It’s hard to believe that after so much drama and strife that Callie and Arizona have become a healthy, functioning co-parenting dynamo. Well, were a healthy, functioning co-parenting dynamo. This episode feels all too real as we watch the couple once known as Calzona, have to ask their friends to choose sides in a custody battle that feels unnecessary and painful. With recent talk that Sara Ramirez may not be returning for the show’s 13th season, the stakes feel even higher. What’s a bunch of GreysGays to do?
Choose a side
Oh, joy! Meredith, Maggie and the poor kids got an eyeful when they stumbled upon a very naked Owen sleeping with Amelia on the couch. Come on people; that’s communal space! Roomies 101. At least it gives Meredith a reason to fuck with Owen for the rest of the episode. Amelia insists that it was a one-time dealio, but we allllll know better.
I can’t imagine what I’d do if my former couple friends asked me to choose a side in court against the other, but that’s exactly what’s happening this week on Grey’s. With Penny by her side, Callie talks about getting Meredith to choose her side in the custody battle. She thinks if Mer goes there, others will follow. She’s also worried that she’ll lose all her friends in this. Arizona is much more hesitant to do the asking, but Richard encourages her to open up. He also hints that he’d be on her side, but she doesn’t even bother to ask him.
While Meredith teases Owen about his little soldier, an ambulance rolls up with an elderly man who sustained a fall and his doorman. The doorman is very concerned about the man, and my gaydar started blaring like the sirens in Silent Hill.
April and Jackson meet up with Arizona for their next ultrasound, and she was even about to ask them to stand by her in the custody battle until Penny walks in and announces she’s on Arizona’s service. Not wanting to give anything away to the other side, she zips it. At first, it’s all smiles and healthy baby stuff, but then Arizona discovers something troubling on the scan with the baby’s brain.
The elderly man who fell has broken one of his vertebra, Leo, has to have surgery, and when his wife arrives at the hospital, it becomes clear that this is a complicated situation. Meredith calls in Callie to see if she can pitch in, and Callie agrees. She tries to ask Meredith about the custody case, but they are interrupted by Owen and Owen’s penis. Mer is just having way too much fun with this.
Arizona, April and Jackson take a closer look at the scans, but the results are inconclusive. It could be nothing, or it could be catastrophic. Arizona tries to calm April because it really could be nothing, but after what they’ve been through, you can’t blame April for thinking worst case scenarios. When Arizona suggests a full workup, April lashes out, blaming Arizona for missing something the first time and allowing them to believe their baby was healthy.
Penny follows Arizona out of the room, and the tension is thick, y’all. Penny pretty much wants to find a different service, but Arizona doesn’t have time to wait for another resident. She has Penny run a full series of labs on April, trying to eliminate everything under the sun.
Meanwhile, Callie finds Alex in the NICU to ask him to testify on her behalf at the hearing. Being the smart guy he is, he says no, that he’s not choosing sides.
Leo is conscious now, and Meredith finds him and Vincent, the doorman, sharing a chaste but intimate moment of holding hands. It’s short lived because they stop when Meredith makes her presence know, and Leo’s wife comes in too.
April finds Arizona in the elevator to corner her about her labs, which aren’t back yet. Arizona wants to wait two weeks and do the ultrasound again, but April can’t live through that agony. April suggests a fetal MRI, but Arizona is hesitant because it requires April and the baby going under general anesthesia. She asks April to trust her, but April’s not feeling it right now.
When they are alone, Leo wants to explain to Meredith about his relationship with Vincent. Leo has never acted upon his feelings for Vincent, and he won’t. He doesn’t want to destroy his 51-year marriage, so he asks her not to say anything. In surgery, Meredith does spill to the other docs about Leo’s love for Victor. Jo thinks it’s sweet, but Meredith points out that it’s actually very sad. Nothing will change for them and their love will continue to lie dormant. This affects Callie particularly.
In the cafeteria, Arizona is surprised to hear that Callie asked Alex to speak for her in court, but she’s even more surprised that Alex won’t speak for her either. Penny shows up at the exact wrong time and Arizona unleashes on her. She is convinced that Penny is spying on her, getting ammo to go back and tell Callie what a shitty doctor and parent she is. In actuality, Penny just had labs to deliver, but Arizona is at a breaking point. She flees the cafeteria after causing a scene, and Richard follows her. He finds her sobbing in her car. She’s feeling beyond defeated and wants to give up. Richard, ever the wingman, tells her she has to fight and fight hard. I wish I had a Richard in my life sometimes. He’s definitely become Arizona’s good man in a storm.
Inspired to do better, Arizona finds April and offers to do the MRI. April accepts immediately. Also inspired is Callie, who after hearing about Vincent and Leo, announces that she’s not going to sit around waiting for love to slip by her again. She’s going to New York with Penny and Sofia, and she needs Meredith and Owen to back her up in court. They agree without question.
Unfortunately, right then they discover the reason why Leo’s spine broke. He has bone cancer. When he awakes, Meredith explains that he has about six months to a year left to live. Leo opens up about his love for Vincent and how they have loved each other from a short distance for 15 years. He allows himself to think of spending his remaining days being happy, but when his wife comes in, he sinks back into his old life. Vincent appears at the door, and in a coded way, Leo tells him goodbye. His wife offers Vincent a tip for all of his dedication, and it’s truly heartbreaking.
In happier news, the MRI shows that the Japril baby is perfectly fine. Everyone is relieved, and April apologizes, but Arizona has some news for them. She won’t be their OB because she’s choosing their friendship over their work relationship. April and Jackson are upset, but hopefully, they will realize it’s for the best.
Callie is feeling pretty good about Meredith and Owen’s support and tells Penny about it as they leave for the day. Penny tells her that she was working for Arizona that day, but instead of telling Callie about Arizona’s blow up, she tells her all was fine. As much as Penny gets painted as the villain in this, she’s been entirely decent. This isn’t what she wanted-her girlfriend to have to fight for custody of her child to be with her. So she does what she can to make it less complicated. It’s a kindness to both Callie and Arizona.
Meredith and Maggie leave the hospital with Amelia tagging behind them as they tease her about Owen. She protests but Meredith is like, cut the shit. Amelia and Owen love each other and want to be together, so go and be together! “You have happiness, and you keep throwing it away,” Meredith tells her. Amelia hurries over to Owen’s, and the two of them give their speeches about always messing things up, and then proceed to make out.
Ben vs. Bailey
The once rock solid coupling of Ben and Miranda Bailey is really struggling lately, ever since Bailey had to suspend her husband and all that. Ben’s been crashing on the couch ever since he went around Bailey and got himself hired back as an anesthesiologist. Bailey is furious and even more so when she walks into her OR to find that Ben is her anesthesiologist for the day. It causes a hella awkward moment in the room.
After holding her tongue for what I imagine is about five torturous minutes, Bailey can’t help but call Ben out on the carpet in the OR. It goes from passive aggressive sniping to a full out battle. Bailey tries to get Riggs and Maggie to say that Ben’s presence is an issue for them, but they are interrupted when the patient goes into distress. Ben acts fast, stepping in with a solution, but his obvious skills don’t impress Bailey. They just piss her off even more.
After Bailey leaves and Maggie is left to close up, she confronts Ben about his actions. His hubris does most of the talking, but she tells him a very important fact that he’s somehow happened to miss. If Bailey truly didn’t want him there, he’d be gone. It’s only because of her that he’s even in that OR. This hits Ben like a ton of bricks and changes his perspective on things.
Riggs has a bit to say to the other side of this equation too. He pulls Bailey aside and tells her that she’s not Ben’s boss right now, and not allowing him to learn when he could, is holding back a truly excellent doctor.
As Ben is getting ready to leave, he finds Bailey writing his name in on the schedule. He still has to crash on the couch, but baby steps.
Steph hits a wall
So Steph and Kyle have been hanging out, and she accompanies him to the hospital to see Amelia about a new tremor in his other hand. It’s Steph’s day off, but she can’t turn off her doctorness, so she continues to act like she’s one of Kyle’s doctors. Amelia has to pull her out and explain that since Steph’s dating Kyle, she can no longer be his doctor. Steph is not happy about this development.
Kyle has to have the same surgery again, just on the other side. Amelia offers to get him in that day, but Steph mentions that he has three more tour dates. Amelia is concerned the lesion causing the tremor might get worse, so Kyle defers to Steph on the decision. She tells Amelia to go ahead. While prepping Kyle for surgery, Steph just can’t keep out of it.
Steph walks in all suited up in her scrubs to assist Amelia and DeLuca, but Amelia gives her a firm no. Steph will have to chill in the waiting room, a first for her, and she haaaaaates it. When she accompanies Kyle to the red line (the point where only surgeons and staff can be), she looks like someone has plucked off her wings.
After sitting around in the waiting room, drinking tea with Vincent and stewing, Steph gets word from a cocky-as-hell DeLuca that Kyle is alright. When she’s finally able to see Kyle after surgery, she leaves him a Dear John letter as he sleeps. She opens up to Jo in the Resident Locker Room and explains that she can’t be the girl in the waiting room. After spending years as a sick kid, her life is about healing now and helping. You can’t help when you are sitting around waiting. That’s her calling, and what makes her feel whole.
Next week is the court case, and someone is getting full custody of Sofia. Have I mentioned I hate this, and it makes my stomach hurt? Also, what are your thoughts about Sara Ramirez possibly leaving the show?
Here are our favorite #greysgays tweets from last night’s episode. Would love to see more of these, especially with next week’s big custody episode.
I can’t believe that Callie OR Arizona will end up with full custody. Whoever it will be it will be too painful I’m not ready. #GreysGays
– Audrey (@pamplemoussee76) April 29, 2016
Slowly but surely on team penny. 100% sure I’ll end up regretting that! #greysgays #Calzona
– DC (@femmef8ale) April 29, 2016
There’s something about that Penny, btw. I mean, you know, not romantic chemistry, but she’s tough and I respect her. #calzona #greysgays
– Dulcie Holtz (@DulcieHoltz) April 29, 2016
#GreysAnatomy What happened to kick ass take charge Arizona Robbins? #greysgays #gaysanatomy
– trippinonsunshine (@madaboutagirl) April 29, 2016
