S12.E24: Family Affair

[ElectricBoogaloo]

SEASON FINALE!

Quote

Meredith and Maggie support Amelia on an important day. Jo reveals that she has been keeping secrets from Alex while Arizona and Callie deal with the impact of their custody arrangement. Meanwhile, Ben leaps into action to help a friend.

Promo:

[Maukie99]

I think Alex will not be thrilled when he learns that Meredith had sex with Nathan and he will also tell Meredith. Alex is I think anyway be a little bad mood, since Jo says no to his marriage proposal and concealed him what.

 

What Jo before Alex concealed well! I think that she is still married inadvertently with another. And known you have to get a divorce, if you want to marry someone.

[readster]

As I've said, if Jo is still married, there has to be a good explanation. With all the time jumps and everything the last two seasons. If Jo is married to some abusive person and couldn't to not get discovered. Then that is really, really bad.

[arilliope]

i wonder what jo's real name is.. 

[GreysFan89]

5 minutes ago, arilliope said:

i wonder what jo's real name is.. 

Lara Croft, ha!

[arilliope]

Just now, GreysFan89 said:

Lara Croft, ha!

Ha! also.. now that Jo's real identity is gonna be revealed.. i wonder if she was also using a fake accent.. haha i love her british accent.

[upperco]

Ultimately satisfying, with the requisite (and mostly predictable) twists and turns supported by a script that employed an undercurrent of humor and kept every character true to his/her voice, even in the too-big moments. Plenty of places to go next season. 

Fine end to a fine season -- it's no longer embarrassing to tell my friends I still watch GREY'S ANATOMY. They get it again.

[LexieLily]

Oh, Arizona....

[Daisy]

I guess as far as finales go.. it was okay. it was just... vanilla. Yay. Bailey trusts Warren. Yay. April + Baby Japril is safe (and a girl). Yay Arizona adulted and Callie  still didn't realise why she was wrong. Oh look - Jo is married to an abusive person, no one saw that coming said no one ever. 

Whatever Shondaland Show. See you guys in the fall. 

[Primetimer]

Grey's hits the season finale trifecta: a wedding, a birth, and the revelation of a big secret. Tina Mitchell has questions!

View the full article

[GreysFan89]

Damn so SaRa is leaving!! Shonda just posted a goodbye tweet!

[Chicken Wing]

So ... Arizona basically let Callie have Sofia the way she wanted in the first place, even though Arizona was in the right and Callie was wrong, just because she felt sorry that Callie was so unhappy? What the fuck ever.

The April stuff is going to give me nightmares for at least a month.

Explain how Mer, Maggie and Amelia got their hair and dresses looking perfect again after traipsing around in the rain.

Jo can't marry Alex because she's already married. No one saw that coming, except for everyone. What silly unnecessary drama for drunk Jo to be taking off her clothes with DeLuca and Alex walking in and getting the wrong, yet totally understandable, idea.

[BaseOps]

Pretty rattled that Sara left us after that messy final storyline + a final episode where she had scenes with NO ONE. 
Sara also confirms the exit here... 

http://tvline.com/2016/05/19/greys-anatomy-sara-ramirez-season-13-callie-leaving/

[emjohnson03]

I know people think it's on track but....I CANT WITH THIS SHOW.

So Jo did marry that abusive ex? I'm confused...and it's not her real name. Oh geez. I will say I loved Alex about growing up and being a man. Get that girl that isnt dark and twisted.

And the end with Mere and the new doctor. And now Amelia...seriously does everyone have to be related somehow?? I mean everyone is married, slept with and hurt each other so many times over that it's all just one serious big CF.

Ben actually was kinda awesome. What's the deal with Avery and what's her name? Goodness, I don't even mind that I can't think of her at the moment.

I didn't watch much of this season and I can say I didnt miss a beat.

At least a meteor didn't fall in on the church...but that could still happen.

[sarkygal]

Um... this may be an unpopular opinion, but what Arizona did was stupid and not in Sofia's best interests. This is a child, not a puppy FFS. If one of her adult parents has the sads, then she sucks it up, goes back to adulting and keeps being a parent. Callie's already proven how dirty she will fight. What's to stop her from going in front of a judge again and saying Arizona pretty much gave up on being a full time parent a few months in?

Yay for happy healthy Japril. We all called Jo's big secret, so no surprises there. Return of Ragey Alex is disappointing after seasons of maturity and growth. I still think Riggs is better suited to Maggie and I refuse to support the toxic wedding. Good episode all around and nobody died. 

Have a great summer, y'all.

Edited May 20, 2016 by sarkygal

[LexieLily]

1 minute ago, Chicken Wing said:

So ... Arizona basically let Callie have Sofia the way she wanted in the first place, even though Arizona was in the right and Callie was wrong, just because she felt sorry that Callie was so unhappy? What the fuck ever.

Yeah, I don't understand. She was talking about summers (plural) and alternating Christmases so she's expecting Callie to stay there with Penny permanently?

[choclatechip45]

Not a huge Callie fan, but that was a disappointing send off. I guess that is why Shonda kills everyone off. I was disappointed Arizona gave into her. I feel bad for DeLuca he was trying to do the right thing and he gets bashed in the face. I'm happy Ben redeemed himself.

Edited May 20, 2016 by choclatechip45

[GreysFan89]

I was gonna complain about Arizona caving to Callie but I guess they had to do that with SaRa leaving.

Oh and Jo was already married...wow no one saw that coming. lol

[arilliope]

• Crowen - RIP
• Merder - RIP
• Japril - no more baby drama. now they can work out how they feel about each other and give it another go
• Jolex - now they a meaty storyline for next season
• Benley - church and state are no longer at odds
• Miggs - Mer and Riggs or Maggie and Riggs. A love triangle for the next season... not that Maggie has a chance against the main character lol
• Omelia - happy couples always get a cut in their screen time, so yay for next season!
• Calzona - *sighs* Arizona has officially been redeemed. I feel season 13 will be her being back to her original self and I hope she too finds love cos she sure as hell deserves to be happy after all this. Callie, you deserve to be happy with Penny. 

[Daisy]

so wait? SaRa is leaving, and she said goodbye to noone. we basically saw her pout this episode, say thank you and that's it?!
 

(sigh). 

[arilliope]

oh wow.. Sara really is leaving...

[shantown]

I'm just thankful for a season finale with no terrible mass disaster.

[choclatechip45]

As long as Arizona does not get killed of before the series finale who wants to bet Calzona will reunite?

[cooper16]

Is Sara gone for good? The tweets referring to "time off" make it seem like this will be temporary. I hated Callie this season so it makes losing the character a little easier but still, I loved the old iterations of Callie Torres. 

In any case, I actually liked this finale. There were no cliched disasters and I am enjoying the dynamic between the "sisters". 

[BaseOps]

I really liked the Mer / Riggs scenes.... I also like that we potentially have a big Alex / Jo storyline set up for next season. 

Edited May 20, 2016 by BaseOps

[kdm07]

Just now, shantown said:

I'm just thankful for a season finale with no terrible mass disaster.

Me too. I was expecting April & the baby to bite it.

Arizona is way too nice but I guess with Sara Ramirez leaving they had to tie up that storyline some how. It's a little annoying because it makes the whole custody thing a waste of time.

I'm not sure what to make of Amelia & Owen getting married but I hope they're finally happy.

So Jo has a secret identity:

20 minutes ago, arilliope said:

Ha! also.. now that Jo's real identity is gonna be revealed.. i wonder if she was also using a fake accent.. haha i love her british accent.

It would be interesting to have her "real" character be English.

[Court]

What the hell? How does Callie get her way? I'm angry. 

I can't even with the Jo is already married storyline. I've never liked her so bye.

Still don't care about Owen and Amelia.

Avery with the baby was adorable. 

[arilliope]

Is this Sara's last appearance on Greys? if so.. they have given her a huge disservice. 

she barely got to say a few words.. she didnt even say bye to anybody. did they cut out her parts to show next season? i  have way too many questions...

[readster]

Jo is under a false name and her husband is abusive and powerful. So, how can you hide in plain sight, complete a medical degree, falsify paperwork and then go into a great surgical program and not one time does a red flag show up? Plus, she has a few drinks and then spills everything to someone who should have said: "Fuck this, I'm turning you in. You nuts!" 

[BaseOps]

Arizona says "bring her back next weekend, and I want all summer and every other school year." So it sounds like she'll still be the primary guardian but is just willing to be flexible so Callie can have some leeway. I still hate how quickly they wrapped it up. If they knew this was her final episode, WHY did they do it this way? I guess it was all about the surprise, but damn... 

[arilliope]

@BaseOps, did any of Callie's lines get cut? as in, was your viewing different from what aired?

[Chicken Wing]

1 minute ago, readster said:

Jo is under a false name and her husband is abusive and powerful. So, how can you hide in plain sight, complete a medical degree, falsify paperwork and then go into a great surgical program and not one time does a red flag show up? Plus, she has a few drinks and then spills everything to someone who should have said: "Fuck this, I'm turning you in. You nuts!" 

Seriously, my first thought was, uh, how did she get into medical school with a fake name, then? How'd she get a medical license? Not that I've gotten many medical licenses lately, but don't they have to confirm your identity and SSN and stuff? I hate poorly thought out retcons...

[sarkygal]

1 minute ago, BaseOps said:

Arizona says "bring her back next weekend, and I want all summer and every other school year." So it sounds like she'll still be the primary guardian but is just willing to be flexible so Callie can have some leeway. I still hate how quickly they wrapped it up. If they knew this was her final episode, WHY did they do it this way? I guess it was all about the surprise, but damn... 

All summer and every other school year is not primary guardianship. Arizona's whole custody case hinged on the fact that moving Sofia to NY was not in the child's best interests. Reneging on that just to give SaRa a positive exit from the show is bad writing. and in real life, it's undermines the judge's ruling and Arizona's claim to sole physical custody. 

[GreysFan89]

It's weird, I've been saying for the last few weeks, that with the way they were writing Callie recently, I wouldn't care if she left but now that she actually has...I'm a bit gutted. :( What a terrible exit storyline.

[readster]

Just now, Chicken Wing said:

Seriously, my first thought was, uh, how did she get into medical school with a fake name, then? How'd she get a medical license? Not that I've gotten many medical licenses lately, but don't they have to confirm your identity and SSN and stuff? I hate poorly thought out retcons...

Also, how did she pay for it? Just dropped off a sack of money every semester to the bursar's office and said: "No questions, just take it!" Also, what a horrible way to write Callie out makes the last few episodes irrelevant and a waste of time. 

[cooper16]

1 minute ago, readster said:

Also, how did she pay for it? Just dropped off a sack of money every semester to the bursar's office and said: "No questions, just take it!" Also, what a horrible way to write Callie out makes the last few episodes irrelevant and a waste of time. 

 

3 minutes ago, Chicken Wing said:

Seriously, my first thought was, uh, how did she get into medical school with a fake name, then? How'd she get a medical license? Not that I've gotten many medical licenses lately, but don't they have to confirm your identity and SSN and stuff? I hate poorly thought out retcons...

She could've legally changed her name- I think that it is the most likely scenario

[Starscream]

14 minutes ago, sarkygal said:

Um... this may be an unpopular opinion, but what Arizona did was stupid and not in Sofia's best interests. This is a child, not a puppy FFS.

Yeah, Arizona's compromise was stupider than Callie wanting to chase tail to New York in the first place.  Two happy moms?  Sure, but one likely messed up and unhappy Sofia if she's changing schools every damn year.

I was surprisingly moved by Ben and Bailey in this episode.  I usually roll my eyes at them.

The only thing that bothered me about Jo and Alex was the silly ending.  I liked how Alex really took Owen's words about the benefit of the doubt to heart.

Ellen was killing me with all her crazy facial expressions in this episode.  Meredith was actually funny and not at all the bitch she's been for a lot of this season.

[BaseOps]

4 minutes ago, sarkygal said:

All summer and every other school year is not primary guardianship. Arizona's whole custody case hinged on the fact that moving Sofia to NY was not in the child's best interests. Reneging on that just to give SaRa a positive exit from the show is bad writing. and in real life, it's undermines the judge's ruling and Arizona's claim to sole physical custody. 

Yea, I don't disagree that it was sloppy... also not what's best for Sofia. BUT with Sara leaving, I'm glad they didn't just kill her. I think negotiations probably went down to the wire. This is probably best case scenario. It frees up Arizona, it allows us to believe they're co-parenting well, and it gives Callie a happy send-off (as much as I despise the fact that it's with Penny.) Also, if Arizona has sole physical custody, doesn't she get to decide how much time the child spends with Callie? So splitting time is her prerogative. 

Edited May 20, 2016 by BaseOps

[readster]

Just now, ppp38 said:

 

She could've legally changed her name- I think that it is the most likely scenario

Now, that she could have done, but if she was in hiding, you don't think her supposed powerful husband couldn't find a way to find her? I mean this is TV after all.

[BaseOps]

8 minutes ago, arilliope said:

@BaseOps, did any of Callie's lines get cut? as in, was your viewing different from what aired?

Nope. The screener I got was exactly what aired. I believe I said Callie only had one scene with dialogue. I honestly thought that was going to be a cliffhanger, not a 'send off'. Quite disappointed. 

[GreysFan89]

1 minute ago, BaseOps said:

Nope. The screener I got was exactly what aired. I believe I said Callie only had one scene with dialogue. I honestly thought that was going to be a cliffhanger, not a 'send off'. Quite disappointed. 

You were right thought it is the scene people are talking about ha.

[DearEvette]

Ha! Jo is shady as fuck.  Sure everybody suspected she was married, but the actual reveal feels worse somehow.  She lived an entire lie, didn't trust Alex enough to confide in him at all, tried to compound it by bafflingly offering to have a baby instead! (WTF?!?!) and then proceeds to finally confess ... but not to Alex, but to DeLuca.  Seriously?  This is some trifling shit right there.

I actually like this episode, it felt packed with stuff.  And there were some great lines:
 

Quote

 

Maggie: "What's wrong with Owen?"

Amelia : "Nothing is wrong with Owen"

Meredith: "Well, he could use some sun."

 

 

I also liked Richard's comment to Owen who was waiting for Amelia to return:

Quote

"On the plus side, you're well liked. A lot of people came."

 

I hated the scene with Ben and April.  And then it changed and I thought it was great.  Good work by Sarah Drew especially during that C-section. Yow!

[funnygirl]

Callie Torres gets one or two minutes of screen time in her very last episode. Wow. She deserved a better storyline in her final season. 

I can't even process the rest of the episode right now. 

[BaseOps]

I know the Callie stuff is the big takeaway, but I'm eager to hear what Jolex fans thought of... all that. 

[WhosThatGirl]

I'm..okay. Eh. It was okay I guess. Not that polarizing. I suspected Callie was leaving a month or so ago when SR sent her cryptic tweet. I will miss Callie of past seasons, not this one. 

Jo is the worst. I was starting to like her too. And now this.. poor Deluca, I hope Alex doesn't kill him. Because he will. Alex is one filled with a lot of rage when shaken like a soda bottle and when it explodes it will not be pretty. 

[sarkygal]

7 minutes ago, BaseOps said:

Yea, I don't disagree that it was sloppy... also not what's best for Sofia. BUT with Sara leaving, I'm glad they didn't just kill her. I think negotiations probably went down to the wire. This is probably best case scenario. It frees up Arizona, it allows us to believe they're co-parenting well, and it gives Callie a happy send-off (as much as I despise the fact that it's with Penny.) Also, if Arizona has sole physical custody, doesn't she get to decide how much time the child spends with Callie? So splitting time is her prerogative. 

I'm not disagreeing with you BaseOps. It's the lousy story line that's doing my head in. We could have just had SaRa move to NY with Penny without the ugly custody case, if it was going to be this same outcome anyway. I'll just go look for a gif of Jackson and baby to make me feel better. 

[Anela]

I agree that was crappy, for her final episode. 

I'm glad that Meredith turned around and told Amelia that she was there for her, and that Owen obviously thought she was the one for him. I was cringing when she said that Cristina was the love of his life. 

It was nice to see Bailey actually happy to see her husband, and hugging him. Glad that April is okay, and that baby!! ♥

Poor Deluca. They must have just thought this up for Jo, because I would think that's the sort of thing you tell the man you really want to marry. Unless the other guy has something criminal that he was holding over her head. I wish they hadn't gone there, but they need to save a wedding for next year, I guess. 

[BaseOps]

2 minutes ago, sarkygal said:

I'm not disagreeing with you BaseOps. It's the lousy story line that's doing my head in. We could have just had SaRa move to NY with Penny without the ugly custody case, if it was going to be this same outcome anyway. I'll just go look for a gif of Jackson and baby to make me feel better. 

I didn't mind the custody thing, I just wish we saw actual resolution AFTER it. Not just the flash of a scene that we got this week where Arizona suddenly turns around and hands over everything Callie asked for. I think Callie deserved a much, much better send-off. I made a few points in the Callie Torres character thread that I'll repeat here... I think her love for Penny made sense. Everyone Callie loved either died or cheated on her (sometimes both.) So when she fell for Penny, she fell hard and didn't want to lose that. I just wish Penny had been more engaging of a character, because it left a huge disconnect in the story for the audience. Callie fell in love and wanted to pursue it - fine. But I wish it came through more onscreen. In theory, I'm happy that (if she had to go) she wasn't killed and she got a happy ending (?) But I wish they had worked harder to show Callie and Penny falling in love... or something. We never saw them meet or fall in love, and there was so little chemistry when we DID see them together. That combined with this super rushed ending just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. 

[Deanie87]

I must be drunk because I pretty much enjoyed this.  Outside of that travesty of a last episode for Callie.  I wonder if things were down to the wire because Callie didn't say goodbye to any other character and that really, really sucks.  Maybe she will come back once or twice a season?  

All I wanted for the Jo and Alex stuff was for it not to be a complete retcon, Jo not to come out looking like completely awful and for there to be a storyline next season and I think I got those things.  The DeLuca beatdown was a little unnecessary, but I was finding grown up, drama-free Alex a little boring so I'll take the backslide as long as he didn't do any damage to DeLuca's pretty face.  Also, Justin Chambers can act, I have no idea why they don't give him the chance more often.

I love Riggs and Cross.  I may have "Now you think your're my sun and my moon...you're good but you're not that good" engraved on my tombstone.  

[BaseOps]

3 minutes ago, Deanie87 said:

I must be drunk because I pretty much enjoyed this.  Outside of that travesty of a last episode for Callie.  I wonder if things were down to the wire because Callie didn't say goodbye to any other character and that really, really sucks.  Maybe she will come back once or twice a season?  

All I wanted for the Jo and Alex stuff was for it not to be a complete retcon, Jo not to come out looking like completely awful and for there to be a storyline next season and I think I got those things.  The DeLuca beatdown was a little unnecessary, but I was finding grown up, drama-free Alex a little boring so I'll take the backslide as long as he didn't do any damage to DeLuca's pretty face.  Also, Justin Chambers can act, I have no idea why they don't give him the chance more often.

I love Riggs and Cross.  I may have "Now you think your're my sun and my moon...you're good but you're not that good" engraved on my tombstone.  

I think Riggs was my MVP two weeks in a row. He really is great and I'm actually very looking forward to his relationship with Meredith. They're scene at the church was my favourite of the episode. Also, I've said for a while that I wish they had made Cross a regular instead of DeLuca. I like the silliness he brings. 

As for Alex / Jo, I figured most fans would be happy because at least they're never making us doubt how much she loves him (and vice versa.) The DeLuca thing was such cheesy setup, but that's Greys. It will give them a lot to deal with next season. I DO wonder how she made it through med school with a fake name... maybe she legally changed it? 

Edited to add: I LOVE when they give Justin scenes like that. He really can act his butt off when he needs to. I thought Camilla was a bit silly in some scenes, but acting drunk can be tough. 

Edited May 20, 2016 by BaseOps