Grey’s Anatomy – At Last

By: Jamie Steinberg

“Infections have a nasty way of sneaking up on you. You’re feeling pretty good. You think the infection is gone and then it reappears. Once it gets into your blood stream, well, then you really have to watch it because that’s the kind of infection that can kill you.” – Meredith Grey

Owen (Kevin McKidd) has finally had enough of the lonely life and has sold the trailer. Derek’s trailer. He isn’t sure if he should have asked Meredith’s permission, but she assures him it’s fine. Well, we know that’s a lie. Since when is Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) ever fine? This episode we see Meredith finally reach her breaking point, showing us she is still healing from the loss of her husband.

After Owen sells the trailer, we find him mid surgery with Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) and Maggie (Kelly McCreary). When Amelia learns that the trailer is gone, Owen mentions wanting to buy a home and needing some help with decorations. He tries enlisting her help, which leads her to remarking that if it was her touch on the house then it would mean as though she were moving in. This leads to Maggie sticking her nose into the matter and suggesting it actually meant they would be moving in together. In the next breath, the discussion then jumped to marriage and children. Maggie is finding it hard to believe that they could casually discuss this and how easy it is for them to be discussing it this way.

Penny (Samantha Sloyen) has come to mend fences with Callie (Sara Ramirez). She understands that Callie is upset with her, but she is willing to delay her grant until they get a clearer idea on their relationship. Callie doesn’t want to discuss it.

Kyle (Wilmer Valderrama) has had his operation and isn’t doing too well. He’s nauseated and lying on the bathroom floor when Edwards (Jerrika Hinton) finds him. She offers to help him, but he’s also too hurt to want to hear it. She was his girlfriend and she broke his heart. He is not ready to be near her.

Callie heads over to Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) to see if she’s allowed to switch days and take Sophia that night. She’s had a rough day and is hoping that spending some time with their daughter will cheer her up. With an awkward, almost prideful, expression on her face Arizona agrees.

Outside of the hospital, a driver’s education car shows up. A boy is having trouble breathing and Meredith determines he has a severe case of strep throat just as the mother arrives. An argument between the student and teacher begins and the kid lets it slip that the mother has been dating him and that she has been looking for a way to breakup with him. Just then, the mother arrives and an even larger argument ensues.

Post surgery, Maggie chats up Riggs (Martin Henderson). To her surprise, he is wielding a box of bacon. The two seem to spend a little time flirting before Maggie steals a couple of pieces.

Kyle’s parents and sister arrive at the hospital. They’ve clearly been told all about Edwards and they aren’t happy when they find her in his room. They are quick to put up a fuss and get her out of the room.

Meanwhile, Webber (James Pickens, Jr.) is throwing a party at his home to welcome his wife (played by Debbie Allen) back to town. He is inviting his friends and lets Bailey (Chandra Wilson) and Warren (Jason George) know they are invited. The two are still made at one another, but both want to attend the party. When Warren asks what he can bring Richard says he wouldn’t be mad if he brought some artichoke dip, it turns out that was a Bailey dish and she’s willing to show up with it – when she goes!

Penny tries once more to mend her relationship with Callie. Callie still doesn’t want to talk. In fact, she’s still too hurt from the custody case. She isn’t interested in talking let alone being together. With that, she ends their relationship.

Kyle needs another operation in order to save his life. He needs to have the implant removed and this is a risky operation. Edwards comes to see him and the two finally have a heart to heart about their breakup. Kyle says he misses her, trying to convince her it isn’t in “that way.” She clearly misses him too and they actually seem to makeup.

When Meredith learns of Amelia and Owen’s faux future plans, she’s clearly rocked to her core. Her numbness turns to anger and that anger outlet is Alex (Justin Chambers). He shouts at her, “Just because you choose to be unhappy doesn’t mean everybody else has to!” His feelings of frustration seem to be exacerbated because earlier a patient’s parent noticed he wasn’t wearing a wedding ring and offered to set him up with one of her daughters. Alex’s clock is ticking and he’s tired of keeping that ring in his desk.

Callie heads back over to see Arizona and says she’d actually like to switch back to not having Sophia that night. Arizona has had enough of Callie’s control and speaks up. She has full custody of Sophia, thanks to being dragged into court, and she’s done doing favors for her exwife. “You’ve used up all my grace!” she states. Ouch.

The end of the episode leads us to an interesting place with our beloved doctors. Penny says a bittersweet goodbye to Meredith, her mentor. They truly came a long way this season with Meredith taking the woman who essentially murdered her husband under her wing.

Richard gets a moment of zen when his wife surprises him by showing up a day early. But the other doctors aren’t as lucky…Meredith has to jump into surgery to save the life of the kid with strep throat who turns out to have a flesh eating virus. Amelia operates on Kyle, but loses him on the table as Edwards watches on in the observatory. Alex finally confronts Jo (Camilla Luddington) about the ring he’s kept all this time at her request. He wants a future and he wants a future with her – now. He’s willing to wait for her, but he just wants a timeline of how long it will take before they can put the ring to use. Heartbreak strikes again when Jo says, “I’m sorry, but no.”

Perhaps in the most surprising moment of the episode (hard to believe, I know) we see Meredith sparring with Riggs outside the hospital. He’s pushing her buttons about the Owen and Amelia situation and she’s pissed. The surprising part? Their angry banter…turns to sex!

“You know that thing, that terrible thing you thought you had laid to rest? What if you haven’t? When do you know you have put something to bed? When is it finally safe to move on? Maybe you have to test the water.” – Meredith Gray