTERIES, WATCH …



You (Netflix)

Look, You is one of those shows I binge watched so I could keep up with internet discourse. At its best, it’s an interesting look on things like class systems, obsessions, and power. At its worst, it’s just a hot mess. But sometimes that’s exactly what you need to watch in order to pass the time. Season four of You was something else. The audience spent half the season convinced they knew what was happening, only to have their perceptions shattered by reality. Penn Badgley was working overtime to bring the most unhinged parts of Joe to life. And he really delivered on that. This season’s first half was more like a mystery than others which was fun to explore because it put Joe in the unprecedented situation of being the “mouse” in a cat and mouse game.

For those who are unaware of the premise, You is about Joe Goldberg (Badgley) who... well, he’s a serial killer. But he wouldn’t categorize himself that way at all. He’d tell you he’s a book-loving hopeless romantic who just happens to get himself wrapped up in the worst situations with no way out. Oh, and he narrates the entire series. Season one is fine, but seasons two and three get to showcase Joe delivering more sarcastic monologues (and playing opposite powerhouse Victoria Pedretti helps bolster those seasons in my opinion). You is dark, but it’s at its best when it doesn’t stray too far into unbelievable, convoluted territory.

This season’s ending (and the reveal that the next will be the show’s last) made a vast majority of us question exactly where the show could go and it’ll definitely be interesting to see how the series wraps up.


Poker Face (Peacock)

I was talking to our podcasting friend Gavin (from The Mixed Reviews) a while back and he described the difference between a “whodunnit” and a “howcatchem” (the latter of which I didn’t realize was a genre). Of course, a “whodunnit” is a story that many of us are familiar with because it’s been serialized a million times over: a crime happens, and we spend the rest of the TV/movie with the characters as they (and we) try to figure out who the perpetrator is. 

But with a “howcatchem,” like Poker Face, the audience already knows who committed the crime at the top of the episode. We see the perpetrator(s) commit the act, and then we spend the rest of the episode alongside Charlie (Natasha Lyonne) as she solves the crime. You might ask, “What’s the allure of that kind of story?” And I’d tell you, “Uncovering the missing components and watching someone piece it all together.”

Poker Face is a brilliant series from Rian Johnson (you know him from Star Wars and/or Knives Out fame) that follows Charlie, a human lie detector, who is on the run across the country from a casino boss. Along the way, she encounters various people she connects with and takes a variety of jobs — all which, of course, lead her to have to solve some mysterious deaths. Charlie can’t just let something go if it sits wrong in her gut, and that’s the crux of the series in a nutshell.

Dramatic, silly, funny, suspenseful, and featuring an incredible line-up of guest stars (Hong Chau, Judith Light,  S. Epatha Merkerson, Tim Meadows, Luis Guzmán, Joseph-Gordon Levitt, David Castañeda, Clea Duvall, and Rhea Perlman among others), Poker Face is totally worth your watch. I can’t wait to see where the show goes in season two!


Mrs. Davis (Peacock)

Even if I wanted to spoil the new, wild sci-fi series Mrs. Davis for you, I don’t know that most of you would believe me. I checked it out because I love the two leads: Betty Gilpin (justice for GLOW, always) and Jake McDorman (I loved him in Greek and Limitless, so why isn’t he in all my TV content?!). The show looked weird, so I wasn’t sure how long I would be able to stick around. As it turns out, the show is VERY weird but also the exact kind of weird that I like. It’s quirky and silly, campy and fun, dramatic and showcases the actors’ wide-ranging talents. It’s religious while being interesting and not preachy, and it’s futuristic while also being pretty dang relatable.

The quick summary is: A nun (Gilpin) sets out to confront an all-knowing AI known as “Mrs. Davis” and destroy it while also being tasked to find the Holy Grail. (If the summary sounds weird, it might also behoove me to inform you that Damon Lindelof is one of the creators.)

I love Mrs. Davis already though. It’s so compelling, so engaging, and definitely leaves you yelling: “WTF?!” at your screen. In my book, that’s fodder for some great television.


Outer Banks (Netflix)

The best way I can describe Outer Banks is “fun, but totally unhinged; suspend your disbelief at the door.” And every season that seems to get more and more accurate. At its core, it’s a mystery, teen drama. Following two distinct social classes in the titular location in North Carolina, Outer Banks is a story about John B. (Chase Stokes) whose father disappeared. As he and his friends JJ (Rudy Pankow), Pope (Jonathan Daviss), Kie (Madison Bailey), along with his John B.’s girlfriend Sarah Cameron (Madelyn Cline) dig deeper into Big John’s disappearance, they realize that he’s connected to a treasure — and something way bigger than themselves.

The show is a bit bonkers but a whole lot of fun. Nearly every episode ends with you wondering how the teens will get out of the mess they’re in and survive. But what I do enjoy about the show (even though it’s frustrating) is that the teens don’t get neat little bows on their stories where they win every season. They win some fights, they lose some others. And that’s just realistic: especially when they’re going up against wealthy, ruthless residents of the island like Wade Cameron (Charles Esten) and his son Rafe (Drew Starkey) who hold all the power, control the narrative, and can buy out anyone who would oppose them.

But if you’re into a teen-centric treasure hunting show that features a lot of mysteries (the biggest among them is: “How bad do these kids smell if they’re running around North Carolina in the summer without changing their clothes?”), social class dynamics, teen romance, and action sequences, then Outer Banks is the show for you!

I hope that you found some use in these recommendations, folks! Happy viewing! 

Saturday, April 22, 2023

Grey’s Anatomy 19x14 & 19x15 Recaps: “Shadow of Your Love” and “Mama Who Bore Me” (Goodbye, Maggie!) [Contributor: Julia Siegel]


“Shadow of Your Love” & “Mama Who Bore Me”
Original Airdate: April 13, 2023

After nine years, Maggie Pierce is scrubbing out of Grey Sloan Memorial for a fresh start in Chicago. The wunderkind cardiothoracic surgeon will be heading a research project in the Windy City, and she will be leaving husband Winston behind in Seattle. If you are sad about Maggie leaving, she will be back for the season finale in a few weeks. In the meantime, let’s say goodbye to a long-term character with a proper two-hour sendoff. 

LAST DAY SURPRISE

The day starts with Maggie finishing packing up her home, but she has left her wedding photo on an end table. When she looks at the photo, she sighs. Winston is jogging around the hospital probably to distract himself, and Richard is perplexed when he sees Winston running through the parking lot. Kai takes an earlier flight to Seattle and knocks on Amelia’s apartment door. Amelia is excited to see Kai and happily announces she took the day off.

When Simone and Lucas get to work, they see a flier slandering Bailey on a car. Simone rips it off, and the scene cuts to Ben, Bailey, and Pru arriving at the hospital. Ben wants Bailey to change her cell phone number and email address now that her private information is out in the open. Bailey doesn’t want to since she’s only ever had one phone number. She gets another random call, which furthers Ben’s point that things will only continue to get worse. Bailey thinks Ben wants to move, and he reveals he would like them to get an Airbnb for six months until things calm down. Bailey shuts him down by saying it will blow over and she will have an intern babysit her phone.

Blue finds Mika sleeping on a bench in the intern lounge, and she says she worked the closing shift at Joe’s Bar. Simone and Lucas come in and are excited for their cake tasting that evening. The interns are aware that it is Maggie’s last day, and Mika tells them she heard at the bar that Winston is staying in Seattle. Jules goes on a rant about not liking marriage, which Simone isn’t thrilled about.

Teddy and Owen get in an elevator when they arrive at Grey Sloan Memorial, and Jo and Link pop into the same elevator. Jo is happy to tell her bestie that she got them a reservation at a pizza place that Link has been wanting to go to because she thought they could use a night out. Teddy can’t believe how weird Jo and Link are acting and when they leave the elevator, she tells Owen that the pair needs to get a room. Owen doesn’t know what she is talking about, so Teddy tells him that Jo and Link “basically just had sex in front of us.”

After that funny moment, we get to meet two patients. First, Mika and Lucas arrive at an ambulance with a patient named William in it. William tried to mail himself to his girlfriend in Florida and got hurt when the box imploded on a conveyor belt. Next, two women named Viv and Nola come into the lobby and run into Jules and Simone. Viv states they want to speak to Maggie and won’t leave until they do because Nola has a giant tumor crushing her heart. They drove 400 miles to Grey Sloan Memorial and want to be seen immediately even though they don’t have an appointment.

Richard finds Maggie packing in a lounge and wants to talk. Maggie knows her move is happening fast, but she got a huge opportunity. Richard thought the hospital meant more to her than a stepping stone for her career. He gives a speech about how in his day, doctors worked where they did their fellowship until they retired out of loyalty. Richard doesn’t get her lack of loyalty when she has started her research in Seattle. Maggie knows he is upset, but she gets interrupted by Viv paging her over the hospital’s intercom. When she makes it to the lobby, Maggie is bombarded by Viv, who presses Nola’s scans on her phone to the doctor’s face. Maggie asks the interns to bring Nola and Viv upstairs for a consult. Jules tells Maggie she thought she was leaving, and Maggie replies that she will push her flight. Maggie also tells the young doctor to listen to her patient next time before calling security.

BECOMING A MAN

Richard, Schmitt, and Blue are working together for the day, and they are looking after a long-time patient of Richard’s. Grayson is a thirteen year old suffering from ulcerative colitis. He landed back in the hospital after having lots of pain and collapsing in the bathroom. Grayson is hoping to avoid surgery and losing part of his colon, and Richard wants to order tests and give him some pain medication to make the boy more comfortable before making any decisions on further treatment. After they leave the room, Schmitt asks Richard if they can find a time to talk about fellowships and attending positions. Richard is perplexed as to why Schmitt hasn’t applied for fellowships yet and sternly tells the chief resident to get his act together. 

Elsewhere, Viv is extremely excited to meet Maggie and practically fangirls out. Simone and Jules are helping Maggie tend to Nola, who we learn has a tumor growing alongside her heart and vasculature. The tricky placement has led every heart surgeon in the Pacific Northwest to not want to operate according to Nola and Viv. Nola is having a hard time breathing as well. Viv and Nola tell the doctors that they have been friends since elementary school and are also in a band together. They are each other’s ride or die, and it’s nice to see that kind of friendship on-screen. Maggie orders new scans to see Nola’s current condition.

Back in the ER, William tells his team of doctors (Link, Teddy, Owen, Lucas, and Mika) that he thought it would be a grand romantic gesture to mail himself to his girlfriend, Rose. After the attendings leave, Teddy quips that the lesson is that romance can be fatal. She jokes about Link and Jo being an item, which Link immediately refutes by saying they are only friends. Teddy replies, “Yeah, friends that slept together.” Owen didn’t know that info, and Link isn’t sure how Teddy knew.

While Grayson gets a scan, Blue asks Schmitt how he doesn’t know which specialty he wants to choose. Schmitt thinks the combination of the pandemic and the residency program being shut down threw him off course. Grayson complains that the room is too hot and dark, so Schmitt suggests humming or singing as a distraction. He starts chanting Hebrew verses from the Torah, which leads Schmitt to realize Grayson is studying for his bar mitzvah. Unfortunately, the scans show the teen has severe colitis.

Over at Amelia’s apartment, Kai is cooking and asks her host to go for a walk to talk after eating. Kai’s meal reminds Amelia that there won’t be Sunday dinners with Mer and Maggie anymore. She complains that Maggie cooks those meals and gives her enough leftovers to last her through half a week, so now she won’t have food. Amelia discusses her history of spiraling when people leave and how she pulls away from people she loves, starts fights, and can’t sleep. Kai knows Amelia loves her sisters and that it is a big change. They affirm that it is okay to be sad, and Amelia says she isn’t sad with Kai around.

Back at Grey Sloan Memorial, Bailey finds Mika and orders the intern to watch her cell phone under strict instructions to not answer unless the caller ID is Ben or a Grey Sloan Memorial number. Lucas sees the ordeal and tells Mika that if she doesn’t screw it up, she can watch Bailey’s tablet next. His joke will come back to bite him in the second hour. Over in Grayson’s room, Richard tells his patient that he hasn’t been taking his medications. Grayson assures the doctors he does take them, but Richard reveals his urine results say otherwise. The teen admits to stopping his medications because the pills made him tired, gave him dry eyes, and even caused him to faint. Richard starts yelling at Grayson for not following instructions and making bad decisions that have now led him to needing surgery. Richard’s behavior is unwarranted, even though it does get his point across. Grayson begs to not have surgery. Blue follows in Richard’s steps and tells Grayson the truth about his situation and treats him like an adult.

UNPOPULAR OPINIONS

Owen and Link are looking at William’s X-rays on a computer, but the latter keeps getting distracted by texting with Jo. They find William has a broken arm and a busted spleen, but Link isn’t paying much attention. He can't make a move on Jo because he isn’t sure she feels the same way. Owen has no opinion, especially because the last person he talked to about relationship advice was Winston, and now Maggie is moving across the country. 

In Nola’s room, Simone and Jules question why Viv is the patient’s only emergency contact. Viv says they are platonic soulmates. When the interns leave the room, Simone goes on a rant about why Jules has a problem with marriage. She is insulted since she is about to get married herself. Jules assures Simone that she doesn’t care what her choice is, and then Nola starts crashing. Maggie arrives to help, as the interns start bagging her. The attending determines Nola has cardiac tamponade from the tumor causing fluid around her heart. They need to relieve the pressure with a needle, and Maggie lets Simone do the procedure while guiding her through it. Simone gets the fluid out, so Nola stabilizes. Maggie knows the fluid will build up again, so she transfers Nola to the CCU and pages Winston for backup.

Downstairs, William hears Bailey’s phone buzzing in Mika’s pocket while he is being transported to the OR. He thinks Rose is calling, which is quite funny. Mika picks up the phone and yells at the person on the other line for harassing her. Turns out, it is Bailey’s optometrist calling to inform her that Tuck’s new glasses are ready to be picked up. Elsewhere, Schmitt checks in on Grayson, who wants to know if Richard will still be his doctor after yelling at him. Schmitt says, “Of course!” Grayson reveals he is being bullied at school. Schmitt comforts him by saying he tried to be normal for a while, but he wound up liking himself a lot more when he stopped. Grayson decides he is ready to have the surgery after connecting with Schmitt.

Maggie is looking at Nola’s scans in a room when Winston arrives to assist on the case. He is surprised Maggie is still there, and she says she pushed her flight until the following day and quips that she is still his boss until the end of the day. She knows they don’t have a lot of time to fix Nola’s heart, and Winston notices on the scans that the tumor is shaped like a heart. Maggie is concerned about the tumor being too close to the arteries. Winston suggests an aggressive approach, and Maggie counters that they could use a bovine patch. He agrees that could yield lower margins, and they decide to go with Maggie’s plan. She wants the surgery to be just the two of them without interns to help.

SUPPORT SYSTEM

At home, Amelia and Kai lie in bed with the former crying from the start of her spiral. Amelia is sorry that she is “crying like someone died” when they hardly see each other, but she is glad Kai is there. She continues to say that she has hidden parts of herself in every relationship and is happy to be her whole self in this one. Kai pumps up Amelia’s spirits by listing all the great things she is, like a badass surgeon, amazing mom, loving sister, devoted friend, tackling her sobriety, and being an inspiration. Kai feels Amelia is a queen, not a queen of spirals.

In the OR gallery, Jules and Simone watch Nola’s surgery. Simone talks about married female surgeons who have great careers, and Jules moves over a few seats to avoid the conversation. Down below, Maggie and Winston remove the whole tumor, which makes Nola crash. As her blood pressure soars, Jules asks over the intercom why they aren’t doing anything. Nola’s blood pressure stabilizes, and Winston explains that Nola’s heart wasn’t used to all the space in her chest without the tumor and had to stabilize itself. Maggie and Winston move onto the second stage of the surgery: putting Nola on bypass so they can reconstruct her chest. 

William’s surgery also goes well, and the doctors feel he will fully recover. After the surgery, the whole team gives William the good news. William is bummed because Rose dumped him after hearing what he did. He thought she was the love of his life. Owen tells the story of how he and Teddy were friends before getting married. It took years to get together, but he knew when they met that he wanted her in his life. William wants to know what took them so long to get together, and Owen replies that their timing was never right, but their friendship outlasted all their separate relationships. One day, Owen realized Teddy was the one when she was constantly popping into his mind, so he hopped on a plane to Germany and told her how he felt. Owen tells William that if he knows he wants Rose in his life, then he should try again. After hearing Owen’s story, William doesn’t believe Rose is the one for him anymore. Teddy overhears the whole thing from outside the room and smiles, while Link excuses himself and runs out.

Back in the OR, Grayson’s surgery isn’t going well because his whole colon is inflamed. Richard is upset because they had Grayson’s disease under control for years. Blue chastises the kid’s decision making skills, and Schmitt asks him if he remembers what it was like being thirteen and assures the younger doctor that Grayson knows how stupid he was. Schmitt continues to say that no teen listens to their parents and Grayson has spent a whole year working his butt off to become a man. He tells Blue that being a good doctor, parent, or mentor means listening to what the other person needs. In the other OR, Winston no longer thinks the bovine patch will work, so comes up with an idea to use part of an artery from Nola’s body. Maggie thinks they can do it and knows they are Nola’s only option. They get to work, and Winston’s plan is a success. The gallery and OR staff clap when the surgery is complete.

Elsewhere, Mika complains to Lucas about watching Bailey’s phone. She wants Lucas to throw it in the toilet, and when it vibrates one too many times, Lucas takes it and throws it in a garbage can. They are relieved until the phone rings again and vibrates louder in the metal can. Mika retrieves it right as Bailey arrives. With a shocked look on her face, Bailey asks, “What on Earth are you doing?” Mika asks Bailey to turn her phone off, and when she takes the phone back, Bailey sees that she has 248 missed calls in a few short hours.

Maggie and Winston go to the waiting room to tell Viv that Nola is alive and in the ICU. They explain that she will have a long recovery and the whole tumor was removed. Viv thought Nola was dead and knew Maggie was the person to help. For the first time, Maggie quickly says that it was teamwork and she couldn’t have done it without Winston. It might be a little too late to give him the credit he deserves, but it’s nice to see Maggie grow and realize she was wrong.

Richard examines Grayson after his surgery. The teen didn’t think it would be a big deal to skip taking his medications. Richard has calmed down and reflects on remembering Grayson’s diagnosis like it was yesterday. They reminisce about the boy being worried about missing ice cream cake at school the first time they met, and Richard says he looks forward to seeing what is next for him. He asks Grayson to not make decisions that put his future at risk because it is frustrating for those who care about him. Richard also apologizes for appearing mad earlier because he isn’t mad. Grayson also apologizes, and Richard wants him to tell him if anything is off once he is healed that way they can solve it together.

Owen finds Teddy in an elevator at the end of the night. She believes that Owen really went for his two favorite things in his speech to William: proving her wrong and getting laid. Owen claims he was only trying to help his patient, and then coyly asked if his speech worked. Teddy asks him if he saw Link’s reaction as proof. Owen knows that, but wants to know if the second part of Teddy’s belief worked. Teddy replies that his mom is watching the kids for the night, so they leave the hospital together for some alone time. At the end of the night, Simone continues to go on about married female surgeons to Jules to prove that marriage isn’t a distraction. She does, however, think that the wedding itself is a big pain because she has no time in her schedule for planning or getting dress measurements. Jules decides to take the measurements for her, and Simone is thankful for the help and says she owes Jules a drink.

Link has decided to tell Jo how he feels and practices a speech out loud at home. He muses that he should have written a song instead. Jo calls him crying about something being wrong with Luna. The daycare workers think Luna has a problem with her hearing and needs to be checked out. Link says he will come to her, but Jo tells him to stay since they are heading home. When he gets off the phone, the camera pans out to show Link had set up a romantic table spread with lots of candles and flower arrangements. The shot turns to show the whole apartment is filled with candles and flowers. Link decides to clear the beautiful display and puts all the flowers in a garbage bag, as he must think it isn’t the right time when Jo is so upset. It was a lovely scene that quickly turned south, and everyone wants to give Link a hug.

Back at Grey Sloan Memorial, Bailey has Pru in a stroller, and Ben picks them up in the lobby. Bailey declares they are not going home because she has gotten them a rental. A photo of Tuck at school was sent to her phone and that same number called her 40 times that day, which changed her mind: she agrees with Ben about their safety issue. She wants to take the kids out of school for a few days and change her phone number and email address. In another display of support, the interns sample wedding cakes together while sitting on gurneys.

Maggie walks out of the hospital, and Winston stops her to talk. He says she picked a good way to go out, and Maggie replies that she couldn’t have done it without him, nor would she have figured out a lot of things in life without him. She says that he challenges and inspires her and she also loves his surgical skills. They go back home together, make out, and have one last tryst before she leaves.

Meanwhile, Kai and Amelia are in bed. They both had a great day, and Amelia asks Kai not to go back to Minnesota. Kai replies that they aren’t because they have been offered the opportunity to open and run a lab in London with triple the staff they currently have. They wanted to tell Amelia earlier, but waited since Amelia was so sad. Kai has already accepted the offer and is going, which makes Amelia cry to end the first hour.

LAST DAY... FOR REAL, THIS TIME

The second hour opens the following morning with Winston waking up before Maggie and getting out of bed. Maggie provides this episode’s voiceover instead of Mer, which is a nice touch. Over at the intern house, Lucas got up early and made breakfast for himself and Simone, which impresses her. Mika flies into the kitchen to declare it’s time to leave for work. Amelia and Kai arrive at the hospital, and Kai reiterates that they have been offered an incredible opportunity. They feel that they should leave based on Amelia’s attitude. Amelia replies that she is feeling abandoned and will still let Kai use the lab at Grey Sloan Memorial for the day.

The scene cuts back to Winston and Maggie’s place, where Winston has made coffee for them. Maggie wakes up and says she misses their bed. Winston talks about how they work in sync, communicate well, know what each other needs, and work great together when they are in the OR together. Maggie thinks they should be able to do all that outside the OR all the time too. She finally asks Winston to come with her to Chicago, where they can find a marriage counselor and a job for him. Winston doesn’t want her to get him a job. He is earning respect in Seattle and doesn’t want her to go. He believes they still have enough good between them to fight for their marriage, so he proposes that Maggie stays in Seattle and fight for their relationship. Maggie reiterates that she has the opportunity of a lifetime. Winston says he is steady and committed because he has worked hard to not be like his father. He argues that Maggie’s birth mom is Ellis Grey, so her genius is baked into Maggie and other opportunities will arise. He thinks Maggie also has to work hard to not be like her mother. He hopes Maggie will stay and leaves her to her thoughts. 

Teddy arrives at work and sees Bailey and Pru in the lounge. Bailey tells Teddy that she got her family settled in a rental property for the time being. Teddy says she has upped the amount of security in daycare too. Bailey has decided to take Pru out of daycare due to the increased risk and will take her adorable daughter on rounds with her.

Outside at the coffee cart, Blue tells Jules that she looks terrible, and Jules responds that she hasn’t slept for two days. Blue wants out of pediatrics because he is tired of babysitting. When he gets paged to the pit, Blue leaves the line and practically runs into Amelia and Maggie, who are walking towards the cart. Maggie tells Amelia that Winston called her Ellis, but not in a mean way, and that he asked her to stay. Amelia doesn’t get how being called Ellis isn’t starting a war. She thinks she is like Winston and Kai is Maggie right now, so she doesn’t know whose side to be on. Amelia reveals Kai’s big move and is extra upset because Kai’s visit made her fall even more in love with them. Maggie thinks she might have done the same thing to Winston last night. Amelia rambles about wanting to matter and not being able to go to London since she has Scout. Maggie wants to know if Winston thinks she is cold like Ellis, and Amelia assures her that she’s the opposite and not like Ellis. Maggie wants to know if Amelia can give Kai the same support she is giving her, but Amelia doesn’t think she is capable of it. In an emotional moment, Amelia tells Maggie to go and be happy. As they hug, Amelia is clearly as emotional as the audience is when seeing the love these two sisters have for each other.

At Grey Sloan Memorial, Owen and Mika wait in the ambulance bay for an incoming trauma. He notices Mika has two different shoes on, which are also untied. The ambulance arrives with their new patient, Lindsey, who fell in the shower. They page Amelia due to a prior cervical fracture, which the paramedics think may have happened again. In the clinic, Simone and Lucas examine their female patient, Toby. She has lost sensation in her arm for her last few menstrual cycles and now has discharge from her nipple. Simone asks Lucas to get her a pen light as an excuse to get him out of the room to make Toby more comfortable. Toby thanks her and says she also switched birth control pills a few months ago. She can’t have leakage when trying to make a name for herself as a young lawyer, and Simone is sympathetic and wants to help.

Winston and Jules check in on Nola and find that Viv stayed by her friend’s side all night. Nola’s labs and vitals look great, so Winston thinks she can get out of the ICU today. Viv wants to know where Maggie is, so Winston explains that she is leaving tonight and Nola is in excellent hands. Nola wakes up and can’t talk, which causes Viv to freak out.

NEW STRUGGLES

Owen, Amelia, and Jules put Lindsey in a halo to stabilize her neck. X-rays show that the fall caused the metal from her previous spinal fusion to compress her C1 and C2 vertebrae at the top of her neck. Lindsey talks about her connective tissue disorder, which has caused bad injuries in the past. Amelia thinks the traction should keep Lindsey’s neck stable for the time being. Lindsey’s brother, Carlton, runs into the trauma room and wants to be added to her HIPAA forms since he is her primary caretaker. She tells him that she slipped in the shower, and Carlton is mad since she is supposed to sit while showering. Amelia orders a full spinal CT scan.

Upstairs, Nola has a massive blood clot around her jugular vein that needs to be fixed immediately. Winston and Jules don’t have time to get her to the OR, so they have to do the procedure in the ICU. He kicks Viv out of the room. They find that the anastomosis is leaking, so Winston cuts into Nola’s neck and rips the clot out. With it removed, it is now safe to bring Nola to the OR.

Downstairs, Bailey assigns Lucas to babysit Pru and get her a snack in the cafeteria. She tells him that Pru is not allowed to have candy, and he needs to ask Schmitt for work that doesn’t involve patients. Bailey declares that since Lucas is a Shepherd, he should know how to keep one girl out of trouble for a few hours since he is from a large family. Pru walks right over to Lucas and grabs his hand with a big smile on his face. Lucas reluctantly agrees to babysit.

It’s a pleasant surprise when Catherine walks into Richard’s office. She is at the hospital for some routine labs, but she doesn’t want Richard to go with her. Richard is upset that he hasn’t talked to Maggie since their pseudo-fight, and he hopes she doesn’t leave without saying goodbye. Catherine assures her husband that his daughter will come around because she is family.

Schmitt checks in on Grayson, who is tired of eating broth and wants real food. His cousins are arriving in Seattle for a visit, as today was supposed to be Grayson’s bar mitzvah. His parents try to tell him it is okay that they have to reschedule and leave to pick up the family members at the airport. Then, Jo brings Luna to the hospital for an audiology appointment. Jo starts to freak out, and Link shows up right on cue for support. Jo is surprised, and Link says he moved his consult to be there for her.

Amelia, Owen, and Mika do a CT scan on Lindsey, and Amelia explains that bone spurs can sometimes occur after healing from spinal fusion. They discuss how Lindsey’s connective tissue disorder presents differently in every patient. The scans reveal that Lindsey is allergic to the metal that was used to originally stabilize her spine, which means they can’t do a normal spinal fusion as planned.

BRIGHT EYES

Schmitt has come up with a great idea to help Grayson, and Blue tags along to present it to Teddy. They ask the chief of surgery if they can throw Grayson’s bar mitzvah in the hospital chapel and lobby, which they will set up themselves. Schmitt uses the argument that Greyson’s great-grandfather is visiting and won’t be in town for long, so it is perfect timing to keep the ceremony on the same day it was originally planned. Teddy agrees, which excites Schmitt.

Lucas and Pru find Simone after getting some brownies. They are surprised Maggie is at work when she isn’t supposed to be. Simone tells Maggie about Toby and how she thinks she found a lump. Maggie instructs the intern to get a biopsy. Another intern gets a mentoring lesson when Winston teaches Jules how to fix Nola in the OR. Jules is unsure how the clot happened, so Winston explains that any sudden increase in pressure could cause the anastomosis to burst open even if they did everything perfectly. He allows Jules to sew the graft and instructs her to use small, evenly spaced stitches.

Amelia finds Kai in the lab and asks if they can pretend everything is fine between them for a minute. She brings Kai to see Lindsey after they come up with a brilliant plan. They tell Lindsey that they want to 3D print a new piece of “bone” out of stem cells to stabilize her neck and allow her to move again. The cutting-edge neurosurgery is essentially making a piece of coral to fuse the vertebrae. Carlton thinks the procedure is too risky. Lindsey explains that she fell while shaving her legs when she bent over the wrong way. She had a date, which is why she was standing to shave. She doesn’t want to constantly be reminded of her disability anymore by Carlton and tells the doctors to do the surgery.

Lucas helps Blue and Schmitt set up Greyson’s bar mitzvah in the lobby. Mika passes through, and Schmitt asks her to help too. He is looking for a DJ in the hospital. Mika brags about her surgery with Amelia and Kai and goes to take a 20 minute power nap while Lindsey’s new vertebra is printing. In the audiology waiting room, Jo is worried that Luna has a tumor, virus, or worse. Link assures her it will be fine and doesn’t want her to panic. He suggests taking it one step at a time. Jo asks Link to come in for the appointment when Luna is called back.

MENTORS

Maggie helps guide Simone through Toby’s biopsy and lets the intern do the entire procedure. Maggie thinks the lump is suspicious based on the ultrasound, but wants to see what the labs say. Toby says that breast cancer is not in her life plan and doesn’t know how this is happening when she goes to the doctor regularly. Maggie assures Toby that the lump is small and might have been missed at her last exam. She also tells the patient that loving her job is a beautiful thing that makes her passionate. Maggie says Toby is not wrong for that and is not being punished because she has lots of options. She knows Toby has a good chance when finding something early, so she will be okay. After leaving the room, Simone tells Maggie that if it is cancer, she can’t be the one to tell Toby. Maggie encourages Simone that she can do the tough task because she connects with patients, which makes them trust her. Maggie tells Simone how her mom died of breast cancer and that she’s really missing her right now. She hopes she is doing her mom proud, and Simone replies that Maggie is one of the best teachers she has ever had and hopes to learn from her again. 

Elsewhere, Owen tells Kai that Lindsey is lucky to have them in town when she fell. Amelia and Kai disagree about their patient being oppressed by love, which is really just a conversation about their own relationship. In the lobby, Schmitt puts up a sign that says, “It’s a boy!” Lucas “loses” Pru and freaks out, but he doesn’t see the toddler hiding behind a desk in the lobby. Owen comes to the lobby to find Mika, and Blue lies about not knowing where she is. He says he can scrub in if Owen is looking for an intern and goes to operate.

Winston and Jules tell Viv that Nola is okay and will remain in the ICU. Viv thanks them for saving Nola twice. Jules is glad Winston is staying and wants to be on his service a lot to learn from him. We then see Maggie walk into Richard’s office while yelling about not apologizing for being ambitious. However, he is not there, and she finds Catherine there instead. Maggie talks about Winston calling her Ellis, and Catherine reveals she didn’t really know Maggie’s birth mom. Catherine recounts that Ellis didn’t have enough time for friendships or comradery, but she did save a lot of lives. She knows that Maggie is more than Ellis’ pure ambition and lists all the great qualities about her step-daughter, which Maggie realizes she got from Richard. Catherine tells Maggie that there isn’t a day that goes by where Richard doesn’t think that he and Ellis could have overcome their fears and been together. Maggie wishes she had known Richard longer as her animosity washes away.

Schmitt goes back to Greyson’s room, where the teen asks for solid food again. The chief resident has something better for him and says that since all his family is there, they shouldn’t postpone Greyson’s bar mitzvah and will throw it at the hospital. Greyson shoots down the idea instantly, which dismays Schmitt.

MISSING OUT

Mika’s alarm goes off while she is sleeping in an on-call room, and she runs off toward the operating wing. In the OR, Owen asks Amelia if she is ready for the fusion. He knows she is angry and doesn’t want it to affect their patient. Amelia tells Owen and Blue about Kai leaving, and Owen spots Mika scrubbing in while she is talking. He slightly shakes his head at her to silently tell her not to join them. I feel bad for Mika, but she is causing her own problems by burning the candle at both ends.

Unfortunately, Simone tells Toby that the biopsy shows that she has breast cancer. Toby doesn’t know what to do, and Simone tells her that there are options and she knows what to do. While Toby cries, Maggie watches from outside as Simone stays with her patient. Luna’s appointment doesn’t go much better. The audiologist mistakes Link and Jo for a married couple. She explains that premature babies have an increased risk of later complications and thinks that Luna has progressive hearing loss. She wants to run another test, but Jo zones out with tears in her eyes and doesn’t hear everything that is being said.

Greyson argues with Schmitt about his bar mitzvah. He wanted to show his family and friends how proud he is to be Jewish and doesn’t feel like he can do it in the hospital. Schmitt tells him things can’t always happen the way you want them to, which is also part of becoming a man. He suggests Greyson have a joint bar mitzvah with his great-grandfather, who didn’t get to do his bar mitzvah as a boy in Germany. Greyson likes the idea, and they go to the hospital’s chapel. We get a great montage of the double bar mitzvah, where Greyson and his great-grandfather both do readings. All of Greyson’s family and friends are in attendance, as is Schmitt.

At night outside the hospital, Maggie tells Winston she heard Nola is doing well. Winston recalls crushing it in the OR today and wishes Maggie was there to see it. She tells Winston that he has nothing to prove to her. Maggie goes on to say that she thought about everything he said and realized that Ellis staying with her husband made her bitter. Ellis was ambitious beforehand, but became cold when she stayed in Seattle, which made everyone miserable. She says her adopted mom did the same thing. Neither mom followed their hearts or guts and didn’t bet on themselves. They stayed for peace and to make others happy. Maggie’s heart is in her work, which doesn’t make her cold. She also admits that she doesn’t think Winston is a coward and that she believes they did the best they could and neither is to blame for things falling apart. She says, “I love you, but I have to go.” Winston nods and says that he loves her too, but he has to stay. They hold hands in resolve to cap the tender reconciliation. 

SEE YOU SOON, MAGGIE!

Amelia and Owen tell Carlton that Lindsey’s surgery went great and she will be okay. Carlton talks about following his sister everywhere as a kid and now he lives next door to her. He wants to do whatever it takes to take care of her, which the doctors understand. Carlton also knows Lindsey wants and needs independence, but he still wants to fix her. Afterwards, Owen tells Amelia she should talk to Teddy because Kai would be a good fit at the hospital.

At the bar mitzvah lobby celebration, Jules tells Blue he did a good job on the decorations as a slant and brags about her surgery with Winston. Blue fights back with his spinal fusion, and Mika comes over to declare he stole the surgery from her and that she is coming for him. Owen goes up to Mika and tells her to get her act together and that she will be out of the OR for the next week. 

Maggie finds Richard at the party and is happy for a chance to talk. Richard explains that he was caught off guard by her impending departure and knows she has every right to pursue her career. Maggie is happy to have his support, and Richard gives her a very sweet gift. Maggie opens it to reveal a business card rack that is a miniature version of the bench where he learned he had a daughter and his life forever changed. It is the single most loving moment in years on this show, and the scene is heart wrenching.  Richard asks Maggie to remember him when she looks at the mini bench, and Maggie assures him that she doesn’t need a bench to remember him. They hug to cap the beautiful moment. We see Lucas get himself and Pru some punch, only to find his charge dancing with Blue. All the doctors are now partying in the lobby. Richard tells Schmitt that the bar mitzvah is great and that he should consider a career in pediatrics because he connects with kids and cares, which is rare.

As they leave the hospital, Link tries to show Jo a brochure about invisible hearing aids to show her it isn’t as scary as it seems. Jo shuts him down by saying it is extremely scary and that she is trying to balance out the doom clock in her head. She is worried Luna is going deaf and doesn’t care about technology when her girl has been through enough already; she shouldn’t have to go through this too. She needs to wrap her head around it all before she can accept Link as her cheerleader. But Jo thanks him for being there.

Amelia finds Kai and tells them London is too far for a long distance relationship. She talked to Teddy, who is expecting extra research funding. Kai could work at Grey Sloan Memorial and not leave. Kai tells Amelia that their relationship works so well because they are long distance and Amelia's two paths of mother and partner don’t overlap. They say that since they revealed the big news, every moment has been about Amelia instead of their accomplishment. Kai feels it is about both of them being at very different places in their lives. Kai says, “I love you, but...” and Amelia cuts them off to say, “That’s what people say before they abandon you.” It doesn’t seem like this relationship is going to work out, which is a huge surprise.

Catherine finds Richard at the lobby bar mitzvah party and tells him the tests went okay, which she promises is the truth. Richard hates that Mer and Maggie left and can’t fathom losing his wife too. Catherine hopes to be around for a long time and wants to dance with Richard right now. Maggie grabs her bags and catches an elevator in the lobby to leave. She smiles at Richard and Catherine from across the hall as a final farewell. Inside the elevator, she imagines both of her moms standing next to her knowing that she isn’t either of them and making her own path. Even though Maggie is leaving Grey Sloan Memorial, she will be back for the finale and might pop in for a visit from time to time.

Thursday, April 20, 2023

Grey’s Anatomy 19x13 Recap: “Cowgirls Don’t Cry” (Fighting Words) [Contributor: Julia Siegel]


“Cowgirls Don’t Cry”
Original Airdate: April 6, 2023

If you are looking for something happy and fun, you are in the wrong place because this episode of Grey’s Anatomy is the opposite. You may or may not agree with what occurs in the two main storylines involving the final implosion of Maggie and Winston’s marriage and a young rodeo bull rider nearly trampled to death who wants to keep riding. While there are two bright spots, with Lucas showing his medical chops and Link and Jo maybe taking a step toward becoming a couple, there isn’t much to smile about by the end of the hour.

SEARCHING FOR THE ANSWER

The episode opens with Maggie and Winston at their first marriage therapy appointment, which they have sorely needed for months. Maggie is worried she will say the wrong thing, so the therapist assures her that there are no wrong answers in the session. The therapist asks them to say one thing they love and appreciate about each other. Maggie says Winston is kind, and Winston says he loves that Maggie came to the appointment because that means she admits they need help communicating. He also appreciates how hard she works, but Maggie takes it as a slight.

Link goes into Jo’s bedroom and finds her still in bed even though they are supposed to leave for work. He got the kids dressed and ready for the day, but Jo says she feels awful and needs sleep. Link volunteers to take the kids to daycare and leaves. We then see Ben driving Bailey to work. He has the day off and is taking two extra trips to spend more time with Bailey and secretly make sure she is safe, since he is extra worried about her safety after the protestor attack. When they arrive at the clinic, they see that the security perimeter has been extended around the entrance and extra officers are on duty, which makes Bailey feel safe. 

Before going to work, Mika goes to a donation center to give plasma for $75. However, the nurse says she is three pounds underweight and can’t donate. At the hospital, Schmitt video calls Carlos and asks to meet up if he has a break. Carlos reveals he is in Phoenix for his next job. He didn’t tell Schmitt he was leaving because he felt Schmitt was more interested in alone time in on-call rooms than talking. Carlos tells Schmitt to let him know if he is ever in Phoenix, which leaves Schmitt heartbroken.

The interns, minus Lucas, are walking through the halls of the hospital, and Simone is trying to find a maid of honor. She sort of asks Jules, but the latter doesn’t think she would be good at it. Lucas rushes in and asks Simone why she left him behind. Simone, Blue, and Mika all say that Lucas is always running late and that’s why he misses the group carpool. Mika grabs a donut out of a box thrown in the trash when she thinks no one can see her to gain weight, but Teddy sees her and is perplexed. Amelia comes up to Teddy as she hangs up her cell phone and asks if she is having a bad morning. Teddy didn’t realize part of her job is to be a reference for other doctors that hospitals want to poach. She is getting tons of calls about Maggie due to her article. Amelia doesn’t think Maggie would leave Grey Sloan Memorial, but she does look worried.

Owen is running the ER and in charge of the five main interns for the day. A trauma case is coming via the helipad, and Owen selects Blue to help him. The other interns are mad that they don’t get to help. A man named Seth comes stumbling into the ER asking for help, so Simone and Lucas run to claim him as their patient. Blue and Owen go to help a rodeo rider who was stomped on by a 1,000-pound bull. The medivac arrives with Georgia, a young woman who is very injured from the trampling. 

Back in the therapy session, Maggie reveals she has gotten lots of offers from other hospitals, which she gets any time she publishes an article. She talks about wanting to be part of a research project in Chicago to make artificial hearts. Maggie thinks it would be great, but Winston is against it. She wants to consider the offer, but Winston states he already moved across the country once for her and since Maggie lost all respect for him, he doesn’t want to move again. Maggie gets paged to help with Georgia, which annoys Winston. He is mad because he waited weeks for Maggie to agree to help and now she’s going to walk out in the middle of their counseling session. She sternly states that she is on-call for traumas, shows him the page for proof, and abruptly leaves.

SOLVING PROBLEMS ONE STEP AT A TIME

Link took the kids to daycare and decided to take a personal day himself in order to be with Jo, figuring she would want the company. He brought her a latte and little donuts with pink frosting, which are her favorite. He knows she isn’t fine, and Jo still insists she is sick. Link disagrees and thinks Jo’s body aches are so she will rest and stay in bed. Link continues to make his case for most supportive man ever, and I found myself wondering why Link and Jo aren’t a couple yet every time they were on screen in this episode.

Back at Grey Sloan Memorial, Richard is examining Seth with Lucas and Simone watching. Seth says he has intestinal pain and came to Grey Sloan Memorial because it is the best hospital. Richard orders labs and a CT scan. In a trauma room, Owen, Amelia, and Blue are trying to help Georgia when Maggie arrives with Jules in tow. The worst of the injuries are a torn liver, unstable spinal fractures, and a massive hematoma in her chest. Georgia, who we learn is a teenager, asks them not to tell her parents because they freak out when she has bad injuries. The doctors are surprised to learn she has sustained severe injuries from bull riding before, and they argue over the best course of treatment. Amelia knows that without spinal surgery, Georgia will be paralyzed. Maggie doesn’t think she can operate on the hematoma because it will rupture. Amelia isn’t sure she can do her surgery if Maggie doesn’t do hers because it is too risky, which puts them at an impasse.

Elsewhere in the ER, Mika checks on an elderly woman who is coughing and has wheezing in her left lung. The intern orders a chest X-ray, but the patient declines because she can’t afford it. She doesn’t have medical benefits from her job and can’t afford health insurance. Mika is worried that her patient has pneumonia and can’t tell if it is serious without imaging. The patient says she can barely afford antibiotics, so Mika asks her to stay while she tries to get help.

Schmitt goes over to Joe’s Bar to complain to Helm about Carlos leaving without telling him. He feels that he was used for sex and doesn’t get why Carlos essentially ghosted him. Helm understands Carlos’ side and knows what the interns say about Schmitt. She doesn’t think he is the nice guy that he thinks he is and feels Schmitt might have been the one using Carlos.

Back at Grey Sloan Memorial, Georgia’s parents arrive, so Owen, Amelia, and Maggie go over her injuries with them. They feel the safest option is to monitor Georgia in the ICU and not do any surgeries. Owen explains that Georgia might not walk again, but she will live. The parents understand the hematoma could rupture at any moment and decide to do the spinal surgery against medical advice because they want to save Georgia’s ability to ride again.

Richard and Lucas look at Seth’s scans, and the intern immediately says nothing is wrong. Richard tells Lucas that he is looking at it too quickly and needs to sit with the images longer and take a deeper look, which will come in handy later on. Simone finds out that Seth has been to five ERs in the past three weeks and left all with scripts for pain medication. The three doctors confront Seth about his history of drug use, which they also found in the records from the other hospitals. Seth says he doesn’t have a problem and explains he used Adderall back in the day to help him with his job. He didn’t tell them because he didn’t want the doctors to write him off and insists he doesn’t use the pills anymore. The scans come back clean, and Richard tells Seth he talked to the doctors at the other hospitals, who also didn’t find anything wrong. Richard is willing to do one more round of tests, but if nothing is wrong, he will discharge Seth. Lucas suggests sitting on the scans a little longer, but Richard doesn’t want to take his own advice.

LISTEN TO YOUR INTUITION

Georgia is prepped and ready for surgery in the OR. Before they begin, Amelia asks Maggie why she didn’t tell her about the job offers. Maggie brushes it off, saying she gets plenty of offers when she publishes articles. Amelia says it doesn’t matter where Maggie is, but rather what she is doing. She suggests that Maggie doesn’t have to move to do the next big thing because Teddy and Richard can get her whatever she needs to do it in Seattle. Maggie says nothing and gives no type of response to her sister.

Downstairs, Lucas bounces ideas about Seth off Simone. She says the second round of labs came back negative and wants to discharge him. Lucas fights to keep Seth admitted, as his gut is telling him something is wrong with Seth and the patient is telling the truth. He asks Simone to have his back just this once since he always has her back. Simone reluctantly agrees to help him go down the rabbit hole.

In the OR gallery, Mika asks Teddy about her patient who can’t afford a chest X-ray and if it would be possible to get it pro-bono. Teddy tells her to bring it to accounting and fill out the proper paperwork, but it might take a day to get approved. Mika argues that she can’t wait that long, and Teddy sternly tells her that they cannot break the rules for even one patient. The intern states that she just wants to take care of her patient and isn’t looking for a handout. Mika also explains that she was eating a donut from the trash to gain weight in order to donate plasma because she too is broke. Teddy kindly says that she keeps protein bars in her office and Mika can take them whenever she wants. Down below, the doctors can’t believe Georgia’s parents approved the spinal surgery against their advice. Maggie asks everyone to stop bickering so they can all focus while Amelia begins to repair Georgia’s broken vertebrae.

As Simone and Lucas walk through the halls talking about what could be wrong with Seth, they are stopped by Schmitt, who tries to be friendly and ask how they are and what they are up to. The interns don’t know how to react and start explaining everything about their patient. They request more time to study the case. Schmitt immediately goes off on them and demands they discharge Seth and not question Richard again. Bailey overhears the encounter and realizes that Schmitt is acting just like she did when she was chief resident in a fun full-circle moment.

We then get to check back in on Jo and Link, who are lying in bed. Jo wants to go to GSM to check in on Tia and her baby, but Link assures her that he already did and both of them are fine. He tells Jo that she needs a day off after such a traumatic experience. Jo doesn’t understand why it is so hard for her to rest and wants to know how Link knew she wasn’t sick before she realized it and how he knows her favorite donut. Link simply replies that when you know someone for a long time, you start to notice things over time. He tries to make Jo feel better by telling her how he finds it hard to rest because he associates resting with misery due to listening to his parents fight through his bedroom walls when he was stuck in there while fighting cancer as a child. Jo thinks Link has trouble resting when he is not taking care of someone else because he learned to take emotional care of the people who were trying to take care of him. She thinks when he isn’t taking care of someone else, he doesn’t feel safe and that makes him anxious. Link thinks Jo can’t rest because she never had anyone take care of her and she stays busy all the time to compensate for that. When she is still, she feels the pain of not having anyone. They both hit the nail on the head, and the scene ends with a nice moment. Jo wants to nap, but she doesn’t want Link to leave. He brushes a strand of hair behind Jo’s ear and lays down next to her.

Lucas and Simone look at Seth’s scans and aren’t getting anywhere. Lucas juggles a soccer ball with his feet to help him unwind. Simone is happy to learn something new about him and reveals that she wants to get married without pomp and circumstance. She thinks it is sweet that Trey is a romantic and wants to make their wedding a moment they will always remember, but that doesn’t matter to her. Her words give Lucas an idea: he realizes the scans are frozen moments in time. He rearranges the images in chronological order on the screen to see if there are any small differences between each moment.

In the OR, Georgia’s hematoma bursts, causing her to instantly crash. Maggie says they have to flip her now to stop the bleeding immediately, but Georgia’s spine is still exposed. Amelia doesn’t want to leave it open, but has no choice. When they flip her over, Blue starts chest compressions. Maggie gives Blue and Jules instructions to switch on and off cardiac massage duties when she cracks the patient’s chest. Maggie opens Georgia in the front, leaving both sides of the teen wide open. We get a montage of the surgery, Georgia’s parents waiting, Lucas looking at Seth’s scans, and Winston worriedly watching from the gallery. The doctors find the hepatic vein injury just in time as Georgia becomes more acidotic. 

SUGGESTING ANOTHER PATH

Mika gets back to the ER and finds her patient ready to leave after getting antibiotics and an inhaler. She can’t wait around because she has to get to work. She can’t afford to miss a shift. She doesn’t think Mika understands because she is a doctor with a cushy salary. Mika explains that she is a surgical intern making minimal money because the government pays her salary. She goes through all her various debts and talks about selling her blood for money too. She tells her patient that if it was her, she would get the X-ray, and so be it if the bill went to collections because at least she would still be alive. Her impassioned speech convinces her patient to stay and get the chest X-ray after all.

Bailey finds Schmitt in the ER and tells him how people used to call her the Nazi, which he finds very insensitive. Bailey explains that as chief resident, she thought she had to overcompensate and become someone people didn’t like. She realized her idea of herself became out of sync with who she had become. Bailey tells Schmitt that he is no longer an underdog and shouldn’t see himself that way. She tells him to be himself with the interns and bring pleasure and joy and not just be the muscle all the time.

Lucas and Simone have gotten Seth’s scans in order and find slight differences through some of the films. They see flare ups in his intestines and believe a foreign object could be in there. Richard comes in and is very angry that his patient has yet to be discharged. The interns have some explaining to do.

Maggie and Amelia tell Georgia’s mom that her daughter did well in surgery given the circumstances. She is recovering in the ICU, and they want to speak to the mom about Georgia’s bull riding, as they think she should give it up. The mom explains that the male members of the family are all champion riders and Georgia wanted to be like them. When she suffered a crushed trachea, the parents told her no more riding. Georgia became too depressed and couldn’t function, and the mom knows taking away her dream now would kill her. After the mom leaves, Amelia tells Maggie the mother needs to be a parent in this situation. Maggie sees the mom’s point and asks Amelia if her mom could have stopped her from doing drugs, which Amelia admits wouldn’t have happened. 

They see Georgia wake up and pull out her breathing tube in a panic. They rush into her ICU room, and Maggie tries to get the teen to put on an oxygen mask. Georgia wants to know when she can ride again, and Maggie replies that she could be walking in 4-6 weeks. Maggie and Amelia tell her not to go back to the rodeo, but Georgia doesn’t think they would tell her to quit if she was a man. Maggie understands Georgia’s point and switches gears. She understands Georgia’s focus and passion and knows what it is like to be a woman in a man’s world. She asks Georgia to stop fighting their help, and in that moment, I think Amelia knows her sister isn’t sticking around Seattle.

Richard, Lucas, and Simone do a colonoscopy on Seth. They find that he has a toothpick impacted in the wall of his intestine, which has been causing his pain. Richard is shocked that Lucas was right and explains that Seth’s pain will be gone after they remove it. As they remove the toothpick, Richard tells Lucas that he made an incredible save.

HARD TRUTHS

At the end of their shifts, the interns are all in the locker room trading stories about their day. Blue is excited that he had a beating heart in his hand, while Mika proudly says she convinced a patient to get a chest X-ray. Lucas thanks Simone and tells her that he has her back if she needs anything. She immediately takes him up on the offer and asks him to be her man of honor at her wedding because she needs a friend to get through it. Honestly, it’s a terribly cruel gesture when she knows the boy is in love with her. Lucas reluctantly agrees to the role. Schmitt pops in and says he heard all the interns did incredibly today. He invites them out for drinks at Joe’s Bar, and they think there must be a catch. Schmitt tells them to meet him at Joe’s, and the interns decide they are down for free drinks.

At Joe’s Bar, Mika asks Helm if they could use another bartender. Helm says the manager is hiring and will put in a good word for her, but she is concerned about when Mika would sleep. The interns sit at a table with Schmitt and do shots. Lucas reveals his man of honor status, so Schmitt takes the opportunity to be friendly and ask about Simone’s wedding. Blue asks Jules if she wants to get out of there, but Jules is apprehensive about having sex with him. She knows their rule was no feelings, and now she finds Blue hot. Blue says what if he has no feelings, and that’s enough to make Jules crack and leave with him.

Winston finds Maggie and asks if she wants to get take-out. She already ordered food, which makes Winston say, “Of course you already decided.” As he walks off, Maggie calls for him to stop. Maggie starts a monologue blaming Winston for their marital problems by saying, “I need to look at you when I say this. You invited me to dinner with your family and abandoned me when things got tough.” She says Winston left her with his family, which she didn’t like. Maggie continues to say that when someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time. She didn’t want to see that Winston is a person who retreats when things get tough, and he protects himself no matter what it costs anyone else. She feels that a marriage can survive a move to Chicago, but she feels he doesn’t want them to survive. Maggie accuses Winston of taking his love and retreating and states that she is right here and he is gone. She is irked that he couldn’t even think of saying something nice about her at the therapy session. The real kicker comes when Maggie tells Winston that she views his desire to switch specialties as him giving up on conflict and being a coward. She has decided to go to Chicago and use her passion to build hearts to save lives. Winston can, “Stay here and pretend you were the one who was abandoned, but we both know the truth,” Maggie concludes.

On a lighter note, Link picked up the kids from daycare and put Luna to bed to allow Jo to rest. He grabs Scout and brings him over to Jo, who is eating Chinese food on her bed and smiling at how great of a father Link is. Jo admits she is feeling better and clearly wants to say more to Link about her real feelings but chooses not to. The writers are really dragging their inevitable relationship out, and it is agonizing that Jo can’t admit her real feelings to Link.

Richard and Amelia attend an AA meeting at the end of the day. The former looks at his sobriety coin while the latter brings him a coffee and asks about his day. Richard admits he missed a diagnosis and almost lost a patient, but he was bailed out by a Shepherd, which makes Amelia smile. Amelia tells Richard that she is afraid of losing another sister, which appears to be news to Richard too.

The episode ends with Ben waiting for Bailey in the Grey Sloan Memorial parking lot. Someone puts a flier on his windshield, which makes Ben get out of his car to chase the person down. He doesn’t catch the culprit and is shocked to see that the flier has a large photo of Bailey with the words “Baby Killer” written over her face. Their address and Bailey’s personal phone number are also on the paper. Bailey comes out and asks Ben what is wrong. He shows her the flier and says, “We are not fine.” It seems the anti-abortion protestors are now coming after Bailey in a similar fashion to what they have been doing to Addison. Like Ben, we should all be a bit frightened of what is to come for our beloved Miranda Bailey.