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.
