ABC's Grey's Anatomy - Episode 15.15 "We Didn't Start the Fire"
When Jackson throws a party to celebrate Catherine's surgery and those who worked to save her, literally nothing goes as planned. Meanwhile, Helen pays Alex and Jo a surprise visit.
In 2018, there were 495 scripted shows airing amongst the linear channels and streaming services. The way people are consuming content now is so different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, there is less necessity to provide ample coverage of each specific episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site is making the move to shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of ABC's Grey's Anatomy.
"We Didn't Start the Fire" was written by Andy Reaser and directed by Chandra Wilson
With this episode, Grey's Anatomy officially surpasses ER as the longest-running primetime medical procedural. It's an incredible honor for this show. It also seems well poised to extend the record as well. The show is still a lucrative property. Ellen Pompeo has another year on her contract - which made her the highest paid actress in all of television. So, there will still be plenty of stories from Grey's Anatomy in the future. The show decides to honor this occasion by throwing a party for itself. Well, the party is actually in Catherine's honor for surviving her surgery. But it's also notable that there is no medical storyline at all here despite the record that the show is breaking. That's unexpected. It means that everything is focused on the drama happening amongst the characters. There is a ton of that happening as well. Some of them are very promising. There have been many stories of parental drama over the course of 15 seasons. And yet, it's still very surprising when Alex's mother and DeLuca's father show up. Of course, one is played as a cliffhanger and the other isn't. With Helen, Alex and Jo don't know what to make of her suddenly being in Seattle. Sure, the bit of miscommunication at the start of everything isn't all that great. The blame can mostly be placed on Helm for not communicating clearly with everyone involved. Jo is still there to save Helen though. But Alex is left in the dark whether his mother is still healthy and stable. She could be going through another manic episode. Their visit last season could have triggered something with her really wanting to be with them in Seattle. Or this could just be further proof that she is finally healthy. Alex can actually enjoy being around his mother again. The show plays with this uncertainty and doesn't give any clarity to the situation. Meanwhile, things are heating up between Meredith and DeLuca in some major ways. She understands that she needs to go public with this relationship because it has quickly become serious. She tells Alex who has the appropriate response as chief of the hospital in directing her to HR to fill out the paperwork. But the show still generates a lot of fun over who knows about this relationship and who doesn't. Richard walks in on them as they are making out in the guest room. Meanwhile, they push Carina and Amelia away instead of telling them the truth. They are too caught up in their own personal drama to fully embrace this new relationship. With Carina, that promises more uncertainty for DeLuca because he has such a tense dynamic with his dad and is surprised to suddenly see him outside his house. With Amelia, it's because she is once again going through the cycle of mourning the loss of her family and believing that she and Owen shouldn't be together. This episode confirms that Betty/Brittany is going back home with her parents. She will be cared for by them. But they are leaving Leo behind because they simply can't raise a baby and help their daughter stay sober. That's understandable. And yet, it shouldn't just ease over every single concern that Amelia has with this relationship. Owen is punched by Koracick for his actions here. Neither of these men may ultimately be all that great. As such, it should be up to Teddy and Amelia over what's the best thing for them to do to keep their sanity and personal happiness. That will probably be more difficult than Bailey buying herself a special blender and Catherine accepting this party as a celebration for herself.
