Season 17 of Grey’s Anatomy was brutal. It made us cry almost every single episode. For its season finale, it gave us a break from the tears, at least for a little bit.
I wondered how Grey’s Anatomy would round out the Covid era. They did it in-time jumps, two months apiece. That took us through the rest of the pandemic. I’m glad Grey’s took such time and care with the pandemic, but I’m also happy that they’re moving on to the next stage. Whatever that will be. We still don’t know that yet, IRL.
I was a little annoyed when Dr. Maggie Pierce (Kelly McCreary) and Dr. Winston Ndugu’s (Anthony Hill) wedding was cut short with her dad and his grandma objecting, but it came full circle in the end with a beautiful wedding on the beach. Yeah, that was definitely worth the wait. But weren’t they just fighting over waiting in the last episode?
A lot happened throughout the time jumps.
Dr. Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington) jumped into problem-solving mode as Dr. Taryn Helm (Jaicy Elliot), and Dr. Levi Schmitt (Jake Borelli) were arguing about fruit. She was going to get her baby!
To adopt Luna, she had to sell her hospital shares to Dr. Tom Korcaick (Greg Germann). And we got a little cameo of him from a video call. Yes! I miss him already, and to have him be part of the season finale was great, especially since his send-off was very short.
Dr. Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams) was also part of the finale from a phone. He’s selling Jo his apartment. He’s also a character I miss, and I hated that he left before the season finale, but I’m glad they gave him a proper send-off, and we got to see his face one last time.
I am so exstatic Jo got to adopt Luna. I’ve never seen her happier. This is all I’ve wanted for her character, after all the pain she’s had.
She had to go to Dr. Atticus Lincoln (Chris Carmack) to foster Luna while figuring out the legal stuff. But it all worked out in the end.
I loved when she asked Link. I know it’s a lot to ask, and as Link told Dr. Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone), they didn’t think twice when they helped Dr. Meredith Grey’s (Ellen Pompeo) kids. While this is not the same thing, Link is Jo’s only family. And considering the bond Amelia has with Maggie, it shows that family doesn’t always have to be blood.
Now that we don’t have Meredith and Dr. Cristina Yang or Mere and Dr. Alex Karev, I love that they are leaning into the Link and Jo friendship. A friendship that I love. From the look of the ending, they may lean into that some more in season 18.
That leads me to Link and Amelia. She was breaking my heart in this episode. The pandemic has been brutal on her, and I hate that she didn’t feel like she could talk to Link about it. Caterina always does a fantastic job with the emotional scenes. It’s incredible to watch her on-screen. You want her character to be happy and get everything she’s ever wanted, but at the same time, she’s so good at these heartwrenching scenes you just eat them up.
We heard all her talks with her AA group. It shouldn’t come as a surprise when she said no to Link when he made that beautiful proposal, but it was still heartbreaking. I hadn’t cried throughout the entire episode, which is a rarity this season. Season finales also usually make me cry a lot. This was the scene that I lost it in. How can our Amelink be breaking up?
Many fans are rooting for Amelink, and some of those fans are tired of Dr. Teddy Altman (Kim Raver) and Dr. Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd), who got their proposal, the first night Link was planning on proposing.
I’ve always loved their friendship, but when they’re together, it’s been messy and not the good messy. I’m probably just bitter that my Amelink broke up while Teddy and Owen get their happy ending.
It wasn’t all about weddings and couples. Meredith was back at work and more passionate than ever. She’s using that survivor guilt to help other survivors. It feels like forever since we’ve seen this side of her. It’s great to have her back, in the OR, and back to herself.
I loved when all the doctors came back from the wedding to applaud her coming out of the first lung transplant in a covid survivor. It was a big moment. And Cristina did the second one! I love how they keep her around through text messages.
There is a lot of hope in this season’s finale. Covid related, at least, but the look on Link’s face when he shows up at Jo’s doorstep is not hope. He’s broken. That’s saying a lot for a guy who is always happy and bubbly.
Jo got her miracle baby, Maggie and Winston got their perfect wedding, Meredith is not only operating again but doing firsts again. There is a lot of good. But the Amelink breakup will stay with me until the new season where the writers need to tell their story of reuniting.
What was your favorite part of the season 17 finale? Tweet me @MandyTTCarr or comment below.
