My only thought is that Krista is plotting the season finale to be her final 'farewell' (which it likely really will be) – but I don't disagree at all that this episode needed at least one big moment. Seriously, we just needed a great Bailey, Mer, Richard scene! I really do feel like they saw season 18 as her ending (that episode was FULL of flashbacks) and then this felt like... an after-thought, almost? It's a weird position to be in to have to wrap up her story but not WRAP up her story. The Nick thing is my biggest question mark. I don't really get the endgame there at all, and at this point I almost don't even want them together anymore? Their communication this season was a total 180 from how mature and thoughtful they were last year. It was so refreshing to see them talk things out.
That said, I actually really enjoyed the rest of the episode, especially the intern stuff. Simone and Lukas have great chemistry, and Mika has so much potential as a character, so I am interested to see where the show goes the rest of this season, and I'm definitely still on board. But... I'm going to have mighty high expectations for the season finale.
I also LOVED Winston finally calling Maggie on her shit. I feel like no one ever has properly, and he just absolutely pegged her. It feels like we're watching her turn into Ellis, and I almost wonder if the writers have the balls to turn her into that properly cold and ruthless mini-Ellis that they kind of hinted at her.
I also liked that they had a bunch of fun group dynamics (Amelia, Winston, Jo, Maggie working together) and that they're setting up more (Amelia VS Teddy for Chief). It feels like with Meredith gone, we may actually feel like the cast is more cohesive again. Time will tell, I guess.
It’s very clear that Ellen just came back this season as a favour to them to pass the torch, as you said. The second half of last season was so good - that was her actual exit storyline but it’s sad it amounted to nothing? I actually wish they had gone with Minnesota vs. the out of nowhere Zola thing, since they spent an entire year building to it and making a big deal out of it. And also it would’ve been way more powerful for Meredith to leave on her own accord for her own reasons (“I’ve earned the right to leave”) than a contrived reason they thought people would have less of an issue with.It just seems like they weren’t interested in telling story for her this season as much as trying to maneuver a way to have her exit without too much hubbub onscreen, and get to doing the show without her. As far as the Nick thing goes, maybe they just needed a thread to keep things a bit ~unfinished so they can have them reunite in the finale? It was
literally stupid though.
Anyways, Meredith leaving is the main reason I’m not going to be tuning in weekly anymore but not the only one. I don’t really love where the stories are going, tbh. The sad thing is, I actually like the new interns quite a bit, and I think Lucas and Simone have cute chemistry along with Jules and Blue. Mika is cute comic relief. But I literally think the other stories all sort of suck right now. These are just my opinions -
Maggie/Winston - I don’t even know what to say about these two, my care factor is so low with them. I don’t root for them. Maggie hasn’t had a really good storyline since her mom died which sucks cause she’s so deeply tied to the lore of the show. Even with them trying to develop Winston, I find him SO boring.
JoLink - I hate that Jo isn’t a surgeon anymore. I thought they were going to correct that but then they backed out. I also really dislike them as a pairing, sadly, and they’ve been treading water for two seasons now. Shit or get off the pot. They’ve also turned Link into such a caveman when he started the show as a sweet, sensitive character.
Schmitt - Nice to see him be a mentor/bossing the interns around but they fumbled the only gay male storyline they’ve ever done on the show and there’s no new love interest or romantic storylines for him in sight? Please.
Teddy/Owen - Have more than ran their course as characters. That’s all.
Bailey/Richard - Love them obviously but they’re window dressing, especially Richard. He should’ve retired years ago, it’s laughable really.
Amelia - The
only really, really good character left on the show and the one that gets all the best moments. She’s the main reason left to watch. But her love interest exists off screen, which is weird. And I’m always going to be mad at them for exploding Amelink for zero good reason.
This is where I am at too, and to top things off I was just completely uninvested with everything that was going on in the episode, so I think I'm done too. I may find myself binging at one point, but who knows.
Yeah, I can picture myself binging before Meredith is back, or during the summers after a full season has aired, or if not that then maybe doing a huge binge when the show finally decides to end. But weekly viewing? That chapter needs to close for me. Just on a personal level, I was 14 when this show started and I’m 31 now. It’s been my favourite thing on tv just as long. But it just feels like diminishing returns and disappointments now, there’s zero consideration towards loyal fans. It’s all about the Benjamins.
