#THE TEDDY/OWEN/CRISTINA LOVE TRIANGLE

[quinnfabraymybeloved]

season 6 of grey’s unlocks a beast in me.

[crime-wives]

hello tumblr, behold my creation

[emily-prentits]

the fact that the cristina/owen/teddy love triangle is the EXACTLY like the addison/derek/meredith love triangle is driving me insane. am i going to obsess over cristina and teddy now as well

[frankenshane]

here's why i'm incandescent with rage still about the grey's s8 finale:

- only plot line resolved was miranda's (which is adorable, i love that she found a handsome short king that's taller than her)

- any other type of emergency could have put the core cast's plans to move out of seattle (which is merciless to its hot doctors) out of reach and had them in active danger without all of that

- after spending about a season of having her pine for mark in the background and little else but watch the babés and grow bangs of sadness, they kill off my girl lexie and don't even have it be hand-in-hand with the emotional climax of the episode. like at least do her the justice of treating her like a main character! especially since everyone was fully treating her like Wikipedia ahead of the boards.

- the staggering incompetence of owen as chief of surgery! this would not have happened under the tenure of richard and his excellent secretary patricia because they would have taken calls! and not let them go to voicemail to be checked at fucking 9PM!

- sending teddy away to be a war surgeon chief whatever is insane! i know that burke cursed this position but let the unhinged woman stay to have a weird bond with cristina! teddy-cristina-owen is the weirdest triangle of people and so much more compelling to me than i was expecting at first because teddy was wanting to bone owen.

- i also wanted meredith and cristina to have that "your *my* person" moment in a different way. because their friendship is at the core of the show, i wanted that conversation to just idk not happen *like this*

[napneeders]

the endless Cristina/Owen/Teddy hetero love triangle is so desperately boring except for like five seconds when Cristina chooses (or tries to) Teddy as her teacher over Owen as her boyfriend

[calzona-ga]

Since 2005, Shondaland has produced groundbreaking television. And over the course of 17 seasons, Grey’s Anatomy has made more than its fair share of bold choices. From the killing off of Patrick Dempsey’s beloved McDreamy to the still-controversial ghost-sex story line, the ABC series has seen, and done, it all. But perhaps no episode was riskier than turning the popular medical drama into a musical for “Song Beneath the Song,” the infamous season-7 hour in which a pregnant Callie (Sara Ramirez) gets badly injured in a car accident and, while her fellow doctors work to save her life, sees her hallucinatory self burst into song — with the rest of the characters quickly following suit.

Coming from the mind of series creator Shonda Rhimes, a vocal fan of both Broadway shows and TV musicals like Buffy’s “Once More, With Feeling,” the Grey’s musical episode was a monumental moment for the show and for television. Many viewers praised its audacity and swooned over the vocal chops of stars like Ramirez and Chandra Wilson.

“Song Beneath the Song” made for one of the most memorable hours of television, earning strong ratings and leading the soundtrack, particularly Ramirez’s show-stopping rendition of Brandi Carlile’s “The Story,” to Billboard success. A decade later, its impact is still growing, thanks in part to the countless teenage Grey’s fans who’ve only recently discovered the series via Netflix. Like the show itself, the musical has become an indelible part of TV history — and so, 10 years after its premiere in March 2011, we spoke to the episode’s cast and crew to get the story of how it came to be.

Featuring thoughts from Rhimes; writers, producers, and co-showrunners Tony Phelan and Joan Rater; and actors Wilson, Kevin McKidd, Jessica Capshaw, Kim Raver, and Eric Dane, this is the oral history of “Song Beneath the Song.”

Finding the Inspiration

Inspired by a 2008 benefit concert in which several stars of Grey’s and its spinoff show Private Practice performed songs to support out-of-work Hollywood workers during the 2007-2008 writers’ strike, Rhimes decided to turn her long-held desire to make a Grey’s musical episode into a reality.

Rhimes (series creator and writer): I remember thinking to myself at a certain point, I have this sort of murderers’ row of Broadway people. Like, Chandra had been on Broadway and singing; obviously, Sara Ramirez had won a Tony on Broadway [for Best Featured Actress in a Musical, in 2005], which is how I first met her; and then I knew that Kevin could sing. There were so many people in the show with beautiful voices. ... It felt like it was leaning in that direction in a good way.

Rater (writer, producer, and co-showrunner): The first iteration for, like, two days when we first started batting around the idea was that we would write original music. It was all gonna be original music. And then we quickly realized that a) who’s gonna write that music?, and b) no, it doesn’t feel like the right thing. And then Shonda, I think a day or two later, came in with the idea that we would use these iconic songs.

Wilson (Dr. Miranda Bailey): But the studio wasn’t quite on board with this whole idea.

Convincing a Skeptical Network

After coming up with the episode’s plot and deciding that the characters would sing classic songs from the Grey’s soundtrack, like Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars” and the Fray’s “How to Save a Life,” Rhimes pitched the idea to the network — but, in a surprising first, she was told that they were going to pass.

Rhimes: By that point, I wasn’t getting notes on anything; nobody was saying no to me about anything. So it was really bizarre to me that there was all this resistance to doing a musical episode. And I remember somebody at the network saying, “Can’t you just do one of your love-triangle thingies again?” And I thought, my head’s gonna explode, because the show is not a bunch of “love-triangle thingies.” You guys have missed the point entirely. I felt like, no, every year of the show is a completely different show, and this year the show has a musical episode. And that’s the story.

McKidd (Dr. Owen Hunt): Tony, Joan, and Shonda basically said to us, “We are trying to convince Disney to give us actual money to do this musical episode, and we feel like we want to do a show-and-tell to show them what this musical episode could be. Are you guys willing to give your time to help us create this show-and-tell?” And we were like, “Yeah, of course.”

Wilson: So we gave them a concert. Sara, Kevin McKidd, and I, along with musicians, got together, and we performed this script that Shonda and Tony Phelan put together. Shonda did the narrating. And we went through what the entire episode would be, based on those iconic songs.

McKidd: I remember Sandra Oh came to the concert for the execs just to be moral support for us. And she became like our groupie — she would stand and cheer and whoop and holler in between all the songs.

Phelan (writer, producer, director, and co-showrunner): Once [the executives] saw it, and saw it could work, then they gave us the okay to do it.

Rhimes: I still feel like they thought we were crazy. But you couldn’t deny the talent in the room.

Getting the Cast on Board

Once the episode was greenlit, the team began the task of persuading a cast full of non-singers to simultaneously sing, act, and — in some cases — dance on screen.

Wilson: The offer was put out on the table from the beginning from Shonda — anybody that’s not interested in singing, you’re not required; you don’t have to do it.

Rater: I think Sandra from the beginning was like, nope.

Rhimes: She looked at me — it was her very deadpan face — and she was like, “I’m not singing.” And I was like, okay! If that’s not your thing, that is not your thing — that’s completely okay. And it didn’t feel like she was afraid to sing or push past this barrier. It felt like Cristina Yang doesn’t sing. And that made sense to me.

Rater: Ellen [Pompeo] has a great voice. She could’ve done more. ... Ellen was very gracious about, like, “I’ll doo-wop in the back; don’t worry about me. Let’s hear Chandra, let’s hear Sara, this is theirs.”

Capshaw (Dr. Arizona Robbins): In addition to Sara having this powerhouse voice, she was always very generous about others and never made anyone feel smaller because of her giant power. But singing with her was like, “Aw, man [laughs], how about you get this one? You got this leg of the race.”

Wilson: Probably the most frightened person was Kim Raver, bless her heart.

Raver (Dr. Teddy Altman): It was super-exciting and terrifying at the same time. We all love singing, but unless you’re Sara Ramirez or Chandra Wilson.

Dane (Dr. Mark Sloan): I don’t fancy myself a singer, so I said, “Shonda, in this particular episode, I want the least amount of lines.”

Rhimes: Eric Dane surprised me, because his voice had this lovely quality to it that was really nice.

Dane: I set her up for a catastrophe, so she had very low expectations.

Starting Rehearsals

For months leading up to the episode, the cast embarked on a grueling series of rehearsals and voice lessons, adding hours onto their already long daily schedules.

Capshaw: I had just had a baby, and I was really taking my life one day at a time. I knew it was going to be a big episode, but, timeliness-wise, it was a tough time. I think I was still breast-feeding.

Phelan: Usually in the writers’ room, you’ve got maybe six-to-eight weeks from the time you come up with an idea to the time that it’s shot. This we needed almost the entire season to plan for.

Raver: It was like riding a bike but then adding, like, six more wheels to it, and you had to kind of figure it out.

Capshaw: We were all bringing our A games. In normal days, it feels like there’s a familiarity, you can feel a little more casual, a little more off-the-cuff, but there was nothing off-the-cuff about this. It was all very high stakes because it was life or death, literally.

There were some silver linings, though.

Dane: We had these little earbuds in our ears, I guess like how you film musicals, so you can sync what you’re mouthing with the music in your ear. And so I went to the sound operator and said, “I can buy one of these earbuds, right? And I can create a content-receiver pack and connect it to an iPod and pipe music into this too theoretically, yes?” And he said, “Yeah, you could do that if you want to.” So I said, “So when I’m performing surgery in later episodes on this show, and I don’t have very many lines, theoretically I could be listening to music, and nobody would know?” And he said, “Yeah, theoretically, that would work.” So I had one made, and I shot many episodes in the surgical theater, sometimes with lines, listening to music, many times.

Filming the Episode

“Song Beneath the Song” revolved largely around the seriousness of Callie’s condition, but there were also some light moments, including a sexy, dance-filled take on “Running on Sunshine” featuring several of the show’s couples.

Capshaw: When Sara and I are in the car in the clouds — oh my god, I’ve never felt so goofy in my life [laughs].

Raver: Scott Foley [who played Teddy’s love interest Henry] and I had so much fun working together. He’s so funny, and so choreographing that dance singing number was really fun.

Wilson: Debbie Allen sent in Eartha Robinson, one of her choreographers from the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, who I knew from Fame, the television series. So this is who was coming in, teaching us how to twirl. And I was like, oh my god, I’m on Fame!

Early in the episode, McKidd’s Owen sing-shouts at his crew of doctors to “calm down” — a moment that, years later, became a widely shared meme for its over-the-top nature.

McKidd: In the scene, I think it was Kate Walsh — she’s brilliant; she’s a prankster — and Patrick and Eric Dane. And they were all arguing. And I’m sitting there and [the cameras] push in on me and I go, “Calm down.” And they couldn’t keep a straight face. Every time we did a take, they just would fall over laughing. And they were on camera giving me the eye line, and I had to sing this song seriously with those two actors just doubled over, like sidesplitting. It just tickled their funny bones so much. That was one of the hardest acting days of my life [laughs].

Capshaw: For sure, many, many, many shots were taken at Kevin McKidd for his “calm down” [laughs]. ... He really took on the rock-&-roll part of it.

McKidd: My daughter, who’s big on Twitter, she said that “calm down” thing’s like a serious meme thing now, which I guess is an honor. I don’t know.

The biggest moment of the hour came at the end, when Ramirez, a Tony winner for Spamalot, sang “The Story” as Callie fought for her life.

Phelan: When Sara came to Grey’s, she had this idea that she absolutely wanted to be known as an actress not a singer. And so for her first couple seasons on the show, she kind of left that side of her behind. Then, here was Shonda and I coming to her and saying, “No, we want to re-engage that part of you and put it on the show.” And so I think that she got nervous about that ... but to hear that amazing, magical voice come out of her ... that was the moment that was going to be able to sustain the music [of the whole episode].

Rhimes: When she sings “The Story,” I mean — I wrote the episode; I know what’s gonna happen. I’ve seen it a thousand times. It has nothing to do with me. But I always tear up a little bit because of her extraordinary voice and extraordinary performance.

Wilson: What a showcase it was for Sara Ramirez. I’m so glad that she got to share that part of herself with our audiences.

Reading Those Reviews

On March 31, 2011, the episode aired. While it garnered strong ratings, viewers’ reactions to “Song Beneath the Song” were mixed.

McKidd: I think we all went into it with our eyes open, and we knew there was gonna be mixed reviews. Because some people are gonna love it, and some people aren’t. But that shouldn’t stop people from taking a few risks in what we do, you know?

Rater: I remember being shocked that there were people who didn’t like it. I was like, come on!

Capshaw: It didn’t feel like [the reviews] were gonna affect anything either way. It wasn’t gonna be like, “Oh my gosh, that was too silly, and I’m never watching Grey’s again.” It had already found its place in people’s hearts.

Rhimes: I learned very quickly [on Grey’s] that if you’re gonna believe the good things people say about you, you have to believe the bad things people say. So there’s no point in paying attention to any of it. ... Nobody’s gonna like everything that you do.

Phelan: I know there are a lot of people who don’t like it, who felt like it bent the show too much, but it’s season 7 of a show, and if you’re not taking big swings when you’re on season 7 on a show, something’s wrong.

Creating a Legacy

Despite the critical reactions, the episode has developed something of a cult following over the years, thanks to live benefits and TikTok memes. A decade later, its creators all look back fondly on the hour and its impact.

Wilson: [The cast] watched it together, and I remember feeling like, wow, look at what we did!

Capshaw: When we showed up to do that benefit concert, I remember coming out onstage ... and being completely, completely overwhelmed with the people that responded to Arizona in that episode, and to the love story between Callie and Arizona.

Phelan: As a director, it was the biggest challenge of my career to do that, and it’s one of the things that I’m most proud of.

Raver: I’ll be in my car singing along, or at work if we’re in the hair-and-makeup trailer and we’re listening to [the soundtrack], it’s just an immediate flashback. It kind of feels like yesterday.

Wilson: The soundtrack is on my playlist on my phone [laughs]. So I will pop that thing out in a minute, because it’s just absolute happy memories.

Rater: If I’m cooking, that is what I put on. That’s what I tell Alexa to play for me.

Rhimes: I feel like that episode just always reminds me of having so much fun. That was what was really great. We had so much fun. And how much do you get to say that about just being at work?

Dane: As a cast, contrary to what some of the entertainment media might have speculated, we were all very close. We all spent a lot of time together, and a lot of that stuff felt really real to us. It was easy to access because of how we felt about each other off screen.

Raver: I just remember it being such an incredible experience, being able to work with all these incredibly talented actors and creators.

Rhimes: It’s right in my top 10 of episodes we’ve ever done.

Dane: I don’t particularly want to do it again, but I’m glad I did it.

[geekkatsblog]

Grey's Season 17x8 review

I'm kinda late but I haven't been sleeping lately so I finally managed to catch up with the episode today.

I'm still in shock from last weeks episode honestly but let's go. First I'm expressing my disappointment on the lack of Carina, she's a series regular on Grey's but all her scenes were on Station 19, I wish they would have brought Maya to Grey's just so I could feel good about seeing them cash in their regulars card. Then Deluca was laid to rest, another heart breaker seeing that they had just opened the realms of possibility for him and storylines but they just killed him off instead.

___________________________________________

Teddy

Teddy the biggest storyline at this point besides the funeral. At last we get to see what's really going on. Teddy hasn't been looking herself for a long time and it seems like Deluca's death was the breaking point for her, she was so scarred she didn't even want to wean Meredith off of the vent and when things are affecting your decisions as a doctor and not for the better, it's not a good sign. We'll get to see more of the storyline next week which honestly I'm excited to see. She managed to make me feel for her because despite everything she's done she's still the same old attachment barbie under there. I'm just glad Owen was able to put aside their differences and pick her up bridal side to take her home. The only thing I'm hoping is that it actually happens to be what the trailer was suggesting and not another Denny and Izzie situation because enough of the Grey Sloan doctors have had cancer and I'm definitely hoping that hey end the love triangle between her Owen and Tom or the better scenario in my opinion is let her get some space to breath and deal with healing without the pressures of relationship added to it.

___________________________________________

Meredith

Meredith honey, I'm gonna need you to take several feet away from Mc Dreamy, your kids and the hospital need you and you're getting a little too close to him for comfort. On that note I was once again glad to see Patrick Dempsey bless my screen as Derek Shepherd and it was as always a treat. When he talked about the kids, I'm so glad he knows about Ellis and they got to have several deep chats, so much so that I almost fell into the trap of wanting them to touch. She took a breath on her own which makes it seem as though she's improving but I don't want to get my hopes up and then have them trampled again like in the situation with Deluca waking up after surgery and then Meredith waking up only to end up on a vent in the same day.

___________________________________________

Bailey

I'm so glad that she's taking some time off. She's been running on empty since her mother died and she was beginning to remind me of the time with when she tested herself over and over again for staph with how obsessed she was about Deluca's autopsy, however with the amount of her fellow doctors she's lost its understandable plus Meredith the only one of her residents left is still on life support. If it wasn't for Richard she would have done some serious damage especially to Teddy who already was on edge. She definitely doesn't handle trauma well but besides Richard and Meredith she has experienced the most trauma. She's been through a lot and sometimes I think I tend to forget that.

And at least we got to see that small scene between her and Ben at the end so that was a plus.

___________________________________________

Richard

Is still holding up the walls of the hospital. It must be so hard for him to keep his faith with all he has been through, like I said before him, Meredith and Bailey have been through hell and back so I can definitely understand him feeling a little lost and losing his faith. However he didn't let that affect his keeping the Grey Sloan family together. I'm glad him and Catherine managed to make up because both of his support people are going through things of their own (Meredith and Bailey) so I was glads that she was able to be there for him and he didn't have to consider the thought of alchohol because that would just be too much at this point.

___________________________________________

Amelia and Link

Are doing really well right now as a couple, which scares me because whenever something seems to be going too well for a couple they throw a storm at them and I'm not ready to see their happy bubble burst just yet.

And Amelia has grown a lot her talking to Zola, she just said the right things. Mother hood as really changed her for the better. And does anyone else really want to see the letters that Zola wrote for Derek?

Link however felt the pressures of taking care of 4 kids constantly and I can understand I help out with my niece sometimes and by the end I want to pull my hair out and sleep in a corner for a week, farless 3 kids and a baby, I'm surprised he lasted so long.

Link headed to Jo's house in the middle of whatever agreement Jackson and Jo have going and got drunk. What I really liked about it though was that he went home afterwards and when he did Amelia didn't judge or yell she just talked to him and then hugged him which was amazing. They have a level of communication on the show that most of the other couples lack and it just works so well for them.

___________________________________________

Jo and Jackson

Jackson discovered just how much of a close friendship Link and Jo have and at some point he almost seemed as if he was jealous. Let the complications begin ladies and gentlemen. Plus there is the apparent potential of Dr Haynes turning it into a triangle. I guess one triangle dies to form another 🙄 and let's just say I'm not too excited for it.

Jo allowed herself to get drunk and vent which in my opinion was a step forward atleast. She hasn't really gotten the time to grieve over Alex because suddenly Covid happened and she was swamped with work. I'm just hoping that she does so that she won't accidentally sabotage any upcoming happiness she may have with someone else she needs to heal.

___________________________________________

Maggie and Winston

Poor Winston, he really doesn't know what he's signing up for by joining Grey Sloan does he 😭? Although I noticed last week he seemed to be getting the picture when Link was talking about Meredith and Derek. On the other hand seeing him with the kids was adorable, and he managed to give everyone some time to themselves without the kids which was a very big contribution. He's reminding me of a Ben which in no way is a bad thing. Go on Maggie get it.

Maggie was also devastated and shocked by Deluca as we all were and I'm so sad how their slowly but surely introducing her to the traumas of Grey's. She literally is the only pure one left and now she has to go through all the trials of the hospital until she's dark and twisty. I hope not though she's the only cheerful non broken one left on the show.

___________________________________________

Owen

Is about to have his hands full by next episode. He really is beginning to redeem himself after all Teddy did to him the whole episode he spent trying to make her feel better about Deluca and then picked her up to carry her home which confirmed my theory of it was always going to be Owen for Teddy, it was always Owen and Teddy even when she was married to ....... Henry 😭. I hope this will be the end of the over worked love triangle and they'll finally be able to move on especially Tom who deserves it.

___________________________________________

Haynes

Is utterly smitten with Meredith's children and was begging her to wake up and fight and surprise, surprise she took her first breath on her own. Honestly out of all the potential suitors for her which really isn't much considering one of them has now joined Derek as a permanent member of the beach, Haynes isn't a bad choice, I'm beginning to actually ship them. But then Krista said she was sensing a potential triangle with Jo, Jackson and Haynes and I hope not. I'm tired of the triangular pyramid of Grey Sloan love triangles. Just once I would like a relationship to be straight forward. They killed Deluca and the Teddy one is coming to an end, no need for another.

___________________________________________

Tom

Is still recovering from Covid and he seems to be going to live, a plus in the series so far.

___________________________________________

Levi and Nico

Are slowly getting closer, but I'm not rooting for anyone until Nico apologizes and they have an actual conversation about what happened without their clothes ending on the floor.

___________________________________________

Helm

Also was having a hard time coping and dealing with a bit of guilt about her over ambitious surgery hungry self. She actually reminds me of Cristina in a way, which is why I want Tom to be her teacher I really think their personalities will bounce well off of each other, especially in the episode where she had to check on Tom when he had Covid.

___________________________________________

Questions

• What's going on with Teddy? Owen said in the trailer he sees it in soldiers a lot but Grey's has a knack for reusing plots and her seeing Deluca is giving major Denny Izzie vibes, plus there's the chance that if it really is a brain tumor they'll pin all her recent choices on the tumor.

• Will someone tell Meredith they're are beaches in the real world as well, sure Derek won't be there and it probably wont be as peaceful but all I know is she needs to wake to hell up.

• What's going on between Jo and Jackson will they become more? Will they add Haynes to the mix?

• And most importantly when will Carina finally be seen in the Grey Sloan hospital? I need more Dr Carina.

[momowoah]

Thoughts after 17x10 (obviously contains spoilers)

Beach scenes: I didn't cry when Derek appeared, I nearly cried when George appeared, I got really sad with Deluca and Lexie, but the one that made me cry was Mark. Seeing him and Lexie together again was amazing. As someone who already knew they were going to die due to the plane crash in s8 finale since my first watch of s5, the worst part of their relationship was that I knew they were wasting their time, and I'm glad they think the same now. It's a shame they weren't closer in the beach, but oh well. The mentions of Callie, Arizona and Sofia also made me happy. Hopefully, no more beach scenes.

Cristina's "appearance": I think it's kinda of a odd choice to have her keep in touch with Owen about Meredith instead of someone else they know (like Bailey or Jackson or Hayes), especially after last episode. Teddy's "dreams" about Owen were really on point. Sadly, I think we won't get any Cristina besides that, so even that little moment was really good.

Teddy and Amelia: Even if it's a good idea to have Teddy stay with someone who cares about her, I don't think Owen's intentions were good (Teddy herself said he put her with Amelia bc he doesn't trust her to take care of their children - which gets worst when you remember how they handled the child situation in season 16. Teddy stayed at home, and Owen took a more challenging job the day after he offered to stay at home with the children. Yay. Also, I don't think I remember seeing him ever holding Allison, but I do remember him having Amelia take care of his childrens. Anyways, I'm going off topic). Teddy should really let Amelia in, bc rn it seems like she thinks Amelia doesn't actually like her when she clearly does. I love their friendship, and I hope they get closer to each other.

Owen/Teddy/Tom Triangle: I think the last ep killed pretty much every hope for Towen as a couple (Teddy's last words for him in the "dream" before it changed to her and Allison were her realizing she was never going to be enough for Owen), but I think we will get to see them forgiving each other and becoming friends again, especially since they have two children together. Tom, on the other hand, seems to have realized/decided something on this episode. I think he will come back to Teddy, but I don't know how she will respond. Still, they seem more likely to happen than Towen, which makes me happy. It doesn't look like Owen resents Tom anymore and Tom seems to be trying to have a good relationship with him, so Owen might support them if Toddy decides to get back together. Yay.

Hayes and Jo: Ok so... What is going on between them?? Like, obviously something is going to happen, but I still don't know what. The only thing I can imagine by now is a type of love "square" with the two of them + Mer and Jackson, but that would be crazy. I thought for a second it would be Hayes blaming Jo for Irene's death, but it doesn't seem like she's going to die. I'm losing my mind over this. I have absolutely no idea about what will happen between them. But something definitely will.

Jo and Jackson: Not sure about Jo, but Jackson will 100% catch feelings. He's already, I think. Never was a fan of Jolex and I don't want Japril to get back together (loved while it lasted, but also love the fact that they didn't end up together), so I kinda ship them. I'm also really liking Jo this season.

Winston and Maggie: I'm not usually the first one to be happy when a couple gets engaged after less than a year together, but it's different in this case. There are couples, like Marshall and Lily from HIMYM, that are clearly meant to be from their first on-screen moment. Winston and Maggie are one of them. I know some people think there's something sketchy about Winston, but honestly? This is the first time I actually like a ship with Maggie, and I really think they just clicked. Might be wrong, but I hope not.

Preview: Jackson's face in the preview kinda made me thing April will come back next week and it won't be as a doctor, but I'm probably and hopefully wrong. Also, Link proposing is really unexpected. He keeps running away from stuff and I feel like he will run away for real some time, so not a big fan of Amelink. Don't think Amelia will say yes though. I like crossovers, but it means I won't be able to watch the episode until two days after it comes out (as it takes at least two days for people to sub Station 19 and I can only watch Grey's live), so that sucks. Anyways, it seems like a good ep.

Amelia and Link: He ran away when he thought Scout wasn't his, he ran away again when he felt overwhelmed. He came back both times (he only left for a day the second time, but still), but he did ran. I don't get why he's proposing when he already can't stay during hard times. Totally think Amelia will say no, because lately she has been the most reasonable character in the whole series. Also, something about her face both in the preview and when she hugged Link at the end of the episode makes me think something will happen. There's also been hints that she and Owen might get back together somehow, so there's that too. I honestly don't see any of these two relationships going somewhere though.

[hightidelowmood]

Greys Anatomy 17x08

Sweet heavens, get me a box of tissues I've just had to watch DeLuca's funeral and it was as heartbreaking as I knew it would be. What I wasn't at all prepared for came from Bailey, I knew she was going through it especially with her mum dying but I wasn't expecting her to kinda turn on Hunt and Teddy but here we are, she is just moving her way through the motions of losing one of her top students.

Meredith Grey is clearly going to come out of this alive if that conversation with Dr. Cormac Hayes is anything to go by. Also, did we kinda see a nod of approval from McDreamy? I mean, logically I'm aware McDreamy wants what's best for his kids but also... nod of approval for the Irish doctor? Because I am absolutely nodding my head in approval for the Irish doctor. I do like the parallels between Mer and Cormac, he lost a spouse, he has kids, he's kinda dark and twisty and not to mention a present from Cristina... Still obsessed with him and excited to see where that relationship goes... even though it's only been like two seasons since his arrival.

Anyway, Jo and Jackson? Hello... that's a couple I wasn't expecting to love in every single way. I know April is coming back and I really hope the writers do not go down triangle lane and create this major issue between these two clearly talented and incredible women. I think Jo will find her person and I am heartbroken it isn't Karev but it's someone from this show... just who? I actually think if the writers had known that Karev was going to leave at some point they would have set her up with Linc, clearly way too late to do that but I think had they known, they would have absolutely set them up. The chemistry is 10/10 with those two. Anyway, back to Jo and Jackson... why don't I hate their coupling? I really vibe it. I love that it's two best friends just getting it on, living their lives, and talking crap and I really HOPE that doesn't change.

Since we were talking about Linc, let's discuss Amelia and her too much gene and how much I can relate to her. She's under immense pressure, I mean only a few seasons ago she had a brain tumor and now she's about to raise four kids with a boyfriend she's only been with for less than a season and she's really the only stable one out of everyone. One of her best friends also has COVID and her sister has COVID and yet here she is, not on the booze train and that's a real testimony to her character. Amelia has done so much and has come so far, she's one of the strongest characters on this show. Linc with his booze isn't really a big problem unless you're Amelia and know how bad it can go. I love that Linc removed himself from the situation as well. It's so lovely to see Amelia in this really mature and adult relationship.

Owen and Teddy really break my heart and I will literally be shook if Owen ends up forgiving her after everything. Going by the last episode, she's really going through it. She had to admit she never really loved Kurasic which hurt my soul, she admitted she named Alison after her own Alison to Owen and Owen basically rinsed himself clean of her, and then she performed surgery on her colleague who later died and NOW she's in charge of fucking Meredith Grey and Owen hates her guts AND the bitch hasn't seen her kids in so long? I mean how much more can Teddy take? I love Teddy. I know she's not really a fan fav at the moment but I want everything that is good in the world for her. I actually loved her back in season 5 when she was in love with her patient. She's such a good-natured character. She deserves all the love in the world and I think she needs help the same way I think Owen needed help, I think she needs to see someone about all the problems and work out why she self sabotages before she and Owen try and make it work again because Owen (also not a fan fav) deserves solid, he deserves to know who he is marrying. I don't doubt they don't love one another, I just think they have a lot of growing to do before they give it a go again. Sometimes I think the writers really write themselves into a hole and they've kind of done that with this pairing, I will be surprised to see how they dig themselves out of this one.

Anyway, next week looks like I will be in tears again.

All I'm saying is Teddy better not fucking die.

[takaraphoenix]

At the point of Meredith and Callie kissing out of routine because Callie is living with Meredith and Derek and they’re raising their kids together, I gotta say. Man, I wish this show learned about polyamory.

There is so many instances of unnecessary love-triangles.

And honestly, one of the things I love about this show is how... largely non-toxic the love triangles are. Sure, there’s a love triangle going on, but aside from the very rare outliner where cheating is involved (Callie/George vs George/Izzy), the two pending ends actually have great chemistry and no bitch fights.

Be that Meredith and Addison over Derek in season 2, I loved how Addison never stooped low and was never a mean bitch to Meredith about things, she always knew that Meredith’s situation was awkward and complicated. But Meredith and Addison’s dynamic was incredibly interesting and I still think they’d have been a great OT3.

Owen, when he was torn between Teddy and Cristina? Quite frankly, the Teddy/Cristina angle was the most interesting part of that love-triangle and at no point did either of them try to scratch the other’s eyes out over Owen, they both valued their own relationship far too much for that.

I love that Mark/Callie and Callie/Arizona basically ended up platonically raising Sofia together, it was the closest they got and I do love Mark and Callie as friends far more than in a romantic sense.

But Mark and Jackson with Lexie? Again, Mark and Jackson were the most interesting canon dynamic there. I loved how Mark took Jackson under his wing, despite them competing for the same girl, he never used his position against Jackson, he nurtured Jackson’s skills and was downright doting - seriously, that scene when Jackson left to take his bars exam and Mark went “Do you have enough cash with you? *puts a 20 in Jackson’s pocket*” was just precious.

I really, truly wish that someone would introduce the writers room of Grey’s Anatomy to polyamory. Because while their love triangles are superior to many other shows’ where there is bitch fights and low blows, I would still love for them, at one point, to learn that they can resolve a love triangle with some nice, good polyamory.

[magston-obsessed]

So I actually did write a whole essay about the Teddy, Owen, and Tom love triangle...

Teddy is my least favorite character at the moment. I should say that I have never really liked any of these characters. I’ve hated Owen for the longest time and a lot of the hate stems from his relationship with teddy.

I think Teddy is one of the most manipulative just plain rude characters on this show. She ruined Owen when she first came to the show she sabotage his relationship with Cristina by just confessing her love to him even though she knew he was in a relationship. Then she treats him like crap after Henry dies and then leaves (she gets fired but still). Then she comes back and ruins Owen and Amelia’s marriage (I know there’s other factors to that but she played a part). Then Owen comes and confesses his love to her and she turns him down because he just broke up with Amelia (like she ever cared when he was actually in a relationship). Then comes back pregnant they don’t work out so she moves on with Tom. Then she drops Tom and goes back to Owen (just because she had a kid with him) then she cheats on him with Tom and has sex with him on their wedding day (wtf). I always thought that when Owen and teddy were meant for each other but after this it made me realize that Teddys not in love with Owen. He just gives her what she always thought she wanted a family and someone that loves her and supports her which Owen will do and does no matter what. I think Teddy spent so much time convinced that Owen was her “soul mate” that she didn’t realize she stopped loving him

So at the end of last season I wanted Tom and Teddy to get together but now I just want Teddy gone. She tried to win Owen over and then when that doesn’t work she goes to Tom. I know he plays a part in the cheating and is in the wrong but at the same time he’s being strung along by Her. He really truly loves her and she’s taking advantage of that.

I honestly think in the end Owen is gonna take Teddy back. Which makes me angry because even though I don’t like Owen i don’t wanna see him suffering because I feel like if they have him a decent story line where he was happy I could like him. Like Owen has his kids now he doesn’t need a woman just let him focus on his career.

Teddy walking around pitying herself is so infuriating to me. Like of course no ones in your side you cheated on Owen and you had no reason other than you had two men that were in love with you. The conversation with Jo really made me mad like girl a recording of you cheating on your fiancée was played in an OR full of surgeons and nurses and you have the audacity to shame Jo because her husband left her like she gets to be upset you don’t you brought this on yourself.

[skywitchmaja]

I found your Cristina Yang drawing in the tags and I love it! Being that I’m still stuck inside, I finally watched the show and it’s so deranged! Like it genuinely has its moments of joy and fun but overall it’s just. Exhausting to watch? It was wild but watchable until Cristina left and then it dived into soap opera land for the next two seasons but after season 10? Not sure what they were smoking in the writers room! Also, I went through your tag and I one million percent agree with your thoughts on Cristina and Owen(who, if anyone did you think she should have ended up with?). Started fast forwarding his scenes like I genuinely hated him! Not sure what they were going for with that couple other tbh. And I’ve always been of the mindset that Teddy and Cristina should have been endgame, personally.

ahhhh thank you so much!!! i'm so happy to see this ask i love talking about greys madness :-) (this got really long so im gonna put it under a read more)

but yes it's SO insane, which i kinda love sometimes, the bomb episode is one of my favorite tv watching experiences, but it can absolutely be exhausting, especially in the later seasons. i've been watching it with my (former) roommate and we're on season 12 or 13, but i wouldn't have made it that far past christina's exit on my own lol. sandra oh carried that whole show for ten seasons! and she deserves much better scripts, honestly, and while her leaving wasn't entirely satisfying, i guess i'm glad they gave christina a #girlboss medical center in switzerland instead of. for example, hitting her with a bus. but in some ways it makes it worse because like, don't tell me christina's not gonna catch a plane to seattle when (season 11 spoiler)!! but wow! the show is so much worse without her </3 especially because we still have to suffer through owen?? and for what???? (although he's slightly... slightly less bad when he's not with christina, they really do bring out the worst in each other! lmao)

i think christina and teddy have one of the best, if a little co-dependent, mentor-mentee relationships in the series, (and christina does have a pattern of dating mentor figures!) i think teddy respects christina a lot more than owen or burke ever did, and they... actually seem to like each other a lot! so i think there's a lot of potential for a good relationship there, i would certainly pitch that if i was writing for greys in 2010. i mean christina tells teddy she would choose her over owen! in the rain! (which turns it from an own-centered love triangle to a christina-centered love triangle, like that's not even subtext)

i also like christina and meredith <3 their relationship is the emotional core of the show (until season 10 :/ ) and maybe i'm a sucker for best friends who just really love each other (and regularly show up in each other's beds lol) like they are each other's person! but realistically, they would need different things from each other in a relationship than they would in a friendship. i mean christina does not want kids, and mer is such a mom! so i don't think it would work within the show as written

but i also don't mind that she ended the show single, because the canonical relationships she was in were so.. bad. i think whoever christina is partnered with would have to accept that they come second to medicine (which burke and hunt couldn't deal with!) but to be fair, i think anyone would struggle with that. i think part of christina's draw to teddy is that teddy IS medicine to christina when they meet (similarly with burke), and it'd be interesting to see how that changes when christina is an attending or running her own research center in switzerland and she doesn't need a mentor/teacher.

[nellie-elizabeth]

Grey's Anatomy: Snowblind (16x15)

I don't know what to even think at this point?

Cons:

I've gone on record saying that Tom Koracick is better than Owen Hunt in every conceivable way, but especially as regards Teddy Altman. But come on. This whole love triangle/quadrangle/pentangle or whatever is getting seriously out of hand. You've got Teddy and Owen, and then Owen and Amelia, Amelia and Link, Teddy and Tom... it's a freakin' mess, and I wish all of these people would get over their bullshit and just sort out their lives. I know that this kind of thing is par for the course on a show like this, but it just goes to show that there's a right way and a wrong way to write trope-filled stories. I've enjoyed plenty of love triangles and messy situations on this show in the past, but this is one that I cannot abide. Teddy is going to feel guilty as shit, Owen is going to find out Amelia's baby might be his, Link is going to cry about it some more... I'm already so exhausted.

Nico has been deflecting with Levi, not addressing the issue about him not being out to his parents. I've got to say, I really like Levi, but I'm feeling frustrated about Nico. They haven't given him as much time to develop, so when he basically gives Levi an ultimatum, telling Levi to stop trying to change him by forcing him to talk about his feelings... it's really hard to see both sides here. I honestly think that's a writing issue. I like Nico. I want to keep liking him, and I want to learn more about him whether or not he and Levi stay together. I just wish their story was being handled with a bit more care, especially after so many great Levi-centric story-lines in recent weeks.

Are they going to kill off Alex? This isn't a complaint about the episode, just a - what the fuck? My guess is maybe he found out he was terminally ill or something, and wanted to leave so Jo and Meredith wouldn't have to watch him die. I know the actor bailed out, and maybe there was drama there, who knows? But from a story-telling standpoint, Alex's exit has so far been very bizarre, and troubling to say the least. This guy has sixteen seasons' worth of development under his belt. It's completely bonkers that he would run off and abandon his wife. It doesn't track with reality at all.

Pros:

Teddy going over to Tom's and kissing him is really annoying, but I loved their silly snowball fight earlier on. Tom's speech about how he's been trying to get in the club for two years really broke my heart. I think a lot of people have maybe felt that way in their lifetime, at some point. I know I feel it where I work, and I used to feel it doing theatre as a kid - like I was never quite in the center of things. Tom is a good man, and Teddy liking him is so sweet. It's just... clearly I'm supposed to think that Teddy kissing Tom is a bad thing, the kind of thing that is going to backfire on her. And here I am, wishing she'd just kick Owen to the curb!

As frustrating as the Alex situation is, I do like Jo and Link's friendship getting more screen-time. Great acting from them both in that final scene, where Jo talks about how she's pretty sure Alex left her, and Link rushes over to offer comfort. They have such good energy as friends who support each other no matter what. I'm glad to finally see that come through.

Bailey essentially adopts Joey, the foster kid who recently turned eighteen. I am actually all about this. Of course it's partially something she's doing in reaction to her recent miscarriage, but also it's built out of several episodes of buildup and trust. And it's like Bailey says - she has extra room, extra food, extra money, extra love to give. (She probably should have discussed it with Ben first, but I suppose that they do have a tradition in their marriage of making big life decisions without talking it over!)

Richard's story-line offered a couple of big surprises. He bonds with a resident and offers to let her do a surgery, only for Levi to stop them just in time - turns out, the woman is not a resident, but his missing patient who he has been tracking all through the hospital. This woman, Tess, has been sick throughout her whole life, and her repeated diagnoses meant that she couldn't finish med school. She just wanted a chance at following her dream. Richard ends up telling her that she still has that chance - she has more obstacles than most people, but she can still make it. And then Richard confesses that his hands have been shaking, and that his days of surgery are over.

This is a lot to process. I really liked Tess' story, and hope she does find a way to make it as a doctor. It's absolutely insane that she was about to cut someone open, but it worked within the confines of the story. And then there's Richard. He has been through hell recently, what with his marriage falling apart, getting fired, etc... and now this. He has a great speech about how his career defined his life more so than any of his relationships, and how he's not sure who he is without it. But he also knows that he got to do what he loved for a long time, and that he's still got a lot of life left to live. Richard is such a natural teacher and nurturer; it seems clear that he still has a future working in the medical field in that capacity, even if his time in the operating room has come to an end.

Then there's the DeLuca situation. He is rightfully and naturally quite upset with Meredith for saying he might be sick like his father, and even points out that he doesn't throw alzheimer's in her face every time she forgets something. And yet, as much as I want to be on Andrew's side here, there's the fact that he went out in a blizzard and walked several miles to fetch a liver for a patient, since the roads outside are all blocked off. He walks three miles both ways without gloves, saving a little girl's life but also doing damage to his hands. Jackson is adamant that Andrew needs to follow instructions or he could lose his hands, so this is clearly serious business. I'm worried for him, and I can totally understand why Meredith and Carina would be concerned.

Cormac and Meredith continue to bond over their dead spouses - I could definitely see this going in a romance direction, and it seems like that's where it's headed, but at the same time, they are also just good for each other because of their shared life experience. Cormac confesses to being lonely - he hasn't been with anyone since his wife's death. Meredith talks about the complexities of that first kiss, first "I love you" after her husband's death. I don't know if Meredith and Andrew are done for good, but Meredith's behavior here felt kind of... wistful, like maybe she can be grateful for what they had and know that it's not meant to last. I don't know if that's where we're headed, but I'm totally pulled in to the story. (Thus proving that a well-developed love triangle is possible!)

Also - the mentions of Cristina were delightful as always. She feels a lot closer to the core of the story this season than she has in a good while. And we even got a Twisted Sister reference!

There are probably details I've missed here - like Maggie confirming Teddy's suspicions, showing once again that she can never be trusted. Or Jackson making up from a fight with Vic that probably happened over on Station 19. I liked this episode, for the most part - I liked that for once, the big "disaster" of a snow storm didn't actually cause most of the drama of the episode. It was more contained, more character driven.

And next week, we get to find out whatever sort of ending they've cobbled together for Alex. I am... dreading it, y'all.

7.5/10

[hexblooded]

16x09 review (a very messy one, just like this episode)

Wow, where to begin with this clusterfuck of an episode? Let’s just start with the stuff I liked.

Nico supporting Levi, we should always get more of that, 11/10.

Cristina being the MVP six seasons after she left and sending Mer a hot rebound? 16/10

I loved Jo going to pick up the baby and interacting with Jack and Ben, also the conflicting point of views on the baby’s (and her own) mother’s actions. But Jo, honey, don’t kidnap a baby.

On another note NO ALEX? SERIOUSLY?

Link was being a good bean all around, I love him and he deserves better.

I am not speaking about the baby thing because I hope it’s resolved quickly when they come back, I’m 100% sure it’s just going to be a plot device to get Teddy to doubt her choice to be with Owen, which brings us to...

Also deserves better, Teddy and Tom. They deserve netter storylines than a love triangle that’s going to end up with a broken hearted Tom and Teddy with a man that makes her constantly doubt herself and their relationship.

Owen also doesn’t deserve another kid, since he doesn’t even take care of the one he has with Teddy, but that’s neither here nor there.

ALSO deserves better: BENLEY. What was that for?????? They were so happy and excited and Bailey wanted a baby girl and she and Amelia and their little preggers club, why did they have to crush us like this? Unnecessary like the whole rest of the episode.

And Maggie, honey boo, my baby is suffering and I need it to stop (I really hope it wasn’t her on the car that crashed into the bar). She needs therapy asap, Jo should recommend Carly to her. Also Gemma was totally right with Richard, he needs to be there for her, it wasn’t her fault. She keeps doing everything right but still everything manages to derail for her.

Speaking of, remember Vic’s comment about limos? I think it was Catherine’s limo that hit the bar, and I’m really hoping Maggie (even though she quit) will save one of her coworkers and regain her confidence.

I don’t care about Richard and Catherine and the is he cheating storyline. Just have a conversation for fucks sake, that’s the only thing I’ve agreed on with Jackson for a while.

Now Merluca. I didn’t take him breaking up with her being the same reason as with Maggie (that was about him feeling inferior) with Meredith it was about him loving her more than she did him. So I don’t know how to feel about his convo with Nico and Link (they weren’t wrong, it’s just that I don’t see it applying in their situation idk).

About the new doctors, they tried to pull a Riggs and failed wonderfully, did not like that guy at all, even if Cristina had good intentions. And I have no idea what the hell are we supposed to think about that new lady doctor, was she just a one time appearance or is Owen going to cheat on Teddy with her when she starts having doubts about their relationship? I mean, he does have a record...

[confused-and-hurtzo]

Grey’s S15

So... I pranked myself like I always do, and I decided to do a mini grey’s rewatch of seasons 12-15. To be completely honest, I didn’t watch season 13 or 14 entirely, and I wanted to understand this past season better. (I lowkey also wanted to see Deluca’s character development b/c I want to understand the man that Mer just said ‘I love you’ to). So here is a review of Grey’s S15, what I hope to see in S16, a rant on some comments I have seen on the internet about. I just need to let my thoughts out. 

First of all, I am a big Grey’s Anatomy fan. Although I roll my eyes every time I say it's been running this long, this show has a special place in my heart. I started watching the show during my formative years, Cristina Yang basically raised my teenage self. I started in middle school, and now we are here, a year away from graduating my undergrad at UofT. I don’t want to discredit the amazing women that raised me, but I also don’t want to not mention Shondaland and its influence on who I am today. Overall, Grey’s is kind of like my bible, I rewatch it every time I need to feel comfortable, validated, and reasonable. Its storytelling has allowed me to understand so many things, such as addiction (s/o to Private Practice and Amelia Shepherd), family issues, loyalty, love, empowerment. Its most important lesson is that life goes on. No matter how hard it gets, it just keeps going, and that's the beauty of it. We all can take whatever it throws at us, and come on the other side, stronger and wiser. I hate it when people say that they miss the old Grey's, that they miss Derek or Cristina. It’s all very valid, I miss them too. However, that is life, people die, people move across the globe, and you just have to deal with that and move forward. 

I really enjoyed this season because of its attention to detail. I know this sounds very odd, but, after watching S12, 13, and 14, I feel that this season was packed with references. It mostly stayed true to the characters' storylines and amended some plot holes from previous seasons. I love that the Mer-Tatcher storyline had a conclusion, I always wondered what happened to him after Lexie died.  I also enjoyed meeting Alex’s mom, she is honestly a sweetheart. Benley’s story was so exciting, I am never concerned about them because they are perfect, but it is good to see them going through hard times. They brought back Teddy, which allowed Owen’s character to move forward. I loved that they gave Amelia a chance, we got a better explanation of why her family was not there, and her story became full-circle. There is more reference to the Mer’s kids, making us remember that she is a mom LOL. Finally, although he is a more recent character, I love Schmidt so much. He cracks me up, and his story is so underrated. 

In this part, I will focus more on my favorite characters of the show and what I liked about them this season:

Meredith: I have to admit, I always thought I was Cristina Yang, but the more I reflect on this, the more I realize that I am more of a Meredith Grey. I am so proud of how far she has come, professionally and emotionally. She is a warrior. I love how happy she is this season. It's partly because of her new relationship, but also she is very stable now, with her kids, her award, her friendships. She is always working really hard to be a better person, and it takes a courageous person to admit that you need to improve and actually doing the work to be better. She understands her past and moves forward, motivating the people that love her the most to do the same thing. She has changed, for good. And, people may say that she is not the Meredith Grey she was in season 1, and I say that this is a good thing. She has grown up and learned from her mistakes (some of them, she was still afraid of I love you’s and committed insurance fraud, but some things don’t change lol). Cece was such a central character for her storyline, I loved how she allowed her to believe in herself and in life-after-love (yes, this is a Cher reference), which is why Merluca is a thing now. I high-key believe that Cece intentionally created the Link-Andrew-Meredith love triangle for Deluca to step up his game and show her how much she wants to be with her. After all, Cece was there when they talked about the kiss, she saw something, and finessed her way into making it a reality. I can’t help but smile at the fact that Mer is smiling like a teenager again, it fills my heart. I too loved Derek, but he died. That happens, it sucks. But, Mer has every right to move on and fall in love again. She deserves finding love again. 

Alex: Alex as chief was my favorite thing this season. I love how he just got the job randomly, but this job allowed him to prove himself what he is capable of. Don’t get me wrong, I love Bailey as chief, but we all knew that she was going to be a great chief someday. I always root for the underdog, and in this particular situation, he was the underdog. My favorite part is when Bailey and Weber realized how good he was at the job because he understands that delegating is a thing (lol). I liked meeting his mom, that storyline just re-states how pure he is. I love how he doesn’t realize that Merluca is a thing, he is just completely oblivious. It broke my heart to see him freaking out about Jo because it made me realize how much Izzie scared him. He is the Most Improved Character of the show. Period. 

Amelia: I love Amelia so much. She is often very misunderstood by some fans, but you all need to watch private practice to understand her better. I liked this season because it made justice to her and her journey. We learned a bit more about Christopher. We saw her being a mom with both Betty and Leo. We saw her helping Betty through her addiction. We saw her standing up for herself and end a relationship that had become very toxic. We saw her talk to her family and, more importantly, talk to her mom. We saw her rise above her love for Owen and let him be happy with Teddy. She has grown so much and this season allowed her to do that, which I am very grateful for. After rewatching S15, I now am a full Amelink stan. I love how they start their first significant interaction with Link word-vomiting his feeling about the overdose wave. He talks a lot, just like her, and he is willing to listen to her talking. One reason why Omelia didn’t work out was that Owen didn’t talk and Amelia felt that she shouldn’t talk either, leading to significant miscommunications. I also love that Link understands addiction a bit better than Owen, which is already a sign that this relationship has potential. I loved Omelia, they had a very awkward, sometimes funny, sometimes dark relationship and helped each other in very dark moments. They did love each other, in their own twisty way. However, I think that it kind of became an addiction for them to be together despite all the red flags, which is not healthy.

Jackson: I love Jackson, he has such a big heart. Kind of salty about Japril not being endgame, but we gotta move on. I loved how supportive he was with Catherine during the tumor surgery, their chemistry is so good. Like. It’s hard for me to believe that they are not actually mother and son. I love that he is a high-key Merluca shipper and how much he respects Richard Webber. I hope he doesn't die. 

Deluca: OK... so I just going to say that I want him to be in peds so bad, he is the SOFTEST character atm, I am in love. He has also grown this season. I think its partly because the writers want us to believe he has now that he is dating THE Meredith Grey, but we stan this evolution. People always complain about how he didn’t want to date Maggie b/c she was his boss, and I would like to disagree with that to an extent. Yeah... the problem was that she was his boss, but the main issue was because he was afraid of the favoring situation, meaning that he didn’t love Maggie because was not willing to put up with what others would think about them. Sigh. Anyways... I enjoy how much depth his character is getting, learning about his family was important because we now understand the difficulties he has faced. He has shown that he is no longer an intern. I cringe every time people try to invalidate his character by pointing out how immature he was. No one on Grey’s is their intern self. Look at Alex, Mer, Bailey, SCHMIDT... everyone has grown out of their intern mistakes, so why should we just bring up Andrew’s to justify why Merluca shouldn’t be a thing? (and so what if he is not as mature as Mer? Mer wasn’t as “mature” as Derek, and no one batted an eye... double standards am I right?). The being beaten up by Alex storyline really shook him. He did say some irrational things, but how are you supposed to be 100% rational when you went through a very untenable situation? He deserves the benefit of the doubt and a second chance. Don’t tell me you all have never said impulsive things or had inappropriate crushes. Smh.  

What I want to see in S16

Meredith in jail and her village supporting her. 

Jo and Alex dealing with Jo’s depression in a compassionate and empowering way. 

Teddy and Owen being parents and being in love.

I want a Towen wedding, just because I want everyone to look pretty AF.

Owen and Amelia being good friends. As much as I think Omelia is no longer a viable love relationship, I really like their chemistry, and I would like to see them becoming good friends. 

Merluca being domestic with the kids and talking about their past. I want Mer to tell him about her losses, her feelings, her fears. I want them to talk about the age difference in a positive way. I honestly don’t see Mer getting pregnant, but like I always think about Ben and Bailey and how Ben just became Tuck’s dad and he loves him like his own son. I can see Andrew loving Mer’s kids in that way. 

Andrew choosing peds and Alex mentoring him, just like Arizona. Team Peds 2.0?

I want to see Carina more, more insight into her character. She is always someone’s lover or just Andrew’s sister, but we don’t get to see her by herself.

Andrew just dealing with the sister trifecta. I want funny, light, comic relief interactions.  

Knowing where the fuck Jackson is. I am ready to see him go, but I am also not prepared to see him go. 

[bi-lullaby]

I loved your last rankings so much that I'm sending you another fun (?!) challenge! How would you rate all these male GA characters from your favorite to least favorite, no ties allowed? :) Alex, Derek, Richard, Mark, Owen, Jackson, Burke, George, Andrew, Linc and Ben? Good luck, and as always, feel free to include your reasons why because I love your answers!

Ohhh boy you give me life with those asks! Here we go:

1 - As no surprise to anyone: Alex. My baby had the best character development I’ve ever seen, really, brcaus ewhile it was huge, it was also paced and believable and stabilished and non-linear. He was a huge asshole with a concealed heart of gold in season one. In season 15, he’s a golden boy with a concealed asshole side, and the growth/diminishment of those sides weren’t always inversely proportionate, but adjusted to what each characteristic was brought out more by his surroundings/worked more on by himself. Also, he’s the person that has stuck with mer for the longest and through the most, which would put him in a high place in this list even if he wasn’t my favorite on his own. I also adore how, thematically, he’s so moved by the women in his life (bot just the romantic i terests while we are at it) for the betterment of himself and hsi ways. It’s not like Owen’s “I’ll need her to take care of me emptionally and shape herself to my desires so I can be in a good place, it’s recognizing those positive influences in his life and trying to emulate them/work with them/learn from them. Also about his theme, itms less the worn-out “guy is validated in being an asshole bc he had a tough life” and more “guy learns that his tough life doesn’t mean he gotta act like an asshole”. I love this character so much, ugh.

2 - Ben. A freaking Disney prince would be a sleeazy douche in comparison. I was so weirded out when Shobda decided to give so much focus to this random-ass character, then I was really turned off by his storyline with the cutting people open and all that (not necessarily because I thought he was wrong, I just felt the storyline was handled awkwardly and made him sound pelutant and irresponsible instead of a promissing, if stubborn, future surgeon. I’ve yet to watch Station 19, but this angel with a scalpel and a fire hose for wings deserves his own goddamn spin-off, for sure.

3 - My baby Andrew. Yeah, he is not that developed, has been inconsistent, his change from “freaking out over Maggie being his boss” to “marvellung at Meredith’s every movie even though she’s kinda even more his boss because she owns the hospital” was... A B R U P T. But I really enjoy this new Andrew - as a side note: I could not care less for him during the whole Sam storyline, he seemed like a toned down Jonhy Bravo - He’s smart and sweet and funny and worships Mer like the Wonder Woman she is. His relationships with Arizona, Amelia, Jo, Carina and now Alex need more screentime because they’re great (or have the potential to be so). He’s competent and brilliant and selfless (dropping the charges on Alex even if he was completely in the right, taking the blame for mer now) and so tender (his absolute gentleness in peds, taking care of Amy after the operation, being a moody, emotive boy because he lost his love instead of a macho men...). The future holds great things for him, and I’m excited to watch them unfold!

4 - Not on your list but I love: Tom. Boy is he nice. As I was figuring out this order, I realized he reminds me a lot of my favorite character (Dean Winchester) - or at least what I think Dean would be if he was older, richer and lived without the Supernatural World and so many traumas. His talk to April was so moving and I felt it really helped. He doesn’t stand on a moral high horse: He does what he thinks is right and damned be judgment. He’s empathetic, he’s romantic, he treats Teddy RIGHT. He deserves to have his own storyline and be more developed and show us kore of his awesomeness.

5 - Jackson. As I said in my ships rating answer, I’ve only started to care for him recently, but I really do care. He’s not a character I’d, like, write fic about, or long rants and meta, but I love his sibling-esque relationship with Mer and his relationship with Maggie and the way he connects with his mom and how this spoiled, immature transfer with something to prove became a respected, innovative surgeon and father who’s secure of himself and ready to explore different paths and ways and worldviews. I just wish him, and the Grey’s fandom, would be less defensive about the callout of his privileged life. Like. I’ve seen people write paragraphs upon paragraphs about how Maggie was a bitch for calling him privileged. And he is (for his hoards upon hoards of money growing up). That’s not too hard a concept to grasp. Plus, it’d be nice if he could treat Maggie as less of a consolation prize/second chance. Just because faith (or lack thereof) was a source of tension in his previous marriage, and he feels like changing that would have made everything better, doesn’t mean the same applies to his current relationship, or that Maggie is the one who should change -he learned, learned, and is back in square one seeing only his side of it - I really hope this season treats him more kindly and gives him happiness and peace!

6 - Richard. I love him for his parental-and-ish relationships, specially to Maggie, Mer and Jackson, but to Bailey and Callie too. That’s my favorite aspect of him, watching those gives me a nice, warm feeling in my tummy and puts a smile on my face. There’s some aspects of him I find either boring or unpleasant, and I think it’s kinda annoying how him retiring has been a theme/conflict since, like, season one, and fast-foward ten years and he’s basically an entity at the hospital. Like? What? Was the point? You’ve waisted my time? For nothing? But he’s a solid, reliable character you can’t really hate and who brings more good than bad to the show by far. As a side note: one day I will yell at him for his treatment of Maggie after she talked about HER OWN HISTORY and he basically called her a mistake (although he apologized pretty soon and she forgave him so so will I).

7 - Mark. He was great and all that, but never sparked that love some characters did. I was sad when he died, I loved his scenes and relationships, I just am not invested in him. Plus the immaturity in his relationship with Lexie pisses me off a bit, as does his “man whore” personality.

8 - Link. Genuinely love him, he’s been nothing but sweet and kind and fun and helpful this entire time! I cheered for Merlink sooooo much imat first, and I really wish their friendship will be developed! Him and Jo are everything I never knew I needed. He has no arguable flaws besides being so sculped it freaks me out a little bit, but he isn’t higher up in my rank because there isn’t much material for that yet, but expect a climb as he becomes more and more regular.

9 - Burke. He was kinda sweet and did a good thing for Cristina (the hospital). He was also manipulative and arrogant and voundary-crossing in their relationship. I might like him better if it was bot for Burktina, but we will never know.

10 - Owen. Toxic as fuck, annoying, controlling, disgusting. Those are all things that very much apply to Owen in a lot of situations. Screaming at Cristina for “murdering their baby”? YIKES. Big no no. He was not suited for romantic relationships at all and I wish the show would realize that and allow him that space and breathing time without being stuck in a complicated relationship with loads of baggage or a love triangle. Because that’s my whole thing about him: I believe he has room for growth. His relationship with April is pretty amazing, he was always so considerate and gentle with her, all the time, and I want to see more of that bond. He loves kids and can be really good with them, he has a lot of things to work out with the traumas of his father’s death + war + his sister’s story. Why not focus on that? Why not show him growing and processing and bettering himself and living up to the potential he has? I feel like they gave the all the wrong romantic storylines to the character who’s otherwise really good and that’s such a shame because I really enjoyed him at first. Lets see what happens from now on, and if he gets a dose of tv’s “heterosexual love and a nuclear biological family solve everything!” medicine or if this is a turning point for him.

11 - Derek. He never really had any appeal to me. Not his face, not his personality, not his storylines or plot points pr the actor. That’s reason enough for him to rank low, but I also think he had some really bad traits. He was arrogant and condescending and had a God complex and was sexist and pushy and just not great for the people around him. Exploiting Amy’s addiction being outed to steal surgeries? Refusing to give Mer credit on their clinic trial? Putting ultimatums on his girlfriend that she either has to be ready for a full, committed relationship or end things, then call her a slut when she sleeps with other guys after they broke up? Cheating on Addison after deciding to work things out? Stringing mer and addie along? Not saying he was married in the first place? Pushing Mer’s boundaries after she was clearly uncomfortable with having slept with her boss? Refusing to have an inch of empathy for Mer’s action regarding the trial despite her complicated history with the people she was trying to help (who were her friends, actually?)? Telling his depressed girlfriend that she should be concerned the happiest part of his day was flirting with another girl from the bar? Ratting out on Richard to the board because he wanted the spot? Not acknowledging Mer’s trauma after the shooting? Kissing nurse Rose while building the dream house? Kissing his student while being married in NY? Pushing his wife to move and saying his career was more important than his after he had compromised on letting her shine? All things that, isolated, can even be understood on context and “everyone makes mistakes”, but that when put together, make it pretty clear it’s a pattern of someone with very little regard to the people around him. Was he a good surgeon? Yeah. Great father as well. He also had some interesting relationships and iconic scenes, truly, I can recognize that. I hurt for the people he loved and left behind (and I genuinely think he loved them and meant well), but he himself I don’t miss at all.

12 - I think George is the clearest contrast between how old greys handled matters of sexism and gender and sexuality and how it does now. He was such a sleazy nice guy at times, it is unbearable to me. And he ranks lower than Derek because A) His relationships also bored me while Derek’s could pique my interest at times, B) There’s no talk about his mistakes. Remember when he (in his own words) took advantage of Meredith being on a terrible, delicate, vulnerable place (still hiding her mother’s Alzheimer’s and seeing a person be blown to pieces and being dumped by who she thought was the one and being rejected by her father for the second time after seeing him for the first time in tweenty years) and, knowing that she was not interested in him, pursued her, then after she started crying because of the literal pile of shit she was having to carry around (and still trying to preserve his feelings), got mad at her and everyone sided with him? It baffled younger me to bits that what Mer had “done” was so terrible, it has not stoped bafflinn me in the years that have passed since. Can you imagine any of the girls crying during sex because they’re so overwhelmed and feel like that’s a mistake, and the guy freaks out on them and they’re instantly ostracized by the narrative and characters? That’s essentially criticizing her for the right of saying no, of stopping when she doesn’t want to continue, of not giving away her time and feels just because a goofy guy who is her friend feels entitled to them. That’s the word: entitled. He literally says he “saw her first”. How’s that not Nice Guy 101? I would understand his ego being bruised, but the guilt tripping and the bitching and the fact none of that is treated as a fucking creepy thing? Yikes. Also how he treated Callie, who deserved so, so much better. And even Olivia who was perfectly lovely and did nothing wrong besides having sex with more than one guy without breaking either of their trusts because she wasn’t in a relationship with any of them. Did he do some good things? Sure did! Joey’s surgery costs being cut, helping Bailey give birth, some of his interactions with patients were really sweet, and he died giving his life for someone else. It’s just that consequence-less sexism and entitlement that never gets adressed and gets treated as not only valid, but right, that makes him go rom unappealing to downright hated for me. Better left in the past where people can misplacedly idolize him!

Thank you so much for asking, I love those thought-inspiring asks! <3