S14.E09: 1-800-799-7233

[betsyboo]

7 minutes ago, CED9 said:

I also have to say I appreciated that the writer of the episode tweeted that when they were breaking the episode, he originally had Alex as Jo’s knight in shining armor, but was told by a woman in the writers room that women had to be the ones to help Jo. 

Love that! thanks for sharing!

[OtterMommy]

That was....a lot better than I expected.  I really had no faith in the DV line, but I thought it was well done enough for me to hand wave away the stuff that bugged me (exactly when did Jo and Mer become best friends?  Did I miss something?).  I've never been a fan of Matthew Morrison because I always found him to be a little to "good" and "squeaky clean."  So, imagine my surprise when I realized that this role, this psychopath (sociopath?) is probably the best performance I've seen him give.

That being said, the winner of this episode was Dr. Hacker.  The actor is great and, even more important, his character is completely original to Grey's.  For a long time, I've felt this show was really just rehashing the same tropes when a new character came along.  Heck, I still think that and Dr. Hacker (sorry, don't know his real name but since Dr. Schmitt will always be Glasses to me, this guy will always be Dr. Hacker) is an exception.  In the Shonda Rimes Intern Hunger Games, I'm hoping that the odds are in his favor (and Glasses, still don't care or despise the rest). However, my one quibble with his story is that I don't think having the detail of your felony sealed means that you don't have to admit that you have had a felony.  But, again, I'm more than happy to handwave this.

Jackson and Maggie...just ugh.  I mean, I guess that I'm happy that they've recognized that the not really but close to incest thing isn't the only thing wrong with this relationship, but I don't doubt for a minute that it isn't going to stop the show from going there (even though Maggie had a much nicer Tinder date waiting!).

I guess I can also congratulate show on writing a passage that is even ickier than Jackson's "But what if you want to sleep with your sister?" or whatever line from a few episodes ago.  I'm sorry, but there is no way the "I think blood got in my underwear"..."Well, I think the same blood got in  my mouth" can be anything but disgusting.

I'm a little disappointed that Jackson's contest is still a thing, but I'm starting to think it might work since now they have everyone in the hospital working against each other.  I can get behind that as long as Jackson doesn't win.  Back to Maggie and Jackson--I'm starting the think the most unbelievable part of all that is that anyone would be attracted to Jackson once they got to know him at this point.

I do like that April was recognized for her professional ability.  I'm really hoping that she gets a good Jackson-less story line going forward.

I have a guess about the next ep, but I'll move that to the spec thread.

[UNOSEZ]

14 minutes ago, Chas411 said:

I didn't like Jackson and April together either by the end but I never found them as forces as I find Jaggie or the character of Maggie in general.

How are they forced tho?... It's not like either one of them has someone out there who is def a candidate and the show is throwing obstacles in the way making Jackson and Maggie deal with each other.   It's obvious Jackson has a type (kinda flighty.. Kinda shrill.. Lil neurotic.. Prone to outbursts... Super smart and capable doctors... I mean he fell for lexy.. Fell for April and is in the process of falling for Maggie.. If anything maybe he should bite the bullet and just ask out Meredith lol... When I think of a forced relationship.. I think of early season bones... Seely seemed obsessed with Brennan.. Even when he had other seemingly better options.. She was rude and a bit of a stand-off  but the show just kept putting them together... Now eventually we saw the love grow into something but it wasn't always there..  I mean even look at the otp of the show MerDer.. That started off as an adulterous affair with a senior doctor in a position of power who said some really shitty things to Meredith... He called her a who're for gods sake and ppl blow loads for that coupling... I guess im just confused by the utter disdain for a potential Jackson Maggie pair up

[Rachel81]

Eons and eons ago, when Jackson was newer, didn't he say he was bullied and made fun of during school (especially because of his eyes)? Now, he was an all-around heartthrob, and prom king as a freshman? I'm having trouble finding the quote from whenever he said it, though.

[GSMHvisitor]

It was a good episode, but not exactly what I was hoping for in regards to Jo's storyline. Then again, I knew I wouldn't get what I was hoping for, so the disappointment is not too big. I think the DV part was handled pretty well. But what bugs me is that there was zero effort put into explaining some of the plotholes that appeared once they retconned Jo's story into a past of DV. When and how did Jo meet Paul? For how long have they been married? How could she get away? How does Mrs. Schmidt, Jo's teacher, fit into all this? After all they seemed to have been in touch when we first met Jo in s9, since Mrs. Schmidt was the one who gave Jo the watch. Wouldn't Mrs. Schmidt have been a means to get to Jo, if Paul was really looking for her? Why did Jo decide to still pursue a career as a surgeon when the dangerous man she was hiding from was a surgeon too? Not that she should give up her dream for him, but that was pretty risky and I would have liked to see it addressed.

All those things are just nitpicking and I guess the more important thing is that the domestic violence aspect was dealt with respectfully, but to me, those things matter. At this point I pretty much only watch for Alex, Jolex and Jo, so I would like for the characters story to make sense. There are still so many unanswered questions and we're supposed to handwave them all, because this is such a delicate issue. But this is not a documentary we're watching. It's not enough for me that they address DV and pat themselves on the back for raising awareness.

Also Jo just didn't give any indication of being a scared woman on the run. Before the s12 finale that was not possible of course, because that part of the story didn't exist then. But once it came out, I wish they had tried a little more, especially in s13. I also don't expect for her DV background to have any influence on her character going forward. They are dealing with this story for only 2 episodes and my guess is that Paul either dies or gets locked away or disappears. I don't know, but whatever happens, the story is probably gonna be tied up with a neat little bow for Jo and then never talked about again.

Like for many others here, the highlight of the episode for me was the hacker intern. I loved how they built that character up. That was really well done.

Edited January 19, 2018 by GSMHvisitor

[funnygirl]

It would've been more beneficial to have had a scene with Jo/Meredith and Arizona that transitioned her onto Team Anti-Paul, instead of shoehorning in the screen-sucking waste of time of more flirty Carina. Guest stars should only be in episodes when their presence is necessary.  And while I do realize the unfortunate inevitability of Arizona and the sex-obsessed sister being a couple, aside from awesome new intern Casey Parker sparking open the security door to the blood bank, that scene was a dud. 

[OtterMommy]

11 minutes ago, GSMHvisitor said:

It was a good episode, but not exactly what I was hoping for in regards to Jo's storyline. Then again, I knew I wouldn't get what I was hoping for, so the disappointment is not too big. I think the DV part was handled pretty well. But what bugs me is that there was zero effort put into explaining some of the plotholes that appeared once they retconned Jo's story into a past of DV.

I agree with you, but my cynical self believe that the reason they didn't put into any effort addressing these issues is because there really was not believable way to do it.  So, they put their hopes into the idea that the viewing audience doesn't think much about details and went with it.

[JudgeyMcJudgyPants]

I have no problem buying Matthew Morrison as a bad guy.  Back in my soap opera watchin days, As the World Turns decides to assassinate the character of Adam Munson and Matthew played him.  He was a total sleaze of a record producer who was not above attempting rape on his brother’s wife.  He was so good at playing an asshole that I had trouble buying intoh” him as a good guy on Glee (honestly, I think it’s the hair.). And I never forgave As the World Turns for ruining the character.  No child of Hal Munson and Margo Hughes would ever turn out to be such a shithead!

[RedbirdNelly]

3 hours ago, AzraeltheCat said:

I don't love Jo, but that was a great episode for her character and portrayer.  My one nitpick was how she seemed so freaked out that Paul had her card and could "find her."  Umm, hasn't he already done that? And I assume the card would have the hospital, not her home address, on it and she could change her cell phone. 

I had the same thought. It was silly to me for them to have her react like "oh no! he has my card with my cell on it!!" He already knew where to find her. And honestly, since she's that scared of him, I don't see her writing down her cell knowing he could easily get the card from fiancé. Anyway, change your cell.

I didn't love the episode because I was distracted by stupid things. The whole Jo changes her name and goes into hiding never made sense and it made even less sense to me when they have her (a) actually study under the guy--so it's not like she knew him, left and started medical school---so she somehow gets a residency using the credentials earned under her real name while using a fake name?? and (b) the person she's so scared of is a well known doctor that everyone seems to know by name and by face. I assumed he was some random guy no one would know.

It was stupid to have everyone so hot (it's set on 90!") while everyone is walking around wearing jackets, long sleeves underneath short sleeve scrubs etc. At least take the time to take off the jackets, people!

[OtterMommy]

2 minutes ago, RedbirdNelly said:

I had the same thought. It was silly to me for them to have her react like "oh no! he has my card with my cell on it!!" He already knew where to find her. And honestly, since she's that scared of him, I don't see her writing down her cell knowing he could easily get the card from fiancé. Anyway, change your cell.

 

Yeah, if she was so worried about Paul knowing where she is, it should be because he knows where she is, not because he has her cell number.  I mean, a quick trip to the wireless store will fix that particular problem.

[RedbirdNelly]

1 hour ago, GSMHvisitor said:

It was a good episode, but not exactly what I was hoping for in regards to Jo's storyline. Then again, I knew I wouldn't get what I was hoping for, so the disappointment is not too big. I think the DV part was handled pretty well. But what bugs me is that there was zero effort put into explaining some of the plotholes that appeared once they retconned Jo's story into a past of DV. When and how did Jo meet Paul? For how long have they been married? How could she get away? How does Mrs. Schmidt, Jo's teacher, fit into all this? After all they seemed to have been in touch when we first met Jo in s9, since Mrs. Schmidt was the one who gave Jo the watch. Wouldn't Mrs. Schmidt have been a means to get to Jo, if Paul was really looking for her? Why did Jo decide to still pursue a career as a surgeon when the dangerous man she was hiding from was a surgeon too? Not that she should give up her dream for him, but that was pretty risky and I would have liked to see it addressed.

All those things are just nitpicking and I guess the more important thing is that the domestic violence aspect was dealt with respectfully, but to me, those things matter. At this point I pretty much only watch for Alex, Jolex and Jo, so I would like for the characters story to make sense. There are still so many unanswered questions and we're supposed to handwave them all, because this is such a delicate issue. But this is not a documentary we're watching. It's not enough for me that they address DV and pat themselves on the back for raising awareness.

Also Jo just didn't give any indication of being a scared woman on the run. Before the s12 finale that was not possible of course, because that part of the story didn't exist then. But once it came out, I wish they had tried a little more, especially in s13. I also don't expect for her DV background to have any influence on her character going forward. They are dealing with this story for only 2 episodes and my guess is that Paul either dies or gets locked away or disappears. I don't know, but whatever happens, the story is probably gonna be tied up with a neat little bow for Jo and then never talked about again.

Like for many others here, the highlight of the episode for me was the hacker intern. I loved how they built that character up. That was really well done.

completely agree with this. the holes in Jo's plot (blaming writers) are just very annoying to me. It makes no sense.

I liked Dr. Hacker though the record being sealed part was silly.

I thought for a minute we were going to get to redo last season's plot--i.e. Alex once again almost kills someone; Alex almost goes to jail. . . I was relieved that we are not doing that. Maybe we'll redo it with Jo but hopefully not.

[Deanie87]

1 hour ago, GSMHvisitor said:

It was a good episode, but not exactly what I was hoping for in regards to Jo's storyline. Then again, I knew I wouldn't get what I was hoping for, so the disappointment is not too big. I think the DV part was handled pretty well. But what bugs me is that there was zero effort put into explaining some of the plotholes that appeared once they retconned Jo's story into a past of DV. When and how did Jo meet Paul? For how long have they been married? How could she get away? How does Mrs. Schmidt, Jo's teacher, fit into all this? After all they seemed to have been in touch when we first met Jo in s9, since Mrs. Schmidt was the one who gave Jo the watch. Wouldn't Mrs. Schmidt have been a means to get to Jo, if Paul was really looking for her? Why did Jo decide to still pursue a career as a surgeon when the dangerous man she was hiding from was a surgeon too? Not that she should give up her dream for him, but that was pretty risky and I would have liked to see it addressed.

 

I agree, I would have liked a little bit more, but in the end, I think that Krista had to play the hand she was dealt and that hand is full of inconsistencies and retcons, so the more in detail it gets, the more muddled. I guess Jo was his student and then once they got married she was able to get access to some of his money somehow and flee.  What I wanted more of was their dynamic. It was implied that Jo was a bit of an easy mark as she was homeless and in need of some kind of support, so I can see why she was drawn to him and I can see why he thought she would be easy to manipulate, but I would have loved to get at least one scene of them alone with no barriers.  Paul seemed to drop the facade at the end, but I still felt so much of this story was told not shown.  I thought that everyone involved in the storyline did a great job and the little touches were great, like when Paul when to grab the pen and Jo quickly clasped her hands in her lap and looked down.  I would have liked more of that I guess, since I've been waiting for over a season for it and now its getting wrapped up in two episodes.

I really liked the hugging scene between Jo and Meredith, which surprised me.  While it did sort of seem to come out of nowhere given Meredith's shitty remarks and generally poor opinion of Jo just a couple of seasons ago, it also worked because of that.  Outside of Jo, Meredith is the most important person in Alex's life and has also been a big part of Jo's insecurity, so to have that person validate you and believe you about the most awful and secret thing in your life, and to believe you over a well known and respected peer must have meant everything. 

Along those lines, I found this quote from Krista Vernoff, which seems to be playing out in the responses I have seen to this episode. 

Quote

Meredith is the heart and soul of the show. And, in many ways, where Meredith goes, America goes too. When Meredith takes care of and believes Jo in this way, it is so powerfully moving that I find it hard to talk about. I think there is power in believing women and supporting women and holding women up and helping women through [sexual harassment]. Meredith Grey has an opportunity to teach and heal by just being who she is in this show and in the hearts and minds of the people who watch it.

I don't necessarily agree with the deification of Meredith, especially given her recent personality transplants, but it does seem to be the case that the more Meredith likes Jo, the more the audience does as well, for whatever reason.  Of course, that just increases my frustration with the writing for seasons 11-13 and I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when Krista was watching those seasons.   If nothing else, Krista does seem to understand the characters better and the effect those characters have on the audience.  

As far as Maggie and Jackson, meh.  My problem with them is that both of them are completely generic in personality, so together they just exude blandness to me.  I have always thought of Jackson as a good-looking Grey's "nice guy" but with no standout traits, good or bad, to differentiate him from anyone else.  Yes, he has nice eyes and a great body, but what else?  He's not really funny, he's not extremely arrogant, not overly charming, his backstory is that he is rich and good looking but not a huge amount of obstacles to be overcome, so just...fine.  And Maggie is some weird combination of Lexie/Yang/April, but again, nothing really original.  So without a strong character to work off of, they are both just kind of there going through the motions with no spark.  Which I don't mean as a criticism of the actors, just a flaw in the writing of the characters.  Having said all of that, the image of them in the towels was beautiful.  Someone mentioned it above, but the sight of their beautiful skin in contrast to the white towels at least LOOKED very sexy.  

Edited January 19, 2018 by Deanie87

[TigerLynx]

I like Karev (and I didn't used to), and Jo is okay.

I've always liked Jackson, and never liked April.

I don't need a bunch of never ending conversations about how good looking Jackson is, I've got eyes, and as others have pointed out, that wasn't Jackson's original background.  The Jackson was always attractive and popular, Maggie wasn't, isn't Jackson great for noticing Maggie stuff is just to forced, and unnecessary.

I liked Jackson with Lexie.  I also liked Lexie with Mark.  And Jackson/Mark conversations were hilarious.  Especially the one where Mark is giving Jackson advice about studying for and passing his boards.  Jackson tells Mark he is an overgrown child, and Mark just grins.

Edited January 19, 2018 by TigerLynx

[UNOSEZ]

48 minutes ago, TigerLynx said:

I like Karev (and I didn't used to), and Jo is okay.

I've always liked Jackson, and never liked April.

I don't need a bunch of never ending conversations about how good looking Jackson is, I've got eyes, and as others have pointed out, that wasn't Jackson's original background.  The Jackson was always attractive and popular, Maggie wasn't, isn't Jackson great for noticing Maggie stuff is just to forced, and unnecessary.

I liked Jackson with Lexie.  I also liked Lexie with Mark.  And Jackson/Mark conversations were hilarious.  Especially the one where Mark is giving Jackson advice about studying for and passing his boards.  Jackson tells Mark he is an overgrown child, and Mark just grins.

We all miss the mark and Jackson dynamic.. And I don't think there was a bigger lexie fan than me.. Geesh I was supergirl in part for chyler and i been thought they don't give Jackson much to do other than be a checkbook and pretty man.. But in universe I just don't see the big deal with him and Maggie at least discussing the possibility if trying it out.. They are in each others orbit attractive capable.. The cries of forced don't ring true.. If anything it's logical to at least explore.. They have some similarities as biracial children of doctors... And yet some differences as I've stated it's obvious Jackson has a type at least on an intellectual/personality level... So try it.. If it fails they act weird for a while... Or don't try it but have a real talk abt why... Like Maggie started to either way it's somewhat interesting... Moreso than the endless drama that was Owen and Amelia.. Or Arizona and Dr hotpants... Or delauca and penetration resident... Hell before karev almost killed deluca what was interesting abt jo and Alex? 

[TigerLynx]

48 minutes ago, UNOSEZ said:

We all miss the mark and Jackson dynamic.. And I don't think there was a bigger lexie fan than me.. Geesh I was supergirl in part for chyler and i been thought they don't give Jackson much to do other than be a checkbook and pretty man.. But in universe I just don't see the big deal with him and Maggie at least discussing the possibility if trying it out.. They are in each others orbit attractive capable.. The cries of forced don't ring true.. If anything it's logical to at least explore.. They have some similarities as biracial children of doctors... And yet some differences as I've stated it's obvious Jackson has a type at least on an intellectual/personality level... So try it.. If it fails they act weird for a while... Or don't try it but have a real talk abt why... Like Maggie started to either way it's somewhat interesting... Moreso than the endless drama that was Owen and Amelia.. Or Arizona and Dr hotpants... Or delauca and penetration resident... Hell before karev almost killed deluca what was interesting abt jo and Alex? 

I liked Jackson precisely because he was a nice guy.  When they first brought Jackson on, they already had the people with commitment issues, abandonment issues, cheating issues, anger management issues, parental issues, etc.  Currently, there are no couples I like, and very few characters I like (Karev and Jackson being two of them). 

I say it feels forced because if they want to have Jackson date Maggie, they should just do it.  The whole we work together, it's complicated, our parents are married to each other (we're sorta step-siblings), we might break-up nonsense doesn't work for me.  All you have to do is look around at the dysfunction that is Seattle Grace/Grey Sloan Memorial, and it's obvious the writers are just dragging things out.  And like so many SLs, the longer they drag things out, the more boring it becomes.  As for the other couples, they are boring and/or irritating.  I can't even remember half the characters names that's how boring they are.

Edited January 19, 2018 by TigerLynx

[jschoolgirl]

I'm hoping Maggie's speech was The End of Jaggie.

[ChicksDigScars]

18 hours ago, UNOSEZ said:

Anyway.. Loved the epi.. I was always ambivalent to jo.. But damn I felt for her this epi kudos to Meredith and Alex and the intern for sticking with her.

And to the Maggie/Jackson haters please get over it.. They’ve been hinting for the entire season… I thought the locker room scene was fun... MALLORCA had me dying.. And why not two incredibly attractive and capable ppl who are in each others orbit are gonna at least kick the tires to see if something is there.. Or do you want Jackson to crawl back to the woman who vanished after their son died and put herself in a war zone while he grieved alone… The woman who blamed him for taking her virginity and shut him out of her life for a while after that… The woman who made him feel less than for not growing up/ being religious… Or constantly threw the fact he grew up rich in his face…. Yeah he’s much better off with kepner…

I'm there. I don't see them as "siblings," which seems to be the word being tossed around on Twitter to ram home the ickiness some people feel about it. I actually like Kepner with Owen. They have a lot in common, and she wouldn't run screaming for the hills if Owen wanted to have cute little ginger babies with her.  

At the beginning of the episode, I also couldn't care less about Jo, but the story line was good. Matthew Morrison was charming and sinister all at once.  Mere and Arizona were awesome. And how great was Bailey's little hacker dude, using the paddles to shock the blood bank doors open, and then hacking the hackers to get the hospital back on line. Plus, there was the explanation of why he hacked the DMV. Excellent. 

[chitowngirl]

So because of what Dr. hacker did to get the hospital back online, the FBI won't be able to catch the hacker. I think they'll be a little ticked about that.

[OtterMommy]

41 minutes ago, TigerLynx said:

I say it feels forced because if they want to have Jackson date Maggie, they should just do it.  The whole we work together, it's complicated, our parents are married to each other (we're sorta step-siblings), we might break-up nonsense doesn't work for me.  All you have to do is look around at the dysfunction that is Seattle Grace/Grey Sloan Memorial, and it's obvious the writers are just dragging things out.  And like so many SLs, the longer they drag things out, the more boring it becomes.  As for the other couples, they are boring and/or irritating.  I can't even remember half the characters names that's how boring they are.

I think it is forced for a couple of reasons.  First of all, I think they did this all backwards.  It started when April said that she could see the two had feelings for each other--which means she has a far better sense about this than I do because I didn't see anything that indicated that anything romantic was brewing between Maggie and Jackson.  Then, from there, it seemed like the two started sniffing around each other because April said something, not because they actually felt an attraction for each other.

Then, there was this whole unnecessary incest issue.  Look, it wasn't necessary and it isn't incest--but for some reason that I just cannot figure out, the show thinks the way forward is to double down on how Jackson and Maggie are siblings (which they aren't.  They aren't even legally step-siblings.)  It's not funny, it's not romantic, and it is not cute.  It's frankly, a little disturbing.

I'm with @TigerLynx that, if the show wanted these two characters together, they should have just done that.  Instead, we're getting this dumb will they/won't they thing which is making me dislike both characters (much more Jackson than Maggie, honestly...)

19 minutes ago, ChicksDigScars said:

I'm there. I don't see them as "siblings," which seems to be the word being tossed around on Twitter to ram home the ickiness some people feel about it. I actually like Kepner with Owen. They have a lot in common, and she wouldn't run screaming for the hills if Owen wanted to have cute little ginger babies with her.  

I had never thought of those two characters together until you mentioned it.  I'm not sure I'd go that far--Owen is not my favorite character and I think he's still a bit too damaged to have a healthy relationship--but if they are going to put April with someone, I think someone like Owen would be a much better fit than Jackson, who is just becoming a drag in my eyes.

[UNOSEZ]

12 minutes ago, OtterMommy said:

I think it is forced for a couple of reasons.  First of all, I think they did this all backwards.  It started when April said that she could see the two had feelings for each other--which means she has a far better sense about this than I do because I didn't see anything that indicated that anything romantic was brewing between Maggie and Jackson.  Then, from there, it seemed like the two started sniffing around each other because April said something, not because they actually felt an attraction for each other.

Then, there was this whole unnecessary incest issue.  Look, it wasn't necessary and it isn't incest--but for some reason that I just cannot figure out, the show thinks the way forward is to double down on how Jackson and Maggie are siblings (which they aren't.  They aren't even legally step-siblings.)  It's not funny, it's not romantic, and it is not cute.  It's frankly, a little disturbing.

I'm with @TigerLynx that, if the show wanted these two characters together, they should have just done that.  Instead, we're getting this dumb will they/won't they thing which is making me dislike both characters (much more Jackson than Maggie, honestly...)

I had never thought of those two characters together until you mentioned it.  I'm not sure I'd go that far--Owen is not my favorite character and I think he's still a bit too damaged to have a healthy relationship--but if they are going to put April with someone, I think someone like Owen would be a much better fit than Jackson, who is just becoming a drag in my eyes.

I saw what I thought was the beginning of something before April said something.. And maybe it was my subconscious just wanting to see a young blk power couple on the show I dunno.. But as far as just pulling the band aid.. I disagree...in that universe Maggie was right to pump the brakes and lay out why it's at least kind of wierd and could get worse... 

 

As for April and Owen.. I like Owen.. Tho he was insufferable everytime he's been involved besides Kim ravers character and I'm still a fan of April and as much as I've been caped up for Maggie and Jackson.. If she and him got their collective shit together and got back I'd be cool with that too... 

 

Though I've always believed that her and Owen had a night that they never speak of when she was overseas ignoring her grieving husband and risking her life after her son passed

[TigerLynx]

16 minutes ago, OtterMommy said:

I think it is forced for a couple of reasons.  First of all, I think they did this all backwards.  It started when April said that she could see the two had feelings for each other--which means she has a far better sense about this than I do because I didn't see anything that indicated that anything romantic was brewing between Maggie and Jackson.  Then, from there, it seemed like the two started sniffing around each other because April said something, not because they actually felt an attraction for each other.

Then, there was this whole unnecessary incest issue.  Look, it wasn't necessary and it isn't incest--but for some reason that I just cannot figure out, the show thinks the way forward is to double down on how Jackson and Maggie are siblings (which they aren't.  They aren't even legally step-siblings.)  It's not funny, it's not romantic, and it is not cute.  It's frankly, a little disturbing.

I'm with @TigerLynx that, if the show wanted these two characters together, they should have just done that.  Instead, we're getting this dumb will they/won't they thing which is making me dislike both characters (much more Jackson than Maggie, honestly...)

I had never thought of those two characters together until you mentioned it.  I'm not sure I'd go that far--Owen is not my favorite character and I think he's still a bit too damaged to have a healthy relationship--but if they are going to put April with someone, I think someone like Owen would be a much better fit than Jackson, who is just becoming a drag in my eyes.

You summed it up so much better than me.  In one of the early seasons, Bailey was going on a date, and for some reason was completely freaking out about it.  By the end of the episode, I wanted to reach through my TV, and tell her to chill out, it was just a date.

Not every couple has to be or should be constant drama and angst.  They could let them date, and have fun for a little while.

[readster]

8 hours ago, Biggie B said:

Agreed, that was a great little touch!

Please, what is the hacker intern's name? 

I can't stand DeLuca's love/former love interest story line. Please, make it stop!!! When she said, "You penetrate me..." I almost threw up. And I wasn't exactly thrilled that DeLuca's sister is hanging around Arizona again - just NO. 

The post-shower clad-in-towels scene was a delight, visually. The two of them looked like an ad for body lotion - such smooth, perfect skin!  Maggie is always saying how crappy her childhood was, but I don't know - it's not like she was living in poverty, being abused, starving. I mean, she adored her mother beyond belief, they were besties, right?  I know she was socially miserable, what with being a prodigy and all, but...was her child hood really that horrible? Or is she just saying that to off-set Jackson's lavish upbringing? I have friends who grew up in the lap of luxury (one of them was presented with ownership of a Ralph Lauren clothing store upon his 18th birthday), yet that didn't make me belittle my own child hood when in his presence. I wish Maggie was secure enough to just say,  "Jackson, that must've been nice," and leave it at that. Or say nothing. True, our child hoods shape us and the memories and experiences are carried throughout one's life, but I'm tired of Maggie making her upbringing out to be miserable, or trying to make Jackson feel guilty about his.

As for a romance between Jackson and Maggie - as off-putting as it is, I suspect they will go there, even if only briefly, perhaps as a device to launch some other related story line. 

Maggie's history is as in flux as Jo's was until now. Even when her mother told her that she felt so smothered by her husband. It just doesn't make sense. Even her her talk about her ex-boy friend a few years about it was a great relationship but she couldn't sleep in the same bed as him because she hated having someone next to her. Then she got all pissy he got married about two years later to an old girlfriend. Then she tries dating websites or other guys like DeLuca and it's: "I'm like a 13 year old and don't know how to act around men or have sex and then don't know how to be a girlfriend." Now she talks about her horrible childhood? Umm... what?

46 minutes ago, chitowngirl said:

So because of what Dr. hacker did to get the hospital back online, the FBI won't be able to catch the hacker. I think they'll be a little ticked about that.

Showing once again the police and FBI in the Grey's universe a complete idiots. Just like when Baily said she rather just pay the hacker and move on. Did the FBI guy go: "No, because when this happens less than 2% get everything back." No, he just looked dumb founded. Plus, glad the hospital tech guy knows how much a bitcoin is worth, but keep a hacker from destroying their system... never!

[Ohwell]

7 hours ago, AzraeltheCat said:

Enough with the DeLuca intern and DeLuca's sister.  All the intern does is have inappropriate verbal explosions or screw Deluca in hospital closets. Gross.  And his sister isn't much better.  It's like her character has one defining description "horny," and that's it.  Her interactions with men, women, and her job are all about sex.  That's all she seems to do. 

"Verbal explosions" perfectly describes her acting.  Plus, DeLuca and her look more like brother/sister, especially with their big necks, than his horny sister.  

I like the hacker guy and hope we see more of him and Bailey working together on....stuff.

I'm sick and tired of Jo's story and I hope it ends soon.  Just have the guy die and they find out that the fiancee did it, so I won't have to look at Jo's hangdog face anymore.

Edited January 19, 2018 by Ohwell

[TigerLynx]

The constantly changing backstories make Jo and Maggie non-entities to me.  I can't remember the name of DeLuca's sister, or girlfriend, and the only reason I know DeLucas's name is from reading this board.  To me, he was just the guy that Alex beat up.

I don't know hacker guy's name either, but I did enjoy him and Bailey's conversations.

[OtterMommy]

1 hour ago, Ohwell said:

"Verbal explosions" perfectly describes her acting.  Plus, DeLuca and her look more like brother/sister, especially with their big necks, than his horny sister.  

Yeah, it really feels like DeLuca's intern/Dr. Dance has exactly one acting mode and it works about 2% of the time (if that).  Up until this episode, I was giving her the benefit of the doubt, but she's now had enough chance to show that she has some range...and she doesn't.   I really wish they wouldn't just stick DeLuca on her--he's far too pretty to be wasted on this stupid story line.

As for his sister, why is she even still around?  She's not with Arizona and she doesn't seem to actually have a relationship with Owen and I can only understand about every 3rd word she says.  

[NUguy514]

I can only hope the next cataclysm that befalls our beloved crew claims Chippy, the happy loss of whom sends DeLuca running headlong into Jackson’s arms. That would kill two terrible romances with one stone.

[funnygirl]

I still don't understand why they didn't just put Andrew and Maggie back together. I thought they were pretty cute and worked in a dorky kind of way. Plus, that would eliminate the need to make one of the new interns his love interest (bye bye "verbal explosions") and it would save screen time for the more important characters, and it would allow Jackson and April to be on-again off-again like the consensus seem to want. No "debate" over incest and siblings necessary.

It astounds me that the writers don't utilize the characters they have, instead feeling this need to add new blood every season. I get the necessity of bringing on some new interns, that's fine most especially if their only purpose is to be taught and interact with the main cast of doctors in their day-to-day.  And stop bringing on characters for the main purpose of being a love interest (*cough* Nathan Riggs, Eliza Minnick, Horny Deluca), for those are the pairings that are the most forced. How about instead we allow a doctor or two to date someone outside of the hospital, or a nurse or other hospital staff member that we see every 5 episodes in passing?  It's not necessary to have to focus on every characters love life - for awhile both Bailey and Cristina existed without one and that was just fine.  

Edited January 20, 2018 by funnygirl

[Guest]

If anyone from Grey Sloan is behind the Hut and run, I’ll be pissed. With a possible exception for glasses somehow being so hapless he didn’t realize he hit him. But if it was unrelated to him being an abuser, his soap-y. “I wish he were dead.... oh look! Terrible accident!”

Speaking of Glasses, he’s getting a bit of a bum rap. Practically forced to donate blood, unsafe environment, but blamed for falling?

[pennben]

16 hours ago, BaseOps said:

After 9 episodes I can safely say that this is easily the best season so far since the first half of the series’ run. This is the type of episode you get when no one is just going through the motions – Krista Vernoff of is a phenomenal writer and show-runner, and everything she does is so purposeful.

Amen to this! Vernoff has brought this show back from being lost last year.  I actually thought the season after Derek died was good, then the next was an absolute mess testing viewers patience, but....boom....the show is back now! 

 

12 hours ago, OtterMommy said:

 (exactly when did Jo and Mer become best friends?  Did I miss something?). 

I came here to ask the same question...when did Meredith learn about all about Jo's ex-husband (and please don't tell me it was the episode before the winter break, I'd like to hope my memory isn't that bad!)?

=======

I'm fine with Maggie/Jackson....maybe it is the showrunner, but she's been the best around him....he brings her calm and she can talk to him....witness the serious discussion she led with him at the end of the episode versus the flaky when her Tinder date showed up.  I have no use for the incest nonsense that's been rattling around for awhile.  Her concerns however....legit.

I'm just so happy that the show is back this season after a lost season.  

[izabella]

7 hours ago, TigerLynx said:

The constantly changing backstories make Jo and Maggie non-entities to me. 

I feel the same way.  I can't connect with Jo and Maggie.  The weird and constantly changing back stories are annoying, and that makes the characters annoying to me.   I did think Camilla did a good job with Jo this episode, but I'll be glad to see the end of the DV story.

As for Jackson, he seems to have a type - awkward, goofy, pretty, but not sexy because of the painfully awkward and goofy.  For that reason, it makes sense he'd be attracted to Maggie, but I don't really see chemistry. 

[mehtotheworld]

6 hours ago, OtterMommy said:

I think it is forced for a couple of reasons.  First of all, I think they did this all backwards.  It started when April said that she could see the two had feelings for each other--which means she has a far better sense about this than I do because I didn't see anything that indicated that anything romantic was brewing between Maggie and Jackson.  Then, from there, it seemed like the two started sniffing around each other because April said something, not because they actually felt an attraction for each other.

I thought I missed something last season because April's outburst seemed so out of left field. When Jackson was treating Maggie's mother, I never even saw an inkling of a romantic connection, and truly thought I had missed some longing glances or poignant looks or really anything that would point to a more than friendly connection. It really was completely out of the blue, no warning, nothing to indicate they would be circling each other like they are now? Did I pay attention better than I thought?

Jo's storyline was done so much better than I thought it could be done. She didn't say a word for more than a minute at the beginning but her face made me just want to hug her and punch Dr. Shue in the fucking face. He really does the menacing sociopath well! And I loved how Alex was so supportive, while not taking the storyline over, which allowed her female friends/colleagues a chance to show up for her in front of her abuser. That tweet mentioned earlier in the thread was really lovely to see. 

Dr. Parker's storyline was an example of a good introduction for an intern. Not overwhelming, just giving the audience a little time to get to know them. The opening of the blood bank door was really funny, and Bailey and he played well off of each other. Was he also in the army, or am I misremembering the intern interviews? Perhaps that might lead to some more interaction with Owen/April?

To pile even more on the Jaggie storyline, the blood talk about it going everywhere wasn't nearly as cute or funny as the writers probably thought it was. Just more eyerolls from me. I really don't know what kind of character I would like her with, but together they just scream insecure teen hoping for the popular boy to notice her.  Not gonna lie, I do truly love that trope (Nathan and Haley from OTH were one of my earlier OTPs), but these people are in their 30s. She's supposed to be a kickass cardiologist, so get her a love interest that brings that out of her! Even in the 20 seconds with her Tinder date, she seemed so much more tolerable than at any point with Jackson this season. Just really not enjoying Jackson this season.

2 minutes ago, izabella said:

As for Jackson, he seems to have a type - awkward, goofy, pretty, but not sexy because of the painfully awkward and goofy.  For that reason, it makes sense he'd be attracted to Maggie, but I don't really see chemistry. 

Honestly, I thought Jackson and April were pretty hot together, even with all the awkward emanating off of April. I still look back fondly on that bathroom scene during their boards. My memory is awful, and I don't remember much about their relationship (though I do remember shipping it hard), but that scene certainly stands out!

[bybrandy]

Weirdly, I like Maggie and Jackson independently.   But together they are snoozeville for me.  I spent like 1/4 of the episode trying to even remember what their covered in blood plot was.   

I thought Owen and April had a moment of chemistry in the ER right before she lunged for the post it.  I'm not opposed to an Owen/April try out.   

I don't much care about Jo and Mr. Shue but I thought they did that well enough.   

Casey?   Transman hacker surgeon?   My new favorite intern in about 10 seasons.   

I'm glad Bailey wasn't all, "Oh, my husband's sister is a transwoman."   

[Sarnia]

2 hours ago, pennben said:

I came here to ask the same question...when did Meredith learn about all about Jo's ex-husband (and please don't tell me it was the episode before the winter break, I'd like to hope my memory isn't that bad!)?

Same here. I know I tend to forget a lot after watching, but I can't remember that Meredith knew about Jo's double life (including who her husband was? Did Alex tell her?).

[Chas411]

I think Meredith came around to Jo right before her and Alex split up because of the marriage/DeLuca drama. They were paired together for work and Meredith was dismissive of Her as she's Been the previous two seasons causing Jo to have an outburst saying "My name is Jo Wilson etc". They made peace after that and I actually thought the scene with her and Meredith last episode was a throwback to it and that Metedith finally considered her a friend.

I think the real issue was that previous showrunner had absolutely no interest in Jo so from season 11 onwards to 14 she was horribly written. The feedback for Jo and even Camilla as an actress this season and particular episode has proven what a difference a decent showrunner willing to write for all characters and not just favourites of theirs can make.

I've decided to see it as this: Meredith liked Jo right up until her marriage woes started. She lost Derick and Cristina in a close period and as such needed Alex. Jo was an obstacle which caused Meredith to be hostile to her. Her husband then died which made her feel more in need of Alex who wAsmt willing to call her out on being a jerk. Jo wouldn't stick up for herself so Mers jerky behaviour was enabled by her also. Once she got over Derick, had a romance of her own with Riggs etc she was able to move forward with Jo too.

In short it was more about Meredith being in a bad place then it was her hating Jo.

Edited January 20, 2018 by Chas411

[Pallas]

1 hour ago, Sarnia said:

Same here. I know I tend to forget a lot after watching, but I can't remember that Meredith knew about Jo's double life (including who her husband was? Did Alex tell her?).

Yes. Last season Alex told Meredith about how he had gone to the medical conference to confront Stadler, and why.  

[TigerLynx]

I like how Meredith and Alex's friendship evolved.  The scene of the two of them talking about how Meredith thought she and Christina would be the last two standing, and Alex thought he and Christina would be the final two was nice.  I like both Meredith and Arizona being supportive of Jo.

Whatever they are trying to do with Arizona and DeLuca's sister is also very forced and fake, and I've never felt that way about Arizona.  From the time she first joined the show, Arizona was open about her sexuality and who she was, but there is no chemistry with DeLuca's sister, and she can exit stage left at any time.

I miss the Arizona/Callie/Mark dynamic.  Mark Sloan, who crossed just about every line and boundary there was, managed to call out Arizona on her dumping Callie, and then returning to Seattle Grace expecting everything to be the same, without looking like a hypocrite.

[taanja]

"Meredith is the heart and soul of the show. And, in many ways, where Meredith goes, America goes too. When Meredith takes care of and believes Jo in this way, it is so powerfully moving that I find it hard to talk about. I think there is power in believing women and supporting women and holding women up and helping women through [sexual harassment]. Meredith Grey has an opportunity to teach and heal by just being who she is in this show and in the hearts and minds of the people who watch it."

Thank you Krista. ^^^THIS is how I have always felt about Meredith Grey. I know. I know. For some viewers, Meredith has been a bitch and a nag and a terrible needy friend... But I have never seen her that way.  Sometimes I watch the episode days (weeks?) after it airs and I come to places like this first to read comments. And reading some comments sometimes over the years -- I think-- GOD! What did Mere do in the ep that has some people hating on her so much???!!!  And then I watch and I see it completely 180. Perception is everything, my friends. But Meredith Grey has been my favorite character since day one. 

Anyway, solid episode. I'm not a Jo fan, but I thought the the actress did a fine job. Her character and her story-line has been erratic at best, and if Mere has ever been "mean" to her it's because the way the character has been written over the years that makes her seem sketchy. And since Alex chose the crazy chick --  Mere would rightfully always take Alex's side when a difficulty arose. And Mere wouldn't be Mere if she didn't try to protect someone she loves. 

Anyway-- loved the trans intern. Well played show. Great reveal and Bailey's facial expressions were delightful. Some of the other stuff that happened was simply fluff and nonsense. Don't care about the characters or story-lines.

[Deanie87]

1 hour ago, taanja said:

Thank you Krista. ^^^THIS is how I have always felt about Meredith Grey. I know. I know. For some viewers, Meredith has been a bitch and a nag and a terrible needy friend... But I have never seen her that way.  Sometimes I watch the episode days (weeks?) after it airs and I come to places like this first to read comments. And reading some comments sometimes over the years -- I think-- GOD! What did Mere do in the ep that has some people hating on her so much???!!!  And then I watch and I see it completely 180. Perception is everything, my friends. But Meredith Grey has been my favorite character since day one. 

I am one who had a problem with Meredith in a few of the most recent seasons, not only for her treatment of Jo but because I think she was written as completely selfish and self-absorbed, and unnecessarily bitchy to nearly everyone.  She was always the least judgmental and most sincerely compassionate of the five interns (as opposed to the situational compassion of George and Izzie), and while she wasn't my favorite, I always liked her.  But all of that started changing around season 10 (so before Cristina or Derek left).  She fought nastily with Cristina, told Jo that she didn't have the time deal with Alex when his dad showed up and then died, kept Alex from preparing for his board seat then voted against him, ran roughshod over him in his relationship with Jo while totally calling her names and out and out being rude to her constantly, interrupted Bailey praying for April and Jackson's baby so that she could go have sex with Derek, and then actually lied about that.  Those are just some examples of problems that I have had with her, or at least the writing for her.  And to be fair, I think that she was written horribly out of character in most of those instances.  So I don't get why Meredith's approval of anything matters so much, but it appears that it does (see also, Maggie, Penny, Lexie).  We all have our favorites, and you're right, that perspective matters.  I never liked Derek, so I didn't care what Meredith thought of him or how she treated him.  But I love Alex and I like Jo, so it matters how she treats them, especially if that is going to be the bar for other people's opinions.

Bringing it back to this episode, as much as Meredith's treatment of Jo in past seasons has been bizarre and unwarranted for me, it finally worked in this situation.  Having Alex, DeLuca or Bailey be unconditionally supportive of Jo and believe that she wasn't unstable or a drunk, etc. would be expected.  But having unwavering support from someone who called her a hoodlum, a hooker, pretended not to know her name, and generally disrespected her for seasons at a time is a much bigger deal.  And it made sense to me that Jo would care SO much that Meredith, of all people, not believe what Paul was saying about her and that's why she got so emotional when Meredith hugged her and told her that she knew who she was.  Krista didn't have anything to do with how Meredith was written back then, and she may not have intentionally meant for the scene to be taken the way I took it, but it really, really worked on a lot of levels for me, which I wasn't expecting at all.

[moonorchid]

2 minutes ago, Deanie87 said:

I am one who had a problem with Meredith in a few of the most recent seasons, not only for her treatment of Jo but because I think she was written as completely selfish and self-absorbed, and unnecessarily bitchy to nearly everyone.  She was always the least judgmental and most sincerely compassionate of the five interns (as opposed to the situational compassion of George and Izzie), and while she wasn't my favorite, I always liked her.  But all of that started changing around season 10 (so before Cristina or Derek left).  She fought nastily with Cristina, told Jo that she didn't have the time deal with Alex when his dad showed up and then died, kept Alex from preparing for his board seat then voted against him, ran roughshod over him in his relationship with Jo while totally calling her names and out and out being rude to her constantly, interrupted Bailey praying for April and Jackson's baby so that she could go have sex with Derek, and then actually lied about that.  Those are just some examples of problems that I have had with her, or at least the writing for her.  And to be fair, I think that she was written horribly out of character in most of those instances.  So I don't get why Meredith's approval of anything matters so much, but it appears that it does (see also, Maggie, Penny, Lexie).  We all have our favorites, and you're right, that perspective matters.  I never liked Derek, so I didn't care what Meredith thought of him or how she treated him.  But I love Alex and I like Jo, so it matters how she treats them, especially if that is going to be the bar for other people's opinions.

Bringing it back to this episode, as much as Meredith's treatment of Jo in past seasons has been bizarre and unwarranted for me, it finally worked in this situation.  Having Alex, DeLuca or Bailey be unconditionally supportive of Jo and believe that she wasn't unstable or a drunk, etc. would be expected.  But having unwavering support from someone who called her a hoodlum, a hooker, pretended not to know her name, and generally disrespected her for seasons at a time is a much bigger deal.  And it made sense to me that Jo would care SO much that Meredith, of all people, not believe what Paul was saying about her and that's why she got so emotional when Meredith hugged her and told her that she knew who she was.  Krista didn't have anything to do with how Meredith was written back then, and she may not have intentionally meant for the scene to be taken the way I took it, but it really, really worked on a lot of levels for me, which I wasn't expecting at all.

Yes to all of this and all the examples you mentioned are why I’ve had a hard time with Meredith for years now. But Krista has a better sense of who Meredith is and I am liking her again this season. It started when she told april she wasn’t average, THATS the meredith grey audiences connected to. The one who props others and brings them up instead of tearing them down for kicks. 

[funnygirl]

25 minutes ago, Deanie87 said:

So I don't get why Meredith's approval of anything matters so much, but it appears that it does (see also, Maggie, Penny, Lexie). 

 

I, personally, think it's because the showrunners/writers think that viewers are simply that gullible, and that because Meredith is said to be "the sun" and The Grey, that her stamp of approval on something means that viewers are going to go along with it. As if we can't form our own opinions on a character or situation.  I don't necessarily think they take into account that viewers have different favorites across the board, and that Meredith is not "the sun" for everyone despite that being the (current) narrative of the show. 

[taanja]

2 hours ago, Deanie87 said:

I am one who had a problem with Meredith in a few of the most recent seasons, not only for her treatment of Jo but because I think she was written as completely selfish and self-absorbed, and unnecessarily bitchy to nearly everyone.  She was always the least judgmental and most sincerely compassionate of the five interns (as opposed to the situational compassion of George and Izzie), and while she wasn't my favorite, I always liked her.  But all of that started changing around season 10 (so before Cristina or Derek left).  She fought nastily with Cristina, told Jo that she didn't have the time deal with Alex when his dad showed up and then died, kept Alex from preparing for his board seat then voted against him, ran roughshod over him in his relationship with Jo while totally calling her names and out and out being rude to her constantly, interrupted Bailey praying for April and Jackson's baby so that she could go have sex with Derek, and then actually lied about that.  Those are just some examples of problems that I have had with her, or at least the writing for her.  And to be fair, I think that she was written horribly out of character in most of those instances.  So I don't get why Meredith's approval of anything matters so much, but it appears that it does (see also, Maggie, Penny, Lexie).  We all have our favorites, and you're right, that perspective matters.  I never liked Derek, so I didn't care what Meredith thought of him or how she treated him.  But I love Alex and I like Jo, so it matters how she treats them, especially if that is going to be the bar for other people's opinions.

Bringing it back to this episode, as much as Meredith's treatment of Jo in past seasons has been bizarre and unwarranted for me, it finally worked in this situation.  Having Alex, DeLuca or Bailey be unconditionally supportive of Jo and believe that she wasn't unstable or a drunk, etc. would be expected.  But having unwavering support from someone who called her a hoodlum, a hooker, pretended not to know her name, and generally disrespected her for seasons at a time is a much bigger deal.  And it made sense to me that Jo would care SO much that Meredith, of all people, not believe what Paul was saying about her and that's why she got so emotional when Meredith hugged her and told her that she knew who she was.  Krista didn't have anything to do with how Meredith was written back then, and she may not have intentionally meant for the scene to be taken the way I took it, but it really, really worked on a lot of levels for me, which I wasn't expecting at all.

I guess that is what I was saying about perception -- all those scenes you mention-- I saw them all play out differently. I didn't see Meredith as the bitch or unsympathetic.  Sometime I cheered her when she said and did things that some viewers found to be... off putting.

Meredith is the Grey in Grey's Anatomy. She is the heart and soul of this show. Like it or not -- agree with it or not -- it is what it is -- and I--  for one --- LIKE it!

But anyway-- I will be happy if my darling Mere gets love from the writers/creator going forward so that perhaps other's can see her in the same light that I see her.

Edited January 20, 2018 by taanja

[Kirsty]

Matthew Morrison was excellent as the charming abuser. And I loved that his character has this stellar professional reputation, so that other doctors are fans of his and Richard is allowing him to scrub in within ten minutes of meeting him. That last bit was probably unrealistic but worth it to sell the bigger truth -- that a pillar of the community can be a domestic abuser. Why would people believe your ugly stories about him when they already believe him to be a saint?!

I'm guessing the hackers taking over the hospital and turning up the heat because they "just want to show you they have control" is a metaphor for the controlling abuser who does sick shit for the same reason.

[Scatterbrained]

I haven't finished reading the comment in this thread, but for those interested in the trans character, you might also be interested in this: http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/doubt-katherine-heigl-laverne-cox-greys-anatomy-showrunners-1201988365/

[jabbi]

My first thought in this episode was the realization of just how stinkin' many characters and storylines are going on at once. The break was so long I forgot about so much. Legitimately forgot all about Owen and Amelia splitting up until just now.

 

I was one who wasn't sure about Jo's DV storyline. I am torn 50/50 on it. On one hand, Matthew Morrison is perfect in his role. I mean he was so good at it. Camilla was pretty good too, which is a shock to me. The actual story, though, was a bit meh. Meredith in the OR stole the show for me. She had no time for Paul's crap, and I loved that. I expected a confrontation between Paul and Jo, but the locker room scene fell flat. That this man, who was a complete charmer and snake in disguise, would come back just to confront her in front of his current fiancé and Meredith wasn't believable to me. Also, add me to the people who are a little confused about Meredith being the one to help Jo this way when she has never even pretended to like her. This episode just made it a little more clear to me that Jo is a character pretty much there for Alex. She had a standalone story line and they had to pull people out of the woodwork to help her out with it because the writers never bothered to give her any relationships with anyone but Stephanie and Alex. I also realize that Meredith being there for Jo is more for Alex than it is for Jo.

 

Maggie and Jackson is still not good. I am not warming up to it. I've never liked Maggie and, as time goes on, I like Jackson less and less. They just don't have very much chemistry. 

[CED9]

19 hours ago, Deanie87 said:

I am one who had a problem with Meredith in a few of the most recent seasons, not only for her treatment of Jo but because I think she was written as completely selfish and self-absorbed, and unnecessarily bitchy to nearly everyone.  She was always the least judgmental and most sincerely compassionate of the five interns (as opposed to the situational compassion of George and Izzie), and while she wasn't my favorite, I always liked her.  But all of that started changing around season 10 (so before Cristina or Derek left).  She fought nastily with Cristina, told Jo that she didn't have the time deal with Alex when his dad showed up and then died, kept Alex from preparing for his board seat then voted against him, ran roughshod over him in his relationship with Jo while totally calling her names and out and out being rude to her constantly, interrupted Bailey praying for April and Jackson's baby so that she could go have sex with Derek, and then actually lied about that.  Those are just some examples of problems that I have had with her, or at least the writing for her.  And to be fair, I think that she was written horribly out of character in most of those instances.  So I don't get why Meredith's approval of anything matters so much, but it appears that it does (see also, Maggie, Penny, Lexie).  We all have our favorites, and you're right, that perspective matters.  I never liked Derek, so I didn't care what Meredith thought of him or how she treated him.  But I love Alex and I like Jo, so it matters how she treats them, especially if that is going to be the bar for other people's opinions.

Bringing it back to this episode, as much as Meredith's treatment of Jo in past seasons has been bizarre and unwarranted for me, it finally worked in this situation.  Having Alex, DeLuca or Bailey be unconditionally supportive of Jo and believe that she wasn't unstable or a drunk, etc. would be expected.  But having unwavering support from someone who called her a hoodlum, a hooker, pretended not to know her name, and generally disrespected her for seasons at a time is a much bigger deal.  And it made sense to me that Jo would care SO much that Meredith, of all people, not believe what Paul was saying about her and that's why she got so emotional when Meredith hugged her and told her that she knew who she was.  Krista didn't have anything to do with how Meredith was written back then, and she may not have intentionally meant for the scene to be taken the way I took it, but it really, really worked on a lot of levels for me, which I wasn't expecting at all.

I think it was like...95% because Ellen and Camilla (and Jessica) are best friends in real life and Camilla wanted to work with them more.

[Chas411]

Honestly I don't think it has anything to do with real life friendships how the write show. 

[jaync]

I figured early on that Dr. Hacker was likely trans (slight physical giveaways), so the reveal wasn't a surprise. It will be interesting if the show just allows the character to "be" from now on, or if his identity will be used as a tool for some kind of drama.

Quote

Enough with the DeLuca intern and DeLuca's sister. 

This. The former is annoying as hell, and the latter is just a caricature at this point.

Meredith rocked.

[flickers]

1 hour ago, Chas411 said:

Honestly I don't think it has anything to do with real life friendships how the write show. 

Didn't Krista say she wanted Jo and Meredith to be friends because of Camilla and Ellen's real life friendship?

I'd go back and look for the interview, but I don't want to be irritated so early in the morning.

[Chas411]

Did she? That seems kind of random but I never really thought there was any reason for Meredith to hate Jo outside of wanting Alex to herself. She liked her just fine when Cristina and Derek were around.

[Katsullivan]

On 1/19/2018 at 10:10 AM, Racj82 said:

What are you talking about? Why do people keep talking as if Maggie and Jackson are actually blood related or that this is incest. It's not. At all. They are two grown adults related by marriage. They share nothing else than that.

 

I guess since they're both black, it's easy to forget they're not actually related to each other. ?