Reviewer Rating: 4/5.0
4
The episode title says it all, because as you can see from my Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 Episode 4 review, this episode is really for the girls.
Unfortunately, this hour was filled with heartbreak, but we saw this coming.
There’s been little lightheartedness since the episode centered around Micah’s sister’s diagnosis, but we did enjoy a highlight or two.
Ben Warren, intern? resident?
Warren was officially back in his work clothes, and his first shift went terribly.
This is to be expected. The first day was tough and he had been out for a long time.
I had a hard time figuring out where exactly he was at the station, though.
He was placed in the MAGYK intern class, but he had already completed one year of internship before joining Station 19. Shouldn’t there be about a year?
He’s probably on some sort of refresher course, but that’s pretty confusing, especially since he seems completely outclassed by doctors who have far less experience than he does.
However, if it takes him a while to adjust to his new surroundings, that’s okay.
Until recently, he had encountered burning buildings, so if nothing else, he had to get used to constantly breathing fresh air on the job.
When Ben returns to residency, the biggest issues he faces are not his knowledge, his age, or how long he has been gone.
Bailey may not have directly impacted his first shift, but she still crossed the line, causing problems for others in the process.
I gotta tell you – this next part is hard to write because the last thing I want to do is criticize Miranda Bailey.
Miranda Bailey and her abuse of power
She had the best of intentions and wanted to make sure Ben would settle down, but Bailey’s attempts to spy on her husband failed.
It’s not just that she (unofficially) assigns Griffith to spy on Ben without worrying if Simone already has patients to care for.
Bailey has a history of using her power and influence to get interns and junior residents to do things for her, even if it harms their education.
I can think of a few examples without digging too deep.
During Grey’s Anatomy Season 2 Episode 20, Bailey asked Cristina to take care of baby Tucker at the hospital so she wouldn’t miss surgery after she was having trouble taking care of her baby.
When she became concerned that the clinic’s interns were not being run well, she asked Meredith to supervise them, to the detriment of Callie (then the chief resident).
To prove a point while treating a racist patient, Bailey canceled one of Cristina’s important surgeries, prompting a tense conversation about how it made Cristina feel.
The history surrounding the latest episode is hard to ignore.
When Griffith’s patient deteriorates, in part because she is not there to monitor him, Ndugu reads the Riot Act to her.
It’s not lost on me that Bailey stood up for Griffith and explained the situation to Ndugu; I’m glad she did that.
But I do wish Bailey would have gotten more out of the situation than just what Winston said to her, with the focus being on leaving Warren alone.
She needs to hear this too, but the bigger lesson here is that she needs to stop taking advantage of her subordinates for personal reasons at the expense of their own careers.
Micah deals with family tragedy on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 21 Episode 4
call. Okay, now that I feel sick to my stomach from acknowledging Bailey as a flawed character, we can move on.
The most pressing storyline right now involves Mika and her sister, who was recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.
Naturally, Mika does what any sister who is also a doctor would do, she digs deep to find out what exactly it is and how she can save Chloe.
Notably, this week’s focus is on preserving Chloe’s fertility before she begins treatment for cancer.
We’ve seen this happen before, when Izzy and Alex created embryos during her cancer treatment, but this time there wasn’t time for the lengthy IVF process.
(There was no time either, but we will leave that aside as it happened a hundred years ago.)
I don’t know if the science currently exists to allow relocating the ovaries in the body during radiation therapy to preserve fertility, but it is an incredible concept.
Mika’s commitment to ensuring that Chloe has options in her future is heartwarming and proves that she doesn’t just want to save her sister’s life; She wanted to make sure she could live the life she wanted.
I really enjoyed Weber’s role in this episode because he was more than just Chloe’s surgeon.
He supported Mika emotionally and professionally and reminded us of the passionate, inspiring teacher and mentor he had always been.
While he’s desperate to retire, he still has a lot to offer.
The show wouldn’t be the same without him, so I’m really excited to see him take more of a mentor role to the younger surgeons, helping them find their niche.
love is in the air
There is some progress in love this week.
First, James and Levy find themselves tangled in bed after a painfully nerdy Star Wars debate.
Their chemistry is off the charts, and Jake Borrelli’s imminent departure means that for the second time this season, I have to watch a strange ship sink.
If the wedding album Levy discovered is anything to go by, James’ secret may contribute to that.
Throughout the hour, Mika was preoccupied with her sister, being more observant about Jules than necessary.
But that certainly didn’t stop Jules from doing whatever he could to show up for Micah and Chloe.
The heartbreak was clearly on display in both of their eyes, but the feelings between them were untouched.
Even better news (maybe) is that Joe and Link finally got to see what’s going on inside Joe’s womb.
surprise! It’s twins!
(Just kidding; I have a feeling it. Remember what I said after Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 Episode 1 about the pregnancy storyline being complicated?)
Teddy and Owen admitted that there was some distance in their marriage, which may have fueled the theories that circulated earlier this season about Owen’s relationship with his old friend.
Giving us a taste of classic Grey’s, Simone and Lucas shared a sweet moment and a kiss in the stairwell.
Some random thoughts about Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 Episode 4
- I can’t believe they did a necrotizing fasciitis storyline a week after Sydney Herron left the building. So rude.
- It’s so satisfying to watch Teddy explain the realities of being a woman, and the pressure to be perfect in front of Owen. He can take his judgment elsewhere.
- Katherine’s biopsy came back negative, which the episode only mentions in passing. That’s weird, right?
- I love how they talk about how broke the residents are and then explain that someone left Paris for two weeks. check out.
All in all, it was a good (if heartbreaking) episode.
I guess as Chloe’s story progresses we’ll learn more about how Micah’s exit will play out, and so will Levi as he learns more about James.
If you have theories on how to write them, I’d like to hear them!
Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 10/9c on ABC.
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