S16.E02: Back in the Saddle

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

The Grey Sloan doctors operate on a man who crashed into Maggie's car as Owen, back from paternity leave, struggles with Tom's new position. Outside the hospital, Meredith's recent firing doesn't stop her from diagnosing those around her. Richard and Alex start anew and it's not easy. All the while, Jo readies herself to return to work, and Amelia has a new revelation in her relationship with Link.

Promo:

Original air date: 10/3/19

Edited September 28, 2019 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ams1001]

I pulled up this page right after the scene where the guy crashed into Maggie's car and the ad above the comment box is for bike storage solutions from The Container Store (yeah, I know he was riding a scooter, but I was still amused).

[LexieLily]

Shut the hell up, Maggie. There is a 90% chance Jackson's hashtag-freedom! post wasn't even about you.

[redfish]

Ugh. They're setting up a Kurasic heel turn just to make Owen look good. Uh huh. And a restraining order? A restraining order is impractical. How is Owen going to do his job? Are they going to banish him to the other hospital?

Bailey. She seems less the feared Nazi of season 1 and more petty and risking a patient's life to prove a point.

I know Meredith comes off as arrogant, but I prefer this more active Meredith than passive doormat. Yes, she's making really shady decisions, but at least she's making active decisions.

Show. Do not do anything to Amelia's and Link's baby. Do you hear me? Do. Not. Write. A. Sad. Baby Story. Amelia deserves a better relationship after Owen and Link is such a supportive sweetie.

[bybrandy]

I know this second hospital story is going to get merged into the big hospital somehow but right now Alex and Richard are off hanging out someplace without anybody I hate.  If the restraining order puts Owen there too?  It will stop being my happy place.   

 

[statsgirl]

Linc's stunned 'I think I'm going to be sick' face when Amelia told him that she was pregnant was priceless.  Kudos to Chris Carnack. This pregnancy was my favourite story of the episode.

The only other part I liked was Jo finding her negotiating skills.  (But since these surgeons are all about winning prizes and publications, I think that having a fellowship that you can do anything you want with is >>> being a general attending.)

Usually I'm on Koracik's side but he was such an ass in the episode that I laughed at the paddles hitting him.  A 500 yard restraining order on a person whose boss you are is stupid and petty.

It used to be fun but in season 16, the self-centredness and the entitlement is annoying.

What is Richard, five? If the two residents are overworked with scut work, get them out of it and start teaching them something.  Is this supposed to contrast Bailey overdoing it because her two prize surgeons  that she trained she's now fired and she has to prove that she can train even better ones?

 Jackson is a #jackass.  And stupid,, telling Maggie how wonderful his new girlfriend is after dumping Maggie herself.  Being a Meredith asskisser does not let him off the hook for his behaviour to Maggie.  It's a sad day when Maggie is the more mature one in a relationship.

Bailey is taking out her anger at Meredith on DeLuca.  And I know it's a teaching hospital but keeping patients from harm shouldn't come second to teaching residents.

Meredith may own part of the hospital but that does not mean that she is entitled to its supplies for outside patients. Those supplies can be billed for a lot of money.

[ams1001]

9 minutes ago, redfish said:

Show. Do not do anything to Amelia's and Link's baby. Do you hear me? Do. Not. Write. A. Sad. Baby Story. Amelia deserves a better relationship after Owen and Link is such a supportive sweetie.

Seconded. One undramatic, healthy baby story, please.

Okay, I know we won't escape Owen having feelings about the whole thing but please leave it at that.

[Lady Calypso]

Man, who WASN'T irritating in this episode?

Well...Link and Amelia weren't because they talked like adults...and Jo was actually ok. Everyone else, though, needed to STFU. 

Let's start off with the easy target: Maggie, for the love of all things, STFU. So you guys had a really bad break-up and you guys are also stuck in each other's lives at now extremely awkward family dinners until you two get over your feelings toward each other. So Jackson's a dickhead and dating someone about two weeks after you two broke up. It sucks, ok, and Jackson sucks (we'll get to him in a moment) but seriously, STFU. Maggie was so incredibly frustrating with making everything about her....WITH A PATIENT. She could have given shitty advice to her patient's girlfriend just because she's wallowing in her own anger. 

Now, Jackson. We get it. You really don't like Maggie anymore. Stop trying to rebound with poor Vic from Station 19, who is going through the loss of her fiance. You're jumping into a relationship you're nowhere near prepared for. And you're upsetting Maggie because you're subconsciously flaunting it in her face. Nobody wants to feel that way. 

Richard was annoying, as per usual. Boohoo, you got caught for aiding and embedding in a crime. You were rightfully fired. So suck it up and stop whining about how your life sucks. 

Meredith was also another one who I was really disliking throughout the whole episode. She thought that she could get around her being fired by performing medical evaluations while on the job after committing a crime, and when her boss rightfully tells her to get back to work, Meredith manipulates the poor woman into leaving her job, that she could be fired from, all to satisfy her own ego. Meredith, the consultation could have waited two extra hours. And she seemed more concerned with her reputation and her own future than this poor woman's!

Deluca, stop being a cocky idiot. You should have also been better at Helm at this because you have been a resident far longer, even if the show is pretending that you're on their level for some reason. I am still perplexed that Deluca's been around for four seasons and is still nowhere close to discovering his specialty. Do we even KNOW what he's good at? Because I don't. At least, with other interns over the years, we get a general idea of their strengths by this point. With Deluca, they bounce him around from specialty to specialty so often that it's unclear what he's good at. 

Tom...ok, Tom was being a dick so the joules to the jewels WAS karma...and, ok, I laughed. I'll admit I wasn't a fan of him slapping a restraining order on Owen....but I also enjoyed it and think it'll be a funny storyline to see Owen have to run away from Tom to make sure he follows the court order. But still, it definitely feels like they're going to turn up Tom's assholery meter to a 10, just to get other characters to hate him. Plus, I'd much rather see Tom be a great charming leader, rather than a jealous dick. Tom deserves better than to pine over Teddy and make Owen's job hell. He doesn't need to waste the time on Teddy or Owen. It's childish (like them intentionally making Meredith look like a 20 year old). 

But, onto the good:

Amelia/Link had actual adult conversations! Compare that to all the childish conversations and decisions made this episode, and Amelink was like a breath of fresh air that I've been waiting for from this show. Yay for adult conversations! Now, I have hope that they'll have Amelia actually have the baby and that they will be completely healthy. Or maybe they might parallel Caterina's real life daughter with Amelia and Link's unborn child. Now THAT I could actually be fine with. 

And Jo finally kind of gets out of the fellowship and FINALLY becomes an attending. It only took seven seasons for her to finally move up. And that's why I didn't hate seeing Jo take charge and negotiate. I was just sick of her being a floating resident, like Deluca.

[SimoneS]

Linc is the best new character on this show in ages. Chris Carmack was very good tonight. He hit every note perfectly. It is too bad they didn't pair Link with Meredith because I would have liked to see Ellen finally have a talented actor playing her love interest. He is a much better actor than the actor playing DeLuca. However, I happily settle for the apparent end of the Amelia/Owen carousel. 

The paddle to the genitals was funny as hell. The restraining order is ridiculous, but Owen had it coming.

Jackson started becoming unlikable last season, but now he is just an asshole. Maggie had a lucky escape. The departed April and her fans can have him.

Edited October 4, 2019 by SimoneS

[ams1001]

What is the process for getting a restraining order, anyway? I mean, he was still sitting in the hospital bed. Would a judge really issue one for an incident like that?

[KaveDweller]

Did they have Amelia say the phrase "a million little things" to promote the show coming on after it? Cause it totally took me out of the scene. I feel like that is not a common enough phrase to be a coincidence.

I did like Amelia and Linc though. I liked them last season too, and they are handling the baby thing well so far.

Meredith wants to publish an article about how insurance doesn't always cover things people need to survive? Or that lots of insurance policies suck? Does she think people don't know these things? I don't get what her big realization was. 

[funnygirl]

1 hour ago, statsgirl said:

Bailey is taking out her anger at Meredith on DeLuca.  And I know it's a teaching hospital but keeping patients from harm shouldn't come second to teaching residents.

She's not though. That's just what whiney Deloser assumed because Mr. Cocky didn't get the chance to take lead on the surgery. Miranda telling him that he should've beaten Intern Amy Shumar - a second year resident - by more than one second was her way of saying that the young resident earned this opportunity while at the same time letting him know that he, a fifth year, needs to do better. He's too busy with his head up Meredith's ass that he automatically assumes he's good at everything. He isn't. Miranda wasn't wrong in giving the second year her first shot, she needed to start somewhere. And Deloser's had many opportunities. This is a teaching hospital, after all, and the last person who should be telling Miranda how to do her job is Meredith's boyfriend. 

Link is a good guy, a good character, and good for Amelia. At least one person at Grey Sloan isn't hypnotized by Meredith Grey's (faux) greatness. 

I would love it if Alex and Richard stayed at the other hospital indefinitely and turned that place around, giving Grey Sloan competition. That'd be far more interesting than what will predictably be another hospital merger. 

@Lady Calypso: 

Quote

Meredith was also another one who I was really disliking throughout the whole episode. She thought that she could get around her being fired by performing medical evaluations while on the job after committing a crime, and when her boss rightfully tells her to get back to work, Meredith manipulates the poor woman into leaving her job, that she could be fired from, all to satisfy her own ego. Meredith, the consultation could have waited two extra hours. And she seemed more concerned with her reputation and her own future than this poor woman's!

White savior Meredith is definitely not a good look. 

Edited October 4, 2019 by funnygirl

[Anela]

I liked Linc and Amelia acting like adults, and their talking. His being supportive, too. When I caught up in August, I remember groaning inwardly, when I thought they'd just brought on a pretty boy for a while. I really like him now. I especially liked it when he stood up to her sisters, defending her at that horrible dinner. 

I'm not a fan of Jackson at the moment.

I figured Meredith would be treating people in the group, but everyone needing something to be looked at, was a bit much. Also, couldn't she have called Jackson, and taken the woman over once they'd finished what they were doing? 

[statsgirl]

15 minutes ago, funnygirl said:

Miranda wasn't wrong in giving the second year her first shot, she needed to start somewhere.

She did need to start somewhere. Like on a cadaver because she screwed up in the operation with an actual living human being who could have died. Then she could move on to easy operations and build up her skills before attempting a very difficult one like this one

Maybe Bailey wasn't trying to get back at DeLuca. But putting a second year resident in charge of a difficult operation because she knew the right answer to a quiz is a very poor decision.  I'm not impressed by her "See one, Do one, Nearly kill one" teaching.  After all, the saying is "First do no harm".

[dmc]

It’s weird to me that after all this time, Meredith finally realizes healthcare isn’t something everyone has.  Also as a doctor, there are tons of ways do legally assist why not spend sometime working In a free clinic or pitch a pro bono program at the hospital.

[NUguy514]

Amelia and Linc (and Jo, to an extent) were the only positives of this episode.  Jackson is a fucking asshole, Maggie is an inappropriate whiner, Bailey finds joy in being the world's worst teacher and acting like a complete bitch the entire time, and Tom is suddenly some sort of Hyde (no doubt to make Owen look sympathetic, which is an impossibility).

I'd like to reach down into Richard's throat and tear his vocal cords out so I never have to hear his imperious whining again.  You deserved exactly what you got, asshole, so shut. the fuck. up.

If Contacts is a Gryffindor, then I'm Angelina Jolie.

[funnygirl]

1 minute ago, NUguy514 said:

If Contacts is a Gryffindor, then I'm Angelina Jolie.

Contacts is a house elf at best. 

[statsgirl]

49 minutes ago, dmc said:

 Also as a doctor, there are tons of ways do legally assist why not spend sometime working In a free clinic or pitch a pro bono program at the hospital.

Because then she couldn't be St. Meredith, saving the world . 🙄

Since she owns part of the hospital, she could even set up a free clinic herself if she wanted to help. God knows, there are plenty of articles and editorials in the New England Journal of Medicine pointing out that better overall healthcare is needed in the US.

[LexieLily]

13 minutes ago, statsgirl said:

Because then she couldn't be St. Meredith, saving the world . 🙄

Since she owns part of the hospital, she could even set up a free clinic herself if she wanted to help. God knows, there are plenty of articles and editorials in the New England Journal of Medicine pointing out that better overall healthcare is needed in the US.

Doesn't the hospital already have a clinic? What happened to the Dead Denny Clinic?

[Chewy101]

WHY do doctors keep getting accidentally knocked up. Don't they know better??? Ugh. For sixteen seasons these doctors have been having "oopsie daisy" babies and it's careless and childish, and most of them are too dang old for this nonsense. 

What's next, Maggie finds out Jackson knocked her up and she and Amelia go preggo together, while we watch Maggie and Jackson snark and try to "do right" by the situation? Good grief.

[Anela]

46 minutes ago, LexieLily said:

Doesn't the hospital already have a clinic? What happened to the Dead Denny Clinic?

I was thinking the same thing. 

[Chewy101]

7 minutes ago, Anela said:

54 minutes ago, LexieLily said:

Doesn't the hospital already have a clinic? What happened to the Dead Denny Clinic?

I was thinking the same thing. 

I believe the clinic was destroyed in a fire, storm, flood, some disaster. 

[DEL901]

I wonder if Koracic really did get a restraining order or if he was just playing with Owen?

[dmc]

6 hours ago, statsgirl said:

Because then she couldn't be St. Meredith, saving the world . 🙄

Since she owns part of the hospital, she could even set up a free clinic herself if she wanted to help. God knows, there are plenty of articles and editorials in the New England Journal of Medicine pointing out that better overall healthcare is needed in the US.

6 hours ago, LexieLily said:

Doesn't the hospital already have a clinic? What happened to the Dead Denny Clinic?

Yes Izzie donated 8 million for this place what happened to it 

[askasza]

5 minutes ago, dmc said:

Yes Izzie donated 8 million for this place what happened to it 

Alex worked there when he was fire in season 13.
Betty almost died there, Link was worging there and helped her. 

Sooo... is it still working....
 

Edited October 4, 2019 by askasza

[RedbirdNelly]

7 hours ago, funnygirl said:

Contacts is a house elf at best. 

I wish I could like this 1000 times.

I want to claim credit for Jackson's hair. Last week I pointed out that he needed to cut it short again. He looks so much better that way. This week: hair is fixed.

Thus, having realized I possess magic powers over Grey's I'm setting out my other request. I'm expecting them to be implemented on next week's episode: Glasses disappears. forever.

It's cute with Meredith doing roadside medicine but where does this go? Meredith realizes the healthcare system sucks. We all know this. She can't fix it. It's like pretending a Grey's character has cured cancer. Can't happen. Don't start storylines you can't carry through.

I hope Jo settles on a storyline. I guess she no longer needs to finish curing cancer or whatever she had found the solution to last year. I was really into the scenes of her sitting in a room with some books open. Not.  

I also wish they could decide what Deluca is. He's now sitting in a skills lab with people a year or 2 below him? very confusing.

[Lady Calypso]

2 minutes ago, RedbirdNelly said:

I also wish they could decide what Deluca is. He's now sitting in a skills lab with people a year or 2 below him? very confusing.

He's bounced around so much in terms of specialties that I have NO idea what he'll actually end up choosing. General Surgery? But now I feel like it'll only be to bang his girlfriend when she inevitably comes back to work. Peds? They've retconned Deluca's relationship with kids so much, so who knows. Neuro was actually the best fit for Deluca, as they actually spent time on developing his mentorship with Amelia, but they squandered that after season 14. Next thing you know, he'll suddenly become interested in oncology. 

6 hours ago, Chewy101 said:

I believe the clinic was destroyed in a fire, storm, flood, some disaster. 

The last time we saw the clinic, Nico was almost blown away (and almost out of the show completely to spare us from his acting...so close) but I think it was shut down, at that point. But yeah, I don't know what actually happened to it. I think it's still around, but it's only open, like, two days a week.

[Biggie B]

10 hours ago, KaveDweller said:

Did they have Amelia say the phrase "a million little things" to promote the show coming on after it? Cause it totally took me out of the scene.

Same. I don't even watch that show but hearing that annoyed me. I guess it was aimed towards viewers like me who watch via DVR and fast forward through the promos for that show - ABC is making sure to ram it down my throat one way or the other!!

I was very thankful that Jackson cut his hair. He looks great with it super short.

Not sure what I think about Amelia and Linc having a baby. Interesting how Amelia mentioned her use of birth control twice, to different people - like, OK, the writers want to make sure we viewers can't gripe about them having unprotected sex! Got it! I'm sure her pregnancy will be fraught with horrors, as will the birth, should it happen, because this is a soap opera after all. The actress herself isn't pregnant, is she? She recently had a child, right? Isn't that when Amelia had or was recovering from her brain tumor? I guess time will tell! It would awesome to have her simply be pregnant and doing her job, like millions of women do every day and have done through the ages. Agree that the actor who plays Linc did a great job throughout the episode. He is indeed very likable and decent, but I hope he's not too, too perfect, as he's verging on magical unicorn status. 

Don't care about Maggie at all. Here's a ladder - use it to get over yourself.

Not really interested in Jo's story either. Whatever. Glad she's in a better place mentally and is taking care of herself, though.

The restraining order is stupid and gimmicky. 

[dmc]

I am also shocked that no one mentioned Jo angling for a promotion coming back from leave.  Generally people who have taken significant time off don't return and immediately ask to be promoted but I guess Miranda went for it

[Lady Calypso]

4 minutes ago, dmc said:

I am also shocked that no one mentioned Jo angling for a promotion coming back from leave.  Generally people who have taken significant time off don't return and immediately ask to be promoted but I guess Miranda went for it

It's funny because typically, I'd be more annoyed with that. But I'm surprisingly ok with Jo doing this, mostly because it was clear that Jo was just going to come back and get back into her routine. She wasn't originally aiming for any promotion, but it was Bailey who started the negotiations without Jo having to say anything. And then Alex tried to one-up Bailey, and that's when Jo went to Bailey to try angling for a promotion. 

I think, if Jo had come back on her first day with the goal to become an attending, I'd probably be more annoyed. But Bailey started it, and then Alex contributed, so Jo decided to just finish it. Plus, we know Bailey's lost quite a few doctors so she probably couldn't afford losing another one (not that Jo would have quit; she made it quite clear to Alex that she wanted to work at Grey Sloan).

[dmc]

5 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

It's funny because typically, I'd be more annoyed with that. But I'm surprisingly ok with Jo doing this, mostly because it was clear that Jo was just going to come back and get back into her routine. She wasn't originally aiming for any promotion, but it was Bailey who started the negotiations without Jo having to say anything. And then Alex tried to one-up Bailey, and that's when Jo went to Bailey to try angling for a promotion. 

I think, if Jo had come back on her first day with the goal to become an attending, I'd probably be more annoyed. But Bailey started it, and then Alex contributed, so Jo decided to just finish it. Plus, we know Bailey's lost quite a few doctors so she probably couldn't afford losing another one (not that Jo would have quit; she made it quite clear to Alex that she wanted to work at Grey Sloan).

It's not really annoying but just unrealistic.  Jo before she left was coming to work drunk, she just got out of treatment

[statsgirl]

3 hours ago, dmc said:

I am also shocked that no one mentioned Jo angling for a promotion coming back from leave.  Generally people who have taken significant time off don't return and immediately ask to be promoted but I guess Miranda went for it

Is it really a promotion?  Maybe we need an MD to weigh in but I'd take a fellowship where I have time and money to research anything I want over a staff position as an attending even though the money is better in the latter. If she discovers something significant during the fellowship, she can basically write her own ticket.

Though I guess that she and Alex will have enough money to move out of that small apartment now.

ETA: I remember that Bailey took a fellowship with Arizona after she had promised Tucker that she would be an attending for the bigger bucks. It led to their divorce.

Edited October 4, 2019 by statsgirl

[dmc]

43 minutes ago, statsgirl said:

Is it really a promotion?  Maybe we need an MD to weigh in but I'd take a fellowship where I have time and money to research anything I want over a staff position as an attending even though the money is better in the latter. If she discovers something significant during the fellowship, she can basically write her own ticket.

Though I guess that she and Alex will have enough money to move out of that small apartment now.

I thought so the way they acted on the show but honestly I don’t know I also don’t work in the medical field

[taanja]

11 hours ago, dmc said:

It’s weird to me that after all this time, Meredith finally realizes healthcare isn’t something everyone has.  Also as a doctor, there are tons of ways do legally assist why not spend sometime working In a free clinic or pitch a pro bono program at the hospital.

Maybe she will? I have no clue where this story line is headed but I'm interested so that's good. It's no secret that Meredith is my favorite character and the reason I am still watching this show 100 years later.

Anyway I used to hate the sister-in-law -- Amelia but since they removed her tumor she's not as annoying as she used to be and I kind of like her with Linc. (Link) (sp?) So I suppose there's going to be something horribly wrong with the baby? or... it is somehow Owens? Not sure where the show is going with this but's it's something else that is fairly interesting to me.

I have always loved Richard ... and Alex and seeing them working together is truly enjoyable. I have faith that they will turn that other hospital around!

Bailey was eating a lot of donuts-- I was worried she was going to have a heart attack.

Edited October 4, 2019 by taanja

[NUguy514]

I guess I'm alone in thinking Jackson looked significantly hotter with the hair.  He's still a dickface, though, with or without hair.

[anna0852]

Jackson is his mother all over again in some ways and with a mean streak to boot. 

[ams1001]

12 hours ago, KaveDweller said:

Did they have Amelia say the phrase "a million little things" to promote the show coming on after it? Cause it totally took me out of the scene. I feel like that is not a common enough phrase to be a coincidence.

Same here.

(And apparently this "cast from the past" thing they were promoting on the preview is on all the ABC shows.)

19 minutes ago, NUguy514 said:

I guess I'm alone in thinking Jackson looked significantly hotter with the hair.  He's still a dickface, though, with or without hair.

lol...all these comments about Jackson's hair the last two weeks and in neither episode did it ever register in my mind that it was different. I'd have to go back and look (which I likely will not bother).

[iMonrey]

Quote

What is the process for getting a restraining order, anyway? I mean, he was still sitting in the hospital bed. Would a judge really issue one for an incident like that?

That's what I was wondering. Can you really just walk into, or phone, a police station and go "I want a restraining order against so-and-so" and they just go "Okee-dokey, here ya' go!" Wouldn't there be some kind of investigation, or something? Surely even the most cursory glance at this case would show it was a simple accident. Criminy. 

Not that I want them back together but the whole thing between Maggie and Jackson feels forced and rushed. I couldn't even remember why they broke up but it reeks of heavy back pedaling by writers who got wind of the fact that the audience didn't like them together. Now they're going too hard the other way and too fast.

Quote

I'm not impressed by her "See one, Do one, Nearly kill one" teaching.  After all, the saying is "First do no harm".

I know we say this all the time but I'd rather go anywhere else than Grey-Sloan. Imagine lying there on the operating table bleeding out as the one competent surgeon says to her student "I don't know, what are you supposed to do now?" Geez. Every patient admitted to this place should have to sign a waver agreeing to be a guinea pig, right?

[ams1001]

4 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I know we say this all the time but I'd rather go anywhere else than Grey-Sloan. Imagine lying there on the operating table bleeding out as the one competent surgeon says to her student "I don't know, what are you supposed to do now?" Geez. Every patient admitted to this place should have to sign a waver agreeing to be a guinea pig, right?

At least the patient is unconscious and doesn't have to listen to their idiocy.

[PepSinger]

1 hour ago, statsgirl said:

Is it really a promotion?  Maybe we need an MD to weigh in but I'd take a fellowship where I have time and money to research anything I want over a staff position as an attending even though the money is better in the latter. If she discovers something significant during the fellowship, she can basically write her own ticket.

Though I guess that she and Alex will have enough money to move out of that small apartment now.

ETA: I remember that Bailey took a fellowship position with Arizona after she had promised Tucker that she would move to attending for the bigger bucks

I have a friend whose husband is on track to becoming a pediatric anesthesiologist.

He completed med school, a 4 year residency in anesthesia, and moved to complete a fellowship in pediatric anesthesia. Typically, you complete a fellowship to gain further training in a sub-specialty. You are still under direct supervision, so you’re not an attending. Once he completes his fellowship, he can sit for the boards for both pediatrics and anesthesia and be board certified in both disciplines. An attending is a higher ranking than a fellow.

My question is, has Jo taken her board exam? I honestly can’t remember. That wouldn’t preclude her from doing a fellowship, but she’d have to take them to become an attending general surgeon.

On another note, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, I really like Amelia and Linc. They were the highlight of the episode. Please, show, don’t screw this up for me. 

Maggie was insufferable this episode, and I normally like her.

If they are going to make Koracick jealous and bitter, then there was no need to promote him to regular status.

I love how the surgery program is in the toilet because three surgeons were fired. It’s just like last week when Bailey was short staffed because of them being fired. Does no one have PTO? If it’s all gone to shit because three surgeons are gone, then they must have ZERO PTO. 

Don’t get me started on a fifth year resident competing against a second-year resident. WTF?

I’m still trying to figure out where Meredith’s storyline is supposed to be taking us. Also, she looked really young in her final scene with Deluca.

[RedbirdNelly]

I would like the Jo negotiating part better if it seemed realistic. Without knowing details on board exams (as quoted above, thanks!), I knew it doesn't make sense. "Fellowship" is not just "wing it." My sister went that route; it's part of training. If they had done a better job over the years of making Jo seem like a real, competent, independently-practicing doctor, it would make more sense. As written, it comes across as "you hang around and boom just become an attending" as if that is realistic.  

[funnygirl]

59 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Not that I want them back together but the whole thing between Maggie and Jackson feels forced and rushed. I couldn't even remember why they broke up but it reeks of heavy back pedaling by writers who got wind of the fact that the audience didn't like them together. Now they're going too hard the other way and too fast.

It's been no secret from the get-go that Jackson and Maggie were not widely well received. 

Unfortunately, I think this overtly tense breakup is smoke-and-mirrors, and that the goal is to eventually bring them back together again. As if we're supposed to believe that they so strongly dislike each other because of the raging inferno of passion that they have for one another - or some ridiculous nonsense like that. Hopefully I'm wrong and tptb have come to their senses to let that pairing stay dead, but as of now I'm skeptical. 

Edited October 4, 2019 by funnygirl

[fakesnakesablaze]

I think there is a lot of potential with this new hospital to bring in some new dynamics, but I'm curious how well they will be able to handle this. It's tough to see Richard and Alex shit on this opportunity so much when they were out of options the previous episode. It's a great chance to call out the privileges of Grey Sloan, but could Webber do it in a way that's a little less naive and whiney?

I swear I used to love Jackson, but I think they've really brought his character down without April. For a character like Jackson, I think it's really important for him to be challenged, otherwise he's just a successful, rich, and handsome doctor and that doesn't really make for compelling storylines for him. Mark and April both required him to work and compromise and push himself in ways that have been missing since the Montana episode. I expected Jackson to behave in a kinder way during this breakup, but this attitude is more infuriating without any added interest to their storyline going forward. 

I almost tired of explaining just how frustrating Maggie is, but I find myself being able to add to it with every new episode. Maggie being upset with Jackson seems fine and I'd be fine to see Maggie have a bitch sesh with someone about her break up, but the stuff she said about Vic was so arrogant and gross, and I wish someone would have overheard it and checked her on it (Bailey would have been good). And then of course the way she handles the patient. It's always all about Maggie, and it's such a consistently annoying trait for Maggie. Can she not get a storyline where she learns to put others first? 

Bailey this week was better, but I still get major entitlement vibes from her. There was something about the Bailey of the early seasons that just cared so much about the patient and the development of the interns, but this Bailey seems far more concerned with feeling powerful. I think if they really wanted to bring old Bailey back, they'd give her more room to actually connect with and understand the residents and use that to influence her decision making. Maybe they are headed in that direction, but since we don't know the residents as well as we knew MAGIC I feel like we could connect with them more through Bailey.

I really hate this look for Meredith. It's already dumb that she's in this situation, but all of this just adds to the stupidity of it. I kind of liked the idea of her helping some of the people, but the whole line of people and using her community service time to be a doctor is not okay, and it's shitty that she bullied the supervisor into letting her continue on with giving out medical care. I'm sure it was just for the visual, but I'd be so pissed if my entire clean up team was lined up waiting for a medical consult. Then we get some comments about how all others hospitals suck, and we get Meredith somehow just now coming to the realization that healthcare is not accessible to everyone? And of course a few weeks of mingling with poor people, she's ready to write about it? Mer is under qualified to talk about this topic, she's also not a writer, and is probably the least effective way a well off hospital and award winning surgeon could make a difference in this arena. I know she doesn't have her license right now, but if she really wanted to make a difference she should really focus on getting that back. I also think that this whole storyline robs Meredith of the chance for some personal growth. Krista said she wanted Meredith to deal with the consequences of her actions, but I feel like they could be doing a much better job at showing Meredith struggle with this turn in her life. Maybe that too is coming down the road when Mer realizes she needs to get her license back because writing is harder than she thought, but if so it's a rather another annoying step for this storyline.

Amelia and Link were great, and their dynamic has really done a lot of great things for both characters, but I really wish Amelia wasn't going to have a baby. Amelia having a chill and casual dating life would have been really refreshing and I think they could have done a lot to explore Amelia outside of a relationship. Not sure if Caterina is pregnant. I could see why that might make it harder for her character to be living her best single life, but I still feel like they could have explored that option more. With that said, I like them as a couple and I think Amelia having a healthy baby is a good storyline for Amelia to have at some point.

I liked Jo's storyline, even though I still feel meh on her. All of the fellowship talk just reminded me that Jo was supposed to be working on curing cancer all last season and now I think we're dropping that entirely for her to get dark blue scrubs. This could be a good move for her character, but usually the fellowship storylines do a lot more to show growth and development for characters. I have to assume the turn Tom's character is taking is to make Owen look better, but it just makes me hate both of them. 

[ams1001]

2 minutes ago, fakesnakesablaze said:

but the stuff she said about Vic was so arrogant and gross, and I wish someone would have overheard it and checked her on it (Bailey would have been good).

As much as I find Bailey a bit over the top these days, I would love to see her reaction to Maggie's implication that dating a firefighter is beneath her.

[fakesnakesablaze]

2 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

As much as I find Bailey a bit over the top these days, I would love to see her reaction to Maggie's implication that dating a firefighter is beneath her.

I just need someone to check Maggie! Bailey can be really annoying when it feels like her only purpose is to check someone, but I think that's such a personal thing for Bailey.

[Chas411]

Quote

Unfortunately, I think this overtly tense breakup is smoke-and-mirrors, and that the goal is to eventually bring them back together again. As if we're supposed to believe that they so strongly dislike each other because of the raging inferno of passion that they have for one another - or some ridiculous nonsense like that. Hopefully I'm wrong and tptb have come to their senses to let that pairing stay dead, but as of now I'm skeptical.

Unfortunately agreed. I think this is just a other version of the writers trying way too hard with these two.

Also agreed with comments upthread about Maggie. I find her to be the most self absorbed of all the characters. On this show that’s really saying something.

Edited October 4, 2019 by Chas411

[Ohwell]

12 hours ago, Chewy101 said:

WHY do doctors keep getting accidentally knocked up. Don't they know better??? Ugh. For sixteen seasons these doctors have been having "oopsie daisy" babies and it's careless and childish, and most of them are too dang old for this nonsense. 

Exactly!  Plus, these women are no spring chickens (and some of the men aren't exactly young roosters either).  I fully expect DeLoser/DeLuca to knock Meredith up soon.

[PepSinger]

1 hour ago, ams1001 said:

As much as I find Bailey a bit over the top these days, I would love to see her reaction to Maggie's implication that dating a firefighter is beneath her.

How could I have forgotten this?!?! My jaw actually dropped when she said that. Way to be an elitist asshole, Maggie. Why are TPTB trying to make me hate her?

[statsgirl]

If anyone doesn't need another child, it's Meredith. She couldn't handle the ones she has without help.

I didn't see Maggie's about Vic as being about Vic herself (because she doesn't know Vic) so much as a reaction to Jackson's #freedom and generally being a jerk including his comments about how wonderful Vic is while being cold to Maggie herself. If they ever want to put Jackson and Maggie together again (and I really hope they don't), Jackson has to find some empathy.  They both need to grow up but that's too much to ask for on this show.

1 hour ago, PepSinger said:

My question is, has Jo taken her board exam? I honestly can’t remember. That wouldn’t preclude her from doing a fellowship, but she’d have to take them to become an attending general surgeon.

Which of them have?  I think April and Jackson did because April failed her the first time and quit but I don't remember the original five taking them.

I assumed that Jo took her board exam because she was applying to other hospitals and it would have helped her application.  But more likely the show just doesn't care about those details.

With Richard, Alex and Meredith gone from the hospital, of course Bailey would prefer to have Jo fill an attending position rather than off working on a project as a fellow.

[taanja]

36 minutes ago, statsgirl said:

Which of them have?  I think April and Jackson did because April failed her the first time and quit but I don't remember the original five taking them.

I swear in like the first season? second? maybe third? there is an ep dedicated to MAGIC taking their board exams. Meredith just sits there staring off into space because of something...?? probably something Derek did (Derek was always doing something shitty and fucking up Mere in the head) .... and George... fails? yes I believe George initially fails his boards.