Critic’s Rating: 3 / 5.0
3
I hate to say it, but Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 Episode 5 did not, in fact, make my heart explode.
There was nothing inherently wrong with the episode, and it works fine as filler content for a show that just won’t stop.
Despite the potential for massive shakeups, which were hinted at in the promo, the hour was just sort of lackluster.
Yearning for the Grey’s Anatomy of Yesteryear
You can call me a lot of things, but a Grey’s Anatomy hater is not one of them.
That isn’t going to stop me from calling out wasted potential when I see it, though.
Let me put it this way: if this were, say, 2010, this episode would have gone very, very differently.
Interns politely asking permission to bend rules and treat underinsured patients? Forget it.
In the old days, the interns would have just taken matters into their own hands, gone rogue, and figured out a way to get their patient treated.
Do I need to remind you about the time Meredith completed actual insurance fraud and went to jail because she couldn’t bear to turn a patient away?
If this was Grey’s Anatomy Season 8, the Monica/Amelia scene in the vestibule would have ended with a steamy kiss, with Amelia saying something along the lines of, “Well, I had to do something to get you to stop freaking out.”
To be fair, it goes both ways.
Back in my day, Jo’s ultrasound (which she attended alone after kicking Link out of the room) would have taken a dark turn which would have been revealed with a breakdown in the hospital parking lot.
I’m glad the JoLink twins are okay, truly — I’ll never be able to bring myself to enjoy drama centered around pregnancy.
But in general, there were a lot of setups for potentially groundbreaking reveals that just kind of … fizzled out.
Wasted Potential in Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 Episode 5
Take the Levi/James angst, for instance.
There was a lot going on throughout the episode, obviously, but at points at the beginning, middle, and end, Levi was ruminating on the scandal of finding James’s wedding album.
If you remember from Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 Episode 4, that’s actually all that happened.
James and Levi slept together, and then Levi found an album of wedding photos in a drawer, starring Grey Sloan’s new chaplain himself.
He assumed the worst, obviously, and honestly, so did I!
This is Grey’s Anatomy, after all. At this point, we could just change the name of Murphy’s Law to Grey’s Law.
But after all the drama and buildup, it turns out that James is just a widower who is ready to move on.
Boring.
Teddy and Owen have spent the last couple of episodes bickering and struggling with marital problems, only to end the hour with a little chuckle and a quip about how “we’ll be fine; we always are.”
Boring 2, Electric Boogaloo.
Amelia walked in on Winston “returning” a nightie to Monica (which wasn’t even hers, awkwardly enough, so Winston’s certainly keeping a full calendar).
Remember when Amelia asked Monica out and she said she just wasn’t ready for anything because of her divorce? We could have gotten a jealous, angsty argument about that, but instead, Amelia was mature and adult about it.
BORING.
There were a few tense scenes, including the helicopter ride back to Seattle as Levi and Lucas transported an injured pediatric patient.
Heavy turbulence and terrible weather made it a bumpy ride, which didn’t make things easy for two doctors who were trying to prevent a child from bleeding out.
But there was no crash. Just a nice, safe, emergency landing and a smooth ambulance ride back to the hospital.
Fine, I’m not going to say it again. But you know I’m right.
Blurred Lines Between Fiction and Reality
A decidedly not boring element of the episode came in the form of a patient named Mr. Johnson, who also happened to be a custodial worker at the hospital.
Unfortunately, his story wasn’t boring because it was far too close to reality.
The guy works in a hospital and still can’t afford the medical care he needs because of the nightmare that is privatized insurance.
While the case did inspire Blue to register to vote, it was a grim reminder that the American healthcare system is broken and people are crushed under it every day.
There’s nothing boring about that, but it’s not exactly a fun thought, either.
One moment got my attention enough that I sat up and audibly gasped: Teddy and Owen were in the middle of treating a patient when his chest exploded, spraying blood everywhere.
He was fine (no amount of explaining is going to make me understand exactly how he was fine, so I’m sorry to the medical consultants on the show).
Dare I say it? Boring.
Bits and Bobs
Simone and Lucas are giving me butterflies. They’re just so cute.
Ben realizing Winston needed a friend was so sweet. I loved seeing him playfully tell Bailey she wasn’t invited to go with them (after she declined the non-invitation).
Jo mentioned that DeLuca didn’t see any concerns on her ultrasound. So … not only are the babies okay, but we know DeLuca is at the hospital! Maybe we’ll get a glimpse of Carina soon?
Even though I knew they’d be writing Levi out soon, I’m going to be heartbroken if they send that poor boy to Texas. Stop sending characters I love to Texas, ABC. (Looking at you, 9-1-1.)
We finally got clarity on where Ben is in his residency! He’s coming back in as a fourth year, so he does have some seniority over the interns.
Amelia may not have felt entitled to an explanation, but Monica sure wanted her to know that her fling with Winston was meaningless. I’m so invested in this ship.
All in all, it was a fine filler, but I do hope to see more action as the season progresses.
What were your thoughts on the episode? Let’s chat in the comments.
There’s a short hiatus, but the next installment will air on November 7. Sophia Bush will make her first appearance on the show, so don’t miss it!
Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 10/9c on ABC.
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