Grey's Anatomy Season 12 Episode 12 Review: My Next Life
Elizabeth Harlow
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What a difference twelve ten years about a decade makes.
Okay, ignoring the complicated math of figuring out the timeline, Grey's Anatomy Season 12 Episode 12 used minimal flashbacks pretty effectively to show just how much Meredith has grown over the years – it's more than just her hair, people.
While I really wish the writers and producers would just let Derek RIP already, at least his resurrection served a purpose other than a circle jerk of grief and anger this time.
We Amelia finally got to deal with some of her insecurities in regards to her big bro, a payoff that's been coming since she showed up at SG Memorial.
Since Grey's Anatomy Season 12 Episode 10 pretty deftly announced that Meredith was no longer a widow per se, I was a little surprised to see St. Derek dug up and trotted about again. I really wish they'd just let sleeping corpses rot. Dempsey was attractive, but honestly, Derek was kind of a douche.
Using flashbacks that focused on Meredith's inexperience at that point would have worked better for the story, although I suppose they wouldn't have been as sticky sweet. But since Katie's main recollections were of Meredith and her incompetence, it would have made more sense.
It would have also have made a much better contrast for the way that Mer calmly and competently handled Daphne's case. The only thing I found missing from that particular story was an acknowledgment of Meredith's own parental abandonment issues. There was a lot that could have been done with that.
Bailey: Oh, Katie Bryce! When Derek had all the interns chasing their tail for the answer...
Meredith: Yes!
Bailey: ...and he was chasing your tail?
Meredith [slyly]: Yes.
What did work about putting an emphasis on Big Shepherd was that it provided the payoff to the sibling rivalry from Grey's Anatomy Season 11 that we never really got due to Derek's DC disappearance and subsequent death.
I always liked that angle because it actually addressed that Derek wasn't the amazing guy he was often made out to be. Amelia, as his little sister, got to call him out on his ish. But once the decision was made that Dempsey would be leaving, the humanization of Derek was put aside so he could become a martyr.
Amelia's one of the more interesting characters, in my opinion, because she acknowledges her weaknesses. Her insecurities aren't childish, but seem like the type of things that any of us might face. And she works to defeat them. She doesn't just accept that she is who she is, or whine about it and ultimately take no action.
Owen: Okay, you want to know what I think? I think that if there were any other surgeon's name on this old chart, you wouldn't be thinking twice about this.
Amelia: Meredith doesn't think I can do it.
Owen: Who cares what she thinks?
And her relationship with Owen, while maybe not the healthiest, has the potential to be one of the stronger romances on the show. They both know each other's weaknesses, they actually seem to accept them, and they are supportive of each other.
While Owen was kind of the worst with Christina, he's redeeming himself with the Shepherdess.
Owen should probably take a page from his lady love's book though, and actually work on his issues with Riggs. After hearing the full story of what happened to Meg, I'm a little afraid of in what direction that story could be heading.
This is Grey's after all – the miraculous return of a sister who was long thought dead wouldn't be the craziest thing that's ever happened.
Woah, woah. The thing about being my wingman is you can't also be my dad.
Arizona
On the lighter side of things, I really enjoyed Weber's interplay with Arizona, DeLuca, and Maggie. Richard somehow manages to pull off being paternal without being patronizing, which is refreshing. The seriousness with which he takes his role of wingman is so adorable.
Still, you have to feel sorry for Andrew, who really needs to spend some time listening to the scuttlebutt if he wants to get ahead at this hospital. How did he not know that Maggie was Richard's daughter? Isn't there a briefing book handed out to the interns every year with their orientation materials?
We'll be discussing that and other questions in the Grey's Anatomy Round Table, which will be posted on Monday. Feel free to submit your topic suggestions in the comments!
You got divorced *really* different from how I did.
Callie [to April]
Grey's Anatomy Season 12 Episode 13 will air on March 10th. "All Eyez On Me" will send Jackson, Bailey, Mer, Callie, and Jo to a VA hospital for a pro-bono surgery – it's a little weird that none of the docs with military experience are going, no?
From the promo, which you can watch below, it looks like somebody has stick up his arse about outside help.
Back at Sloan-Grey, Ben finally gets a storyline all of his very own, and some cheerleaders give the ER staff an H, an E, and a double L. Another piece of gossip Andrew missed was the fallout between Arizona and Leah, so he thinks it's a swell idea for him and Maggie to go public.
I'm just curious who else is going to figure out about the baby before Jackson.
Watch Grey's Anatomy online, and then join us in the comments section. We'd love to hear what you thought worked, what didn't, and of what you'd like to see more.
Elizabeth Harlow was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She left the organization in October 2018.
