Grey’s Anatomy Review: Head Over High Heels (Season 15 Episode 22)
There’s a little too much happening on Grey’s Anatomy Season 15 Episode 22, “Head Over High Heels,” but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its standout moments.
One of the most meaningful, in fact, is what feels the quietest. Owen goes to therapy to try a technique his sister has recommended. He’s skeptical, but he’s open just enough to give it a chance, and it winds up being really beautiful.
It’s not the first time we’ve seen Owen dig deep and deal with his own traumas. When he was first with Cristina, his nightmares turned dangerous. He’s always been fighting demons, but the therapist he sees on this episode has him going back further to figure out why he seems to sabotage his own happiness.
KEVIN MCKIDD
What we learn is that Owen has a heartbreaking story about being a little boy and learning that his father was dead. The therapist encourages him to sit with it so he could move past it, and a now desperate Owen breaks down in tears.
It is such a small moment, but it’s a moving performance by Kevin McKidd that I won’t soon forget.
I think it’s worth noting too, that his memory is one that could happen to any child. Usually, when Owen deals with demons it’s about the war, but this feels that much more relatable. I’m also always glad to see therapy portrayed in a helpful, positive way on television, and Grey’s does that well here.
Meanwhile, Jo is facing her own demons too. And it’s… bad. Drinking at work bad. I so desperately want her to open up to someone, and I’m worried about what this is going to mean for her and Alex.
Of course Alex is seeing a pattern. How could he not? He mentions that to Meredith, and it makes for a nice callback to earlier stories and characters, which I continue to appreciate from this season. Meredith gives good words of advice, offering a chance for us to see more of her friendship with Alex, also.
But I do hate that Jo and Alex’s relationship is being tested like this so soon after getting married, and the whole thing is a bit tough to watch. Maybe Jackson will be the one to reach Jo since they have a bit of a connection here.
The relationship that seems to be going well is Meredith and DeLuca, and it’s honestly a joy to watch. DeLuca’s run-in with Zola could have been very dramatic, but instead, Meredith has a sweet moment of sitting down with her children and telling them about her new boyfriend.
ELLEN POMPEO
That’s after she talks with DeLuca a bit about his take on kids — a conversation they hadn’t had yet. Turns out, DeLuca has plenty of experience with children and, at least for the moment, seems willing to be a part of Meredith’s children’s lives.
I really just appreciate all the positivity here. It’s nice to see Meredith happy, and the dynamic between her and DeLuca continues to grow on me. This is a storyline that could have benefitted from a bit more attention, as is the case with just about everything happening on this episode, but it still works.
The Nico portion of the episode could have also benefitted from more time. Nico’s character needs to be fleshed out a bit more in general, at this point, and everything surrounding his mistake in the OR feels too rushed. Hopefully, this is the beginning of us being able to get to know him a little more.
Finally, there’s a patient who shows up to the hospital and has a history with Richard, but she has no interest in speaking with him. Not at first.
JAMES PICKENS JR.
Hey, you know what looks more painful than just about anything we’ve seen on this show recently? A shoe stuck in someone’s chest!
I don’t want to think about that one too much. Because, wow.
The outlandishness of that injury is part of the point, though. This patient has started back drinking after being sober for 17 years, and it’s become such a problem that this kind of thing happens. It turns out, her sponsor was the same as Richard’s, and after Ollie’s death, she began to spiral.
It offers a nice chance for Richard to revisit what he’s been up against with his sobriety, and ultimately his story of smashing up that bar becomes helpful to someone else.
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.