Grey's Anatomy - Everything Has Changed - Review

“Congratulations, you all made it. You’re here.” This episode's intro felt like a flashback to the old days. Residents going against each other on day one, old locker room, "old" operating room, old speech about how you can save a life but you can end it. It really feels like a reboot. I like the references but I’m not entirely sure where this new approach will lead, so, my opinion about this is on standby until further notice.

The episode begins with a first look at Chief Grey and how she embraced her new role, and I can say that I like it. It fits perfectly on her. Although we have only 8 episodes - now 7 left - with Ellen Pompeo, I'm honestly curious to see more of Meredith as Chief!

We go on with a brief introduction of the new residents, and we learn Jules (Adelaide Kane) slept with Link (I got that reference!). We then see her meeting Mika Yasuda… who will stab her in the back 2 minutes or less later. A great way to start. My first impression of Mika is of a character who is sure of herself, even a little too much considering what being a resident at GSMH means. Then we meet the two male residents Lucas and Benson, and then Griffith, who at the beginning of the episode definitely looks like the most chaotic one of the group. The residents then meet Chief Grey – please, I’m already loving this – who welcomes them into the “renovated” OR…(that, to me, looks a lot like the first one from s1, but maybe I’m wrong), while she’s giving her speech about life and death, we see Bailey is back, not as a doctor, but it’s good to see her! 

And thanks to her we learn the old senior residents are not (all) back because they liked their new residency program more. Except for Schmidt who is apparently an ObGyn resident in his first scene of the season, but it doesn’t last for long because he clearly doesn’t like it at all. I agree with you, Schmidt. I agree with you. Besides that, we learn Richard and Catherine traveled a lot while Catherine tried to rebuild the residency program with Meredith, renovating the OR, buying new equipment, and we also learn that the residents we see are not supposed to be top class but– the rest of it, people who didn't fit anywhere else. And I like this concept because, as Meredith said, it's about second chances. But Bailey clearly disapproves, so I'm guessing this is gonna cause some trouble (especially if and when she becomes chief again).

In this episode we didn’t have much of a reveal on what’s going on with Amelia’s life, considering her first main scene of the season involves the new residents, of course, and a pretty emotional scene where they have to deal with the tornado’s victims, and declare if they’re brain-d*ad or not.I think this was a good scene for the new residents to get a grip on what working in a hospital means. Thanks to this turn of events, we also got to see a bit of their personalities, specifically Jules and Mika’s…and I have to be honest, I find Jules very precise and genuine, I’m not saying she’s not gonna make mistakes (because she will) but for now I can say she’s my favorite one (thanks Addy!). 

Mika seems tough, she says she likes dark humor and she seems like the type of person who puts up a wall to not let things hurt her but I LOVED the scene she had with the mother of one of the victims. “I will hope for Marina like she’s my sister” is such a sweet and comforting thing to say. I have to study her better but I like her.

In the middle of all this, we learn Jo and Link are not together but… they are still besties? I like this. I mean, as I said in the season 18 finale review, I’m not expecting her to date someone for some time. I think she looks glowy and happy now, and it’s good to see her like that. Also, the black scrubs choice? I APPROVE. It’s smart. She’ll look good.

Here to the most important topic of all: Meredith and Nick have been broken up for 6 months. The real question for this is: what the hell? As I said, they’re adults, why the HELL would they stay split up for so long? SIX MONTHS! It’s so absurd! And I’m with Maggie (and Zola) on this, Mer loves him, he loves her - HE DOES, OR ELSE HE WOULDN’T HAVE ASKED ABOUT HER - they have been sad about their breakup…so what is the reason to stay apart? And the way they met again, with the excuse of the organ patient, was so…weird. Like, good weird, because they clearly still love each other. I’m pro angst usually, I like this in couples but somehow it looks absurd for them, I don’t know.

Of course one of the residents screw up, and told someone their son was d*ad but…it was the wrong person, and this started a series of events where they didn’t only show us how competent Simone Griffith is, but also what Benson? (did I get that name right? anyway, it's Harry Shum’s character) is capable of. He’s a really weird character, I don’t know what to think about him, but here's another one who's gonna cause trouble this season. After this, we see Mer and Nick talking alone, she admits she was wrong to tell him to go back to Minnesota, and he told her she heard her saying his name, but he was too hurt to go back to her. She said these six months being separate were the most difficult for her, and he agreed with her. Another proof these two love each other. Not that we need one. It’s so good to see Nick teaching stuff to the newbies, he’s such a wise and respectful person. I just love him.

“It’s a beautiful day to save lives” is the way we learn Lucas is Derek’s favorite nephew when he said it in the OR. And I see what Mer means when she says he looks like Amelia, I can see a pattern, and after this revelation, I understand why she was especially hard on him when he messed up with the patient. Amelia and Mer are gonna be to Lucas what Richard was for Meredith during these 19 seasons.

We also see Link waiting for Jules outside the interns’ locker room, and he gives her HR paperwork in case their “relationship” will go wrong, at which Jules says they don’t have a relationship. But it looks to me like these two are gonna be something, I’m getting the vibes, and the chemistry is there after all (and I don’t think they will waste it).

As I’ve said before, Mika looks like a good person, and Amelia is noticing it too. I loved the scene where the girl she “hoped for” woke up, really sweet. I can’t wait to see her storyline this season and I’m sensing she’s gonna work with Amelia a lot. 

About Simone I can say I LOVED how deep they explored her character, it was a very emotional scene considering we are just one episode into the season, and I expect to see Richard being her mentor (and then Bailey if she comes back.) I wonder, though, if the death of her mother is somehow connected to some of the "elders" of the hospital. Maybe a new mystery for us? 

Remember how, some paragraphs ago, I said Nick is a good teacher? I’m SO glad Mer sees it too. He could be SO GOOD as a residency director. And the fact she admits he and his story INSPIRED her to hire these residents and rebuild this whole program is another proof of what they mean to each other.

At the end of the episode we learn Mer called Owen and Teddy. They said the charges were dropped, and that Owen still needs to be supervised for six months. I didn’t understand though…are they still together? We’ll see, I guess.

Bonus scene: THE INTERNS’ BASEMENT SCENES ARE BACK! So we can officially say this is a soft reboot of season one. As I’ve said before, my opinion about this is on standby until further notice. But I can say every one of these newbies has potential, and I’m starting to be excited to see how their stories will evolve.

What did you think of this episode? Did you like it? Let me know in the comments!