Meredith turns heads when she shows up to work done up and ready for her blind date later that day. Alex makes a questionable decision in order to save a patient. The burden of knowing Teddy's secret keeps Maggie up at night, ultimately making her decide she has to tell someone.
In 2018, it has become very difficult to keep up with every television show out there. It's even more difficult to provide adequate coverage on this site about the episodes that air every week. Not every show can get full coverage because of my busy and hectic viewing schedule. As such, some reviews will now be condensed to give only some summary thoughts. But it also affords a space for me to jot down my thoughts on the various episodes. And so, here are my thoughts on this week's episode of ABC's Grey's Anatomy.
"Momma Knows Best" was written by William Harper and directed by Cecilie Mosli
Meredith is committed to dating this season. It was a choice that she made to actively pursue a relationship. She hired a matchmaker. Of course, Cece doesn't appear in this hour at all even though she sets Meredith up on her first blind date. That's slightly weird especially considering what eventually happens with this story. The show has built this story up. It has praised Cece's powers in her profession. As such, it seemed likely that this would lead to a meaningful, romantic connection for Meredith. Instead, the story is playing things realistically in saying that there could be a lot of trial and error when it comes to this process. It's also odd that the newer staff at the hospital have these big reactions to Meredith having herself together for a date. That moment isn't necessary because she is always amazing no matter what she looks like. It's much more personal to her when she is in the doctor's lounge with her closest friends who are actually teasing her about this date. She is fully expecting it not to go well. She's even making a bet with Alex about how long it will last if it's terrible. And then, she meets the guy and it goes better than expected. However, the instant that he starts talking about that moment when a date says something that immediately turns a person off it was obvious that that was the direction all of this was going in. It was only a matter of time before he said something that made Meredith walk away. That came when he said that single mothers were desperate and looking for a major commitment. That's not who Meredith is at all. But it's the moment where it's clear that all of this is immediately over. Josh Radnor is significant casting for this role. And yet, he's unlikely to return in the hopes of starting a meaningful relationship with Meredith. Elsewhere, Alex is absolutely abusing his power as interim chief. He is being told that he has to find creative solutions to his problems because he is responsible for everything in the hospital now. He just does that by stabbing a patient just so his insurance can cover the cost of surgery. That's absolutely horrifying. It's liberating for Alex though because it makes it seem as if he won't have any consequences to deal with because he's the man in charge. That's a very dangerous line for the character to walk - especially since he has a past of being an abusive individual. He has managed to avoid significant consequences for the entire run of the show. So, it seems unlikely that this will change anything now. And finally, Maggie tells Meredith about Teddy's pregnancy. That secret eating her up has been a significant story for her in these opening episodes. They have almost defined her entire presence on the show. With Jackson leaving, it becomes even more overwhelming with everyone assuming she's spinning out because of the uncertainty regarding her relationship. She sees Amelia trying to be a mother to Betty. Amelia reaches out to Owen's mom for some pretty vague advice that nevertheless fixes the problem. This family unit continues to hold strong. And yet, the show can't hang onto this bomb forever - especially considering the medical danger Teddy was in during her last appearance. That is bound to explode sooner rather than later. In fact, I hope that the show can move onto whatever comes next in an episode or so.
