After passing their exams, most of the interns got lab coats with their names embroidered on them, but their happy moment was interrupted when they discovered a lab coat for the late Heather (Tina Majorino) — and Shane (Gaius Charles) didn’t seem to have one at all!
A Whole Lot Of Feelings
We already knew that Leah (Tessa Ferrer) and Arizona had that girls night of grilled cheese and dancing, but now it seemed like Leah was starting to really like Arizona. For Arizona, this was an weird situation and she didn’t really know what to think about it. After Alex let it slip that he slept with Leah a few times, and that she was a stage-five clinger, Arizona thought she had to get out fast.
Arizona told Leah that staying over was a mistake, and that their growing friendship was a mistake. The look on Leah’s face was pure heartbreak. Leah said she doesn’t open up to people much, and it meant a lot to her that Arizona noticed her. Needless to say, Arizona felt awful.
Owen (Kevin McKidd) still hadn’t told Cristina that he and Emma (Marguerite Moreau) were dating, so when Emma eventually met her, it was all sorts of awkward.
And Meredith was still angry at Cristina for her hurtful (but true) comments about being the better doctor. Meredith was now obsessed with finding a research project, and although Cristina wanted to help, Meredith wasn’t having it.
Meanwhile, Alex was avoiding Jo (Camilla Luddington), so she thought he was seeing something else, and he bluntly told her that what he was doing was none of her business. Ouch, Alex! I forgive him, though; he had a tough episode.
How To Save Lives: Research Edition
Meredith had two options for her research study: One was a study her mother was working on back in the day. Callie (Sara Ramirez) told her to go with her mother’s work, as it would be a picture-perfect story of a daughter completing her mother’s work. Now, that doesn’t sound like a bad idea, Mere!
However, Meredith wanted to go a different route; she doesn’t want to be compared to the legendary Ellis Grey, and that’s fair.
Derek (Patrick Dempsey) and Callie were also working on a research study, but they weren’t not as psyched about theirs. Callie wanted to be done with it, and Derek accused her of wanting to quit the research because it was a reminder of Arizona. She retaliated by saying Derek wanted to quit to spend more time with his family. The patient they were working on killed two girls in a drunk driving accident; if he died, he wanted Callie to donate his brain to science so he could save other lives.
At the end of the episode, Meredith and Derek talked about their future. Their current schedule wasn’t working, as Derek wanted to spend more time with the kids and his research. He’d had his big year and was ready to let Meredith have hers. He wanted to make this year count. Meredith, always the cynic, thought he would eventually resent her, but Derek reassured her that they would be alright.
A Broken-Hearted Man
Yes, Alex was seeing someone else, but it wasn’t a woman. He’d been hitting up the bar his father was playing at! His dad, Jimmy (James Remar), came up to the bar and said he knew Alex. (Oh yeah, he’s only your son) Jimmy still didn’t recognize Alex, which baffled me; the look on Alex’s face was one of complete agony.
Jimmy and Alex ended up playing a song together — who knew Alex could play the guitar and sing, by the way? — and Jimmy then proceeded to be the absolute worst. He pulled out a picture, which I thought would be a younger picture of Alex, but I was WRONG. Jimmy has another family! This was too much for Alex to take, so he punched him. And in that moment, Jimmy knew Alex was his son.
Later, Alex let out his frustrations about his father to Jo. He blamed her for the pain he was feeling and broke some glass. (Let’s just take some deep breaths, Alex.)
Meredith Vs. Cristina
After an epic confrontation in the last episode, Meredith and Cristina hadn’t been the same. Meredith had her say this week, that’s for sure! She told Cristina that she was always there when she needed her. Meredith said Cristina pushed her aside because she had baby Bailey. (Whoa!) She also added that Cristina pushed people aside when people did things that Cristina didn’t want in life (i.e. having a baby or Owen moving on).
I’m honestly not sure where Meredith and Cristina stand after this episode, but best friends go through rough patches, and I ultimately think they’ll always be each other’s “person.” Their relationship is so pivotal to the show’s core.
Other Notes Worth Mentioning:
1. There was this running theme of a red mug throughout the episode. I thought it was supposed to have some deep connection to one of the doctors, but the red mug just confused me and lost me after about 30 minutes.
2. Jo and Richard (James Pickens Jr.) had a nice moment, as Jo finally figured out what was going on with his shoulder. She started cheering and Richard said, “For the first time today, I feel like I’m in good hands.” Aw!
3. Arizona texted Leah at the end of the episode. Yeah, I’m shipping them.
4. What’s up with Shane?! Seriously, I need answers. He didn’t want to work with Derek and then he acted like a tool when he talked to Stephanie about their kiss.
HollywoodLifers, what did you think of tonight’s Grey’s Anatomy?
WATCH: New ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Promo
— Avery Thompson
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