Link had quite the challenge, and thankfully, everything turned out okay.
The biggest case of Grey’s Anatomy Season 19 Episode 17 was Owen forcing Link’s hand to perform a massive and inadvisable surgery on hot airman Sam while Link battled his shaky confidence and everyone else’s little faith in him.
The hour also touched on and attempted to resolve the disparity the interns faced financially, deepened the wedge between Blue and Jules, and provided a compelling turn for Lucas with Nick’s guidance.
For the most part, for an hour that teased what should’ve amounted to this impossible, unthinkable ortho case, the excitement around it was muted. Much of it was overshadowed by the irritating notion that Link should still face backlash over Tank dying on his table, however long ago.
At some point, midway through the hour, I was replaying everything that happened during the Grey’s Anatomy Season 19 Episode 8 because it did not make a lick of sense that EVERYONE, including other doctors, was treating Link as if he hopped on the table, stabbed a scalpel through Tank’s heart and twisted.
People die on the table all the time through no fault of the actual surgeon. Link didn’t do anything wrong during that entire surgery. Blood clots are terrifying, but they’re very real things that happen.
And sometimes, there is simply nothing that anyone can do about that.
It makes zero sense that the entire world seemingly has been harping on this and questioning Link’s abilities because he happens to be the person who performed surgery on a high-profile individual.
Every time someone else brought it up, it was hard not to gnash teeth because we have to be at least a couple of months removed from this now, and it’s been this prevalent thing they can’t seem to let go of at all.
It’s one thing to showcase Link as he navigates some adversity, but we’re at beating the dead horse level with an issue that shouldn’t be one in the first place as it is.
It was also frustrating that they were potentially trying to imply that Link, still tortured and haunted by the loss, is playing it safe these days, and he needed a kick in the pants.
But nothing about his reservations or, I don’t know, professional opinion as one of the top ortho surgeons in his field was out of line or coming across as unreasonably risk-averse.
Sam and Owen wanted Link to perform a freaking miracle, and Link succeeded only by the grace of whatever entity.
Owen was so far out of line it wasn’t even visible to the naked eye anymore when he flat out told Sam in front of everyone that Link could do the surgery amid Link giving his professional opinion on the issue.
And he quickly claimed that it was what the patient wanted, so Link was supposed to go along with that because of Sam’s say-so.
Owen: Congratulations, Link, you pulled it off.
Link: You ever put me in that position again in front of a patient, we’ll have a problem. And Hunt, thank you for your service.
And Owen made the whole thing about himself and how he feels as a fellow veteran. He used that to justify his actions, which were in poor taste.
It was some solace in seeing Link challenge Owen and call him out multiple times during the hour, whether kicking him out of the room or telling him never to pull a stunt like that again.
Owen was so freaking annoying and disrespectful during all of this. And the worse part about it is that he never acknowledged his wrongdoing and probably walked away from all of this smug because the ends justified the means in his eyes.
He probably patted himself on the back and felt he gave Link some “tough love” to get him back into the right headspace and on his game after the Tank issue.
Sam seems cool, and his friendship with Kwame is endearing. In addition to Link going outside his comfort zone to restore this man’s 90-something bones and keep his limbs intact, he’ll also have to compete with Sam for Jo’s affection.
Sam wasted no time flirting with Jo; he was so bold that you had to respect him. Link will not be thrilled when he sees the two of them in the same room together because Sam has no shame.
Owen was annoying with Link, acting as if he was somehow doing Link a favor by giving him the confidence boost that he needed, but Jo was the one who provided everything Link needed.
She knew the best way to support him through it all, reassured him that he wasn’t to blame for Tank, and she’s been a consummate source of support and comfort for him.
They’ve been putting in the work to build up this Jolink ‘ship, and it’s working.
While Owen didn’t take accountability for anything, Amelia finally did. I’m glad she apologized to Winston, and I don’t blame him one bit for walking away without acknowledging it. He’ll need some time and doesn’t owe her forgiveness on her terms.
She also apologized to Mika, which was great. They spent much of the hour reviewing the issues with the interns and how they don’t have a salary they can live on, among other things.
Teddy poured over surveys that she distributed, and they were illuminating for her. And Chief Teddy has been the best so far because she knows how to handle business and earnestly wants to do good things.
Initially, everyone was so dismissive of what the interns endured, too quick to recall their own issues and experiences, feeling as if it was all part of some rite of passage or something.
But they weren’t considering all the changes since they were interns. It’s easy for people to resort to “In my day…” without considering that things have evolved and changed in the decades since then.
They also are quick to think that just because they had to go through something horrible, other people need to as well. Once they started digging deeper into their own experiences and sharing their stories, more was coming to light about necessary changes.
They got back in touch with their experiences and showed empathy. And while there wasn’t so much that Teddy could do, I love the realistic approach to establishing a grant for those in extreme need.
They can’t fix everything overnight, but that’s a small thing they could do to make a huge difference, and Mika was a great benefactor for it. And how can you not love this girl for preparing to stand by her convictions and quit if necessary?
Thankfully, this whole situation also prompted Webber to seek out Helm again and have an honest conversation about what it’ll take to get her back, and he’s actually listening to her this time.
We could have Helm back at GSM in no time at all. And maybe now, they’ll know what to do with her.
The boys were taking all kinds of Ls during this installment.
Blue had a tough go of it, trying to respect Max’s wishes, listen to her, and face Jules’ wrath in the interim. He made a huge error by leaving her alone when he was assigned to stick by her.
But he was only listening to what she told him. And Max is just such a fantastic character and sweet woman that you want to do anything she says.
It’s adorable that Jules shared her relationship with Blue with Maxine, and Max is witty and wise enough to recognize that there’s more there for those two.
Jules is jealous of Blue and his new lady friend, but the ball is in her court. Most of her anger at him right now is definitely rooted in that.
Levi: Mrs. Andereson, your test results say you’re positive for a UTI.
Max: But I always pee after sex.
It was so good to have Max back during this installment. But she can’t keep putting us through health scares. It’s too much for the heart to take. When she started showing signs of delirium, I held my breath, but UTIs can definitely have that effect on seniors.
Jules and Blue are a definite pairing that needs to find their way back to each other. But it was nice to see her bond more with Simone.
The friendships among the interns have slowly fallen into place organically and endearingly, but we were due to get more focus on the female friendships a bit more.
After Lucas gave up the gig, Jules proved she’d be a great Maid of Honor for Simone.
And Lucas, like Blue, was taking a few L’s during this installment. He was all over the place, and you knew it got bad when Nick voiced his frustrations multiple times.
Lucas takes a serious beating to his ego and confidence throughout the installment, and it must’ve stung more when it came from Nick, who he views as a mentor.
He already felt bad after Mika called him out on being a Nepo baby again. But Nick has always been in Lucas’ corner and been this calming, reassuring voice to keep him on track.
He wasn’t used to the tough love that Nick was showcasing. And nothing prepared him for when Nick commented about Lucas recalibrating his ADHD meds.
Simone: I just wanted to go through this with a friend who knows me.
Jules: I know you. Unless you mean someone who has had their tongue in your mouth, in which case, I can be convinced.
It was a bold thing to say to someone when you’re just assuming things without knowing, and poor Lucas had to come to grips with the fact that everyone around him has clocked his ADHD but him.
He’s gone his entire life in a family full of doctors, mind you, without anyone realizing that he has ADHD and getting him properly diagnosed, and that’s heartbreaking.
It’s not uncommon for adults to have this epiphany, but it is a bit surprising that with so many professionals around, Lucas fell through the cracks but took the brunt of getting labeled as the Black Sheep of his family.
And real recognizes real because Nick saw him for who he was out of the gate because he, too, has ADHD and knows what it’s like to navigate a job like this as a neurodivergent.
The dynamic between Nick and Lucas has been underrated for precisely this reason. They’ve been building this up all season whenever Nick has appeared, and it’s one of the more refreshing angles for this series.
While they’ve had Autistic characters and a handful of “neurodivergent coded” characters that they’ve touched on here and there, most of the time, they played up the angle of those who are gifted and viewed favorably despite their neurodivergence.
Lexie, Maggie, Yang, Bailey, and so forth have mostly benefited from the hints of things. And we rarely got an outright storyline that focused heavily on that aspect of them.
But Lucas’ plight is different, and it’s the more relatable version of what many experience. It’s such a refreshing change of pace and a worthwhile storyline to explore his struggles and what it takes for him to navigate the field with undiagnosed ADHD.
It’s been a subtle but significant arc that they’ve explored here, and I appreciate the direction it has taken. Grey’s Anatomy has always been a series that prides itself in its representation.
And this is one of the best depictions of them exploring that without beating us over the head with it or forcing it. It flowed and unraveled very organically.
I loved watching Lucas sit with this news, slowly processing it as everything about his life finally clicked into place. Because sometimes just knowing what it is at all makes a world of difference.
Lucas and Nick’s heart-to-heart on that bench was easily one of the best scenes of the hour.
Don’t worry. It feels worse than it looks.
Patient
Some may have misgivings about Nick and his place in this series without Meredith, but he really shines as a mentor and someone who comes from a different standing place than the average attending.
He’s understood this merry band of misfit interns better than anyone there, and it just feels more real.
Over to you, Grey’s Fanatics.
What do you think of Lucas’ epiphany? Did Owen overstep with this case, or did Link need a boost? Sound off below!
You can watch Grey’s Anatomy online here via TV Fanatic.
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You’ll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on Twitter.
