Grey’s Anatomy Roundtable: Personal Jesus

While Jo finally gets some closure in an unexpected way, a young boy’s case has a profound effect on the doctors, and April begins to have a crisis-of-faith.

Tell-Tale TV writers Lauren Busser, Alamin Yohannes, Milka Väinämö, and Ashley Bissette Sumerel discuss Grey’s Anatomy Season 10 Episode 14, “Personal Jesus,” below.

• Lauren Busser (@laurenbusser)
• Alamin Yohannes (@alaminyohannes)
• Milka Väinämö (@milkamilka)
• Ashley Bissette Sumerel (@ashleybsumerel)

1. What was your overall reaction to “Personal Jesus”?

Lauren: It was dark and very topical, and it hit home in many ways. Still, it balanced all the storylines well.

Alamin: I was pleasantly surprised by “Personal Jesus.” I was expecting another episode about Jo and Paul, given how the previous episode ended, so I was not expecting the episode to start with April. Or for her to be at the center of the episode. Overall, this was a really solid episode of Grey’s Anatomy.

Milka: Wow, that hurt. Like Alamin, I was expecting an episode on Jo and Paul, and while we did get that, I was pleasantly surprised by the focus on April and the approach this episode took on very topical issues like unconscious bias.

Ashley: I loved it. I really appreciated the direction it took, and I just think this season overall has been remarkable.

2. Who did you think was responsible for hitting Paul? Were you surprised by the outcome?

Lauren: Not at all. Honestly, I didn’t expect Jo to be at fault because having both her and Alex go through legal trouble in two back-to-back seasons would have gotten a little tired. I also didn’t expect Jenny to be at fault because that seemed a little too predictable. The fact that it was a drunk driver seemed like an easy, but believable, way out without having to throw another character into a legal drama.

I also liked that Jo decided to donate Paul’s organs. I figured after all of this it would take that route. This whole subplot felt too heavy to just fade away into nothing. Plus, the episode had such a stark feeling overall, that it needed a dash of hope at the end.

Alamin: When Paul was brought in at the end of the previous episode, I was sure it was Jenny. Between the episodes, I realized that didn’t feel like the story Grey’s Anatomy would tell. Going into “Personal Jesus” I was really unsure about the way they were going to go.

What is the most surprising about the outcome is how Paul’s part in it is the least significant in my opinion. I loved that the focus was put on Jo and Jenny coming together, supporting one another and figuring out what to do. The show never minimizes what they went through or how awful Paul is, but it also puts the emphasis on Jo and Jenny. Other shows may have made this story about Jo and Alex, or even Paul and Alex, but Grey’s made sure this was about Jo, a character I believe has been long overdue for deeper exploration.

While it may be a departure from what Grey’s Anatomy is, I would love to see Alex, Jo, Meredith, and Jenny testify against Paul in court. Those scenes would have been amazing and it would we’d see more of Bethany Joy Lenz, but the ending they chose makes more sense for the show.

Milka: The reveal of who hit Paul didn’t really surprise me because getting Jo and Alex involved in yet another police matter would just have felt really repetitive and tired.

By making the one involved a nameless drunk driver, the writers delivered a realistic conclusion to the issue and probably to the storyline as well. While it would have been interesting to see Jo fighting with Jenny to bring Paul down I believe getting rid of Paul this way was overall a better decision for the show.

Ashley: Yes and no. I also didn’t really think it was Jo or Alex who was responsible, for the same reasons mentioned above. I did kind of think it could have been Jenny, but that would have taken things in such different direction. I also really loved that this episode put the focus on Jo and Jenny, allowing them to come together and be ready to fight.

3. Grey’s Anatomy tackles unconscious bias head-on with this episode. What are your thoughts on that storyline?

Lauren: It was absolutely heartbreaking. The scene with Tuck, Ben, and Bailey was devastating to watch, but I am glad the show went so far as to include that scene and give it the time that it deserves.

Alamin: What made the entire storyline for me was the conversation Miranda and Ben had with Tuck because it’s a necessary conversation and one that probably happens every day. When television shows tackle this particular issue, they typically do it similarly to how Grey’s Anatomy used Jackson and April on “Personal Jesus.” They help the person while voicing their outrage or share incidents from their past that speak directly to the situation.

The conversation with Tuck is the show taking in a step farther and it’s important that people who may not need that particular conversation see what it looks like.

Milka: It broke my heart and it forced me to face my privilege head-on, which is probably what was the purpose of this storyline to begin with. The talk scene is one I will be thinking about for a long time and I definitely agree with what Alamin said — the importance of such a scene lies in the fact that it makes those who have not gone through such a conversation realize the reality of the situation in many homes.

Ashley: One thing I mentioned in my review of this episode is how the choice could have been made to let Eric live, and that might have made the audience a little more comfortable, but in allowing him to die, it makes so much more of an impact. I agree about the scene with Bailey, Ben, and Tuck, also. It was such a striking moment, and for me personally, it was an eye-opening one.

4. What did you make of the focus on April on this episode? How do you think Karen’s death is going to affect her character?

Lauren: “Personal Jesus” depicts a terrible day for April. Like I said, the episode has a lot to it, but April felt like a natural focus for this episode. She was just the axis around which these cases revolved. All of the cases we were introduced to were emergent, and April’s specialty is trauma, so they would have had to go through her to proceed to surgery and the rest of the hospital. It made sense that April would have contact with them.

But also, they touched on key points of April’s character: her faith, her relationship with Jackson, Samuel’s death, how April reacted to Samuel’s death. It traced a path back to April and Matt’s wedding, but also just the fundamentals of who she is. I don’t think there’s a question that this day is going to leave a mark. There are some old wounds and I hope we get to see April deal with them.

Alamin: April is a character who had to grow on me. When she joined Grey’s Anatomy, I found her grating, but her character arc had resulted in her becoming one of the show’s most interesting characters. I look forward to when she’s the focus and I was happy to see her front and center on “Personal Jesus.”

While Karen’s death was heartbreaking, I believe it’s seeing Matthew again that will have the biggest impact. Big moments are sometimes benchmarks for your life and Matthew made April look at her life since leaving him, which could lead her down a road of self-exploration.

She had a terrible day and that could be seen as the reason for her actions at the end of the episode, but when I think about the effect on her character moving forward, it’s the return of Matthew that I believe will be the catalyst of any change.

Milka: I loved seeing more of April — since she made an appearance on the show for the first time I have been kind of conflicted on how to feel about her, which is why I probably consider her to be one of the most interesting characters on the show. There is so much to her and I definitely would like to see more episodes focus on her.

Seeing Matthew probably made April consider what her life would be like if she had not left him on the altar and I really hope the future episodes will somehow delve into what happens to April after this one horrible day. I am also curious to see whether Matthew will make an appearance on the future episodes.

Ashley: I see this as being a real turning point for her. I’m echoing the crowd a bit by saying I didn’t love this character when she first joined the show, but now? She’s incredible, and she’s so complex.

She’s faced with so much on “Personal Jesus,” and I imagine she’s going to shoulder the blame for losing Karen and feel some responsibility for causing tragedy in Matthew’s life — even though it’s unwarranted. More than that, she really is having that crisis-of-faith, and I think that’s going to be a fascinating place to take her character.

5. What was your favorite part of this episode and why?

Lauren: Such a small moment, but Maggie and the science camp was a great moment. It gave the episode just a touch of levity. Looking back it felt a little out-of-place, but I am so glad it’s there. Aside from that, I really loved when Jo realizes that she’s still legally married to Paul and so the decision on what to do rests with her. It was a situation so ridiculous that she just had to laugh in the moment.

Alamin: Yeah, I agree with Lauren. It was definitely Maggie and her last-minute science camp. It was nice to have some light moments during a pretty dark episode, but mostly it’s just another reason to love Maggie.

I think her introduction has been one of the best moves the show has made in some time. Not only does Maggie work on many levels as a character, in the way that she affects many of the existing characters and relationships, but Kelly McCreary is absolutely brilliant in the role.

How she slowly developed a reason with Meredith, that speech about loving Meredith’s kids, the way she holds her sisters together and just her overall positive personality. She’s the jolt of light necessary to add to Meredith’s next chapter.

During the episode, I tweeted “Find someone who loves you the way Maggie loves science” and I stand by it.

Milka: While I did love the science camp scene as well, I think my favorite part was the talk scene with Ben, Bailey, and Tuck. It is kind of difficult to call such a scene a “favorite,” but the reason I want to mention it as such is connected to the way it made me feel.

It made me think, it opened my eyes, and it gave me that emotional reaction Grey’s Anatomy so often gives to me. I believe it is also one of those scenes that will stay with me for a long time to come, a scene I will likely reference back to later on.

Ashley: Jo’s reaction when she realizes it’s up to her to decide what happens to Paul because she’s still legally married to him. After everything she’s been through, it’s just ridiculous, as Lauren says. Her reaction of bursting into laughter followed by tears is perfect.

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What did you think of this episode of Grey’s Anatomy? Respond to our roundtable questions with your own answers in the comments below! You can also check out our review of Grey’s Anatomy Season 14 Episode 10, “Personal Jesus,” right here.

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

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