Grey's Anatomy Season 16 Episode 2 Review: Back In The Saddle
Jasmine Blu
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Meredith Grey: Street Doctor would make an excellent series.
She's so good at treating the underprivileged, and it made you miss the days when GSM had a free clinic and put it to proper use.
In addition to that angle, on Grey's Anatomy Season 16 Episode 2, Meredith decided to write about the dismal state of healthcare in the country, particularly for middle to low-class people who can't afford to be sick.
DeLuca made a good point; it's attractive when people care.
Meredith can't NOT practice medicine. She doesn't have it in her, and picking up trash isn't as satisfying as helping her fellow lawbreakers and Robin.
Of course, Meredith worked her activities in her favor when Robin reprimanded her for hosting a free-clinic at the worksite.
What would have happened if Robin didn't have that lump on her neck?
But she did, and for then on, picking trash was an afterthought when Meredith's focus was getting Robin the help she needed.
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Robin's shoddy insurance meant she wouldn't be able to see an Ear, Nose, & Throat specialist for another two months. If the woman had cancer, which she did, wouldn't it worsen in two-months time?
Levi: Am I going to get arrested? I feel like I'm going to get arrested.
Mer: For what?
Levi: I stole from the hospital.
Mer: I own the hospital. That's my stuff. You brought me my stuff!
It's those types of things that plague the little everyday people in the healthcare system. You have to love Meredith for sending everyone and their mother to Pacific West seeking Webber and Alex.
But when she could no longer do that, she took Robin right to the GSM parking lot. After enlisting the help of the dorky Levi, she dragged Jackson into it too.
She worked herself right into the GSM waiting room and in front of Bailey, who remains livid about Meredith's actions and her choice to fire her best doctors.
DeLuca: Didn't the lawyer say to lay low?
Mer: Yes, but I don't think I'm capable of that. What?
DeLuca: Nothing. You're just very sexy when you're ready to burn your life down.
Meredith keeps tempting fate, but we expect no less from her. She has a hearing scheduled, and there's no telling what it will look like to the board when she's doubling down on her actions.
She's now planning to publish something exposing the system. Meredith is playing with fire, but do we expect anything less from her?
Meanwhile, Bailey is reeling from the changes at GSM. She has no joy with her colleagues and friends gone. She's regretting her decision. The messed up thing about this is if this was any other hospital, no one would be upset at Bailey for doing what she was supposed to do.
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Yes, they've all made egregious mistakes and choices over the years, Bailey included, but when is there a line drawn?
You go back in there, and you take your joy back.
Warren
Bailey is catching it from everyone over this decision, and she hates that she lost her best people over something like this. Now, she's in a competitive mode.
She had a hand in grooming Alex and Meredith and making them great, so she wants to do it again. She's thrown herself into teaching and mentoring, which is fun.
The other interns and residents needed to have something of substance; they tend to fall to the wayside.
Is Andrew the only senior resident? It sucks; everyone else left, and Jo was fast-tracked through most of her medical career.
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DeLuca was arguably one of the best of his class, but he's still slumming it with the interns. However, it also highlights why his behavior was frustrating.
It's no secret GSM has had a fair share of nepotism and favoring. Sometimes the people on the receiving end of it forget that part.
DeLuca assumed Bailey was treating him poorly because of Meredith. He failed to realize that he has benefited more than anyone else in that room.
Before Bailey even told him later one, it was evident what her position was and what she was doing; she's always done this.
She knew DeLuca could handle the surgery. He's had the experience, but Helm didn't have the same experience as him. She can't become a great doctor or "the next Meredith Grey" if someone like DeLuca gets to scrub in all of the time.
Jackson: We'll make sure you get options to consider.
Robin: Yeah, bankruptcy or death.
Again, it goes back to him being a senior resident versus the others being interns and other residents. DeLuca is likable, don't get me wrong, but sometimes he forgets his place and how to look at the bigger picture.
As Bailey said, Helm needed the adrenaline rush and a test run. At some rate, the need the pressure, and most of the interns are neglected and don't get to put their skills to use. You can't have them all, DeLuca.
For a guy who will probably be Chief Resident or something, it was a lesson he needed to learn. Also, go, Helm!
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She's one of the underused characters, but she's funny, and it was no surprise she wanted to be like her idol Meredith. Sometimes you miss the mentor/mentee vibes on the series. We got some of that again.
It's nice to see Webber and Alex taking over at Pacific North and trying to make the best of a crappy situation. Webber was the one to convince Alex to take the position, but he spent a lot of time whining.
GSM was his home for 35 years, and he thought he would collapse dead in the hospital before he left it.
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Richard's trajectory is an amazing one, but there's something to be said about him never having to spread his wings and start over new. He made GSM his comfort zone before it was a comfortable place for him to reside, and he never left it.
Alex: Do you know this hospital is ranked number one?
Richard: What decade?
Alex: This one. Number one in mortality rates. Physician burnout. Patient dissatisfaction and malpractice rates.
Alex's speech at the end of the hour was poignant. Indeed, Richard and Bailey (and later Arizona and Addison, specifically for him) were his mentors who made him the great doctor he is today.
But he never had to leave either. GSM was his home, and there are a plethora of reasons for staying there, but there's value in starting over and finding out how everything GSM afforded him pans out beyond those walls.
They get to make a new legacy of their own. In a way, it ties into Meredith's arc of focusing on the pitfalls of the system and how it affects others.
Yes, top-tier hospitals filled with the best doctors are ideal, but hospitals like Pacific West are where the poor and working-class frequent, and don't they deserve quality care too?
Jackson: Why are you telling me all of this?
Levi: I'm a Gryffindor. I'm brave. I'm scared all the time, but I am brave and sometimes stupid. So when Dr. Grey called, I went. I just do not want to lose my license or go to jail, so when Chief Bailey asks me why I took all the supplies, I'm hoping you can say you asked me for them.
Jackson: Fine. Here's a sample.
Levi: Fine? Really?
Jackson: Meredith Grey is a good friend, and the best doctor I know. I'm not scared of getting in a little trouble if it means she's helping someone. Also a Gryffindor.
Pacific North needs improvement, and Webber and Alex are the right people to do it. No, they aren't with their friends at one of the best hospitals anymore, but it counts for something. It makes their change meaningful.
The decision to split time between GSM and Pacific North has elicited mixed feelings, but it's off to a promising start.
Alex needs the extra bodies and hands, so it made sense that he offered his wife a position leading the General Surgery department in an understaffed hospital.
It makes sense but is annoying --promoting Jo in Meredith's absence. Sure, she's Meredith's protege, and she's proven herself in the past year, but the hand out rewards like candy here.
Owen: I'm sorry, Tom. About the incident.
Tom: Incident? You deep fried my nads!
It has nothing to do with her mental health, and it's lovely that she wasn't ostracized for that. Doctor burnout is a huge issue, so no one should've shunned her anyway. And it beats bringing in a new character.
It's just not something it seems like Jo should be getting this early into her career. She's barely gotten her feet wet. Good grief!
Amelia and Link have gone beyond getting their feet wet. They've jumped right into the deep end, but for once, it doesn't feel as ominous and troubling as it usually is when Amelia does this.
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Kudos to the show for not dragging any of this out. Amelia is pregnant; the baby does belong to Link, and she told him right away.
What sane person turns on the news and thinks "oh great, the polar ice caps are melting, the planet is on fire, and all of humanity is whining on Twitter while doing exactly nothing to prevent any of it, so yeah, I should bring a baby into this world?"
Link
Poor Link barely had the chance to process the news before Amelia ran off for a medical emergency. He was stunned.
The idea of another baby on this series is too much, and Amelia being pregnant again is not the arc envisioned for her; it's what we have.
Link and Amelia will make this storyline more enjoyable than it has a right to be. They're so good together! They're a beautiful couple, and you want the best for both of them.
Amelia: I know it's my body, but you are free to have feelings.
Link: I spent the day trying to wrap my head around this. Every worst-case scenario if we actually go through with this, and I've got about a million of them. Cancer, global warming, gun violence. Antibiotic-resistant superbug. But talking to you now, looking at you, listening to you , and hearing what you have survived; what I know I don't want is for anything to hurt you. That feels real to me. That feels tangible. And everything that scares me suddenly feels irrelevant, so if you want to have this kid, I will suck up my fears, and I'll be a dad. Because let's face it, kids love me, and um, if you don't want it, I will drive you to the appointment. I will be there for you in any way I possibly can. That's what I know. That's my feelings.
Amelia: Dammit, Link!
Link worked through his anxiety of the news in a cute and funny scene with Jo. You can understand his position. He was a sick kid growing up, and he wouldn't want the same for his offspring, which Amelia alluded to before she left him in the hallway.
The world is a scary place and continues to get worse by the day, and anyone would question whether or not they want to bring an innocent life into it.
But when Jo told him he would be a great dad, it sunk in for him. And his talk with Amelia had to be the healthiest discussion of this caliber shown on television ever.
Link is such a good guy; he's so perfect it should be nauseating, but it isn't; it's endearing instead.
He said all the right things to Amelia. He wasn't disregarding his feelings, but he also knew the bulk of the decision had to be hers.
Link: Did I say the wrong thing?
Amelia: I made up my mind that it was what scares me, what happened with Christopher, and that I'm doing this alone, and a million little things. I was scared, and then you said things.
Link: That made you less scared?
Amelia: Less scared and a little bit in love. It's probably the hormones.
Link: Probably.
Amelia: Please don't say it back.
Link: OK.
Amelia: You and I would make an amazing kid, and now I kinda want to meet that kid.
Link: Well, I kinda do too.
He couldn't hear her be vulnerable about her fears after what happened to Christopher and expect to put her in an uncomfortable position.
Her conversation would have gone differently with anyone else. She expected Link to make a demand, but he left the ball in her court and reassured her he would support her no matter what.
He wasn't bailing on her or giving the impression he would be upset with her if she didn't pick the right outcome. For someone who is a casual lover, he's more supportive than better-defined partners.
Jo: Link, are you okay?
Link: Pregnant. Amelia's pregnant. From me.
Amelia isn't familiar with someone treating her so well, which is why their relationship is such a delightful one.
Amelia and Link may not have said it in a specific way, but there is love there. He said all the right things, and she's falling for him. Link's feelings have been more apparent for a while.
Amelia wanted to take things slowly, and life had other plans, but somehow, this relationship is healthier than the others.
And you know what? Amelia and Link would create a beautiful human being, inside and out, so you can't fault them for wanting to meet the tiny person.
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It's going to be hilarious when Owen finds it. He has his happy ending, but it's not flawless.
Maggie: This guy can't die. I could be charged with manslaughter! Vehicular homicide. Clear!
Owen: You didn't hit him. He hit you.
Maggie: I can't go to jail right now. Mer's already on the verge, and if I'm in jail, and she's in jail, then Amelia has the kids, and she cannot handle that right now.
Owen: What's wrong with Amelia?
Maggie: Nothing.
He's going to feel something when he finds out about Amelia's pregnancy. He's already going to be pushing to figure out what's going on with her since Maggie made the comment that gave him pause.
Now, his boss has a restraining order against him.
Tom is such a petty ass, but he's our winsome jackass.
The elevator exchange with Tom, Owen, and Link was one of the funniest moments of the hour. Tom couldn't wait to tell Owen he was running things.
Tom: Oh shoot, is this weird for you? We've all shared the same how should I say it?
Link: You shouldn't.
Tom: Past times. Lady friend. You have poo on your collar.
Owen: What, where?
Tom: Made you look. You are such a standup guy. Leaving Teddy all alone in a motel with a new baby. Owen: What are you still doing here, Tom? Hm? Don't you have a job in Baltimore, or did you lose that too?
Tom: What a funny way to talk to your boss. Oh, Teddy didn't tell you?
Owen: Tell me what?
Tom: Since your friends went rogue, Catherine made me god of this place, so practice kneeling, maybe throw in a few prayers.
Owen thought he did something with his digs, but Tom had the last laugh.
Owen didn't mean to shock Tom in the genitals, though. And in Owen's defense, it was Tom's little protege who screwed up by not checking to make sure the fractured ribs didn't puncture the heart.
Nevertheless, given their history and how little they get along with each other, Tom assuming Owen did it out of spite was fair.
Owen: I'm sorry, Tom. About the incident.
Tom: Incident? You deep fried my nads!
Tom filing a restraining order against Owen wasn't. For one, it's not like he didn't get a nice punch in at the Avery party. Also, it's not going to sit well with Teddy.
But it does give Tom an advantage when he's with Teddy and Owen can't be near him, so Tom thought this through.
They shouldn't be fighting over Teddy, and Tom needs to move on, but this tiff will be entertaining. Love him or hate him; you cannot deny Tom livens things up.
Of course, Maggie's luck wasn't the best, and she's the reason the patient was in the hospital. He ran into her car, and it was evident the guy was a scammer.
Jackson: You're wrong, you know.
Maggie: Excuse me?
Jackson: What you said about Vic. She's really smart, Maggie, and she's brave, and you're right, she is different from me. I don't think that's a bad thing.
Maggie: I'm sorry for what I said. Even so, hashtag freedom is a little aggressive.
Jackson: I wasn't being consciously spiteful.
Maggie: Unconsciously then?
It's also apparent she's not taking this situation with Jackson well. It was funny when she considered taking all of the toilet tissue at Jackson's apartment since she was the only one who bought it.
Maggie and Tom have the same kind of petty, and I'm here for it.
However, Jackson's Instagram picture and comment did come across as a dig. Is it childish to focus on something so trivial? Yeah, but this is what happens when you live in the social media age.
Maggie wouldn't have taken it as personal if Jackson didn't disregard her feelings before this, so she's assuming the worst of him these days.
Jackson: Why are you telling me all of this?
Levi: I'm a Gryffindor. I'm brave. I'm scared all the time, but I am brave and sometimes stupid. So when Dr. Grey called, I went. I just do not want to lose my license or go to jail, so when Chief Bailey asks me why I took all the supplies, I'm hoping you can say you asked me for them.
Jackson: Fine. Here's a sample.
Levi: Fine? Really?
Jackson: Meredith Grey is a good friend, and the best doctor I know. I'm not scared of getting in a little trouble if it means she's helping someone. Also a Gryffindor.
Her comments about Vic were childish and out of line, though. Regardless of what happened between her and Jackson, it's not Vic's fault.
Vic isn't the person who hurt her, Jackson did. She knows some of Vic's history too, so making comments about her being inferior because of her being a firefighter was unnecessary.
Her former colleague and friend is a firefighter. She was hit on by a nice firefighter. It was beneath her to make those comments when her issue is Jackson.
She acknowledged the wrong in making those statements later, though. The tension between the two of them is thick.
For herself, I hope Maggie moves on and doesn't dwell on Jackson. Do you, Maggie.
It's a clash of the Potter houses.
If Jackson is a Gryffindor, then Maggie is Ravenclaw.
I'm no expert in this, but who else thought Levi was a Hufflepuff?
Over to you, Grey's Fanatics!
Is Meredith playing with fire publishing something about her experiences? Was DeLuca wrong to question Bailey?
Will Alex and Webber be able to turn Pacific North around? Do you like this storyline for them?
Are you onboard with Amelink's pregnancy and the new stage in their relationship? Is Tom overdoing it with his Anti-Owen agenda?
Is it too soon for Jo to be heading the General department? How long do you think the tension between Jackson and Maggie will last? Do their Potterhouses make sense?
Hit the comments below!
You can watch Grey's Anatomy online here via TV Fanatic
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.
