Grey’s Anatomy Recap: Don’t Lift My Albatross

As a seasoned Grey’s Anatomy enthusiast with over a decade of emotional investment, I must say this latest episode left me in a puddle of tears and a bundle of feels. The heart-wrenching storyline between Schmitt and Cal was enough to make even the toughest hearts weep, but the unexpected bonding moment between James and Schmitt had my shipper heart fluttering. I’m pretty sure I wasn’t the only one who caught those vibes!


On Grey’s Anatomy, surgeons seem to have a habit of concealing life-threatening tumors from their loved ones. Characters like Amelia Shepherd, Nicole Herman, Izzie Stevens, and Richard Webber all share this peculiar trait. For instance, Catherine Fox is currently in her second round of keeping her condition secret. Fortunately, it appears she may not be at imminent risk yet. However, convincing her of that might prove challenging…

Although Catherine seems stuck in a dispute with Meredith regarding the latter’s unauthorized Alzheimer’s research, Meredith isn’t prepared to succumb to pessimism about her health situation just yet. She orders some scans which suggest liver tumors (not ideal), and subsequently consults Bailey for her professional opinion following a disclosure of the patient’s identity. Given that Catherine had a significant influence on Bailey’s entire career, she manages to set aside their current strained relationship like a true professional.

After examining the scans, Bailey suspects that the tumors may be an unintended consequence of Catherine’s Budd-Chiari syndrome and suggests a biopsy. However, Catherine is firmly against it — until she receives a message from Richard. This prompts her to take Bailey and Meredith to a bar, where they ultimately manage to persuade her to undergo the necessary tests over drinks.

It’s disheartening indeed to see Catherine continue to exclude Richard from important matters. However, she has a solid rationale: Given the complexities she encounters every month, she doesn’t want him to be burdened with constant concerns. Yet, isn’t marriage supposed to involve standing by each other in… well, in various aspects and during challenging times? Food for thought, Catherine! Incidentally, I shed tears when they were singing “Never Too Much” on their way home because, like everyone else, I am emotional as well.

Ignorant of his wife’s health issues, Richard enjoyed a fantastic day by putting Teddy in his place and playing golf with Lucas and Winston. (Just like those Grey’s Anatomy doctor buddies used to do off the clock, right? Let’s revive that camaraderie!)

It appears that Teddy has regained her position as a surgeon, though she’s no longer the chief. This is due to concerns about her handling money, specifically accusations that she might use it for questionable purposes like supporting a friend’s controversial Alzheimer’s research. Owen seems taken aback by this news, but Teddy isn’t keen on discussing it further. It seems surgeons have a reputation for being reluctant to accept assistance. Meanwhile, Amelia has returned to work only to find her lab has been taken over. Catherine Fox, even while fighting a terminal illness, is not one to back down!

This week, Owen’s mind is elsewhere due to a distressing situation. His childhood friend Nora, whom he hasn’t seen in years, is hospitalized with internal bleeding from her esophagus. In the end, Owen and Teddy manage to perform the necessary surgery, and luckily, Nora recovers. Unfortunately, Schmitt’s patient Cal, who suffers from a rare genetic condition called Li-Fraumeni syndrome, which increases his risk of developing cancer at an early age, does not fare as well. The mere mention of this disorder stirred sad memories for me, and by the end of this narrative thread, I was genuinely tearing up.

Schmitt is resolute in his mission to help Cal overcome cancer, and he chooses not to accept the possibility that this might be an unwinnable struggle in the end. He’s adopting what he terms as “professional detachment,” which he thinks means not being affected by things like missing out on a pediatrics fellowship or the likelihood of his patient passing away prematurely with great sadness. Despite his anger towards the hospital’s new chaplain, James, for encouraging Cal’s preoccupation with death and providing him with a catalog of caskets, Schmitt is determined to save Cal’s life. James candidly tells Schmitt that he has an inflated sense of self, but like many individuals with such beliefs, Schmitt is not open to this perspective.

Until they successfully remove Cal’s extensive spinal tumor through a remarkable surgery where Amelia and Monica work on both his front and back simultaneously, they manage to remove it entirely. However, while receiving the positive news, Cal experiences seizures. It is subsequently discovered that he has a rapidly progressing, malignant brain tumor, leaving him with only a few weeks, or possibly months, to live. Schmitt tries his best to maintain an optimistic outlook, offering Cal the familiar perspective that our perception of time isn’t fixed and encouraging him to make a list of things he wants to accomplish in the limited time remaining, such as attending space camp. However, Cal is deeply saddened by this revelation, which causes Schmitt to become emotional and step outside. At this moment, I could hardly contain my tears.

In this movie, much like how James connected with Cal previously, he found himself beside Schmitt, simply lending an ear as he poured out his sorrows. Now, I’ve always been one to root for fresh relationships on screen, and I must admit, there was a certain chemistry between these two that had me intrigued. Was it just my imagination, or did anyone else sense a potential bond forming between them? If so, it seems I’m not alone in this observation.

After I wipe away my tears, let’s briefly revisit Richard’s golf match. It’s delightful to watch Grey Sloan’s surgeons engage in male camaraderie outside their usual workplace, but there’s more to Winston’s friendly banter: He’s covertly trying to persuade Richard to reconsider his decision to step away from surgery – once again. Richard demonstrates an unmatched skill on the golf course, and Winston suggests that if he can still play like a pro, he might have more operating years ahead than he imagines. This fresh outlook encourages Richard to relinquish his chief position to Teddy with an offhand gesture. Her initial move? Overseeing Catherine’s biopsy procedure. We’ll see how that turns out…

Apart from their Day of Fun, Winston, Richard, and Lucas’s escapade has another consequence. Upon returning home, Lucas finds Sydney Heron subtly chiding him for his popularity with the bosses due to an uncle named Derek. (Awkward: The Most Irritating Person We Know Makes a Valid Point.) Pondering over this wake-up call, Lucas reflects that he might need to redo his intern year instead of relying on Richard’s suggestion during their golf game to let an uncle’s friend bail him out. After all, as an intern, Lucas had operated on a patient without supervision, and that patient tragically bled out and passed away. Though it will be humbling to return to the beginning while his friends (and girlfriend, Simone) move ahead in their careers beside him, he decides it’s the right choice. Way to go, Lucas! At least not moving to Chicago means he can continue dating Simone.

Regarding our other interns, Mika and Jules are continuing a long-standing tradition at Grey’s by kissing in the elevator, but they aren’t very skilled, as they get caught. On the other hand, Blue is finding himself dodging between operating rooms while trying to explain to his ex-fiancée, who refuses to leave the hospital despite having amnesia, why they split up and why she has so few photos of him (I’m guessing the hospital wouldn’t let Molly just linger in the corridors, but I’m getting off topic).

Blue and Molly first crossed paths at a Halloween party, where Molly was dressed as a disco ball. As he admired her reflection in all those tiny mirrors, he found himself smitten with her, declaring “there’s no part of this person I didn’t like.” (Aww!) However, as their wedding day drew near, Blue became increasingly troubled because his mother wouldn’t be able to attend. Overwhelmed by this, he made a regrettable decision and betrayed Molly. They argued, and in the heat of their disagreement, Molly left in her car. Tragically, this led to an accident that left her with memory loss. I apologize, but I’ll need to get another box of tissues…

Indeed, at the conclusion of their chat, Blue gives Molly a kiss – as uncomfortable as one would anticipate under such circumstances. Yet she handles it gracefully. Given her second chance, she seems ready to move forward, and if fortune favors them both, Blue can find release too. Oh, could we be witnessing a new era in Grey’s Anatomy? It certainly feels that way. However, it might just be the tears speaking.

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2024-10-04 17:54