Grey’s Anatomy Review: I Ain’t No Miracle Worker (Season 13 Episode 3)
Sometimes, miracles happen.
On Grey’s Anatomy Season 13 Episode 3, “I Ain’t No Miracle Worker,” the surgeons witness a miracle with one of their patients, and Arizona returns to the hospital, upset to see a badly injured Andrew.
Aside from Maggie, Arizona is the really the only person we’ve seen develop a relationship with Andrew. He’s her roommate, and it’s not like we see them spending a lot of time together, but she has some loyalty there.
She’s also rightfully hard on Alex, though it’s important to realize that her anger towards him is coming from a place of love.
Yes, she’s mad that he beat up her roommate, but she’s more upset that he made a decision that could ruin his career and everything he’s worked for. She is, after all, his mentor.
I think when push comes to shove, Arizona will fight for Alex, but she makes it clear to Andrew that he’s not on his own. Andrew asks Arizona if he should move out, and admits that he can see everyone in the hospital is angry with him. That’s pretty absurd if you think about it, because he’s the victim here. He’s the one who was beaten, and who could have also almost lost his career. But Andrew is still the new kid, and he knows it.
Arizona’s response, though, is a hug.
I think in some ways she’s mirroring the way the audience feels — conflicted over who’s side we should be on. AND pointing out that other doctors can punch people all day long without any repercussions. Her example is Owen, but let’s not forget all the other times doctors have wailed on each other in the halls of that hospital.
The love triangle story with Meredith, Riggs, and Maggie is already getting old. It would have been so simple for Meredith to tell Maggie about Riggs right from the beginning, and now the whole thing is out of control — and tiresome. It does, however, make me want to see Meredith and Riggs together more and more.
Seriously, this guy might just be perfect for her.
On the most basic level, he understands tragedy, and he’s lost someone he loved. That’s the kind of person Meredith is going to need. Just as Owen and Amelia can identify with each others’ complicated pasts, so can Meredith and Riggs.
Riggs is also showing a charming side. He makes jokes. He believes in miracles. I’m a fan. Let’s make this thing happen.
Riggs gets Meredith to open up a little about Derek, asking her if she ever has the “miracle dream.” He has it about the woman he lost, and Meredith admits she has that dream about Derek too.
Meredith: He knocks at the door. Says he forgot his keys, and he’s sorry for being gone so long.
Cue all the ugly tears, you guys. RIP Derek.
The most important story on this episode is the miracle patient. I usually tend to focus more on what’s happening with the doctors these days than paying attention to the patients, but I love when it’s impossible for that to happen. This particular case is memorable.
It’s bizarre in that it’s a car accident that involves a funeral procession, but the family it brings in is clearly dysfunctional. What’s worse, it’s an estranged daughter, Kara, who actually causes the accident. She’s trying to make amends (there’s an obvious parallel here), and you have to feel bad for the way her siblings are treating her.
There’s more than one miracle in all of this. Kara’s mother takes some time to be with her deceased husband, where she tells him it’s a miracle that her daughter returns. Then she says this isn’t how she pictured their lives would be.
If I pictured it, I thought we’d go together, holding each others’ hands.
It’s later that she dies — holding her husband’s hand.
Except that in another miracle, she comes back to life. The doctors all have different ways of reacting to this — Amelia trying to figure out why, Meredith assuming the worst, Riggs believing it’s a miracle, and Stephanie unable to contain her fascination.
Stephanie: All this woman wanted to do was die holding her husband’s hand. And she did that. She got to die holding her husband’s hand. And then she came back to life. Sorry if I’m too amazed.
Man, I really love Stephanie sometimes.
Other Thoughts:
- Amelia bragging about her dirty married sex is hilarious. I hope she and Owen get to be happy at least for one whole season.
- Alex and April bond over missing surgery, which is also a pretty great moment. The difference is that Alex doesn’t know if he’ll ever be able to do it again.
- Ben: “It’s art, Miranda. It’s hot mess art.”
- I love that Ben gets to have a new role in parenting for Tucker. Way to scare the mess out of the kid, Ben. Nice job!
What did you think of this episode of Grey’s Anatomy? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 8/7c on ABC.
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Ashley Bissette Sumerel
Ashley Bissette Sumerel is a television and film critic living in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is editor-in-chief of Tell-Tale TV as well as Eulalie Magazine. Ashley has also written for outlets such as Rolling Stone, Paste Magazine, and Insider. Ashley has been a member of the Critics Choice Association since 2017 and is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. In addition to her work as an editor and critic, Ashley teaches Entertainment Journalism, Composition, and Literature at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.