Critic’s Rating: 4 / 5.0
4
Oh, it was another deliciously messy and yet heartfelt Grey’s Anatomy installment.
Tension of all varieties was running high on Grey’s Anatomy Season 22 Episode 3, and you could cut most of it with a scalpel, as conflicts emerged and complicated feelings seemed to prevail.
But it was the humor and heart worked into the hour that often stole the show.
Winston is Such a Mixed Bag
(Disney/Anne Marie Fox)
It’s weird because Winston is one of those characters whom I always wondered why he stuck around as long as he did. He’s a good surgeon, hell, a great one, but for most of his tenure, it never felt like the series knew what to do with him beyond his ties to Maggie.
And sometimes, we get glimpses of that even now, especially when he has such an inconsistent personality that can make him sympathetic and admirable one minute and irritating the next.
The hour delivered both here. He and Nick were clashing like titans over this lung transplant case involving a family, and it had Nick coming across as too much of a risk-taker and rash, while Winston seemed like the overly critical person who maybe didn’t voice his opinions at the right time.
Winston’s concerns were valid, and the family deserved a full picture of what the risks were regarding the two fathers donating part of the lung lobes for their son. But I could also understand Nick’s frustrations because it felt like Winston was more loudly negative and doom-talking than being constructive.
But he’s also great at what he does, so it wasn’t too much of a surprise when he emerged as the hero in the OR with his innovative, quick thinking.
Winston Still Struggles with Development — But Jules Helps
(Disney/Anne Marie Fox)
Interestingly, some of the issues with Winston are that he’s only ever really interesting as a character when he’s attached to someone else. There are brief moments when his and Amelia’s tense interactions are compelling.
But now, the series is leaning heavily into this Winston/Jules situation. It’s through Jules and how she perceives him that we actually get to understand his character — her pep-talk was absolutely stellar, and the tension between them was thick.
However, sometimes it’s irksome that Winston requires another character, and especially a romantic element, in order to get any real development, focus, or prominence as a character.
Nevertheless, for those who are fully on board with the bizarre but sometimes interesting, rather forbidden type of relationship that’s budding between Jules and Winston, the hour delivered on that again, and it’s clear that both are having a hard time fighting these growing feelings between them.
What are the odds that Jules will even be able to go through with that throwback Meredith/Cristina “no-sex” pack that she made with Simone? They aren’t favorable if you ask me.
The case was interesting enough because it was definitely one that could have easily went sideways and had the child or almost everyone dead. Grey’s loves to put us through emotional hell.
And they leave us on guard, too, because I initially thought the fathers didn’t actually want to do the surgery, and then the one having an infection seemed like something he was withholding on purpose.
Lucas May Be Key to Saving Katie
(Disney/Anne Marie Fox)
But instead, the real heartbreak came with Bailey and her patient, Katie. The second we knew they were opening her up, I suspected that they’d find more tumors.
It was a heartbreaking development, and the fact that this young woman with so much life ahead of her and a genuine desire to help people is battling terminal cancer made me tear up.
But so did Lucas’ optimistic “As long as you’re still here, nothing is over.” His compassion, empathy, and ability to connect with people have always made him one of the brightest of the bunch. He commits to patients so much, I often fear he’ll burn out.
And based on his facial expression, he’ll likely go down a rabbit hole trying to find some way to save Katie. If anyone can find a solution, he can.
(Disney/Anne Marie Fox)
It’s one of the subtle things worth appreciating about the character, and how his own neurodivergence via his ADHD can sometimes be an asset rather than a detriment.
Is the show deliberate with that? Maybe not. But that’s the perception it gives off.
Lucas can also be a phenomenal mentor if only he learns how to set his personal feelings aside. It was one thing to be a dick to Wes outside of the OR, and there were some amusing aspects of that. Sometimes, you just have to be petty!
I’m Already Over the Lucas/Simone/Wes Love Triangle
But when it spilled into his ability to actually teach Wes and it impacted patient care, that’s when Lucas was doing the absolute most and going too far. It was unprofessional and immature, and he’s so much better than that.
Thankfully, he realized that by the end. Now, whether or not he and Wes will still have to work through some things is another story.
(Disney/Anne Marie Fox)
But this whole situation is genuinely irritating. Two decent doctors should not be nearly fumbling their profession over a woman. Seriously!
Lucas barely got back on track, and he practically risked all of the progress he made because he was in his feelings about Simone.
As someone who used to ship the pairing, the whole situation with them is exhausting at this point, and it needs to be iced for a while so we can all move on.
No one emerges from the messiness that is their relationship, riddled with poor communication and too much emotional baggage, looking particularly great.
Grey’s Does NOT Know What to Do With Kwan
(Disney/Anne Marie Fox)
And Kwan sure as hell wasn’t looking great! It almost felt like they randomly regressed his character to the arrogant jerk that he used to be, and it was so off-putting!
If there’s one character the series doesn’t seem to know what to do with, it’s Kwan, and it’s so disappointing because Harry Shum Jr. is amazing.
Kwan totally flubbed his first impression with his Plastics fellow (When did he even start showing interest in Plastics anyway?) and just came across like a sexist who kept digging a hole for himself.
Between Kwan treating her like crap, assuming she was HIS subordinate, and undermining her, and the patient deferring to Kwan over her, that poor woman had the worst first day ever and missed a date, too. I would be livid!
Teddy didn’t come across the best either, but that likely depends on how one feels about the whole Teddy and Cass situation. Sophia Bush’s return was underwhelming because she didn’t have much to do outside of that awkward elevator moment at the top of the hour, and the makeout session at the end.
Are You Aboard the Teddy/Cass Train?
(Disney/Anne Marie Fox)
Cass just feels so one-dimensional as a character that it’s hard to invest in her, let alone her romance with Teddy.
But Teddy just seems like she’s all over the place right now, and falling into bed with anyone is probably the last thing she even needs.
We learned that she and Owen are getting a divorce, and I say, thank goodness —they’ve been an exhausting, toxic couple for a while now. But it never feels over between them, so we’re probably going down another messy storyline where Teddy fools around with Cass and then finds her way back to Owen.
Was anyone else confused about why SHE’S the one staying in a hotel, and he’s with the kids? Ugh.
But as bland as the whole Teddy/Owen/Cass/Norah situation is, Jo and Teddy spending the day together picking out a SUV was an entertaining and fun sideplot.
Teddy and Jo are a Great Dynamic
(Disney/Anne Marie Fox)
Jo is genuinely happy — in the best part of her life these days, and when she’s not “Woe is Jo,” she can actually be endearing. She was also such a good friend to Teddy and gave her great advice about divorce, how it feels, and that beautiful reminder that Teddy’s kids deserve the best version of her.
You can’t take care of others until you properly take care of yourself, and sometimes women, and moms, especially, need that reminder.
Teddy was also great with striking deals with the car salesman because goodness, Jo would have been an easy mark for them!
Jo and Teddy are such a fun dynamic — and Grey’s always thrives because of how well they take advantage of the vast cast and different interactions.
Ben and Webber celebrating their Chiefdom and having a great first day, dancing and being happy, was amusing and fun, too!
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