Grey’s Anatomy Review: Sorry Doesn’t Always Make It Right (Season 17 Episode 11)
This is the kind of Grey’s Anatomy episode I love.
Grey’s Anatomy Season 17 Episode 11, “Sorry Doesn’t Always Make It Right,” has a perfect mix of romance, humor, and drama, all while tackling current issues and offering chances for character development.
Written by Julie Wong and directed by Giacomo Gianniotti, it’s a well-balanced and heartfelt hour that also offers some hope for Meredith Grey.
Meredith is off the vent, but still resistant to waking. Richard worries that she’s still too weak, even when all of the tests have promising results.
Even though Meredith is opening her eyes and speaking much, Richard realizes she’s been listening. When Meredith does wake for a moment and speaks to Richard, she apologizes first that he had to make the call he did. He tells her he’d do it again in a second, and it’s a nice scene that reminds us how important that relationship is.
The second thing she says? She tells him they need to talk about Wilson.
Because Jo has been pouring her heart out to Meredith about wanting to change specialties, not realizing Meredith was taking in every word.
The honesty in all of that is what makes it really meaningful, and it’s not actually surprising that Meredith would want to support Jo in making a chance if that’s what she really needed. And hearing her the way she does, she hears the most important reasons and has no reason to think Jo is being impulsive.
It would perhaps be surprising for Richard to react the way he does if this were the same Richard from years ago. But now, it’s fitting that he’d encourage her on her own path as well.
This journey of self-discovery is a nice storyline for Jo after all she’s been through. Her digs at Alex do make me want to ask a question, though. Does Alex Karev have any idea what’s going on with Meredith?
Grey’s Anatomy has been consistently careful to include Cristina in part of the story since she left the series, whether in passing mentions of her calling or most recently, text messages with Owen asking for updates. The way Alex left is one thing, but quite some time has passed since then.
Elsewhere in the hospital, there’s the newlywed couple in the middle of a fight. It’s funny and heartbreaking at the same time, and it’s the kind of story that reminds me a lot of early Grey’s.
The doctors are caught in the middle of the drama, and it’s all less about the patients’ injuries than it is whether or not they’ll reconcile. It’s a lot of fun — needed fun.
There’s also a heartfelt storyline involving a man and his baby, who’s been fighting for his life since he was born. Hayes and Maggie are stumped for a way to help the child, that is until Jo gives Hayes an idea.
Also in true Grey’s Anatomy fashion, what follows is an experimental surgery that allows these surgeons to prove they’re the best in the business and willing to go beyond the standard of care. It’s a good boost for Maggie, too, and I quite enjoy her working together with Hayes.
It’s successful, thank goodness, and winds up being a feel-good story all around.
Then there is Jackson, who only makes things worse when he starts paying for hotel rooms for COVID positive people who need to quarantine.
His intentions are good, and because he has the money to spare, it feels a bit like a responsibility to him as well. It’s for the good of public health, and it doesn’t occur to him that what he’s doing could have negative repercussions.
But Ortiz, unafraid to say what’s on her mind regardless of who’s in charge, let’s Jackson have it. She explains the harm he’s causing, displacing others because of how he’s paying for these rooms.
This ultimately results in a lesson for Jackson about listening and asking questions, which he does easily when he realizes Ortiz is someone who would know exactly where to start.
So when he calls her in and asks for her ideas so they can work together and make a difference, it becomes a great example of how so many problems could be solved. It also makes me want to see a whole of more of Ortiz. Please keep her around, okay?
Okay, but none of this compares to the fun of getting some quality time with Link and Amelia. It’s maybe too easy that Link’s parents show up to whisk away all of the children, but if it means getting such great scenes with Link and Amelia, I’ll take it.
Their relationship comes across as genuine and real, and it’s all a joy to watch. A quiet, empty house doesn’t mean quite what they think it will at first. Instead, it turns into a chance for them to spend the day really opening up to one another.
Amelia collapses in tears on the stairs, admitting that she “just needs to be crying right now,” in the most relatable of moments I think anyone could imagine.
She’s been holding in a lot and taking care of Meredith’s kids in addition to her own new baby for so long that she hasn’t been able to allow herself to feel what she’s been feeling.
Link, however, is misreading cues all over the place and keeps trying to propose. It’s not that Amelia doesn’t want that, and that’s a discussion they have in-depth. But his timing is no good and offers some endearing humor to the episode.
I also appreciate how much they discuss Amelia’s struggle with addiction. That’s such an important piece of her character and it needs to be revisited like this. Link is honest about what he needs regarding all of that too, noting that he’s “not Owen,” which is interesting too.
This season has generally done a good job of bringing up details like that from the past, not just to remind us of things that happened before, but really to round out the characters.
Speaking of Owen, the episode’s most heartfelt scene involves him and Teddy. On top of everything else, it’s just a relief to see them reconcile. Owen is finally in a place to forgive, and in the very least, to be a friend to Teddy again.
He shows up, asking to hear about Allison and wanting to be there for her. After the hurt she caused him, it’s remarkable to see that kindness, and it speaks to their history as well. It’s a lovely, emotional moment that rounds out a truly solid episode of Grey’s Anatomy.
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Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9/8c 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.