Grey's Anatomy Season 11 Episode 24 Review: You're My Home

at .  Updated at .

It's the season finale of Grey's Anatomy, and we get a nice, happy ending. Well, mostly.

Grey's Anatomy Season 11 Episode 24 doesn't have explosions, mass shootings, freak accidents, or terrible deaths of characters we love. Instead, it shows how everyone is moving on, whether it's together or because they're heading in new direction altogether.

It's a satisfying ending that would actually work well for a series finale, if you don't count that last strange black-and-white shot of Meredith dancing. The point is, there aren't any cliffhangers. We didn't end with a need for extra tissues.

And after the emotional turmoil we've been through in Grey's Anatomy Season 11, I'm grateful for that.

Richard and Catherine work out their problems thanks to some pretty blunt advice from Meredith, and the episode ends with a wedding. Richard deserves that kind of happiness, and it's always nice to see everyone get together and celebrate a happy occasion.

But with that happy occasion, there are also tears. Lots, and lots of tears. April is broken because her marriage to Jackson is over. While Jackson understands April wanting to go back to the Middle East, he tells her he can't be there when she gets back home.

The loss of a child tore the two of them apart, and neither are exactly to blame. April had to go on and do something else. She had to find herself, and that change has made her character more interesting and more likable – not only to the audience, but also to the other doctors.

I like this Kepner. I never thought I would like Kepner. You know, old Kepner -- there was pigtails, bunny rabbits, and smiling. Lots of smiling. But Kepner the reboot, Kepner 2.0, she's crazy. She's fierce. She's womaned up. Thank you, United States Army.

Bailey

Maggie is also in tears, finally revealing to Meredith that her parents are getting a divorce. They have a very sisterly moment, which Amelia also finds herself becoming a part of. To me, that's the most important part of this episode.

Meredith has always had a way of creating a family, including letting people in when she may not initially want to. She opened up her home in Grey's Anatomy Season 1 to Izzie and George, and later to Alex and Lexie and so on. Her family has been her co-workers and her friends (and the sisters she only learned of later in life).

So, it's nice to see her developing a relationship with both of them. Amelia is still her sister-in-law, and that one gesture of offering the voicemail for her to hear is a peace offering that also gives us one last shot of Derek. Heavy with symbolism, he describes his last, perfect ferry-boat ride. Derek always had a thing for ferry-boats.

The three women sit together, a little sad, a little nostalgic, watching on as everyone dances in celebration of Richard and Catherine's wedding. Meredith proves that she's moving on from Derek's death, and accepting of a new family, by inviting them both to dance it out. It makes for a nice nod to Cristina, too.

And that's exactly what they do. They dance it out to yet another song we've heard before on this show, in a scene that seems to suggest hope and new possibilities. As for where that could take us in a new season, it seems like anything could happen.

Other Thoughts:

  • I like the idea of Meredith and Amelia both moving back to the old house, but I liked the idea of Alex being there, too. Still, it will be nice if we can see him get a happy ending.
  • Owen and Amelia seem to be moving forward. I hope it stays that way.
  • The doctors all working together for a perfect plan, all based on perfect timing, is intense and powerful. Even better, there's a happy ending there, too. Thank you, Shonda, for saving both of those parents to enjoy their new baby. We needed that.

What did you think of the season finale of Grey's Anatomy? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Need to catch up on past episodes? You can always watch Grey's Anatomy online right here TV Fanatic!

You're My Home Review

Editor Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
  • 4.5 / 5.0
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
User Rating:

Rating: 4.2 / 5.0 (182 Votes)

Ashley Bissette Sumerel was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in September 2017. Follow her on Twitter and on Google+.

Show Comments
Tags: ,

Grey's Anatomy Season 11 Episode 24 Quotes

Richard: I am not crying wolf
Bailey: Sir?
Richard: I do not make decisions lightly. And I don't bow to dictators. Miranda Bailey, you will be Grey Sloan Memorial's next chief of surgery. Congratulations.
Bailey: Thank you?

I like this Kepner. I never thought I would like Kepner. You know, old Kepner -- there was pigtails, bunny rabbits, and smiling. Lots of smiling. But Kepner the reboot, Kepner 2.0, she's crazy. She's fierce. She's womaned up. Thank you, United States Army.

Bailey