'Grey's Anatomy' Season 16 Episode 15 Review: Meredith's walkout and Jo's breakdown makes this a chaotic mess
Stormy nights have never boded well for the doctors of Grey-Sloane memorial. Well this time, it was a blizzard that somehow brought out the slush and dirt between couples and well, ex-couples. In the fifteenth episode of 'Grey's Anatomy', Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) is at her wit's end as she struggles to deal with Andrew DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti) who has suddenly taken a rather dark and twisted turn. Why? Perhaps to nudge her in the direction of McIrish, the handsome doctor named Hayes, sent by Meredith's 'person' Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh).
These kinds of episodes based on a natural calamity have normally been rigorously tense and evoke a lot of emotion. This one titled 'Snowblind', felt rather pale. It had its share of heartwarming moments as Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) finally took Joe home. That felt good, as Bailey has so much love in her heart to give. Dr Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr) makes a shocking decision to quit surgery altogether.
Teddy (Kim Raver) decides to go completely off character and cheat on Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) out of some strange sense of insecurity? And that too with ex-boyfriend Tom Koracick. Honestly, can there ever be a time where someone just stands at the door to say 'hi', rather than barging in to kiss them and slam the door shut? *Sigh* Why, why why?
Also why is Meredith Grey acting like a complete pushover to DeLuca? For the most part of the episode, he is snappy and yelling at her, even when she expresses some semblance of concern for his health. And it's only when he crosses the line of bringing up her mother's Alzheimer's disease, she finally walks out. Not enough. Remember those days when Meredith gave angry, and icy dialogues? Her 'Don't you call me a whore' speech to Derek, is just one instance.
Link (Chris Carmack) is still trying to figure out what's up with Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone), who still refuses to do the paternity test. Oh, these tangled and messy love lives!
The part that actually was hilarious in the episode, was when Levi Schmitt's patient ran amok and tried to play surgeon. Luckily, she was caught in time.
Oh, yeah Alex Karev's (Justin Chambers) disappearance is slowly being addressed. Jo (Camilla Luddington) realizes that he never went to visit his mother in Iowa, and she's sure he has decided to escape from her. Please, please don't do that to Karev? After fifteen years of character development, it's the worst way to send him off. He's coming back for a goodbye episode (thank the Lord for small mercies). Let's hope he gets the farewell he deserves. Jo's breakdown scene actually was a powerful one.
Her snappish restraint throughout the episode had finally snapped off, and she could not take it anymore.
The episode had its moments. But otherwise, it just felt rather messy and chaotic, like an actual snowstorm. There was not much time to feel involved in patients' stories either, except maybe for Tess Desmond. It tried to do too much.
'Grey's Anatomy' airs on ABC Thursdays at 9 pm.