Grey's Anatomy Season 15 Episode 22 Review: Head Over High Heels
Jasmine Blu
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Jo is still not well, and if she doesn't open up about what happened in Pittsburgh soon, she'll destroy her marriage, her friendships, and her job.
Grey's Anatomy Season 15 Episode 22 was a mish-mash of different storylines, and it felt like we were being thrown little bones here in preparation for something bigger.
Jo was back at work, but she showed up drunk, and it was eerily reminiscent to April's downward spiral during Grey's Anatomy Season 14.
She doesn't look well, and Alex is concerned about her. He abandoned his denial and is now in a state of genuine fear for Jo but also for the possibility of Jo leaving him.
The guy has a long history of women abandoning him, and he loves Jo with everything in him, so his anguish in those moments when he begged her to communicate with him was heartwrenching.
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Jo has gone through a lot, and no one can begrudge her the experience and what this knowledge has done to her, but she needs help. She can't get it until she's open to receiving it though.
Jo: I will talk to you when I'm ready to talk to you, and if you ever threaten to go to Pittsburgh again, I will leave you. Are we clear?
Alex: If you ever come to work drunk again I will tell Bailey.
Jo: Great, we have a deal.
Alex, Link, Meredith, and Jackson have made attempts, but they have not been successful. Alex and Mer to a lesser degree chastise Bailey for being too blunt, but this is a work environment first and a family second.
They can't coddle Jo, and if she needs a dose of reality, then Bailey is fair game to give it to her. Showing up at work drunk is unacceptable and dangerous especially when you're a doctor. It's not a one and done for Jo either. She has been drinking heavily since she returned; it's a serious problem now.
Each time she is forced to spend time with someone inquiring about what the bloody hell is going on with her, I find myself on the edge of my seat wondering if that person will be whom she confides.
Jo and Jackson are a dynamic no one would ever anticipate, and yet, given his past experiences tracking down a parent, it made sense for them to share their moments together.
Jackson: It was Mer. It was Meredith who asked me to look in on you. She knows how our parents can screw with our heads.
Jo: I'm here OK. I'm working.
Jackson: You came to work drunk, Jo. You're still drunk. I can still smell it. I'm thinking vodka. I'm glad you had the decency to not see any patients.
It seemed as though she was so close to saying something to him, but in the end, she shut him out too.
He's right though; she is being met with compassion this time, but if her behavior persists, they can't show her compassion anymore. Actual lives are at stake here, and she is asking to lose her license among other things.
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The hospital can't afford Jo if she's going to be a liability. She could kill someone in her state. Speaking of, what do we make of the situation with Nico?
He was praised for being an exceptional doctor, and he is. He wouldn't be Link's prized fellow who was being courted by sports teams and other life-changing opportunities if it wasn't true.
I couldn't make sense of what contributed to Nico making his error which cost poor Josh his life. Was he nervous about his interview or trying to prove something?
The problem with this storyline is we don't know anything about Nico. He had zero development all season and was primarily used via Schmico to develop Levi. It's the first time anyone outside of Levi and Link has ever paid attention to him. He has rarely been in the same vicinity as any of the series' heavy hitters.
You don't get it because you let failure hold you back your whole life. It's basically your entire identity. It's not mine.
Nico
Even after his error, it was still framed in such a way where it affected Levi and the Schmico 'ship. My heart broke for Levi when Nico said those awful and hurtful things to him.
They say love is giving someone the power to destroy you and trusting that they won't, and Levi who has spent much of his time baring himself to Nico gave the man plenty of ammo to have thrown in his face.
As a fan of Levi, it was upsetting, however, what Nico said and the specific use of failure was interesting.
At the risk of being presumptuous, it's possible Nico had it drilled in him to succeed and be the best. It's especially not uncommon in Asian/Asian-American households for kids to feel immense pressure to succeed and not fail.
I can draw that conclusion based on speculation and some awareness of the cultural issue, but it's not because of the series providing the information in all this time.
Nico barely let what happened to sink in when Bailey had to tell her former patient his grandson died before he was preparing himself for his interview.
He already failed, and he couldn't afford to fail again. It wouldn't be a surprise if Nico takes the first flight out of there if the opportunity presents itself, and he leaves a heartbroken Levi in his wake. I do not know how to feel about that.
The sentiment is the same when it comes to the TTAOL love pentagon. On the one hand, Amelia is genuine in wanting to protect her friend Tom, and he is beyond devoted and lost in his feelings for Teddy.
No one wants to see him crash and burn. On the other hand, it sucked how she insisted on bursting his happy bubble. I'm most worried about Tom who is head over heels for Teddy and Ortho Barbie who does care about Amelia. If either of my babies Tom and Link get hurt in this foolishness I will be pissed.
Amelia said she wasn't using Link; she was choosing a good thing. During Grey's Anatomy Season 15 episode 21, it was comforting, but now there is some wariness.
Tom: He's your Altman.
Amelia: My Altman?
Tom: Yeah somebody so good and unbroken and kind they just seem wrong for you, but you've never been happier, so yeah, he's your Altman.
I loved how Tom referred to Link as her Teddy, but it makes the entire situation more confusing. Because while I can see plain as day Link is better suited for Amelia, I would also like to see if Amelia can return the energy he gives her.
Meanwhile, God only knows what will happen after the breakthrough Owen made during therapy. He was so averse to therapy, and all of his comments about Voodoo and all suited him.
I wanted to connect to Owen during his therapy session. It's something which was a long time coming, but I could not.
For some reason, his relationship with Teddy was the initial focal point which was puzzling. Somehow, or rather his moment in Germany with Teddy being a great moment, is what led them to his fear of good things.
The gist of it is Owen self-sabotages because of a fear of good things and his belief they won't happen for long. We knew this already, but it still felt shallow at best. I loved them showcasing this specific technique, but the content was lacking.
Therapist: I think you don't trust joy. I think you stop it before something terrible happens before the bad news comes, but it's not coming anymore, that moment is over. It came, and you're OK, so let's stop the replay.
Owen: How?
Owen has a lot of issues, and I don't know if the focal point should've been that specific one. Kevin McKidd gave us his best-anguished face that pulls at the heartstrings, but I felt nothing, and I hated that.
Will this lead him back to Teddy or Amelia? It feels like the series is leaning toward Teddy, but who knows?
The other sisters were making progress in their relationships. Jackson and Maggie's moment in the blue mood room after a rough day was sweet.
He doesn't want to waste time, and he wants her to move in with him. Their relationship has progressed nicely, and it feels natural for this to be their next step.
Meanwhile, Meredith took the next step and told her children about DeLuca. It's ridiculous that it took Zola catching DeLuca in the hallway in the wee hours of the morning to prompt all this.
Jackson: Let's just go home. Order in.
Maggie: I have to go to my home to get some clean clothes. I'm so tired I might just crash there.
Jackson: Move in with me.
Maggie: What?
Jackson: I love you, Maggie, and we take it for granted. I don't want to miss it. Yes, move in with me.
Meredith's house has always been a flop house. The Grey-Shepherd children are familiar with this, so why would any of them bat an eye over anyone being in the downstairs hallway?
It's not like Zola caught him leaving Meredith's room directly. Although their standoff in the hallway was amusing, much of this is ridiculous.
At least the show poked fun at the time DeLuca spent moping on her couch. The children didn't really care, which is a relatable sentiment.
Meredith got around to asking him, all this time later, if he was good with kids. Bless his heart; he played the Italian card. So many cugini, you guys. Like, all the cousins.
If that didn't get the point across, he helped deliver the baby of the woman with two uteri. Admittedly, even my (traitorous) ovaries responded to Deluca cooing at the baby.
Perhaps we'll see DeLuca with Mer's kids in the near future.
Avi's uteri storyline was fascinating, and it sucks how little we saw of it since it was used as a backdrop. It also happened with the update with Alex's patient with the rare blood type.
Mcnally Sagal guest-starred again as Link and Amelia's patient, but it was also a backdrop case. However, her child and their scene with Link as they spoke about not taking their hands and feet for granted was a beautiful scene.
Richard's case was prominent, and it was a delight to have Jasmine Guy guest star.
Jemma: I had 17 years.
Richard: I know.
Jemma: I want them back.
Jemma lost her battle with sobriety after Ollie's death. I love how Richard has been honoring Ollie's memory and stepping into the role of sponsor. It suits him, and he may be that for Jemma in the future.
If sobriety keeps her from stabbing herself in the chest with a stiletto than it's all the better.
I appreciated the little tidbits about the aftermath of his incident at that bar. We didn't get much follow up prior to this.
They also acknowledged the situation with Tuck and Ben. Ben has taken on the role of father, and it was starting to seem like they forgot Tuck had a father who was in his life.
It's odd that Tucker has just now realized that Tuck calls Ben dad and that his feelings are hurt. It has been a thing for years.
At this point, it's not fair to make him stop.
Over to you, Grey's Fanatics. What do you make of Owen's therapy session? Is DeLuca ready for Meredith's children? Hit the comments below with your thoughts.
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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.
