Critic’s Rating: 4 / 5.0
4
The episode title said it all, because as you’ll see from my Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 Episode 4 review, this one really was for the girls.
Unfortunately, the hour was packed with heartbreak, but we saw that coming.
There was very little levity since the episode centered around Mika’s sister’s diagnosis, but we did get to enjoy one or two bright spots.
Ben Warren, the Intern? Resident?
Warren is officially back in his scrubs, and his first shift went pretty horribly.
It was to be expected; first days are hard and he’s been out of the game for a long time.
I’m having a hard time figuring out exactly where he is in his residency, though.
He’s been grouped in with the M.A.G.Y.K. class of interns, but shouldn’t he have a year or so on them since he’d already completed his intern year before joining Station 19?
It’s possible that he’s being put through something of a refresher course, but it’s pretty confusing, especially since he seems totally outpaced by doctors who have far less experience than he does.
Still, it’s okay if he needs a little time to get comfortable in his new-old environment.
Until recently, he was running into burning buildings, so if nothing else, he’s going to have to get used to consistently breathing fresh air at work.
The biggest issue facing Ben as he returned to his residency wasn’t his knowledge, age, or how long he’d been away.
Bailey may not have impacted his first shift back in a direct way, but she still overstepped, causing issues for someone else in the process.
I’m going to level with you — this next part is hard to write, because the last thing I ever want to do is criticize Miranda Bailey.
Miranda Bailey and Her Abuse of Power
She had good intentions, hoping to make sure Ben was settling in okay, but Bailey’s attempts to monitor her husband turned sour.
It’s not just that she (unofficially) assigned Griffith to keep tabs on Ben, not worrying whether Simone already had patients to take care of.
It’s that Bailey has a history of using her power and influence to get interns and junior residents to do things for her, even if it compromises their education.
I can think of several examples without digging too deeply.
While in a childcare pinch during Grey’s Anatomy Season 2 Episode 20, Bailey asked Cristina to watch baby Tuck in the hospital for her to avoid missing her surgeries.
When she worried about the clinic being run poorly by interns, she undermined Callie (who was Chief Resident at the time) by asking Meredith to supervise them.
To prove a point while treating a racist patient, Bailey pulled Cristina off an important surgery, which led to a tense conversation about how that made Cristina feel.
That history in context with the latest episode is hard to ignore.
Griffith’s patient deteriorated, in part because she wasn’t there to monitor him, and Ndugu read her the riot act for it.
I’m not ignoring that Bailey stood up for Griffith and explained the situation to Ndugu; I’m glad she did that much.
But I do hope that Bailey takes more away from this situation than just what Winston said to her, which was focused on leaving Warren alone.
She needed to hear that too, but the bigger lesson here is that she needs to stop using her subordinates for personal reasons at the expense of their own careers.
Mika Deals With Family Tragedy on Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 Episode 4
Whew. Okay, now that my stomach hurts from admitting that Bailey is a flawed character, we can move on.
The current and most pressing storyline involves Mika and her little sister, who has recently been diagnosed with an aggressive cancer.
Naturally, Mika does what any sister who is also a doctor would do, and she dives into the research to find out exactly what it is and how she can save Chloe.
It didn’t go unnoticed that this week focused on preserving Chloe’s fertility before she starts treatments for the cancer.
We’ve seen this before, when Izzie and Alex created embryos during her cancer treatments, but this time there was no time for a lengthy IVF process.
(There wasn’t time for it that time, either, but we’re going to let that slide because it happened a hundred years ago.)
I don’t know if the science currently exists to allow ovaries to be relocated in the body to preserve fertility during radiation treatments, but it’s an incredible concept.
Mika’s commitment to making sure Chloe had options in the future was heartwarming and proved that she didn’t just want to save her sister’s life; she wanted to ensure she’d have the life she wanted.
I really enjoyed Webber’s role in this episode, as he acted as more than just Chloe’s surgeon.
He supported Mika emotionally as well as professionally, reminding us of the warm, encouraging teacher and mentor he’s always been.
While he’s desperate to retire, he still has so much to offer.
The show could never be the same without him, so I’d really love to see him move into more of a mentor role for young surgeons trying to figure out their place.
Love Is In the Air
There were a few developments in the romance department this week.
First, James and Levi found themselves entangled in bed after a painfully nerdy Star Wars debate.
Their chemistry was off the charts, and Jake Borelli’s impending departure means that for the second time this season, I have to watch a queer ship sink.
James’s secrets may contribute to that if the wedding photo album Levi discovered means anything.
Mika, preoccupied with her sister, was sharper than necessary to Jules throughout the hour.
But that of course didn’t stop Jules from showing up for Mika and Chloe in every way she could.
The heartbreak in both of their eyes was on full display as their feelings sat between them, untouched.
In better news (maybe), Jo and Link finally got a peek at what’s going on inside Jo’s uterus.
Surprise! It’s twins!
(Just kidding; I had a feeling. Remember what I said after Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 Episode 1 about pregnancy storylines being complicated?)
Teddy and Owen acknowledged that there had been some distance in their marriage, which could potentially contribute to the theories circulating about Owen’s relationship with his old friend from earlier this season.
And just to give us a little taste of classic Grey’s, Simone and Lucas shared a sweet moment and a kiss in a stairwell.
A Few Random Thoughts About Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 Episode 4
- I can’t believe they did a necrotizing fasciitis storyline just a week after Sydney Heron left the building. So rude.
- Watching Teddy explain the realities of being a woman and the pressure to look perfect to Owen was so satisfying. He can take his judgement somewhere else.
- Catherine’s biopsy was negative, and the episode only touched on it in passing. That was weird, right?
- I love when they talk about how broke residents are, but then explain someone’s absence by saying they were away in Paris for two weeks. Checks out.
All in all, it was a good (if heart-wrenching) episode.
I’m guessing we’ll find out more about how Mika’s exit will go as Chloe’s story progresses, and the same for Levi now that he’s learned more about James.
If you have theories about how they’ll be written out, I want to hear them!
Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 10/9c on ABC.
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