Grey's Anatomy - Jukebox Hero - Review

I was told by a firefighter I dated many years ago never ever to put my feet up on the dash as a passenger of a car. Ever. You know what it’s like, long car journey, the sun is shining and you kickback with your feet up. I mean it’s not the best thing to do if you’re the driver either obviously …but crash…with feet on the dash…and, he said, “your injuries will be profound.” As we found out this week when Mindy, an in labour taxi passenger was advised by our very own Dr Robbins to spread her legs and relax.

Hiatus ended for real this week as normal service resumed at Grey Sloan Memorial. By that I mean melodrama and shenanigans. Jukebox Hero, written by Joanne Clack, directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan broke us into the new year with a missing Alex, a pissed Webber, an over worked Robbins and a deeply annoying Wilson. And when I say deeply annoying I am using my gentle British understatement.

Alex is missing. Meredith sets out to find Alex who, after some haphazard web searching by Maggie, appears to be locked up and having that strip search I was dreaming about a few episodes ago. Moving from jail to jail, with the images of maximum security still fresh in viewers’ minds Meredith fails to find which cell he’s been assigned to. Only when Arizona unloads to Andrew is there the first inkling things are not as they seem. Alex is not in jail. He’s in Meredith’s bed sleeping. Um? Did I miss something? Doesn’t he have his own bed?
Did Andrew drop the charges? Maybe so. I’m relieved that we have some story progression with Alex. One more episode would have stretched the viewer too far. He was never going to prison (*she says with the confidence of hindsight*) but they kept it real and now he needs to get back to work…with DeLuca as his new peds pose.

This suspense was all very well but forcing the viewer to put up with perennial whiner Jo Wilson falling into her pool of self pitying sludge was too much to bear. I gave her a chance. Last week I thought she broke through that particular habit but no. She’s worse. Time to put this viewer out of her misery. But they won’t. We will be subjected to Jo’s husband, Alex being Jo’s saviour against her husband, there may even be a need to operate on him and have a moral dilemma. I wonder if there is light at the end of the Meredith and Alex tunnel. I haven’t bought into them as a couple previously….maybe now?

Richard Webber is being treated appallingly. Whatever your thoughts on Eliza Minnick or the immature behaviour of the Attendings nothing, and I mean nothing excuses Bailey’s treatment of Richard. I can’t quite figure out if this is just bad writing of a bad story or just a bad story that no writing could improve. Bailey shouting “You really want to do this to me?” made no sense. She’s pulled the rug right out from under Richard and she’s now pissed that he’s fighting back. I don’t get it? Now I know what you’re gonna say, that it’s all Catherine’s idea and fault. Maybe so. But how is it that board members are using subterfuge and petitions and not their positions as senior executives of the hospital. Melodrama.

There is further difficulty with this story evidenced while watching Minnick struggle to get the attention of the Attendings. Of course she’s not going to get it. She’s been given no authority. Without even a courtesy briefing to the Attendings Bailey is under the impression that she’s running a muddled dictatorship. It’s almost as if she’s muttering under her breath “They will do as I say even if I’m not actually going to tell them what I’m doing.” I feel sorry for Minnick on the one hand, she came on board in good faith but she’s not helping herself by undermining the Attendings. The only Attending willing (albeit unknowingly) to delegate to her Resident is Arizona and let’s face it she only did it out of necessity rather than desire.

But Arizona did save the episode, possibly for the second week in a row. The writers have finally remembered that Dr Robbins is still a surgeon and she’s been very busy. The most interesting part of this story arc is the integration of Robbins into the bigger picture. The character of Arizona Robbins has spent the vast majority of her time on the fringes, in the shadow of Callie Torres, an outsider, never part of the Meredith party. This week she’s the centre of the medical drama, soaking in guilt having put the patient in this vulnerable position, batting off Minnick, a potential love interest, on the one hand and Pierce on the other, empowering her intern and yet pining for her friend Alex (…while Jo was whining in her self pity soup) to her er other friend and room mate DeLuca, Alex’s victim. I don’t remember an episode where Robbins has been a ‘fulcrum’ character like that. Yes we’ve seen dedicated stories or episodes but this was about solidifying her character centrally. Plus they have normalised her professional relationship with Murphy, eliminating any awkwardness and resetting them back to pre-shag. I’m rather relieved by that.

In other news Amelia is still AWOL, hiding out at Stephanie’s place while Owen paces the hospital and city hoping she’s not popping pills with vodka with a needle in her arm. Poor bloke. It must feel deeply personal that both wife number one and wife number two don’t ‘want’ children. Well, on the surface anyway. We all know Amelia really does and that she’s just terrified. I’m looking forward to that moment of clarity.

In the end I enjoyed Jukebox Hero. Not as much as last week’s opener but enough to be excited for second half of the season…which starts now.

I am left with two questions though:
Is Amelia the only neurosurgeon?
and
Where are Meredith’s children?