Catherine is in Los Angeles getting the new foundation ready and summons Meredith and Koracick to visit for a highly confidential consult. One of the nurses is 28 weeks pregnant and collapses at the hospital while talking to Richard.
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.
"Anybody Have a Map?" was written by Elisabeth R. Finch and directed by Krista Vernoff
The family unit of Richard, Catherine, Jackson and Maggie is imploding at the moment. It's fascinating to watch as the show weighs stories it has done before while trying to find new twists on the familiarity. Is Richard about to relapse in his alcoholism - which is something that happened back in Season 6? Are Jackson and Maggie going to break up because of a difference over religion - which always caused so much drama between Jackson and April? Is Catherine going to face an extreme medical condition where it seems impossible for any doctors to save her life - like the various brain tumors that characters like Izzie and Amelia had? All of this familiarity doesn't hinder the impact of these stories in this particular hour though. In fact, it is quite devastating in a number of instances. It shows how everyone in this family is trying to protect the people they love by omitting some facts. They believe in being open and honest in their relationships. But they want solid answers or a game plan before opening up to their family about the issues they are facing. And yet, that is so destructive for all of them as well. Richard has been questioning his sobriety since his sponsor died. And now, it's the sudden death of a nurse he hired and loves that seems to break him. It's not Maggie's breakup or Catherine's grim diagnosis. Instead, it's the death of a character who was just introduced this season but was inferred to be amongst the nursing staff for many years at the hospital. However, Richard doesn't relapse. He is tempted to do so. But instead, he takes out his anger on the bar that is offering free shots for AA chips. That's the rage he has for Little Pancake growing up without a parent. And yet, the baby is surrounded by love from the nursing staff. Richard is incapable of opening up and sharing his feelings. As such, he gets arrested for property destructing. Meanwhile, Catherine calls Meredith and Koracick to Los Angeles to help give her the answers about the mass that is growing around her neck and spine. It's so dangerous. It's a form of cancer that won't shrink from chemotherapy. The risk is extremely high that surgery could paralyze her. She demands answers. She doesn't want to be kept out of the process. She wants to continue to fight. She just made her own name in the medical community instead of managing the legacy of a horrible man. She wants the time to enjoy it and build upon it. She doesn't want it taken away from her so soon. She also realizes that it's important to tell Richard and Jackson the truth. But neither of them is available at the moment to give her the comfort that she needs as she faces incredible odds. And finally, the show is probably showing how Maggie and Jackson aren't a couple destined to go the distance. They may be eventually. They still have chemistry with a lot of time spent on them over the past year. However, it's horrible that Maggie feels inferior in her relationship. She feels ashamed for not having as much life experience as Jackson. As such, she struggles to open up about how she's feeling in any given moment. That's what fuels this latest split. She believes this relationship is open. Jackson is telling her that he still loves her even though she's not the best woman to talk with regarding the profound questions he is asking. He wants to continue to talk and delve into the nuances of this relationship. She runs away. That shows that she may not be ready for Jackson even though she is so brilliant and ahead of the curve in her medical career.
