'Grey's Anatomy' Season 16 Episode 8 Review: Meredith Grey wins case but loses DeLuca on judgment day
The review contains spoilers for 'Grey's Anatomy' Season 16 Episode 8 — 'My Shot.'
Even if you forget your past, it remembers you. The past comes back in mysterious ways — at times it can haunt you and sometimes, it can save your life. For Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) it was the latter as she stood before the medical board for the impending decision on her medical license. Titled 'My Shot', the 350th episode of 'Grey's Anatomy' dived right into the big question of the hour, 'Will Meredith ever return to Grey Sloan?' and left viewers with good and bad news.
Most doctors were testifying Meredith's case and others simply came to lend their support. Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) was there too. The one who filed the complaint, she listed out everything that led to Meredith's insurance fraud. But, she was truly in a dilemma. She was at odds with her former protégé — battling it out with her friend, one who had stood by her through thick and thin.
Meanwhile, someone had to be there at Grey Sloan to take care of the situation so Jo stayed back with the interns. The fought to succeed in their respective cases. Schmitt was forced to admit how he thought it was a mistake when he saw the name Ellis Grey written on her ID bracelet.
Old memories resurfaced as the lawyers dug deep into the mishaps at the hospital by quizzing Owen Hunt, Alex Karev, and Richard Webber. From losing the custody of her adopted daughter to downplaying the death of a man with her fellow interns and cold-shouldering DeLuca following his fight with Alex, there was much evidence for Meredith to not be a doctor. But there was more evidence about why she should be one. At the hotel, Alex read a letter from Cristina that said, "She is the sun and she is unstoppable."
At the hearing, when Meredith's patience was tested, she lashed out at one of the judges, Dr. Paul Castello and blamed him for her late husband Derek's death. "Take my license but don't talk about my daughter", she said and reminded him how he ordered a CT or performed a basic surgery causing Derek to lose his life. Even as her lawyer stopped her from going close, she yelled at him and right after that, he had a seizure.
In the end, Alex welcomed a bunch of patients from all around the world to tell their stories of how Meredith saved their lives. As the emotional moment made everyone in the room teary-eyed, Bailey finally gathered courage and spoke up. "She broke the law to save a life. With all of that she has survived, it hasn't made her hard, cold, mean, it has made her better", she said and Meredith got back her license. Later, Bailey asked Meredith to join the hospital again saying: "You are a pain in my ass, but you’re a fine surgeon. And your name’s on the damn sign. And I need you."
Once Meredith got back home, she caught Jackson and Maggie avoiding a near-kiss after a deep conversation. "I hate the one I loved," Maggie declared. The bell rung again and it was DeLuca standing at her doorstep. He finally confronted her about her feelings for him and she didn't have much to say. "The look in your eye when you spoke about Derek today told me. It wasn't just love, it was respect." He wondered if she would ever have the same respect for him. "Take some time, Meredith. Figure out what you want," he told her, adding, "…and let me know if I’m a part of that."
It seems Mer and DeLuca are finally calling it quits and maybe it's for the good. "There’s a reason it’s a difficult decision. You just have to decide if it’s all worth it", she said. After all, life can only be understood backward; but it must be lived forwards. With one big win and a huge loss, Mer's future was decided on her judgment day. Directed by Debbie Allen and written by Meg Marinis, the hour-long episode was sprinkled with a dash of nostalgia and dollops of emotional sentiments. After all the drama, at least Meredith Grey is back to Grey Sloan — the hospital she owns and that bears her name. All's well that ends well, isn't it?