We are STILL reeling from that winter finale!
The series had one of the best finales, let alone episodes in years with Grey’s Anatomy Season 18 Episode 8, and there’s so much to discuss.
Join Joshua Johnson, Meaghan Frey, and Jasmin Pettie to discuss Owen’s fate, Kai and Amelia’s steamy kiss, and much more!
What would you grade that midseason finale?
Joshua: Buckle up, folks, I liked this one a lot, and there’s a lot to cover.
Easily, I’d give the midseason finale an A. It just felt like classic Grey’s! One of the best midseason finales we’ve gotten in a while.
Every plot felt compelling, everyone brought their A-games acting-wise, and the storytelling and pacing were all on point.
I don’t think it’s coincidental that it’s one of the first episodes in a while that everything took place in Seattle. It confirms my suspicions that, while it’s intriguing, the Minnesota plotline isn’t well-executed and is dragging down the show.
Meaghan: A! It definitely had all the feels of a classic Grey’s midseason finale. I agree that it gave a clear answer on whether or not the Minnesota storyline is working as is.
Having everyone in one place allowed for more even storytelling than we’ve gotten in recent weeks. It just makes sense for them to move it all back to Seattle and have Nick take a job at Grey Sloan if they want to make Nick and Mer endgame.
It is obvious that they were testing the waters on whether they need Ellen to continue the show, and it’s also clear they don’t, but they also can’t continue to have two separate shows to continue to explore that point.
Jasmin: I’d grade it an A! It was my favorite episode this season. It was action-packed, intense, the characters’ actions actually made sense, and Nick, who has become my most hated character, was absent! I also think it leaves the show in an interesting place with the presented cliffhangers.
Is Wright’s singular focus on Bailey over everything else raising some concern?
Joshua: I definitely got a little suspicious of Wright during this episode. His presence seemed innocuous at first, but something about him started to feel suspicious as the episode went on.
At first, it just seemed like he was advocating for himself and why he transferred to Grey Sloan, but then when he was actually operating with Bailey, something about it just seemed a little off.
It’s too early for me to posit anything. However, a couple of thoughts crossed my mind. I think Wright may start stalking Bailey (unlikely, considering that just happened to Ben on Station 19), that Wright is related to an old patient of Bailey’s, or that Bailey will have an affair with Wright (also doubtful).
All that said — Wright looked HOT in his turtleneck/blazer combo.
Meaghan: So help me, God, if they mess with Bailey and Ben, I will lose it!
I was all for Wright during Grey’s Anatomy Season 18 Episode 7, but I was also getting some major red flags from him during this episode.
It is one thing to want to be at Grey Sloan to learn from Bailey; it is another thing to be downright rude to a seasoned, well-respected surgeon like Richard to do so.
I’m hoping they are just trying to find the right tone for the character and will work out the kinks over the break. I also wonder if it will come into play with the next question, but I’ll talk about it more there.
Jasmin: It’s a bit concerning for sure. Maybe he just has a crush on her, or it’s more sinister than that. Only time will tell.
What is your reaction, and what do you think will be the fallout for Levi, Helm, and the Webber Method program after Devon’s death?
Joshua: I figured this would happen at some point. Schmitt’s sense of self–while deserved–started to feel too inflated. He was beginning to get a little bit too big for his britches.
I did not think that his downfall would be so catastrophic, but I loved the drama of it. Devon will definitely be Schmitt’s One™ that he’ll always remember, and it’s going to shake his confidence for a while.
I hope it doesn’t affect the Webber Method, though. If it does, everyone will blame Schmitt, and we’ve already seen that plot play out when he accidentally reported Meredith to Bailey for insurance fraud.
I loved how calm Helm was reporting what happened to Bailey. She didn’t try to cover up for Schmitt — even kept it as professional as possible (saying “Levi” and then correcting herself to “Dr. Schmitt”). To me, she was doing a service to him; it was her way of compartmentalizing what happened from her friendship with him.
I appreciated another very tiny moment when he called the time of death. Earlier, Helm talked about how Devon’s footsteps were almost like ASMR; when Schmitt turned to look at the clock and called the time of death, if you listen closely, you can hear his feet shuffling in the pool of blood on the floor. A tiny little moment, but a wonderful addition to the storytelling.
Meaghan: I’m pretty sure the Webber Method is dead and buried after this incident. Bailey’s reaction at the end said it all for me. She has already had her reservations regarding the method, and this horrible outcome was the final straw.
I almost feel like there will be legal implications for what happened, and that is how Wright is going to come into play. I think that he will throw everyone and their mother under the bus to save Bailey from getting dragged into it.
It was bound to happen to the residents because it has happened to every group of residents — they start to get too cocky, and a patient pays the price.
They executed the scene of Bailey, Maggie, and Richard coming into the OR to perfection. From the visuals of Helm and Schmitt just standing there in the blood, silent and not moving, to Helm’s dictation of what happened, to Schmitt calling time of death. Now THAT is a classic Grey’s Anatomy scene.
Jasmin: I’m not sure at this point. Maybe Levi will be suspended or put on probation? I think they’ll hit pause on the Webber Method, and I’ll be interested to see if Webber faces any consequences. I hope Helm doesn’t get in trouble because she did nothing wrong, in my opinion.
Has Kai’s presence at Grey Sloan and their kiss with Amelia changed your minds about this pairing? How do you think this love quadrangle will play out with those two, Link, and Jo?
Joshua: Can we just take a second to celebrate the fact that Amelia Shepherd is officially, canonically queer?
I don’t know why this makes me so happy, but it does. I actually teared up a bit when she and Kai finally kissed.
It was a good kiss, too. The height difference definitely played to their advantage. In this episode, E.R. Fightmaster was also more dynamic; I appreciated their acting much more than in the past. Perhaps it was the magic of being at Grey Sloan.
To be honest, I’ve no idea how this love quadrangle will play out. I truly do love Amelia and Link together, and I love Jo and Link’s friendship. I think that’s more beneficial for Jo than to be in a relationship with Link.
I know last week I said that I hated the idea of Jo pining for Link, but I started to change my mind this week thanks to Camilla Luddington. When Link was practicing his speech to Amelia with Jo, Jo’s inner monologue was beautiful to watch.
Camilla Luddington has grown so much as an actor–she’s become much more nuanced, her line deliveries are great, and she seems to have gotten an authentic grasp on Jo’s character, so getting the chance to see her play this out excites me.
Meaghan: That kiss was so steamy! Someone needed to shove them towards the nearest on-call room.
My heart broke for Link when he saw it happening, though. Finally, Link realizes that Amelia is enough for him, but it’s too late. I can’t see Amelink coming back from this, especially now that they are teasing a Jo and Link pairing.
It is really unfortunate because, for the whole first 90% of last season, Amelia and Link were carrying the show. Their downfall happened so quickly and abruptly that I barely had time to process it.
If this is the end for them, I do hope that Amelia and Link at least get a final scene of closure on that relationship and end on good terms for their family’s sake.
If Amelink is done, I’m willing to fully commit and Jo and Link. Jo is at her most tolerable when she is with Link, and they both deserve to be happy, so why not?
Jasmin: A bit, but I’m still not super invested. It was a nice kiss and a good scene, but I’m still not interested at this point.
I’d still like to see Amelia and Link end up together. I’m not sure how it will play out as everything seems to be up in the air this season.
Did you sympathize with Hamilton once he softened up? Do you think they’ll succeed with this medical breakthrough? Joshua: Hamilton softened up?
Jokes aside, I do sympathize with him. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be a surgeon and begin to lose your ability as a surgeon.
It makes me think of Grey’s Anatomy Season 3 when Meredith told a lucid Ellis that she had early-onset Alzheimers, and Ellis started to lose her shit.
That said, I appreciated what Meredith said to him about other people having Parkinson’s as well; for them to benefit from this potential breakthrough, they need to comply with FDA regulations, and Meredith of all people knows what happens when you mess around with a clinical trial.
I don’t want to predict what could happen with the breakthrough, but I see one of three things happening: either they succeed and Hamilton experiences a regression of symptoms, Hamilton dies in the process, or they split the difference like they did with Nicole Herman in Grey’s Anatomy Season 11 wherein they succeed but with some sort of detrimental side effect to Hamilton’s career as a surgeon as well.
Meaghan: Of course, I can feel for the man. He is on the verge of losing everything that makes him who he is. Despite feeling awful for him, he makes it extremely hard to root for him. It’s saying a lot given that Peter Gallagher is one of the most charming men on the planet.
I mean, you have to be either doing something very wrong or very right to make that man unlikable.
I keep getting the feeling this is Ellen’s last season regardless of if it is the show’s, so yes, I think they will succeed to give Mer one ultimate final accomplishment.
Jasmin: I do, but at the same time, I think he’s being unfair to Meredith. She’s doing exactly what he hired her to do for the reasons he hired her for, and now he’s mad at her for it. I hope they do, but I feel like it could go either way.
What did you make of Megan’s admission to Hayes about what will happen if she loses Farouk? Do you think Owen and Teddy were too dismissive?
Joshua: Y’all. Abigail Spencer acted her ass off this entire episode, but especially the scene where she admitted to Hayes that she wouldn’t survive if Farouk died. She sounded so desolate and low, and it helped sell the idea that Farouk is what helped Megan survive her time as a POW.
I don’t think that Owen and Teddy were too dismissive; I feel like Hayes didn’t do a great job selling what Megan said to him. I feel as if he’d come out and said, “Megan implied that she’ll kill herself if Farouk dies,” then they might have taken more notice, especially with everything they’ve done in their own therapeutic journeys.
Meaghan: I agree that he needed to be more explicit in spelling it out for them. Hayes knows exactly what Megan was implying, whether she blatantly said it or not, and had he said that versus giving them wiggle room to interpret what she said in a better light, then they would have gotten the picture.
I feel like the idea that Megan could have some real underlying PTSD, given that she was a POW for years, was never addressed when she returned home.
As Joshua said, it is clear now that she attached her will to survive to Farouk while she was a prisoner. The idea of losing him sheds light on what is going on beneath the surface.
Jasmin: I was shocked but not surprised. Megan’s been in a bad state for a while, and I think Farouk’s condition worsening was the final straw for her.
I’m glad she told someone and that Hayes is advocating for her with her loved ones.
She needs that, and Hayes is the kind of doctor that keeps pushing to get his patients and their families what they need. It’s one of the many reasons I love him as a character.
I think Teddy and Owen were being too dismissive, but I think it was because they were so worried about Farouk and because when you’ve seen someone survive the impossible, you think they can handle anything, but sometimes they can’t. Megan’s only human, and we all have our breaking points.
What’s your reaction to that literal cliffhanger? Do you think Owen will survive? Farouk will get his heart? Will Hayes follow through with Owen’s plan to give the other soldiers drugs?
Joshua: Oh man. When I watched the trailer for this episode, I assumed the crash would come at the very end, and we’d be left to wonder whether or not Farouk would live. I did not expect that we’d be left to wonder whether or not Farouk and Owen would live.
I was truly shocked, in a way that Grey’s hasn’t done for me in quite some time. I was lying down in bed watching the show and actually gasped as I sat up and clutched my pearls when the car fell down the cliff.
The only thing I can say with certainty is that I think Hayes will follow through with Owen’s plan to give the other soldiers drugs so that they can die.
And can we also take a second to recognize the character development in Owen? He wouldn’t even sign off as a second doctor in Grey’s Anatomy Season 7 so that a terminally ill patient could exercise her right to die. You know what that is? Growth.
He seems like the kind of person who recognizes that he could help someone with their suffering.
I feel like Farouk will probably live. As for Owen, that’s the one that I go back and forth on for a few reasons.
The cast feels kind of bloated lately, with too many different plot lines going on at once; plus, Kevin McKidd has been on the show for 13 years now. They’ve just given Owen a passion project to work on, but it’s also a project that takes him out of the hospital and away from surgery.
It would give Kim Raver great material for Teddy to lose Owen, but we’ve also already seen Teddy lose a husband right when her life was all happy and good. There are just too many variables in all directions to really predict whether or not Owen will live.
Meaghan: I audibly gasped when Owen went down in that car. I, too, have not been that shocked by Grey’s Anatomy — aside from the return of Patrick Dempsy as Derek last season — in a long time.
I almost wish that I hadn’t watched the preview for the next episode because it kind of made some of the shock wear off. It felt like a done deal that Owen was dead, but the preview for the next episode implies it is up in the air. I highly doubt he is.
I’m actually in the opposite camp when it comes to Hayes and the meds, and it’s actually part of the reason I think Owen will live. I believe now that Hayes has been burdened with that secret, he will have to decide whether or not to turn Owen in when he makes it through the accident.
Owen only told him about it thinking he would die. He didn’t think about any potential consequences of that confession if he were to live. Given Hayes’ feelings for Megan, I don’t think he will turn Owen in, but it’s for sure going to be a dilemma for him.
Jasmin: I was shocked! I’m not sure if Owen will survive, which makes it exciting! I guess that it’s going to be one or the other. Either Farouk lives, and Owen dies, or Farouk dies, and Owen lives.
I don’t know if Hayes will follow through with Owen’s request, but I’m interested in seeing how he navigates this storyline.
What was your favorite part of the finale? What do you look forward to most in the second half of the season?
Joshua: I honestly couldn’t choose a favorite part of the finale. Perhaps because the rest of the season has been a bit of a snoozefest, the episode as a whole was just so compelling.
I’m interested in seeing how Huntington’s story plays out (it couldn’t have more than 3 or 4 more episodes left, I feel) and what happens with Mer when it’s over. Immediately, I want to know if Owen lives or not.
Meaghan: My favorite part of the finale has to be a tie between Megan confessing to Hayes that she will kill herself if Farouk doesn’t make it and Schmitt and Helm in the OR after the botched surgery.
Both were such powerful scenes and done so well. They really reminded me why I fell in love with Grey’s in the first place.
As far as the back half of the season, I’m going to need them to move the research, Kai, and Nick to Seattle to stop this split show nonsense.
We already get fragmented storytelling too often because of Station 19 crossovers. We don’t need it happening within the world of Grey’s, too. I think if they do that, they could have a stellar rest of the season coming our way.
Jasmin: My favorite part was the scene in the Attending’s Lounge with Meredith and Hayes. Their chemistry was off the charts! And they finally addressed the beach. I loved it!
They had more chemistry in that scene than Meredith and Nick have had all season.
I’m excited to see more of Meredith and Hayes in the second half of the season, and I’m really interested in what’s going to happen with the Owen and Farouk storyline and the fallout from Levi and Helm’s surgery.
Over to you, Grey’s Fanatics! Do you agree with our round table?! Hit those comments and discuss.
Grey’s Anatomy returns in February on ABC.
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.