Grey’s Anatomy Recap: [Spoiler] Is Fired — and as One Couple Breaks Up, Another One Hits the Sheets
Charlie Mason
Editor
The fit hit the shan in Thursday’s Grey’s Anatomy. But Meredith, Amelia and Teddy’s fears that Catherine was about to discover how they’d been spending Grey Sloan’s discretionary funds weren’t the only source of tension. Maggie’s return gave her and Winston a chance to play more scenes from a (defunct) marriage, and Lucas realized that he should have been listening to us all along as we screamed at the TV, “How on earth is this guy a doctor?” Read on, and we’ll dive into how all of the drama shook out — and reveal which surprising new couple hit the sheets.
‘WE’RE PUBLISHING AN ABSTRACT BASED ON OUR FINDINGS’ | As “I Carry Your Heart” began, Link was cooking to celebrate Jo’s last day as a general surgeon (not that they were in any hurry to eat), Owen was pushing Teddy to check the budget for his proposed teaching program (though she was quick to distract him with nookie), and Lucas and Simone were just plain getting it on. Meanwhile, Mika declined an offer to spend time alone with Helm, and Amelia was surprised to find Catherine in her office. “I think I’ve seen everything I needed to see,” she said ominously. Immediately, Amelia phoned Meredith to say that they had a problem. Gee, ya think?
A commercial break later, Amelia showed up on Meredith’s doorstep with all of their research on hard drives. On a call to Teddy, the sisters-in-law asked the chief to delay Catherine finding out where the hospital’s discretionary funds had gone for a few weeks… or at least four days. To pull off that miracle, Teddy recruited Blue and Jules to input Alzheimer’s data in code. When Meredith revealed that she didn’t plan to present her findings to Catherine but just publish her theory, Amelia balked: It would erase Derek’s research forevermore. “I’ve come too far to throw the towel in,” Mer said, confident that her late husband would feel the same way.
Shortly, Teddy revealed to Owen how she’d used the hospital’s petty change. In turn, he confessed that he’d gone to Catherine himself rather than pressure her to bankroll his project. What was she to do? “Better to come clean than get caught,” he recommended. That, she would do. When Mer told Nick that she might be busted and have to uproot them again, he gently hit the roof. She didn’t get that he really, really wanted to settle down and shack up with her, wedding band and all. Once Blue and Jules were done uploading their data, Mer and Amelia were ecstatic. It was extraordinarily promising. At that point, Amelia was ready to go ahead and publish; that could be how they honored Derek.
‘YOU ARE A SIGHT FOR SORE EYES’ | No sooner had Maggie walked out of the elevator at Grey Sloan than she was reunited with Richard and, awkwardly, Winston. Brady, the long-term patient that she’d come from Chicago to treat, needed a heart transplant, she regrettably informed him. Would he live even long enough to marry boyfriend Ian? It soon looked unlikely. The show wasn’t even half over when he wound up in critical condition.
Nearby, Winston and Monica informed young patient Mason that he’d be undergoing a heart-lung transplant — they’d secured both donor organs. Would Maggie scrub in? her soon-to-be ex asked. Why, yes, she would — even though Winston had yet to sign their divorce papers. Hey, would Mason’s heart work for Brady? No, Winston explained. Mason’s heart was adapted to pulmonary hypertension, so its recipient would have to also have that condition.
Nevertheless, Simone raced to tell Maggie that Mason’s heart might save Brady. Ian’s hopes rose sky-high, only for Maggie to determine that the heart wouldn’t work. Not so fast, Winston said. The couple was about to pull off another miracle. “We still got it,” Maggie marveled. “Brady’s getting a new heart.” (And Winston’s was clearly all aflutter.) Not only that, but Maggie was so impressed by Lucas that she offered him a position in cardio in Chicago with her.
‘WE CAN DEFEND YOU’ | When Teddy called Lucas and Bailey into her office, the chief revealed that Sam’s family had decided to settle their lawsuit and that it was being recommended that he repeat his intern year of surgical training. “Your judgment is in question, not your skills,” Teddy clarified. Not that that left Adams any less pouty-pants. Simone blamed herself for the situation that he was in, but he didn’t want her or any of the interns trying to ride to the rescue.
Meanwhile, Richard reported to Bailey that Dorian could move to soft foods. (One step closer to that cheeseburger!) Link and Jo clashed over a case on which he wanted to act, she wanted to wait and see — all with Mika as a reluctant witness. Blue inferred from Jules’ reaction to his dating app that she was jealous. All she’d admit to, though, was a little crush… which led to sex. (Finally!) But they both reinforced that it was just sex, not a budding relationship.
‘IT’S WHAT WE DO… WHAT WE DID’ | As the hour drew to a close, Winston pulled away from a near kiss with Maggie. “I think it’s time for us to let go,” he said, proffering the signed divorce papers. “Goodbye, Maggie Pierce.” In the locker room, Lucas disclosed to Simone that Maggie had offered him a better job in the Windy City. “I’m considering it,” he added. Bailey and Richard pondered how many of the interns had passed that big exam (the results of which were about to come in). Dang it, Mika broke up with Helm. Yasuda felt that she had to choose between her girlfriend and work, and she was choosing work.
Teddy’s confession to Catherine went over extremely well… up to a point. Catherine was clearly about to lower some boom or other. Link and Jo kissed and made up. Winston and Monica were looking awfully chummy over beers at Joe’s. “I just got divorced, too!” she laughed. In no time, they were stripping down and getting over their exes on top of one another. Finally, Meredith told Nick that she didn’t know if she could marry him. But she could promise to love him forever. “The issue is that I put work before you… but just right now. That’s not forever. If you support me, I can do this. Are you in?” They were interrupted by Mer’s phone ringing before he could answer. What was so important? Teddy called to say that Catherine had fired her.
So, your thoughts on Winston and Monica’s hook-up? Teddy’s firing? Lucas’ possible move? Hit the comments.
I like the interns and think that they have fit into the show just fine, but having Meredith in a bigger percentage of the episodes this season than last season just highlights the fact that it feels like a different show when she’s not there at all.
If next season turns out to be the last one, I hope she decides to be in at least half the episodes, maybe even a few more.
If I were them given that ABC and broadcast as a whole is in peril and budget cuts are getting deeper and deeper, I’d go all in on season 21 and end it. Grey’s performs great on streaming worldwide, having a great final season would mean the show could play well for years to come. Pay Pompeo to do at least half the episodes. Get whoever you can back – we know they can get Jackson, April, Arizona, Addison and even Derek for a dream sequence. Make Ben a doctor again. Then the series would end exactly 20 years after it started.
The Winston/Monica hookup is so stupid. They spent all season laying groundwork for her and Amelia. No interest in seeing that as a love triangle either after Winston and Amelia finally made peace. I hope Lucas goes to Chicago, good riddance! Nick needs to cut his losses and run. Meredith treats him like a dog and every time he tries to stand up for himself she tries to manipulate him into accepting it. Excited to see how the Alzheimer’s plot plays out next week. Seems like we’re gonna get a lot of possible exit cliffhangers from some of these storylines.
Meredith isn’t treating Nick any different than Derek treated her. She finally stood up for herself when Cristina made her see she was “the sun”. He needs to grow a pair and either decide to stay knowing he’s going to play second fiddle to her job, or let go and move on.
Isn’t it a sad statement on Meredith’s character that she’s mistreating someone the same way she felt she was mistreated fifteen years earlier?
When they were at the bar I was hoping that they’d just bond as two people going through a difficult time and needing someone to unburden themselves with. But then of course they had to sleep together.
Don’t get me wrong, I know the show, but it would be good to have a genuine friendship dynamic between some characters. Kind of like how Arizona and Richard used to be, although there are numerous obvious reasons that wasn’t romantic.
I never liked Teddy so full of herself thinks she’s better than everyone she makes Izzie Leah Penny and even Amelia look like half decent people. But if the premiere is any indication she will bounce back and return to pester the team and rub her overratedness in their faces again.
Unfortunately, one thing we can be absolutely sure of is that Teddy’s firing is only temporary.
Nothing short of kryptonite will stop her.
Loved tonight’s episode ..what was the song playing about 59 minutes in ? I really want to hear the whole song.
Check out tunefind – appears to be There Are Lines by Alex Lambert. https://www.tunefind.com/show/greys-anatomy/season-20/252701
Meredith should write about being selfish and ungrateful. She want Nick to be a doormat not a partner. Amelia wanted to do good but keep her brother legacy but Meredith is just about herself only and seriously uprooting her kids again
Yes, thank you! Can’t stand Meredith’s character anymore. She really adds nothing to the show anymore, but Scott Speedman can stick around!
So stop medical progress and allow people to suffer with Alzheimer’s so Derek’s legacy isn’t forgotten. Yet somehow Meredith is being selfish in possibly finding a cure that may effect her and their children? Seriously, Amelia needs to stop.
Amelia needed time to process it. At the end of the episode, she agreed to publish, (These writers have no idea how actual medical research and publication works.)
Meredith pays lip service to Derek but it feels like Amelia cared more for him than Meredith does.
The writers missed a huge opportunity in the Nick/Meredith convo. She said I will love you for as long as I remember, which was huge.
She should have told him how important the research is and why. How she watched her mom, one of the most brilliant surgeon ever, die from the disease and how she does not want the same for HER kids. It is like the writers do not know the history of the show, which is why is the show is only a shell of what it was a decade ago. I will still probably watch until it is cancelled, but the writing is frustrating as hell.
Please give us the gift and pleasure of Shonda Rhimes writing for the last season whenever it is.
Why the insistence on keeping Meredith? the show may have her name but it never depended on a solo lead or her character is the only popular. with the budge cuts they really should rethink their choices. all of the new fans or streaming are interested in all different representation and other old characters. why not mix that introduce new characters and bring fan favorite every season for a couple of episodes like Arizona, Avery and Addison.
Scott Speedman should be better utilized on this show!!! I really like him, but Meredith just drags him down. They should have kept him in Seattle. He deserves to be more than Meredith’s punching bag on the show.
The person who should be fired is whoever dresses Meredith in that awful dull camel color. They should break those ugly glasses they had her in. I know her character wouldn’t care about clothes but surely she wouldn’t look that bad on her own.
Honestly I don’t really care about Meredith that much anymore. I’m more interested in the interns and what his happening in Seattle. Winston needs to be written out. He’s dull and unnecessary without Maggie.
I’m confused. Did Catherine fire Teddy from the Chief position or from Grey-Sloan altogether? Also, firing her was unfair IMO, since use of discretionary funds is responsibility of the Chief and last thing I heard she is to report it at the end of the month or year as a part of a report, but not in the moment. I think Catherine made this decision of firing Teddy letting her ego take control and not her judgement, it was quite impulsive. And she is going to deeply regret it when Meredith and Amelia publish their investigation and it turns out to be groundbreaking (I hope that the code that Jules wrote is correct!) I actually don’t like the character at all, being totally honest. And Lucas should go to Chicago and shine in Cardio, and not see him whimpering around in Grey Sloan any more just frolicking with Pierce and being actually quite irrelevant.
** frolicking with Griffith (oops)
I don’t think Catherine fox has the right to fire anyone she is a nobody and she has a lot of skeletons in her closet bring teddy back
It took 9 episodes for this season to be good.
The patient stories were really good. Most of the plot were link together. (except Jo’s, been the same for 3 years now, what happened behind the scene?!).
It was more intense, darker, funnier (Yasuda : open open open) and I like that Winston and the new doc had sex. The show needs the storylines to connect together even in superficial ways or all the characters feels like in a different spinoffs now that Meredith is not front and center anymore.
And for once I wasn’t spoil about a character come back and it was a great episode for Maggie !!! I love her deeply, I feel she gives a lot of heart to the show. Her last year, the plot around her were lazy and annoying but she was awesome for most of the time. So I was so happy when I saw her and her plot was really satisfying!
Plus some real Meredith drama, what else to ask for a great Grey’s Anatomy recipe!!!!
They managed to bring some energy with the new interns but the tropes of this show long ago become old and tired. The ridiculousness that surgeons are the only doctors who matter (the characters badly need a competent psychiatrist/psychologist), the idiocy that everyone has to create the new! brilliant! solution! or they are failures, and the ignorance of the writers about what research takes and the rules for publication … just put it out of its misery now.