Grey’s Anatomy turns a bit green with jealously on tonight’s episode, “I’m Winning.” Take the rounds to see what a name can get you in our recap.
What is in a name? For the Harper Avery nominee, Cristina Yang, and decedent, Jackson Avery, the name Avery opens seemingly endless doors. The two learn that adjusting to the flash of the spark takes time, not only for the bearer of the name, but for those around them as well.
I trained them: Dr. Webber stands atop the stairs surveying the success stories molded under his watch. Dr. Shepard is working with state of the art equipment to read emotional responses. Meredith Grey is about to conduct the first HIV to HIV kidney transplant. Cristina Yang is nearing her breakthrough printing hearts, while Dr. Bailey works on decoding a genetic cure for a young boy without an immune system.
The interns are lucky to work with so many people on the verge of a breakthrough, although Steph and Bailey see things a little differently. Steph calls in her favor from Ross to swap services. Ross heads to sit with a demoralized Bailey, who laments about the interns she took under her wing in the hospital basking in the limelight of success.
The youngest of Cristina’s three pediatric patients with heart failure takes a turn for the worst. The family prepares to face an untimely death, but Hunt is able to pull through a major favor from the FDA, who awards the rights to a sheep heart based on hearing Cristina’s name alone.
Meredith’s HIV transplant patients are best friends who saw each other battle HIV into almost remission. Marty, the kidney donor, calculates the risk of death at .06% too high for his liking and gets cold feet. Meredith takes the fall for Marty’s decision to back out, claiming that the labs were misread and the two are not a match for transplant after all.
The Avery name: April, who wears a one piece Speedo when she runs out of underwear and eats leftovers three days in a row, does not understand how Jackson tosses around money. But when a patient needs a heart delivered, Jackson puts the charge on his Amex and deals with the consequences later.
Cristina avoids the Avery name as the day progresses and her status holds more and more power. No matter how much flattery the interns shower her with, nothing takes away from the study and the beauty behind her procedure.
Alex continues to babysit a restless boy trapped in a bubble awaiting a miracle breakthrough. Bailey’s research is moving along, but inspiration and hope are far off the horizon. Fed up with the plastic walls around him, a toy car proves to be a useful tool to break free and run around the halls.
Ladies and gents: Cristina, Meredith, and Callie muddle through lunch trying to get a grip on their afternoons. Meredith tries to keep a smile on her face for her friend’s success, even as her surgery goes south. Cristina continues to avoid the showers of praise that greet her around every corner. Instead, she isolates herself to focus on doing her job.
The interns sit around projecting their future award speeches, except Murphy. She has trouble placing herself in the line of award worthy work as she approaches her thirties. Meredith’s surgery is back on the board after the donor felt a bit of remorse for bailing on his best friend after he overcame so much.
Opportunity knocks for Bailey when Meredith asks her for advice after getting emotionally involved with HIV transplant patients. Bailey takes care of the situation by casting Meredith as a sloppy PR hungry doctor and takes over the surgery, enlisting Richard to assist.
Put on a happy face: Throughout the day, Derek attempts to test a base patient for his emotional scanner. Jo proves to hate anything that does not involve breaking bones. Callie tries to compensate for her suggested depression, blaming low blood sugar. Even the story of the worst bone break that sparked her interest in ortho cannot match the joy she feels when she sees Meredith and Derek’s baby.
Bailey is not able to face Cristina to congratulate her on the nomination. Richard gets to the bottom of her depression as they work through the transplant surgery. The genome work that the she is doing is more than busy work. The pep talk from her mentor over the body of the HIV transplant sparks a breakthrough for her work.
Meredith continues to mask her jealously from the rest of the staff, but not her husband. Bailey runs into Cristina and finally puts aside her jealously to wish her colleague congratulations. Cristina tries to brush off the well wishes once again, but Miranda Bailey will not have any of that. After all, when Miranda Bailey teaches you a lesson, it is only right that you look someone in the eye and thank them. No matter how you feel.
What we want: Alex constructs a quick fix for the young boy to explore the hospital with a camera on the top of his remote control car. Money fixes problems, whether it is a $10 toy car or a $25K private jet, and Alex understands that his place is in a private practice and Jackson’s is with April and their leftovers.
Cristina even finds a bit of herself in the engineering room with Owen and a bottle of champagne. Finally, after plucking through the day and proving to herself that she earned her nomination, Cristina is able to let loose and enjoy her moment in the dimmed spotlight.
Watch Grey’s Anatomy season 10, episode 20, “Go it Alone,” Thursday, April 17 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.