You want some ice for that burn? The Grey’s Anatomy season 12 winter finale gave us a few questions to ponder as we head into hiatus.
Grey’s Anatomy went out with a sizzle, not a bang. Some moments kindled the narrative to keep the episode moving along, but ultimately no change came to the halls of Grey Sloan Memorial. There were, however, moments of true heartache (for a patient), panic (again for a patient), and even a cliffhanger (this one wasn’t a patient)!
Here are a few sparks to keep you warm through the long winter!
Owen has a brother!
Grey Sloan Memorial is bombarded with an influx of firefighters, each with burns ranging from two to four degrees and smoke inhalation. One of the victims is the boyfriend of Owen’s mother. Meredith and Riggs catch his case and disagree on every move from start to finish, but it is Owen who pushes the situation from tense to outright uncomfortable.
As much as Owen wants to take down Riggs, his jurisdiction in the hospital is limited. But that does not stop him from punching Riggs’ lights out in the hallway after Meredith steps in and saves their patient. As Owen’s mother comes up to visit her boyfriend, Riggs greets her like an old friend and even calls her mom. But he is not her biological son, so much as the former husband of Owen’s sister. Someone Owen never mentioned. So what happened with Owen’s sister?
ICYMI: Which Grey’s Anatomy season 12 intern do you trust to operate?
Alex and Jo are breaking/making up?
Jo and Steph may have reunited, but Jo and Alex are not exactly on the same page in their relationship. When Jo got the extra icy shoulder of Meredith Grey all day, Jo decided enough is enough and stood up for herself and dignity. If Alex wants to run around whispering with Meredith, having sleepovers, and shunning Jo, then he can have that life. Alex and Meredith have other plans.
When Jo returns home to announce that she will be staying with Steph for a while, Alex meets her declaration with a ring. Jo remains unconvinced that Alex will have her back when push comes to shove. There was no answer from Jo, so place your bets on if she’ll say yes or no in the comments!
What were they thinking moments
•Richard playing wingman to Arizona’s fragile dating bird was a fun experiment last week. It was even rather amusing! But tonight, Richard has had enough and so have we. Arizona pulls a Callie and takes her interest to a patient rather than a romantic prospect outside the hospital. But when it turns out that she is already taken, Richard offers to take Arizona out to the bar again. Where is Catherine?
•This is not so much a “what were they thinking” moment so much as “why did we need to kill the kind old fire chief in order to advance Maggie and Andrew’s story” moment. Grey’s Anatomy is all about the tears and this patient sky rockets into the top 10 patients to make you cry every time category. But what was the payoff? Sure, Bailey may have taken away a few tidbits about leadership, but she did so while ignoring her hospital for hours, which was at capacity and overflowing with burn victims in the cafeteria. But this fireman’s story did more to address the unprofessional behavior of the duo in the on call room. RIP, Chief. We’re sorry your story had to see that ending.
•So are April and Jackson done? The will they, won’t they of season 12 may have reached a conclusion tonight. After April and Jackson hit the sheets instead of talking about their marriage, April pulled away from their open communication and avoided Jackson at every turn. But it was not because she was trying to win him back, it was because she was trying to let him go. In their reunion, April saw the look Jackson had in his eyes. Their spark died out when she started making decisions for the both of them. It just took her until now to let that sink in. Will they actually sign the papers when Grey’s Anatomy returns?
Grey’s Anatomy season 12 returns Thursday, February 11 to ABC.