Grey’s Anatomy (17×01, 17×02) All Tomorrow’s Parties and The Center Won’t Hold Review

While I have been a regular contributor for Station 19, I always felt a bit weird jumping onto Grey’s Anatomy. I had binged the series years ago and started watching it live, but having not reviewed it for the first 15 years felt like I was a little late to the part. However, with the pandemic directly affecting both of these shows I felt it was a good starting point to review this upcoming season and I’m certainly glad to have made that decision after what we all just witnessed.

Synopsis: The doctors of Grey Sloan Memorial must contend with the COVID-19 pandemic; An unintentionally started fire has first responders from Station 19 bringing patients into the hospital for treatment; Amelia and Link try to have some fun as new parents. (ABC)

Did we really expect anything different for this two-part premiere? As the Shondaverse sets up its pandemic world, the show centered around hospital workers of course needs to tackle the coronavirus head on. The extremely topical episodes focus on the doctors of Grey Sloan as they struggle with increasing COVID deaths, mental and physical exhaustion, loss of specialties, turning away non-COVID patients and PPE shortages. Dealing with all of these issues within these first two episodes seems like a lot, but it shows the steep battle that frontline medical workers face on a daily basis putting into perspective the real issues that hospitals and ICUs continue to face.

Thanks to its setting, Grey’s Anatomy can seamlessly integrate masks into their narratives from N95s to face shields (although the former really distinguishes which actors can truly act with only half their faces). The episodes also manage to tie up the loose threads of last season (as Grey’s halted production before their final three episodes) by showing flashbacks of the various situations that the characters were dealing with from relationship fallouts, professional meltdowns and health scares. So what happened with the doctors at Grey Sloan? Let’s break it down!

Bailey is trying to get used to a world where she cannot be with her sons or Ben, even if they come by daily to see her outside by the ambulances. She is greeted by Richard, who is looking significantly better after last season’s health scare. He asks where she needs him in the hospital, but first he needs to be taught the new protocol. This leads her to explaining to the audience that specialties are gone, ORs are no longer in use and all hands are focused on COVID patients. She takes a moment to appreciate a UV machine that disinfects entire rooms within minutes calling it her BFF. Richard, seeing the opportunity to use this machine, manages to set it up to disinfect masks by hanging them in a makeshift spiderweb rather than dousing them in bleach.

Meanwhile, Jackson and Jo are both dealing with the fallout of their relationships ending with the former even being forced to watch one of his exes fall in love in front of his eyes. Turns out weeks before they tried to set up a sex session to get out of their funks, but it ended in Jo crying everywhere and Jackson’s idea of a date being the anti-viagra. They attempt to forget about this awkward encounter and move on with their lives with both of them now trying to save the life of a burn victim that Station 19 brought in.

Another storyline that was a major focus from last season was DeLuca’s mental breakdown after trying to convince his coworkers that a patient was a sex trafficking victim. Apparently he was right and the girl returns after her captors threw her to the side of the road. She confides in DeLuca and eventually her family is called allowing her to reunite with her sister. After proving to be correct, you think DeLuca would be happy, but he has been struggling with depression similar to his father and fears he is headed down the same path. For the time being he seems to have a handle on things, but that can change quickly!

Koracick, after the fallout of his and Teddy’s sex call being shared with the entire hospital, now walks around with a golf club to ensure people stay the proper distance away. He orders some PPE for the hospital, but the delivery is only filled with booties causing him to smash them with his club. Meanwhile, Teddy and Owen are of course struggling in their relationship after what happened with Koracick. There is a lot of back and forth there, it will be interesting to see what is in store for these newlyweds and their family.

The remaining doctors that have minor storylines are: Catherine demoting Koracick for the booties fiasco and then promoting Richard to the newly vacated position, Maggie continuing her long-distance relationship with Dr. Winston, Schmidt and Nico breaking up but continuing a stress relieving situation and Amelia and Link naming their baby Scout Derek Shepherd Lincoln.

And finally onto Meredith! This episode is obviously taking its emotional toll on all of the characters, but it is best personified in Meredith. She is exhausted of telling families over the phone that their loved ones have died and it feels like that is all she has been doing for weeks. Having to deal with crying people on the phone who are unable to say goodbye would push just about anyone to their limit. She decides to take out that frustration on some boxes similar to Koracick.

However, after helping McWidow with his surgery, she collapses in the parking lot. Now in dream world, she sees herself on a beach when suddenly she hears a voice calling to her. As she turns, the collective audience gasps and the internet breaks as Derek Shepherd waves back at Meredith, smiling at his wife after five long years.

The Medical Journal:

• Who, aside from Meredith, will contract COVID-19?
• Will any of the main characters die during the pandemic?
• How will Owen and Teddy get through their marital troubles?
• Will Richard face further health problems?
• Why is Derek back and for how long?

What did you think of the 2 episode Season 17 premiere? Was it the premiere you expected? Did you anticipate the shocking final scene? Let me know in the comments below!

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Dylan Phillips