Grey’s Anatomy Review: Personal Jesus (Season 14 Episode 10)

Look. I feel like a broken record every time I say this, but I can’t help it. Grey’s Anatomy is the best it’s been a long freakin’ time.

Grey’s Anatomy Season 14 Episode 10, “Personal Jesus,” provides closure for Jo’s storyline with her abusive husband. And without taking a breath from that powerful issue, it dives head first into tackling unconscious bias while also doing some incredible character work with April.

It balances all of these things beautifully in a way that I don’t think any other show could manage.

While the shock of Paul winding up in the hospital from a hit and run is important, it takes a backseat to the way the women come together. Despite the advice for Jo to stay away from Jenny so it doesn’t look like they’re conspiring, it doesn’t take long for the two women to realize that, first of all, neither of them is responsible, and second of all, it’s time for them to work together.

Jenny apologizes to Jo and details her own relationship with Paul, while also wondering how she could have fallen for it all in the first place. Jo is the voice of reason here, reminding her how such a thing happens slowly, especially since Paul seems like a good man in the beginning.

Thank goodness Jenny is willing to realize the truth so quickly, and thank goodness she’s willing to talk to Jo and find trust in her. It’s a theme that’s carried over from Grey’s Anatomy Season 14 Episode 9, “1-800-799-7233,” — women sticking together.

It’s inspiring to watch the two of them confront Paul together, with Meredith, by the way, sticking close as well. That takes immeasurable strength, and watching Jenny stand up for herself with Jo by her side is a really great moment.

I’m disappointed we won’t actually get to see them drag Paul to court and testify against him. Instead, his aggression gets the better of him and becomes his downfall. That moment is almost too easy, and killing him off feels like a fast way to bring the story to a close, but it works.

Ironically — it’s then Jo who has his fate in her hands alone since technically, she’s still his wife. Her reaction to this news is amazing, with a combination of laughter and tears at the absurdity of the situation. You know, I spent a long time disliking Jo’s character, but she’s quickly become one of my favorites.

Now, as satisfying as it would have been to see the two women take him to court, it’s probably more satisfying that he ends his life by doing some good and saving lives, thanks to Jo’s decision to have his organs donated.

Meanwhile, a young boy, Eric, is brought into the hospital after having been shot by a police officer, who wrongfully assumed the boy was breaking into a house. Really, Eric was trying to get into his own house, and when he reached into his pocket, he was reaching for a phone to call his mother.

Everything about this, in my point of view, is handled really well. It’s eye-opening, it’s thought-provoking, and it doesn’t hold back. Jackson shines in every moment, from defending Eric and speaking his mind with the police officers in the hospital to sharing, briefly, his own experiences of dealing with this kind of bias.

That’s a detail, by the way, that April notes she’d never heard from Jackson before. I’ll get to April in a second.

Now, the same story might have been told with a happier ending, allowing Eric to live. Doing so would have still addressed the issue of unconscious bias, but maybe we could have felt a little better after watching. Instead, Eric doesn’t survive — and as hard as that is to watch, it’s much more powerful.

More difficult, though, is seeing how Bailey and Ben react. They realize they need to have “the talk” with Tuck. This isn’t the kind of talk every parent has to have with their child, but they do.

They sit Tuck down and have him practice exactly what to say if put in a situation where a police officer thinks he’s a danger, giving him advice like “be polite” and “never run.” That moment manages to be one of the most emotional moments of the entire episode.

April is at the center of this episode, and it’s as though she’s watching the world fall apart around her.

In addition to losing Eric, she also loses Karen — the wife of the man April left at the altar, who has just given birth.

It looks as though Matthew has a perfect life. He’s happy, and he even says he’s glad April left him because it allowed him to find the love of his life. He wrongfully assumes April is still happily married to Jackson, and he also thinks by now she must have a three-year-old baby.

At once, we’re reminded of the horrible things April has been through — and so is she. It would be impossible for her not to question how her life might have been different had she not left Matthew at the altar that day.

Losing Karen is going to be a turning point for April. It has to be. Now she’s responsible for affecting Matthew’s life once again, all while she’s clearly beginning to question her own faith.

April’s character has already experienced change since we first met her. How could she not? Like most of these characters, she’s been through hell and back, and she’s certainly hardened a little.

She’s gotten tougher, she’s gotten braver, and she’s gotten more confident. But there’s still a lot to explore, and I’m eager to see what comes now and how this is all going to affect her.

What did you think of this episode of Grey’s Anatomy? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 8/7c on ABC.

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