Grey's Anatomy Season 12 Episode 11 Review: Unbreak My Heart
Elizabeth Harlow
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...Not with a bang but a whimper.
Jackson and April finally dissolved their marriage on Grey's Anatomy Season 12 Episode 11, but things are far from over between the two.
"Unbreak My Heart" explored some of the unseen moments from their relationship, and changed our perspective on some things along the way.
First of all, Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew deserve mad props for their performances. They carried the whole hour, and almost every scene was emotionally charged. Add in that they had to perform the characters as they were at different times over the years and not just as they are currently...
I mean, the time in the makeup chair for different lengths of hair extensions alone had to be exhausting.
But seriously, those two did an amazing job. I've already re-watched twice (I didn't want to miss anything for you guys), and I picked up on some new details each time, which is one of my benchmarks for a great episode of television. The rewind concept was not the easiest thing to grasp at first, but in the end, I really liked it.
What...what is it Jackson? What -- what pisses you off so much -- that I chose to go after the thing that I needed to heal or that the thing I needed wasn't you?
April
We really wound up getting a different perspective on their whole relationship. I know a lot of people have held April responsible for their problems, but seeing more of their private conversations may change their minds. It softened me even more towards her.
Their fight over Chinese before she left for Jordan the second time revealed some new information – or at least put some things into a different light. Personally, I think April had some really good points about needing to take care of herself.
And if what Jackson needed to survive was her, then taking care of her own needs actually becomes even more important. Read anything at all about care giving and you'll learn that you have to see to yourself before you can take care of somebody else.
So, no, April shouldn't have left like she did, but Jackson shouldn't have held past decisions for which she apologized against her as long as he did, and really, were there no more planes to Jordan?!
April: What people do you have here that would prevent you from coming overseas with me?
Jackson: Patients. I mean, I'm not will to just abandon people that depend on me.
April: And I am?
Jackson: Kind of. Kind of, yeah.
The point that April was making to the students (to us? to herself?) about damage being inflicted little by little and not all at once until you can't always find the root cause was spot on. And that's why therapy exists. And why it should probably just be mandatory for all the staff at GS Memorial.
At a certain point, you have to stop looking for who's to blame, be able to forgive each other for any and all past mistakes, and move on. I've secretly harbored some hopes that, even if Jackson did go through with the divorce, eventually these two would get back together.
But April's little revelation is going to change things. A lot. I'm really not sure if it will bring them back to one another or end in a gruesome custody battle. It still seems like even odds to me. I mean, if they found a better marriage counselor (are they using Arizona and Callie's?) and did some work on their own, maybe they'd have a shot.
April: What is happening to us?
Jackson: I don't...know.
April: How did we get to this?
Jackson: I don't know.
April: How do we make it stop?
The one part that didn't really work for me was Tatiana's wedding and the way we were left to think that perhaps Jackson's relationship with her had crossed professional boundaries. I get that she was a surrogate for their relationship in a lot of ways, and I liked that aspect of the her story.
But the half-hearted fake-out that maybe Jackson was the one getting married to her was cheap.
My other disappointment was that for an episode titled "Unbreak My Heart," there was no sign of Toni Braxton's hit, acoustic cover or otherwise. Of course, if those are the only things I can think of to be really critical, I can't complain.
Meredith: Who died?
April: What?
Meredith: I only dance it out when something bad's happened.
Grey's Anatomy Season 12 Episode 12 ("My Next Life") will air on March 3rd. There's sure to be some fallout over April's bombshell announcement (she can't really be thinking of not telling Jackson, can she?), but the focus will be back on the rest of the crew.
Richard has figured out Andrew and Maggie's secret, and now it's time for Andrew to figure out theirs. I'm not sure why he's shocked – maybe he just hasn't been at GS Memorial long enough yet.
Amelia and Meredith will have to work together when an old patient from intern year reappears and needs a neuro consult. I wonder if they can keep the peace in public?
Watch a preview of that now!
If you missed out on the amazing "Unbreak My Heart," remember, you can watch Grey's Anatomy online! We'd love to hear your thoughts on Grey's latest breakup, and whether you think it'll stick. Join us in the comments section to let your voice be heard.
Elizabeth Harlow was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She left the organization in October 2018.
