Grey’s Anatomy Review: The Last Supper (Season 16 Episode 12)

Catherine Avery shows the worst side of herself, and we get more insight into Levi’s life outside the hospital on Grey’s Anatomy Season 16 Episode 12, “The Last Supper.” 

What’s remarkable is that this episode accomplishes quite a bit without spending more than a few moments inside the hospital. Unfortunately, not all of it is very pleasant to watch.

The awkward “anniversary” dinner is cringeworthy. Miscommunication brings Vic and Dean Miller (from Station 19) to what isn’t actually a large dinner party and should have been a small family affair.

Jackson and Maggie are barely able to be civil to one another, and the same goes for Richard and Catherine, who actually put the dinner together to announce that they were separating.

It’s a classic Grey’s Anatomy move at this point to throw an awkward dinner party, but this feels lacking. It drags on unnecessarily, and just when you think Jackson and Maggie’s stories about Richard and Catherine are enough to make them want to give things another chance, things take a worse turn. 

All Richard needs is a proper apology, but Catherine can’t give him that. There’s so much disrespect and resentment between the two of them that there’s no real way to come back from it.  

Catherine becomes so cold as to start plans to buy out Pac North which she learns Maggie’s accepted Richard and Alex’s job offer. It’s a feud that I’m not at all eager to see play out. 

By the way, the mention of Alex does make it feel like he’s still around, but it’s frustrating now that we have the news that Justin Chambers has left the series. 

The one redeeming quality of the dinner is the moment Maggie and Vic have near the end. Because Maggie is willing to admit that her problem was never really with Vic, and it’s such a mature move for her say that out loud. 

The better half of this episode is centered on Levi. He learns that his Uncle Saul is on his deathbed, so he and Nico take a trip to visit. Levi is clearly nervous to come out to him, but he does it bravely. Unfortunately, Saul passes as soon as Levi tells him he’s in love with Nico.

That feels tragic at first, but there’s a twist that stands as a lesson for Levi, and it’s really quite perfect. Not long after Saul’s passing, a man show’s up who seems to know everything about Levi. He even knows that Nico is his boyfriend.

As it turns out, Saul knew his nephew was gay, something that wasn’t hard to figure out since he was too. Saul may have been married to a woman, but the man who arrives at the hospital, Daniel, was the love of his life.

The reveal is endearing because it means there’s a family member who understood Levi more than he realized — and really, more than his own mother. But as Levi is still figuring things out for himself, he realizes he’s living in a very different than he could be, and that he shouldn’t take that for granted. 

Saul and Daniel had to keep their relationship secret, and Saul was ultimately ashamed of who he was. He stayed married for appearances and could never truly live a life with the person he loved. It’s a major generational difference, and it leads Levi to feel empowered.

He makes the decision to move out of his mother’s house. That is partially because he knows she’s having trouble accepting the fact that he’s gay, but I also think it’s a symbolic move that brings him out of hiding, so to speak.

In the short time that his character has been on the series, it’s impressive how much we’ve seen Levi develop. Mainly, he’s becoming more and more confident, both professionally and personally. 

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 9/8c on ABC.

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