Grey's Anatomy Season 15 Episode 20 Review: The Whole Package
Jasmine Blu
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After one of the most remarkable installments of the series ever, Grey's Anatomy Season 15 Episode 20 brought us back to the usual.
It also brought us Abigail Spencer's reprisal of Megan Hunt who served as an audience surrogate for the plethora of fans who are clinging to the hope Teddy and Owen will find their way back to each other.
It was an understated hour used to shift the pieces around on the board to set up for future storylines.
Coming off of Grey's Anatomy Season 15 Episode 19, Jo is not doing well. She has descended into depression and alcoholism, and her behavior is disturbing for anyone who spends long enough time with her.
Alex knows something is wrong, but he's unaware of the full extent of it, and he is questionably ill-equipped to take note of how far Jo has fallen.
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Perhaps this is meant to show how blinded a person is by love, particularly romantic love where they settle into a form of denial and convince themselves things are better than they are.
It was odd how he assumed Jo was in better spirits sitting on the couch in front of two empty bottles of vodka, and laughing hysterically at cartoons. He had high hopes, but Link was not a vitamin shot used to get her back on track after one day.
Alex: Well she looks fine now.
Link: She's not. I've seen her in rough shape before but never like this. I want to help but I don't know how.
The arc was designed to have Alex seek Link out as Jo's "person." The show has positioned Link as Jo's version of Meredith, and one of the biggest frustrations is how we haven't seen enough of it.
I would've happily traded all the time they wasted Carmack in a stupid love triangle in which he was never a legitimate contender for more Jo and Link friendship.
At least it was evident she adored and respected him, and Carmack and Luddington have done a fantastic job selling that they're old friends with the little time they're given to do so.
However, it was damn near comical how Alex approached Link and told him Jo had gone to see her birth mother and Link didn't know. Jo doesn't know he's dating or at least having sex with Amelia. If we're supposed to view them as a Merlex, the series needs to do better giving us those moments.
On the flip side, Link navigated the Karevs kitchen with ease and the familiarity of someone who has spent a lot of time there before.
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Link made a valiant attempt to get Jo to open up. He was able to get into the apartment, which was something, and he resorted to talking about the time he was heartbroken, and she helped him out while attempting to do her laundry and bring her soup.
It was cute how they reminisced, but frustrating how those scenes are the reminder of how far back the two of them go. It took a dark turn when deep into a liquor bottle Jo mentioned Vicki and how she inherited her mother's knack for fleeing.
Vicki's rejection during their scene at the diner was one of many things that got to Jo, and she could not shake how this woman was still running after so many years and not at peace. She compared it to her failed relationships and her response to her boyfriends who said they loved her.
It's in my wiring. My mother is a runner. She still is apparently. She can't even sit in the same room as me even though she says she loves me. And my father ... I always run. It's what I do.
Jo
She couldn't father how anyone could love her, and to go from feeling that with a sweet boyfriend to finding herself in an abusive relationship with Paul which reaffirmed the sentiment, Owen isn't the only person in this hour who needs therapy.
Jo's issues are unresolved; she never worked through them but buried them instead, and now she has to face them head-on. Jo has cracked. The honeymoon phase was going to be over at some point.
She still didn't share with either Link nor Alex what happened in Pittsburgh and based on what she told Link after alcohol loosened her lips, she has slipped back into feeling unworthy of love, which means she may not only continue to push Alex away but run away too.
Alex didn't fare well at work either. His case highlighted how optimistic he is or hinted at his need to have things within his control.
He cannot figure out what's going on with Jo, and it could be giving him some flashbacks to Izzie and Rebecca, so he's trying to keep a positive outlook or some denial.
He's back as the lead Peds doctor after his time as Chief ended and his first case is a doozy.
Alex proved why he's the best at his profession in how he handled his young Autistic patient. He took the time to learn how to communicate with the boy so he could figure out what was wrong with him, and those scenes with the legos were touching.
If only more doctors took the time and had the patience to understand their young patients in that manner, you know?
The case gave us the overdue dynamic of Alex and Maggie. They have one of the most underrated relationships of the series, and they used to be super close upon Maggie's arrival, in the year-long absence of Mer after Derek's death, and when Alex was living with the sisters in Meredith's House of Misfits.
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They were so case-oriented that their interactions were missing their sibling-banter, but Maggie the nerd was able to figure out the young patient had one of the rarest blood types in the world after his transfusion went poorly.
He had Rh-null blood type. It's the golden blood type which is precious and used as a universal blood type for all those with a rare blood type.
If he were the person giving blood to help others, it wouldn't be an issue; however, he was in dire need of blood himself which meant they had to scour the database to find potential donors for his transfusion.
They only found four potential donors in the world. It's going to be a stressful as hell ride following along with this case. Maggie didn't want to get the parents' hope up, but Alex jumped right in making promises he may not be able to keep.
Maggie: He's Rh Null
Helm: What is that?
Maggie: It's golden blood.
I'm happy Catherine was able to keep her promise to Caleb and give him the surgery he desired despite her concerns. Catherine was beyond eager to get back into the OR, and I like how Jackson wasn't keeping her from it.
Jackson was the one who brought the case to her, and since we're discussing underrated relationships we can never get enough of, he wanted Meredith to be there when he gave Catherine the news. Honestly, Jackson and Meredith's friendship is the best; I can't even recall when they became so close, but they are.
Catherine is coming along nicely, but Jackson can't stop worrying about his mother. It was sweet when she told him she wouldn't keep anything from him if her health declines. The evolution of their bond throughout the series is emotional when you think about it long enough.
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It also never stops being something worth getting goosebumps over when this legendary surgeon scrubs in with her son as an equal.
Megan returned and scrubbed in with her brother alongside Catherine, but it didn't go smoothly.
Catherine: I guess I need to change into some scrubs. My baby brought me a penis!
Jackson: Yes, yes he did.
Inquiring minds want to know why she got left in the dark about her future niece. I guess I can present the argument that Owen knew his sister would be opinionated and meddlesome, and he wanted to avoid that, but come on!
His sister returned from the dead a year ago, and he doesn't keep her abreast of all things happening in his life since then?! She lives in freaking California now. It makes no sense.
Megan and Teddy are friends as well, so has Megan kept to herself with her happy family and not communicated often with her friends and family?
Megan was the audience surrogate in a myriad of ways. She could not make sense of how her brother mucked up his life, and she wasn't afraid to point it out to him often.
Every time someone revisits the Germany saga, it's cringe-worthy. I appreciated her pointing out how stupid Owen was in this whole ordeal, but it wasn't her place to encourage Teddy to give up her relationship to pursue Owen again.
She loves her brother and wants the best for him, but if she cares about Teddy, she shouldn't want her friend stuck playing second fiddle to someone else or waiting for Owen to get his shit together.
What is wrong with you? Why didn't you tell me that you two have finally gotten together and were having a baby?
Megan
Teddy has done that for years -- damn near decades. If Teddy is happy now, and I believe she is happy with Tom, then let her be happy with her sure thing. Love is great, but sometimes it isn't enough.
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Teddy is settling down, and she does need a space of her own. She was correct in her reservations about moving in with Owen and slipping into the spot Amelia left behind. It would be absurd!
However, she didn't vehemently reject the idea in the way I expected from someone happy with another guy, so I'm worried about Tom who has mentally moved in with Teddy already.
Megan stirred up things with Teddy, but she told Owen things he needed to hear regarding therapy. Dear God, Owen is past due for therapy and never should've stopped attending after his PTSD experiences with Cristina.
The show is revisiting his mental health, which is appreciated; it seemed like they randomly dropped it over the years and moved on, and it's not realistic at all.
Megan could speak to him as his sister but also as a trauma survivor and fellow veteran. She attends two different types of therapy weekly for herself and couples therapy with Riggs.
Owen: I've done therapy.
Megan: Not enough!
Owen's decisions, especially in his love life are not conducive with a healthy person who is capable of happiness now. He needs work, and it's OK for him to recognize it.
It helped him bonding with Caleb and convincing the war vet to lean on his support system. Poor Caleb could accept losing a leg, but losing his penis made him feel like less of a man.
He's a war survivor who served his country proudly and bravely, but the loss of an appendage made him feel inadequate. It's sad the way we look at things like that. Women are the same when they have hysterectomies or mastectomies.
It was heartbreaking when Owen said that any time one of his fellow male soldiers were injured they asked about their penis first.
Catherine: Surgery is off. I'm not giving that man a penis today!
Bailey: Any questions about the neurology floor
Students: [raise hands].
He didn't want Anna to see him in such a state even though her love for him was unconditional. Owen advocating for Caleb with such passion was a beautiful moment; it's been a while since he showed such passion over a case.
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Speaking of passion, DeLuca has a passion for general surgery, and according to the series, it's not limited to his passion for all things Meredith Grey.
I don't buy it only because of how he was previously showing signs he would go into neuro. He has worked with Amelia extensively for a while, but I guess he's imitating Meredith's career trajectory too as she did the same.
The awkwardness between DeLuca and Webber felt like a rehash of the last time Webber found out DeLuca was dating one of his pseudo-daughters. Honestly, most of MerLuca feels like it got recycled from MaLuca; it just has better results.
Webber reaffirmed DeLuca is a great guy, and he's a great surgeon. Cool. I'm going to need DeLuca to stop feeling as though he has to prove something to himself or other people though.
He has a hangup about dating The Meredith Grey and not always feeling worthy, and they are in different stages of their careers. He's doing well in his stage and needs to ride it out instead of trying to play catch-up.
Bailey brought the humor during the installment with the young STEM girls shadowing her and happening upon inappropriate or inopportune moments.
Levi was hilarious when he led them to Bailey's office and left them there while she was rambling on about why she couldn't be bothered with him that day; I love Levi.
You see this, girls? This is leadership!
Bailey
They heard about Amelia's sex life, Catherine's penis transplant surgery she was performing and more, but Bailey yelling and telling them what she was doing was the epitome of leadership was the funniest moment of them all.
She didn't think she did a great job, but they reassured her how much they learned while shadowing her and called her Yoda.
She is a female chief of a hospital who was always on the go and problem-solving, and the heads of the majority of the departments at GSM are women. Everything about the hospital is an inspiration for those young ladies.
Chief Karev's reign is over, but Bailey and Webber learned a few things from how he ran things. He used the interns to do a lot of the administrative work which is not unlike when George became the Chief's intern.
You could chuckle at Alex finding a way out of doing work he doesn't like or even find it annoying, but not only did his ingenuity free him up to do other things and made the job less stressful, but he is preparing and teaching the interns something they may need in their futures.
Bailey: Karev did something better than us.
Webber: And he can never know.
Alex's methods were unorthodox but effective. Bailey learned a few things from him. Chief Alex was enjoyable, and it's cute how he is still wearing suits, but Pediatrics is his calling.
Over to you, Grey's Fanatics. What do you think will happen with Jo? Do you agree with Megan about Owen and Teddy and Owen going to therapy? 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.
