I know I’m technically supposed to be the Grey’s Anatomy expert here, but after last night’s episode I’m just confused, hurt, and angry about Nathan Riggs’ storyline.
To start, let’s rehash what happened on Grey’s Anatomy 14×05, “Danger Zone.” The episode had a mixed timeline of the present and future, showing what had happened while Teddy, Owen, Riggs, and Meghan were in service versus where they were landing now.
It was interesting to learn more about what had happened in the past. It was revealed that not only did Riggs cheat on Meghan, but she also cheated on him. But because they were dealing with incoming wounded soldiers, they didn’t get to discuss what happened very much. The truth was out in the open but there wasn’t much of a resolution because Meghan ended up being taken captive later that day.
Fans also learned that it was Owen who gave Meghan permission to get on the chopper alone without Riggs. She told Owen that he had cheated on her and didn’t want to be around him, she left out the part where she had cheated on him first. Once Meghan got on the chopper, Teddy learned that the patient she was taking was actually the enemy shooter.
It’s not shown how Meghan got taken from there, but it can be assumed that somehow the patient got control and forced them to take her back behind enemy lines.
That’s all fine and dandy, it’s actually what happened in the present time that is what left me with all these awful emotions. Apparently, Meghan’s dream is to live on the beach now that she’s back home. So while Meghan is road tripping to the west coast with her brother, Riggs and Farouk are getting everything ready for her.
Honestly, the entire episode I was just waiting for something to happen to change Riggs’ mind about being there. It seems like he’s having an awful time trying to fix the new house, he can’t find a new job, and he has a hard time connecting with Farouk. He even texts Meredith before Meghan gets home. And yet, at the end of the episode it’s clear that he’s gotten his happily ever after and won’t be going back to Seattle.
I don’t know if Grey’s Anatomy has engrained in my brain after all these years that there will always be a twist or what, but this episode has just left a bad taste in my mouth. I’m just so confused as to why the fandom would be worked up just to waste so much time on the back and forth relationship with Riggs and Meredith, only to have him walk away!
I do get that Meredith is the one who told him not to give up this shot. It seems like the show was trying to make it clear that Riggs did love Meredith but Meghan is his person, and Meredith would have given up Riggs for Derek. Except that we know that it would never actually happen, because Derek is in fact dead.
Part of me wants to accept that Riggs was just there to help Meredith move on from Derek, but I don’t think that he really did achieve that. Even though Riggs was introduced in season 12, his romance with Meredith was so rocky that he barely scratched the surface of her emotions. Even though they slept together, they barely dated, and she never brought him around her home. So no, I don’t think that Riggs did much to help her move past her love of Derek.
It feels as though I’ve just wasted two seasons rooting for these two to get over all of their emotional baggage and have something real and substantial. Now it’s all been thrown away, and I don’t expect Meredith to open up any easier to another guy. Do I hope that Meredith will fall in love with someone else? Absolutely.
But I just cannot wrap my head around why the show had her start a romance with Riggs in the first place if it wasn’t going to either be just a quick fling or a great romance. Instead, it fell flat somewhere in the middle. I thought for sure they were going to have a great, long storyline of falling in love — just like she did with Derek.
Now I have to accept that after all this time it’s just done, right when Meredith seemed to be working herself up to something more with him? I can’t imagine anything being more disappointing this season.
Possibly the worst part of it all is that this isn’t the only relationship that Grey’s Anatomy is fumbling right now. I know that they need to shake things up to keep the drama going, but I just don’t trust so many of the storylines going on right now. It’s it too much to ask to see one of the main couples doing well?