Catherine is back in town and has no idea what's been going on between Jackson and Maggie, while her relationship with Richard has become distant. Owen and Amelia treat a woman who fell in the basement and quickly realize that there is more to the story. Maggie is shocked to learn about some of Richard's relatives who are seeking help.
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.
"Papa Don't Preach" was written by Jalysa Conway and directed by Daniel Willis
The drama has killed off many relatives of the main characters across sixteen seasons. This isn't even the first time someone connected to Maggie has died in order to bring an extreme reaction out of her. Plus, this story highlights how there are still family connections the show hasn't delved into after all these years. Maggie realizes there are relatives she hasn't even met because Richard has been estranged from his brother and sister for years. It could all be seen as a side effect of his drinking and ruining those relationships for good. However, the distance runs much deeper than that. Even before all of that, Richard made his wives carry the emotional burden of maintaining these relationships. He cares for his niece. Meanwhile, he believes he only makes mistakes when interacting with his siblings. As a result, he doesn't need to be part of a family with them. He has a perfectly happy and successful life in Seattle. Sure, it means his brother and niece don't know where to go when they need his expert medical opinion. That may also mean Maggie is forced to operate an environment set up to fail and compromise her surgery. She is so confident about her ability to remove this cancer slowly killing her cousin. In fact, it's staggering just how similar they are. That comes from Kelly McCreary's real-life sister playing the role. That bond is palpable immediately. It establishes a connection so that there is actually an earned emotional reaction when it all implodes later on. It could all feel random in order to force even more misery and suffering into Maggie's life. That may not be all that necessary right now. She starts the hour angry with Jackson for not telling his mother that they have broken up and he has started seeing someone new. She is still resentful about a lot in her life. She believes she can focus on the task at hand because she is the best surgeon for this procedure for a reason. She has earned that reputation and has the skills to save a life. She doesn't though. This season has largely treated the dysfunction at Pacific General as a joke. The building and staff are in disarray. Even with Alex and Richard running the place now, it still has systemic problems. They may have lured Owen over to run the emergency room. However, the skills and structure may simply not be up to par. Sometimes it takes tragedy to happen in order to point out just how dysfunctional and broken the system actually is. That's heartbreaking for Maggie. She thought that she was in control of everything. In one fell swoop though, everything changed and her new family will never be the same. That's a result of her action. As such, she too will be alienated because she will receive the reputation of having a superiority complex who looks down at those who didn't become doctors. That's not true at all. Sure, she may be cocky with her skills. However, this show presents that as an asset to all of its physicians. It's a natural part of the job because it's insane to think that a person can cut someone else open and fix all of their problems. Miracles happen every day because of science. Maggie just can't save a life here. That is tragic and gives this hour such a strong and meaty hook to it. Meanwhile, the conversation that Amelia and Owen have is necessary more than it is interesting. It is important that they argue about her starting a family with Link because his desire to have a child ruined their marriage. A lot has changed since they first had that conversation though. Everything that went on with Leo and Betty helped inform Amelia about what it is like to be a parent at this stage of her life. She no longer has to view it as defined by past tragedy. She can be hopeful once more. Her mind has changed. That should never be seen as a given though. People's choices have to be respected at all times. It's a huge decision that can change so much of one's life. No one understands that better than the person actually living through that experience. Amelia is ready to tackle it all while her patient with Owen is not. Both should be validated and respected as decisions.
