Grey’s Anatomy Review: Save the Last Dance for Me (Season 16 Episode 13)

No one’s breaking up the Grey-Sloan family again. Well, for the most part, anyway.

On Grey’s Anatomy Season 16 Episode 13, “Save the Last Dance for Me,” Catherine has already made the move to buy Pac North, and Grey-Sloan is absorbing it. That means Tom is in charge of conducting interviews to see who gets to keep their job from Pac North, including Richard, Owen, and Maggie.

It’s ultimately a clever way to get Richard and Owen back over to Grey-Sloan. And Tom gets to be Tom about it, which isn’t exactly surprising. 

The logistics, however, aren’t entirely clear, so it’s all a bit muddled and confusing. I’m not sure what we’re supposed to believe will happen with Pac North next, and I’m not entirely confident we’ll find out. 

Where is Alex in all of this? Well, some hints are dropped.

Oh, he’s dealing with family issues in Iowa and he’s sending Richard weird texts. He’s also not returning his wife’s phone calls, which seems jarring considering that he only recently re-proposed to her.

Something’s clearly off, and they’re working toward explaining why he won’t be back (we know Justin Chambers’ last episode has already aired). There’s an awful lot of exposition around Alex that feels forced, and it has me wanting answers sooner rather than later. 

Even without him, though, the core group of doctors who serve on the board ban together to confront Tom. It’s a moment of solidarity that’s satisfying to watch, and this time, it’s a moment that doesn’t actually backfire. After everything that happened with Meredith in the first half of the season, it’s nice to see these doctors all coming together with a common cause.

Meanwhile, DeLuca is still trying to determine what’s wrong with his patient, Suzanne. At a loss, he’s enlisted some help from a diagnostic specialist, Dr. Riley. 

Assuming at first that she’s there to work with Meredith Grey, Dr. Riley shows up focused and ready to do what it takes. It’s a historical moment, too, as this is the first deaf doctor we’ve seen on the series, and one of the first on primetime television overall. 

Riley’s ultimate plan is to have Suzanne taken off of all of her medications so that they can start to understand her symptoms more clearly. It’s drastic, and the other doctors aren’t necessarily in agreement, but she certainly makes a compelling case.

It’s an intriguing storyline that’s only made that much more interesting by Sarah Rafferty’s emotional performance now paired with this new doctor who has already captivated the audience. 

Speaking of emotional storytelling, another plotline on this episode involves an elderly couple who spend much of lives dancing together. Now, the woman has cancer that can’t be treated. She keeps a positive outlook while her husband makes a wildly romantic gesture thanks to the help of Levi and the other doctors. 

The two have the chance to dance together again, and they do it in front of a crowd. It’s a beautiful moment. 

That moment speaks to Meredith in an unexpected way, too. She realizes that she’s changed when it comes to love and romance. She tells Bailey there was a time when she would have built that dance floor, but now, not so much. That’s very clearly coming through with her relationship with DeLuca — who by the way, she’s sleeping with even though they’re technically still broken up.

She’s right, though. Think back to the early seasons when she was in love with Derek. “Pick me, choose me, love me” is an iconic line that would never come out of Meredith’s mouth in the present time. Is she jaded? Hardened? Or is it just that she’s grown up a bit, as Bailey thinks?

Certainly, with all she’s been through, it would change her perspective. On the other hand, maybe it just means DeLuca isn’t someone she should be with right now. McWidow is right around the corner, after all.

Other thoughts:

• We’re still waiting to find out who the father of Amelia’s baby is, and it’s becoming agonizing. Raise your hand if you hope it’s Link’s!
• Nico is a bit too cold to Levi about staying with him, and that’s something that probably should have been explored a bit further. They do, however, have a nice moment at the end of the episode. 
• Jackson and Richard have a sweet heart-to-heart, and I’m glad Jackson can overlook the fact that Richard compared his mother to Godzilla.

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

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

25 Tragic TV Romances That Absolutely Ripped Our Hearts Out