Grey's Anatomy Round Table: Mer is Prison-Bound!
Jasmine Blu
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Jo was at the forefront of Grey's Anatomy Season 16 Episode 5, and Bailey told Ben she's pregnant.
It was an hour that explored mental health and had Meredith facing some consequences.
Join TV Fanatics Meaghan Frey, Lauren Busser, and Jasmine Blu, and Grey's Fanatic Berea Orange as they discuss the hour.
Did Meredith deserve to go to jail, or was it unfair since she had a valid reason for missing court?
Meaghan: For this particular issue, she does not. As you said, she had a valid reason, and I think that her daughter having emergency surgery would be enough to get her out of trouble for it.
However, maybe the judge was looking at everything as a whole and figured it was just another moment in a pattern of behavior.
Lauren: I fully supported Meredith’s decision to be there for her daughter, but I think that given these five episodes, it is a pattern with her, and I think that’s what the judge was seeing.
The audience has known Meredith for 16 years, and we know her story, but the legal system within Grey’s doesn’t.
Berea: The Boy who Cried Wolf is a thing for a reason.
Meredith consistently alleged she had emergencies, which took her away from community service.
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So by the time she actually had a legitimate emergency, all empathy was out the door. So I, unfortunately, cannot bring myself to feel sorry for her.
Jasmine: Sing-songs, she had it coming.
Had she not missed out on everything up until this point, I would have thought the judge was being harsh, but she's been damn near begging for this since the beginning.
Hell, I've "known" Meredith for 16 years, and I still said, "lock her up."
Did the show handle Jo's mental health arc well?
Meaghan: It felt like an odd placement for this, but I enjoyed the scenes. It was nice to get to see how she learned to cope with her issues and came back even stronger than before.
Lauren: I think Grey’s took a risk with how they delivered the story. It was structured well and did provide a conduit to illuminate the world of emotional trauma.
Berea: It kind of felt out of place to me too. I don’t feel they truly gave enough attention to it when the season started for viewers to truly get invested. I would have preferred those flashbacks to have come in the second or third episode.
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Jasmine: I completely agree with Meaghan and Berea. I felt like the placing of this episode was odd. It would've been much better in the first couple of episodes fresh off of her return from the facility.
I know it's an important topic, and they had some great things incorporated in it, but I couldn't get into as much as I would've liked because of how out of place it felt.
What are your thoughts on Meredith's inconsistent feelings about DeLuca?
Meaghan: Meredith needs someone who can be her equal, and that is not what DeLuca is. Mer and Derek struggled because of the power imbalance during their marriage, and I think with Mer and DeLuca, it is a similar situation.
Can we please bring back Scott Speedman? Even though it was only a one-episode arc, I was totally on board with them as a couple.
Lauren: I’m not a fan of Meredith and DeLuca. DeLuca is nice, but as Meaghan said, Meredith needs a partner. She needs someone she can work with.
Berea: If I were a Merluca fan, I’d be upset. She was just in love with him, and now she’s not sure if he’ll ever be more than just fun?
This feels more like a season 3-4 Meredith who wasn’t ready to commit. I thought Meredith was more firm in her decisions in recent years, so I’m a little surprised by this. I do want her to be happy again, and I also would not be opposed to a Scott Speedman return.
Jasmine: Dear God, yes to Speedman. ONE episode, and we're still out here 'shipping Meredith and Nick.
I'm not a fan of Merluca for many of the reasons the others mentioned. But if they went out of their way to claim they were a legitimate couple we should take seriously, then why walk it back now?
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The time for Meredith to have these thoughts was when she first considered dating him, not after she told him she loved him already, and now she's saying they're only casual. What's the truth, Meredith?
Are you surprised by how forward Gemma was with Richard? Should he tell Catherine what happened?
Meaghan: Gemma was out of line by putting the moves on Richard, but she wasn't lying in all the things she said. Richard has constantly jumped from relationship to relationship when things get hard. Maybe Gemma calling him out on it will be the push he needed to stop.
Lauren: Gemma sees a pattern, and what she was talking about isn’t wrong, but I don't want this to be the road that Richard went down. I think he should tell Catherine what happened. Although I’m not sure she’ll be surprised.
Berea: Yes, Richard has a history of cheating before, but I don’t think he needs a “push” to stop because he’s not that man anymore.
Gemma was so out of line, and like Richard said, it “wasn’t sober behavior.”
I believe he might think she’s drinking again, which was the reason for her behavior and why he didn’t tell Catherine. He might want to get her help. But he should’ve told Catherine as soon as she got home!
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Jasmine: Ohh, Gemma was messy. She may be drinking again. It wasn't sober behavior. The whole exchange left me uncomfortable.
Richard better tell Catherine what's happening, though.
On a scale of 1-10, how much did you enjoy Ben's reaction to Bailey's pregnancy?
Meaghan: 100000. I absolutely loved it. I really enjoy Ben as a character and miss him being on Grey's full time. His reaction was so sweet.
Lauren: Is infinity an option? That was just too adorable.
Berea: Easily 10! I love, love LOVED the joy on his face and the spin around the room. I am so happy for them!
Although I do find it odd that in the almost seven years they’ve been married (if my timeline is correct), they have never discussed this before.
Jasmine: Definite 10. I'm still irritated by all these freaking babies, but their scene was cute. Ben was so freaking happy. It reminded me of how much I love Benley as a pairing.
Was this episode a necessary improvement from the previous one?
Meaghan: For sure. I didn't find myself rolling my eyes nearly as much.
Lauren: Yes, this one was much more enjoyable.
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Berea: Comparatively, sure. But to be fair, the bar was set pretty low. I love episodes where Zola is involved, and we get on-screen sister time.
Jasmine: I guess so. It was a low bar, though.
Any other brief thoughts about the episode not covered by the questions?
Meaghan: I feel like part of what benefited this episode was that the screen time wasn't split among multiple locations as much as it has been lately. Greys is at it's best when it focuses on what is going on in the hospital.
Lauren: It feels like this season of Grey’s tried to cram too much into each episode. With a large cast, it's at its best when they focus on a few storylines. I think that’s what made this episode so much more enjoyable.
Berea: I take issue with the fact that Maggie did a surgery only two other people have done before, and we didn’t get to see it.
"I felt more in love and alive and seen while my hands were in that heart than the entire time I did with Jackson” followed by “I think surgery might be my truest love” were comments that would have made more sense if we got to see her do the surgery and the joy that followed.
I would like to think she was just coming off a surgical high, and this was just a comment she made to cope with her broken heart.
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Otherwise, if they never let her find love again, she’s put into the stereotypical box of the strong, independent black woman who is only successful in her career and doesn’t need love.
Granted, Cristina has always cared about surgery more than having a family, but Maggie has gone on record as saying she wants love, which is why I don’t think she meant it. She should be able to have it all, and I hope the writers give it all back to her.
Jasmine: I missed Amelia and Link. I loved the sisterhood moment, but it was disconcerting when Maggie implied her love of surgery overrides finding love. It does fall into a certain trope, and it's also regressive for her character.
Also, I would like to see Carly return. She was awesome.
What was your favorite scene?
Meaghan: Jo teaching Bailey how to ground herself. I do something similar when I have anxiety, so I related to that hardcore.
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Lauren: There are so many this episode. One of my favorites I would say is Jo and Alex throwing crap at a wall. They’ve been on such shaky ground that it’s nice to see them both find a release like this. And I am glad Jo got an example of healthy angry.
Berea: Bailey telling Ben she's pregnant. His spinning her around and yelling in glee was the highlight of the episode.
Jasmine: I agree, Jolex throwing squeaky toys at the wall and Ben over the moon about the baby news were both great moments.
Over to you, Grey's Fanatics.
Do you agree with us? Hit the comments!
Grey's Anatomy airs Thursdays on ABC.
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Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You'll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.
