Grey's Anatomy Round Table: Is Alex's Bad Temper a Redundant Plot Device?
Jasmine Blu
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A cruel joke was played on fans during Grey's Anatomy Season 14 Episode 18, but fortunately, Arizona is perfectly healthy.
Kimmie still isn't, however, and it has brought out the disappointing side of Karev.
Join TV Fanatics Stacy Glanzman, Paul Dailly, and Jasmine Blu as they break down the episode.
Does it bother you that Alex can't shake his aggressive streak?
Stacy: Yes, it's starting to get old. Alex has grown up so much, yet for some reason, he still struggles with this. It was definitely disappointing to see him resort to that again.
Paul: Yes. The way he treated Koracick was awful, and the outbursts are starting to feel like more of a plot device as opposed to a natural thing to occur.
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Jasmine: Yeah, I agree with the others. It's old and redundant. Maybe it wouldn't have ticked me off so much if the majority of his screentime on Grey's Anatomy Season 13 didn't involve that idiotic storyline where he pummeled Andrew like an out of control ass.
Paul is right, it felt like a plot device. A cheap one. It diminishes nearly a decade and a half of his character development.
The episode was about acceptance. Which storyline relating to that did you find most gripping?
Stacy: I liked the conversation between Maggie and Richard when she told him her biggest regret was pushing her mom into treatments she didn't want. It helped Richard accept that he had to let his sponsor go out on her terms and not make her last days more painful than necessary. It was a touching storyline.
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Paul: April's storyline gripped me. Her crisis of faith has been difficult to watch, and I liked that she accepted she was not the best person to everyone and went out of her way to apologize.
Jasmine: I liked Richard and Ollie because Richard deserved a nice little storyline, and I love how it led to Maggie having a special moment with him and that AA meeting.
I also loved Tom's acceptance of Kimmie's prognosis. Knowing what we know of it him, he was taking it harder than he let on. When I heard him saying he would use up all of his vacation days to take Kimmie to Broadway shows I got teary-eyed.
Were you afraid Arizona's exit would be because of a breast cancer scare? What were your thoughts on Arizona and Owen teaming up?
Stacy: No, I immediately assumed that quack had rigged the machine somehow. It was a cruel joke to play though. I did, however, assume that Amelia is pregnant. I hope she's not, but they are clearly trying to steer our minds in that direction.
I thought Arizona and Owen made a good team. Watching them pretend to be a married couple was a little awkward, but it was funny.
Paul: Loved the team-up, but the twist with the machine shocked me. My heart skipped a beat when I noticed cancer on the screen.
Jasmine: I wouldn't have put it past the show, so I bought it for a split second. Then I figured it was a misdirect and that ticked me off.
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I loved the team up so much! The two of them going undercover reminded me of when Callie and Richard posed as a married couple on Grey's Anatomy Season 9 Episode 14. Owen rarely has moments where he's allowed to simply be a friend with the other characters and that always bugged me.
April's apology tour led to Maggie finding out about April and Jackson. Does the potential friction feel contrived to you?
Stacy: Yeah, I felt like rolling my eyes as soon as those words came out of her mouth. They took forever to put Jackson and Maggie together, and now they're just grasping at straws to throw more conflict their way.
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Jackson needs to explain that April threw herself at him and he immediately shut her down. That should be all that needs to happen for them to move on, but I fear the writers are going to blow this up more than it should be.
Paul: Oh yeah. April should have kept quiet about it or at the very least, told Maggie everything as opposed to leaving details out. It was frustrating.
Jasmine: What they said. It's all eye rolls and frustrated sighs over here.
What was your favorite moment from the episode?
Stacy: I have to give it to Bailey calling Ben home for an "emergency." That was pretty hilarious, and honestly, Ben deserved it after he surprised her with a pill case. His concern is sweet, but that does not qualify as a present.
Paul: Meredith realizing she didn't need the polymers to go ahead with her experimental procedure. Removing the roadblock this quickly was for the best.
Jasmine: A menacing Owen scaring the crap out of that douche of a doctor. Alex could learn something from Owen's more restrained approach to anger and protectiveness.
It's your turn, Grey's Fanatics! Join the discussion below.
If you need a refresher, 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.
