This time of year, average writers of sitcoms and dramas dive deep into Halloween storylines.
Thats why their Halloween episode celebrated Dia de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.
It feels like an oxymoron, right?
Credit: Mitch Haaseth/ABC
Surgeons shouldnt celebrate death.
They should avoid death.
What kind of symbolism is Shonda playing around with in this instance?
Its not about celebrating death.
Its about celebrating the dead.
The holiday is all about coming together to remember the ones who have passed away.
And for ourGreys Anatomycast, that list is pretty long.
With death comes grieving and in this episode, everyone approaches the act in a different way.
Take Teddy, for example.
When she gets to his house and opens her mouth to confess, chaos ensues.
Not because she tells the truth, but because Betty is missing and Amelia is freaking out.
Visions of what Amelia did when she was an addict flood her memories and she snaps.
Of course, Teddy offers to help look for her, but to no avail.
Hes a dysfunctional family with Amelia and it works.
Teddy leaves with tears in her eyes, grieving the father her own child will never have.
Her grieving is internal and silent.
Others grieve openly and loudly.
Take Roberta, for instance.
Of course she does!
Hes afraid that if it doesnt work, UNOS will be mad.
Does Roberta have to grieve her liver?
Bailey does not shut the machine down, the liver is alive, and Jo preps Roberta for surgery.
They are so cute together!
Marigolds, family photos, favorite foods, and frivolity fills the room.
Everyone is in a happy mood, excluding Flora.
I totally get it.
(Recap continued on next page.)
DeLuca picks up on her darling cues (Whats your favorite color?
Whos your favorite band?)
and opts out of the surgery so she feels more comfortable going in.
Meredith finds DeLucas sacrifice adorable and an electric moment is exchanged between the two.
Im not sure how I feel about this potential pairing.
Im also not sure how I feel about a Meredith/Link pairing.
He reminds her that they caught it early and they can form a plan.
We also learn that Link had the same cancer when he was a kid.
Look at him now!
Sweet JJ grieves the fact that hes going to lose his hair and Link even eases that tension.
He does so by cutting his own hair.
His own long, limp, terrible hair.
When Link sidles up next to Meredith to wait for the elevator, she notices his choppy new hairdo.
They share a laugh.
He takes her phone from her hands and types in his phone number.
You know, for emergencies.
But Meredith is distracted.
Weber broke the news that her dad has leukemia and only has a few weeks to live.
How is she supposed to grieve a man she barely knew?
Does a five-minute conversation outweigh a lifetime of nothing?
When DeLuca walks up to join Link and Meredith at the elevator, things get awkward.
Not as awkward as Merediths botched date with an English professor earlier in the day, but still bad.
The elevator doors open and both men invite Meredith in by holding the doors for her.
She chooses to take the stairs.
Because nothing good can happen in a hospital elevator.
Schmidt babbles on about how Kim is a good teacher.
Kim thinks he means in ortho.
Schmidt means future endeavors.
Since this was hisfirst kiss with a man, hes eager for Kim to teach him the ropes.
Kim gives a hard pass and leaves Schmidt alone to grieve what just happened.
Theres that heaviness again.
It weighs on everyone.
As I suspected, Bailey is grieving her troubled marriage.
Maggie is sad about her mom.
Amelia is tortured over Bettys whereabouts and Weber is confessing his inadequacies to Ollies headstone.
But its Meredith who properly celebrates the Day of the Dead.
We see her walk the halls of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital and suddenly,George appearscalling her name.
Lexie is behind a desk, smiling.
Merediths mom looks on approvingly as Doc the Dog rambles around the corner.
And then theres Derek.Dr.
McDreamyhimself, standing there looking dapper as always.
Hes joined byMark Sloan.
Bring on the waterworks.
Meredith has lost so much!
How will she grieve with this fresh flood of memories?
