S11.E11: All I Could Do Was Cry

[Nobodysfan]

Way back when Owen first appeared, he seemed to be a master of trauma care and incredibly capable of not only running the ER but improving their methods, processes and success rates.  Now he is capable of standing around looking either concerned, angry or constipated, depending on the scene.  That hospital doesn't just kill physicians through bizarre circumstances, it destroys their skills and competence.  After a few years there, I'm surprised he can dress himself.   

 

 

True. I totally agree. They destroyed his character like hungry wolves they ate him up and threw away some remains of who he used to be.

[Chas411]

If there's one thing I enjoy with Jo and Stephanie it's their friendship. I really buy it as genuine. I'm not into many of the other friendships anymore on the show so it's nice to have one that stands out for me.

April and Jackson were gut wrenching in the episode. So heartbreaking.

[tua20782]

I'm giving Owen a pass on this one. Didn't they just update the ER last season when the whole board thing happened. It's all high tech now and I don't think Owen was ever a computer guy. Plus by then he was chief and I can imagine that he let April take the reign on the day to day running of the ER. I thought he was doing the best he could in that scene. Letting April know that she's missed but what she's going through is more important. I have my issues with Owen but I really like his relationship with April.

April and Jackson broke my heart and I thought this episode was really well done. It's been a while since grey's made me feel so much so kudos to Sarah and Jesse.

So far I'm ok with Amelia and Owen. It's obvious what they're doing but it feels like they're using a lighter touch then normal.

ETA Poor Stephanie has had the worst year ever. I'm waiting for something good to happen for that girl.

Edited February 17, 2015 by tua20782

[Nobodysfan]

So far I'm ok with Amelia and Owen. It's obvious what they're doing but it feels like they're using a lighter touch then normal.

 

 

Yes, it is lighter because per Rhimes they are moving slowly.

Haha, we will all see they are "soulmates" , it´s the real deal, it´s the BIG LOOOOOOOOOVE, you know.... sorry, this pushing OA down our throats makes me nothing but vomit. It´s worse than Izzie´s sex with Denny ghost.

[ChicksDigScars]

It´s worse than Izzie´s sex with Denny ghost.

 

Maybe a tie with Izzie's sex with George (worst attempted coupling EVER)

[Chicken Wing]

Jackson was an amazing husband. I was afraid his going to church was him having a "come to Jesus" moment. I don't need that for him as much as I domt need April to "come to her senses". I loved that he wasn't asking for anything for him or even his baby, but he asked for April. Whom in the scene previous to this was having a breakdown and doubting the things she has held dear to her all her life and he saw how that was breaking her. So he went and asked a deity he didn't believe in, but his wife did, and asked for him to show up for April. I've watched this show from the beginning and have loved all the couples and their big moments, but this was the first time I've ever been thrown by how much one character loves another. He loves her so much that he got over his hang up and did something that is so far beyond his own rationale. I'm not sure any character has done something of that magnitude for a significant other.

 

Ditto to this. I loved how they were very clear that this was not Jackson "coming around" and becoming a believer in his desperation. Hell, no. (And I did that on purpose.) He was merely making a case on April's behalf because it's what April believes in, what April needed. It's like ... God is this very good friend of April's. Jackson isn't friends with God, he finds him annoying and April's friendship with Him is even a little unnerving at times but it is what it is. God is just that friend that Jackson doesn't care for but tolerates that his wife does. Right now, April is in need of her dear friend. Normally Jackson never bothers to talk to her friend God, never cares to visit His house, but he is putting his wife's needs ahead of his personal feelings and going over to God's house to ask Him, one on one, face to face, to come over and be there for April because He's important to her and she needs His help. Jackson asked her friend to help her. Good husband.

Edited February 18, 2015 by Chicken Wing

[RedheadZombie]

Also, Owen telling April that they could not function without her on what is likely the worst day of her life was INCREDIBLY inappropriate. April had enough to deal with, without a guilt trip.

 

I interpreted this completely different.  April was furious that she was pulled out of surgery, and to be fair, she was affectively compartmentalizing - no one in the OR knew anything was wrong.  But she probably shouldn't have been in there.  Owen eventually realized that April needed to immerse herself in doing what she loves, to temporarily distract herself and process what she was told about the baby.  Bottom line, these folks are all workaholics, and have functioned for years without sleep and under duress.  So Owen gave April the opportunity to be useful because he understood.  When it was all over, he wasn't about to say - do you feel better?  We were fine without you but I felt sorry for you.

 

Jackson looked like he had been sitting nearby, in case she fell apart or needed him.  Owen then let her know all the patients had been cared for, and they couldn't have done it without her, but now it was time for her to go home.  It was a kindness, and showed he really understood her.  I  love April, so if I saw any disrespect I would say so.

[BC Mama]

I interpreted this completely different.  April was furious that she was pulled out of surgery, and to be fair, she was affectively compartmentalizing - no one in the OR knew anything was wrong.  But she probably shouldn't have been in there.  Owen eventually realized that April needed to immerse herself in doing what she loves, to temporarily distract herself and process what she was told about the baby.  Bottom line, these folks are all workaholics, and have functioned for years without sleep and under duress.  So Owen gave April the opportunity to be useful because he understood.  When it was all over, he wasn't about to say - do you feel better?  We were fine without you but I felt sorry for you.

 

Jackson looked like he had been sitting nearby, in case she fell apart or needed him.  Owen then let her know all the patients had been cared for, and they couldn't have done it without her, but now it was time for her to go home.  It was a kindness, and showed he really understood her.  I  love April, so if I saw any disrespect I would say so.

Are you talking about the episode from the week before? April wasn't working on the day her son was born.

[RedheadZombie]

Are you talking about the episode from the week before? April wasn't working on the day her son was born.

 

Probably. 

[Eolivet]

"He squeezed my finger...and then he let go." I got chills. And had to wipe away a few tears. That tapped into some incredibly raw emotion, which I believe is what Grey's has always done best.

 

My one nitpick continues to be about Amelia: I love all of Shonda's shows, but stopped watching Private Practice after the first season. I have no idea about Amelia's backstory and found it vaguely confusing that she seemed to be inserting herself into April and Jackson's situation when she's a neurosurgeon. I realize their shows have a lot of overlapping audience, but Private Practice also ended three (?) years ago -- viewers' memories aren't that good. Couldn't Amelia just have been sad for April and Jackson instead of making it all about her, and just having Private Practice viewers know her relationship to the story?

 

And excuse me, I'm no huge fan of Stephanie, but in no way has Amelia earned "You shouldn't be a surgeon!" Ugh. Can they steal Scott Foley from Scandal to romance her -- that's what ultimately made me like Kim Raver/Teddy (the last actress I so intensely disliked on Grey's).

[kingshearte]

My one nitpick continues to be about Amelia: I love all of Shonda's shows, but stopped watching Private Practice after the first season. I have no idea about Amelia's backstory and found it vaguely confusing that she seemed to be inserting herself into April and Jackson's situation when she's a neurosurgeon. I realize their shows have a lot of overlapping audience, but Private Practice also ended three (?) years ago -- viewers' memories aren't that good. Couldn't Amelia just have been sad for April and Jackson instead of making it all about her, and just having Private Practice viewers know her relationship to the story?

I don't know. I never watched PP, so I only knew about Amelia's baby situation from here, but it is part of her character's history, even if not from this show. So while I understand feeling a little confused if you didn't know, I think it would have been weird for it not to have been acknowledged. It's human nature to relate other people's experiences to our own, and I can't imagine someone who's lost a baby like that not finding this situation a bit triggering. And I actually thought she did a really good job of not making it all about her. At no point did she go to April or Jackson all "I know exactly what you're going through, it totally happened to me, this is how you deal with it, blah blah blah, me me me." She merely offered some fairly understated advice to others about supporting April & Jackson, and then had a moment later with Owen. I hardly think it's stealing focus from the ones going through it now to acknowledge that you went through it once.

[Nobodysfan]

I´m with Eolivet, Amelia basically told everyone who were thinking about what to do for Japril her idea was the best, and the tone she used,like what are you even talking about, you don´t understand, you and your stupid ideas, I know what´s best,etc.

And in the chapel,not knowing why the "nurse" fell asleep on the bench,well for god´s sake maybe she fell asleep of exhaustion,or after praying , it can happen to anyone, who is Amelia to hit the bench,wake the poor woman up, where does she get the right to do that??,the way she did and that condescending look. I can´t with Amelia, she is horrible,just horrible.

 

I´ve never seen such a smug person and surgeon on Greys (well, maybe Catherine Avery comes very close), Cristina´s smugness was earned, she had the skills, she had the humour but Amelia is just not worthy of anything.

Edited March 4, 2015 by Season5OwenHuntfan

[CED9]

I don't know. I never watched PP, so I only knew about Amelia's baby situation from here, but it is part of her character's history, even if not from this show. So while I understand feeling a little confused if you didn't know, I think it would have been weird for it not to have been acknowledged. It's human nature to relate other people's experiences to our own, and I can't imagine someone who's lost a baby like that not finding this situation a bit triggering. And I actually thought she did a really good job of not making it all about her. At no point did she go to April or Jackson all "I know exactly what you're going through, it totally happened to me, this is how you deal with it, blah blah blah, me me me." She merely offered some fairly understated advice to others about supporting April & Jackson, and then had a moment later with Owen. I hardly think it's stealing focus from the ones going through it now to acknowledge that you went through it once.

I honestly would've preferred Arizona's miscarriage being acknowledged. It was, sort of, silently the entire episode, but I just want Arizona to be able to acknowledge it with someone who would be supportive of it.

Jessica Capshaw had 22 minutes of screentime, and Arizona is still just as much of an enigma. It's frustrating.

[Nobodysfan]

I honestly would've preferred Arizona's miscarriage being acknowledged. It was, sort of, silently the entire episode, but I just want Arizona to be able to acknowledge it with someone who would be supportive of it.

Jessica Capshaw had 22 minutes of screentime, and Arizona is still just as much of an enigma. It's frustrating.

 

 

Arizona and Owen are black sheep in the Greys family. I hope you don´t mind me saying that.

[kingshearte]

I´m with Eolivet, Amelia basically told everyone who were thinking about what to do for Japril her idea was the best, and the tone she used,like what are you even talking about, you don´t understand, you and your stupid ideas, I know what´s best,etc.

And in the chapel,not knowing why the "nurse" fell asleep on the bench,well for god´s sake maybe she fell asleep of exhaustion,or after praying , it can happen to anyone, who is Amelia to hit the bench,wake the poor woman up, where does she get the right to do that??,the way she did and that condescending look. I can´t with Amelia, she is horrible,just horrible.

I didn't think the tone was that bad, but it's true that it didn't leave a lot of room for discussion. And I do agree she was an ass to that woman.

 

I honestly would've preferred Arizona's miscarriage being acknowledged. It was, sort of, silently the entire episode, but I just want Arizona to be able to acknowledge it with someone who would be supportive of it.

Also a valid point. I don't think it necessarily needed to be one or the other, but you're absolutely right that there could have been more made of this than there was.

[Eolivet]

 At no point did she go to April or Jackson all "I know exactly what you're going through, it totally happened to me, this is how you deal with it, blah blah blah, me me me." She merely offered some fairly understated advice to others about supporting April & Jackson, and then had a moment later with Owen. I hardly think it's stealing focus from the ones going through it now to acknowledge that you went through it once.

 

I suppose I should rephrase: Amelia did not insert herself as a character, but the writers inserted her into what (in my opinion) should've been an April and Jackson story. Amelia opened and (I believe) closed the show, with special narrative attention paid to her trauma (which non-PP Grey's viewers had never seen) without -- as other posters commented -- attention being paid to Arizona or even Meredith (who also suffered a miscarriage). Amelia lit the first candle and was the one who got the narrative payoff of seeing them all lit -- not April or Jackson, who were the focus of the episode. I'm glad the writers found Amelia's situation thematically relevant, but considering Amelia wasn't April's friend, nor did we even see what happened to her, I found it jarring.

 

ETA: And, as season5owenhuntfan notes, Amelia appointed herself the expert about what to do after one suffers a baby-related tragedy. So, while she didn't talk to April and Jackson directly, she sort of inserted herself into their situation (unbeknownst to them) -- which rubbed me the wrong way.

Edited March 4, 2015 by Eolivet

[Nobodysfan]

 

I suppose I should rephrase: Amelia did not insert herself as a character, but the writers inserted her into what (in my opinion) should've been an April and Jackson story. Amelia opened and (I believe) closed the show, with special narrative attention paid to her trauma (which non-PP Grey's viewers had never seen) without -- as other posters commented -- attention being paid to Arizona or even Meredith (who also suffered a miscarriage). Amelia lit the first candle and was the one who got the narrative payoff of seeing them all lit -- not April or Jackson, who were the focus of the episode. I'm glad the writers found Amelia's situation thematically relevant, but considering Amelia wasn't April's friend, nor did we even see what happened to her, I found it jarring.

 

ETA: And, as season5owenhuntfan notes, Amelia appointed herself the expert about what to do after one suffers a baby-related tragedy. So, while she didn't talk to April and Jackson directly, she sort of inserted herself into their situation (unbeknownst to them) -- which rubbed me the wrong way.

 

ITA. I know you are not there yet, but imagine with 1114 it´s the 4th Amelia centric episode - 1107, 1111,1113,1114  and it´s not the end of the season yet, so unfair to the other characters.

 

1111 should have placed primary focus on Japril  - opening and closing scenes, the closing monologue should have been theirs. Reality was different. Amelia is pushed down our throats heavily and the result is at least in my case total resentment.

[izabella]

I totally forgot about Arizona's miscarriage.  Of course, that whole thing with her having a baby and losing it happened in crappy flashback and was a total retcon, so I probably blocked it out as though it never happened. As far as I'm concerned, it didn't.

[LeGrandElephant]

I have no memory of Arizona being pregnant or having a miscarriage.... But I think there was like half a season I missed because I got fed up. Oh well.

[kingshearte]

It was really glossed over.

[CED9]

It was like a two scene retcon last season in that random Callie centric episode where they were trying to be an episode of The Practice.

Arizona got pregnant. Callie missed the ultrasound where Arizona found out she was miscarrying because she was doing the surgery for the guy that was suing her. Callie's response was to badger Arizona about trying again and walked out when Arizona wouldn't say yes to trying again.