Grey's Anatomy Season 14 Episode 19 Review: Beautiful Dreamer
Jasmine Blu
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ICE came to GSM and put the fear of God in most of the doctors there.
It there was one bright spot of Grey's Anatomy Season 14 Episode 19, it was how it reinforced the fact that for all the good, bad, and ugly, these doctors aren't just colleagues; they're a family.
They look out for one another which is what happened throughout the hour as they rallied around and went to bat for their own. We saw that with Sam, Alex, and with Arizona and April.
It was a timely plot that the show tackled bringing ICE into the equation and informing viewers that one of the doctors of GSM is a DACA recipient.
The two most unfortunate things about how it played out were that there was no surprise whatsoever because everyone expected it to be Sam. Also, because it was Sam, it didn't have the same emotional punch it would have had if it was someone else.
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That's not to say that we should only care about the subject matter if it involves a likable character whom we actually care about. I'm not a monster! It's just that we barely know anything about Sam.
Sam did have more screentime than any of the other interns, so we're familiar with her, but the screentime she had lacked substance. I wonder what the storyline would have felt like if we knew something other than the fact that she was DeLuca's ex-turned bang buddy turned girlfriend/ roommate?
The majority of her screentime she was tied up with Andrew bickering or having sex in closets. It was hard to become invested in her character or their relationship, and truthfully, I fought off the urge to fast-forward through nearly all of their (and her) scenes.
Even when she was working with Tom and Amelia, which was recent, she still was working with DeLuca. Am I the only one who kept laughing in disbelief every time someone referred to her as the best intern and one of their brightest surgeons?
I kept probing my memory trying to recall some moment -- any moment -- that supported this statement. I couldn't think of anything. The implication that Bello is the "Yang" of her class had me screeching like a velociraptor. Seriously, did I miss something?
Nevertheless, Sam was GSM family, so of course, I was Team Sam.
It doesn't help that there has been an overabundance of immigration storylines involving Dreamers, and if I'm not watching them, I'm reviewing and talking about them incessantly. It's a bit draining after a while, but it's an important issue that is affecting so many.
Agent Fields: I need to speak with one of your surgical interns.
Meredith and Miranda: Which one?
The second Agent Fields walked up to the desk I was incensed. I'll put out the disclaimer of "Not All ICE Agents," but you need only watch the news to be absolutely disgusted by some of their tactics. That's not a political statement, that's a human decency one.
So Agent Fields had a strike against him from the get-go, but what was refreshing was that he wasn't the shady asshole we've grown accustomed to seeing these days. He was simply trying to do his job, nothing less and nothing more. I appreciated the fact that he acknowledged that he doesn't know what they're doing anymore.
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There is no longer a connection between what he signed up to do and what he's actually doing. He never signed up for picking up dreamers at school, off of buses, and yanking them out of their jobs as doctors and lawyers.
These are all things that happen in real life. If you ever want to feel rage, watch footage of unsuspecting teenagers getting hauled off school buses.
Grey's took a different approach by not demonizing their ICE agent which is a refreshing change from the heartless, bordering on villainous antagonists we've seen everywhere else.
I don't know what we're doing anymore.
Agent Fields
It did appear as though Bailey was stalling Fields. I was surprised to find out that she was right about his heart issues, and I loved the reminder that no matter who a person is and whether you agree with them or not, a doctor's first duty is to care for someone.
It was also touching because of Bailey's own experience with heart disease. I still loved Maggie winking and trying to play along.
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In fact, I loved everyone jumping in on the action. It spread like wildfire, and everyone was willing to contribute however possible. The best ones though were Meredith and Jo.
I will never tire of Meredith's willingness to do illegal things or make a run for it when someone she knows is in trouble. She's such a rebel when there's a good cause. When she said she would be willing to drive the getaway car, I believed her because that's 100% Meredith for everything.
She said the same thing when she thought Alex ran over Paul.
I also loved how Jo immediately started giving her underground sources that would help Sam fake her death and get a new identity. Look, Jo is irritating 90% of the time, but ride-or-die Jo is my favorite Jo.
Then you have someone like Owen who is painfully aloof all of the time.
Amelia is ready to pull favors from Megan because they smuggled a kid in for his sister, and he's the one playing devil's advocate if something doesn't affect him personally. It reminded me of his godawful stance in that lunchroom debate on Grey's Anatomy Season 13 Episode 15.
Meredith came up with the best save, though. Sending Sam to Switzerland to work with Cristina was brilliant. She technically had to flee, but she went on better terms and got to keep her accreditation.
Alex: Bello is from El Salvador?
Meredith: Barely, they're going to throw her in a van, put a black bag over her head, and drop her off in El Salvador.
Alex: I don't think it works that way.
Unfortunately, I guess, Andrew couldn't go with her.
Andrew and Sam's farewell scene was supposed to be heartbreaking and bittersweet. They kissed in the rain and all that good stuff that makes the hearts of romantics go pitter-patter. If you weren't invested in their relationship, which is how many people felt, it was just sort of whatever.
I will say that it was Jeanine Mason's best installment, and she put on a great performance. It was heartbreaking when she spoke about her friend being deported, and when she found out that she was being pursued because of a traffic infraction. She was so passionate, and I felt for her.
I also felt for Alex. He has been fighting like hell for Kimmie, but you can't fight for someone who has accepted where they are. Kimmie slipping out when Alex wasn't looking was sad, but it was also the best choice for her.
It led to Jo telling Alex that she wants to have children with him and that she wants to take his last name. The line about her taking on the last name of someone who loved her was fantastic. She's an orphan who survived an abusive husband, so that was powerful and empowering all at once.
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What I'd love to know, however, is what type of trouble the hospital will be in because Jackson waived that agreement for Dr. Froy. The Harper Avery Foundation is trying to come out of Harper Avery's shadow. Do you think the lawsuit with Froy was a sexual harassment one?
Jackson ruined us, Richard. We are ruined.
Catherine
Catherine is a frustrating character for many reasons, but one of them is her inability to be forthcoming. She doesn't tell Jackson or anyone much of anything, so they blindly make decisions and calls without any information and then she flips out when their actions have dire consequences.
Richard barely had a moment to grieve Ollie, which was devastating, and then Catherine is in there to tell him about another impending problem.
Speaking of consequences, you guys know Maggie is my girl, but she was childish and petulant with this contrived Jackson storyline. I hate that they manufactured unnecessary drama between the two, and it was the stereotypical thing where they only needed to talk.
She was giving him the cold shoulder because of something April said, but she didn't actually tell him what she was mad about until much later but demanded an apology. It was silly.
I did appreciate Jackson calling her out in the end though. Maggie doesn't know how to do relationships. That was established when she first appeared.
She convinces herself that whoever she is with can't possibly like her and pushes them away before they can leave her. Jackson won't allow her to do that, though, so they should be solid.
Carina and Arizona are solid as well. It's nice that they revisited their relationship and Arizona's submission. I also loved that Carina got her hands dirty again and we saw her working.
Carina was awesome in the installment which made it all the more difficult when her brother accused her of calling ICE on Bello. That was low, Andrew. Shame on you!
Matthew's return tugged at the heartstrings. I sincerely hope he and April make up somehow. I don't think they need to rekindle their romantic relationship, but I would love it if they manage to be friends. Matthew needs the support. I'm very happy baby Ruby is OK though.
April and Arizona's comments about being mothers and Owen not having kids must have hit a nerve. Owen starting the process to foster and potentially adopt a kid is long overdue. Good for him.
Did you like Sam's sendoff? What has Catherine so worried? Hit the comments below!
As always, 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 X.
