ABC
Seriously!? SERIOUSLY. The last 90 seconds of ‘The Center Won’t Hold’, (Episode two of Season 17, but the second half of the two-hour season opener) will shake you to the core. Be forewarned – spoilers!
But we can’t start at the end – not just yet – it’s shocking enough! Though, when you look at it – they do sort of start at the end – since Meredith starts there on that mystery beach at the top of the premiere. At any rate, all praises to the TV Gods who figured out a way for TeamGrey’s to get back on the air and do so safely.
The uncanny knack of social, real-time relevance is not lost on this show. Springing right into the middle of the Pandemic (and brutally so – so viewer discretion is advised as it could be very triggering for anyone experiencing the COVID-19 Global Pandemic) and they couldn’t be handling it better.
While Bailey is busy showing us all (through the vehicle of Richard returning to work after recovering from his Cobalt-poisoning episode at the end of last season) what exactly the hospital is doing to keep both its patients and its personnel safe, they don’t shy away from the problems and emotional reality and the toll that it’s taking on these doctors, nurses, and other essential individuals needed to keep the hospital operational so that they can continue to save lives.
Richard and Bailey still have their sassy little tête-à-têtes, which is a refreshing notion; some humor has to thrive in the face of the catastrophe that is the global pandemic. Richard is even putting his genius to work with that UV sterilizing robo-room-cleaner (which Bailey kept referring to as ‘her’ but we never did get a name!).
Speaking of never getting a name – boy oh boy does Amelia and Link’s baby boy have a name. Too many, really, but what did you expect? Lots of back and forth humor to be had between the two of them (and a fantastically socially accepting nod when Amelia said ‘we can try girls names, as we don’t know if he will identify as a male.’) which was again a relief. We even got some safe sexy time (Amelia & Link are quarantined home alone on maternity and paternity leave … they also have charge of the Grey-Shepherd children – and holy wowza Bailey is basically a teenager …), Amelia was so cute trying to make it up to Link for forgetting his birthday too. Oh yeah – and the baby’s name, to no one’s real surprise, is Scout Derek Shepherd Lincoln.
RE: Jo & Jackson. Like Jo said, ‘Let’s just forget it ever happened.’ This is the only part of the episode that made me want to throttle something. Seriously. Seriously!? You had literally MONTHS to weave together loose ends from the abruptly cut-short 16th season, which included the departure of season-long-hauler Dr. Alex Karev – and the best you could come up with is ‘Hey Jackson, I need a sexual favor to help me bridge the gap between my husband leaving me and being a single woman again.’ THAT WAS THE BEST YOU COULD DO!? SHAME ON YOU, WRITERS. Seriously. That came out of left field, missed the goal net by a mile and sunk so deep into the sand trap that we’re all just going to pretend it didn’t happen. Ever.
Good to see Ben, however briefly – and I LOVE the tribute of the first responders showing up at the shift change to clap their people through. THAT is beautiful. Good to see Carina, however briefly, trying to get Andrew help. Wasn’t quite sure what was meant when they told Richard that he wasn’t an attending/resident there anymore – since obviously he’s still working there … unless that was all in Meredith’s head? (Possible, given the ending.) But it was excellent the way they back-tracked on his sex-trafficking victim from last season. (They really did a tremendous job of tying up loose ends!)
The most impressive thing about this episode wasn’t the reality of having full body-suit PPE, or Richard finding a way to safely reuse PPE because of the shortage. It wasn’t even the cold harsh reality of those parents literally almost killing each other in the waiting area and then coming to each other’s aid when the one kid didn’t pull through (literally hitting home the message that even the smallest of parties could get you killed in this pandemic) but it was the frustrating emotional reality for all the doctors.
ABC
You see it when Koracick opens his $100,000 shipment of PPE only to discover that it’s all foot-booties. And he goes nuts on the shipment with his golf club. That horrifying rage of being helpless when it is literally your job to save lives – was so brutal and raw and palpable. We get it again when Meredith destroys the supply room (and there appears DeLuca – creating confusion … because he is getting help and is fine? Or because Meredith has lost so many patients in the COVID wing and is so sleep deprived that she’s gone delirious?). And we see it with Maggie and Catherine (not just their shouting match, which helps get Richard & Catherine on the road to mending their marriage – his line, though ‘every relationship I’ve been in has failed, except me and this hospital’) but with Maggie – having to have a sleep over through a closed door just to see Zola … and how they all have to stay quarantined from their families. THAT is the heart and reality of medical television drama during this pandemic.
Teddy and Owen apparently can’t make it up. Jo can’t make her way out of Teddy’s business (because clearly they now do not know what to do with Dr. Jo Kareve …) and Teddy failed to do what Jo said – tell him exactly what she told Jo. That she sabotaged her own happiness because she didn’t believe she could have it and it felt foreign. (Richard asking like he did – ‘Is it still Altman?’ and then to Bailey, ‘I came all the way back to work just to ask that question!’ Shenanigans!) But Richard and Catherine do make it up, with a little shove and hard push from Maggie and Jackson. (Can’t even comment on Maggie’s new fling boy since he lives on the other side of the country and all they’ve had is Facetime, but he seems like one of the good ones.)
Didn’t much face time (screen time? live time?) with Hayes this episode … until the end. And BAM that ending. Seeing Meredith unconscious on the parking lot was one thing. (Nobody thinks she’s actually going to die. I mean, how many times can she die on this show?) But when she opens her eyes on the beach – and you have that moment of ‘OMG this is where the episode started’ and you immediately think one of two things: Either they’re going the ‘Meredith’s gonna die (temporarily)’ route, or this whole Pandemic experience was a horrific nightmare …
FLAWLESSLY handled by the sound mixing team. Meredith on the beach – and you hear Hayes screaming her name. And then her name is screamed again – but it sounds different. And you think – is it DeLuca? Wait – no, it sounds like – and then they pan out and scope down the beach and you see this outline – and you HEAR the cry. ‘Meredith.’ And it is UNDENIABLY and unmistakably McDreamy. And not only is it the cry of McDreamy but they do – FINALLY do a close-up on him – waving down the beach to her.
SERIOUSLY!?!?!?!
ABC
Heart stop. Mic drop. Please don’t go to Derek, Meredith. Because that would surely mean actual death. (If it’s superimposed Derek – then they’ve gotten exponentially better from the last time they tried to float his moving image into a scene. If it’s actual Derek – holy hell!!!)
Guess we’ll see where this goes … when it goes? No idea if it’s back next week or if that’s all we get for a while. But WOW do they know how to kick it off!
What did you think of the season premiere? Start a conversation in the comments section below.
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