If youre not on the Amelia and Link bandwagon, get ready to be highly disappointed.
Link handles a night withthe Shepherd familylike a pro and Amelia is impressed.
She better lock that down tight, before one of her sisters puts a ring on it.
GREY’S ANATOMY – “Good Shepherd” – Amelia and Link travel to New York to operate on a patient with a severe spinal deformity, but they’re in for more than they bargained for when Nancy Shepherd invites them to dinner at her home on “Grey’s Anatomy,” THURSDAY, APRIL 11 (8:00-9:01 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network. (ABC/Mitch Haaseth)CATERINA SCORSONE.Mitch Haaseth/ABC
Im sure they were going over their notes while rolling around in the sheets.
Remember: this is just sex.
Link settles for a breakfast date at his favorite pizza joint.
He tells Amelia about how the city holds a special place in his heart.
She confesses that the city is the exact opposite for her.
It was the worst of times.
The pair saunter into the Catherine Fox Medical Center and are greeted with an excited, OMG!
Amelia turns around to find her sister Nancy standing there.
Does Nancy work at the hospital?
Shes filling in for a friend.
Amelia fast-talks her way through the conversation, and quickly introduces Link.
Whose name is Owen.
Ever the thespian, Link rolls with the flow and channels his inner Owen, minus the forehead squint.
Amelia and Link head upstairs to meet Jonah, who has severe scoliosis.
His brother Brady has been taking care of him since their parents died in a car wreck.
Of course, Nancy happens to hear this news (is she spying on them?)
and re-invites her sister and her fake husband over.
Nancy will not take no for an answer.
And neither will Amelia.
Link thinks pretending to be married at a dinner party with Amelias sister is a ludicrous idea.
Now, this puts Amelia in an interesting position.
Cue the couple in a cab on their way to Nancys house.
Amelia quizzes Link about the basics of their relationship.
He must answer as Owen.
No, you do not like the blues guitar.
You like World War II movies on PBS.
Get your head in the game, Link.
Nancy welcomes them into her home, noting that we were just about to have appetizers.
Nancy said that her husband and the kids were away.
Who is this we she speaks of and why has Amelia turned a wicked shade of green?
The other snarky sister.
Nancy informs the group that their other sister Liz is out of town and their mother wasnt invited.
So Amelia only has to reflect the insults from two people.
Kathleen immediately starts asking Link questions about being in the Army and the weather patterns in Iraq.
He dodges the moment by excusing himself to go to the bathroom.
Amelia joins him and they pep talk their way into confident human beings.
Amelia is not a black sheep.
This is not high school.
They are surgeons who cut people open and stuff.
Surely they can handle a few hours of sibling rivalry.
Also, medical emergencies happen all the time.
Cant one pop up in thirty minutes?
Contingency plan, CHECK!
Amelia heads to the kitchen to talk to Nancy.
Link is cornered by Kathleen.
She drones on and on about how Amelia is unpredictable.
She congratulates Link for Amelia even agreeing to marry him, let alone walking down the aisle.
Kathleen thinks Amelia peaces out when things get too difficult.
Link encourages her to stay and visit with her family.
He pretends to look at scans on his phone, but secretly types TRUST ME on a text message.
With great trepidation, Amelia agrees and everyone sits down to dinner.
Amelia tolerates a few digs courtesy of Kathleen and then takes an emergency call from Owen.
Amelias picture is one from when she was a young girl.
Everyone else is up-to-date.
The girls are in love with Link.
Kathleen even deems him as the hottest of all the husbands.
All seems well, until another voice echos through the entry hallway.
Who may or may not have accidentally been invited by Kathleen.
The cat is officially out of the bag and the sisters pounce.
Except her family didnt know about her brain tumor.
The Shepherds dig up every horrible story on Amelia and all agree that Fake Owen is the most demented.
They wish they could blame it on a tumor or the drugs.
Alas, this is just Amelia being Amelia.
She is sober, responsible, and Chief of Neurosurgery.
At this outburst, Kathleen adds, Only because Derek was moving and gave you a job.
Amelia is too shocked and hurt to respond.
So Link takes one for the team and starts listing every wonderful thing he knows about Amelia.
He calls her brilliant, beautiful, kind, and strong.
Amelia is authentic, and caring and did a wonderful job raising Betty and Leo.
Except her family didnt know about Betty or Leo.
Amelia bolts for the door and Link follows.
He tries to talk about the night in the car, but Amelia is wound too tight.
She reminds Link that he is just her human version of a blue room.
At that moment, both get paged.
Jonah is in respiratory distress.
The new rods they put in his body didnt last a day, so adjustments have to be made.
Its a risky, complex surgery that could end in paralysis or death.
But it will permanently correct his deformity if it works.
Brady refuses but Jonah is 18.
He quickly gives his consent and is rolled away to surgery.
Link is not a happy camper.
Amelia calmly tells Link that Jonah deserves a life that is more than cycles of surgeries.
She knows she can do it.
Apart from that one moment when everyone thought he was paralyzed, but its cool.
Jonah has a straight spine thanks to Dr. Shepherd.
Both were very brave.
Amelia and Link walk out of the hospital together.
She suggests they get something to eat, but he wants to be alone.
When he exits out the door, Amelia hears that familiar voice calling to her through the lobby.
She wants to talk.
They find a nice bench in Central Park and discuss life.
Mama Shepherd recalls Amelia learning to ride a bike.
Even though Amelia fell over and over again when she first learned, she always got back up.
She came back stronger.
She was never afraid of falling.
That was also a characteristic of Papa Shepherd.
And after Papa Shepherd died, Amelia reminded Mama Shepherd of her deceased husband.
So when Derek said he would watch out for Amelia, Mama Shepherd let him.
Her biggest regret was not being there for Amelia.
Amelia smiles at her mother and tells her all about Betty.
Mama Shepherd affirms Amelia, telling her she is worthy of love.
And if she feels she doesnt deserve it, thats on Mama Shepherd.
Amelia needs to accept that and move forward.
Amelia: What if I cant?Mama Shepherd: Then thats on you.
She climbs into the private plane and shyly approaches.
Its her turn to affirm him, just as he did at dinner the night before.
Then she apologizes for calling him a human blue light.
He motions for her to sit next to him and then shoves an entire donut in his mouth.
Whether it was the apology or the donuts, we will never know.
What we do know is that this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
