Grey’s Anatomy Review: Someone Saved My Life Tonight (Season 17 Episode 17)
After a season that focused heavily on the pandemic, Grey’s Anatomy Season 17 Episode 17, “Someone Saved My Life Tonight,” speeds us through the remainder of 2020 and the beginning of 2021 to end on a hopeful, cheerful note. Well, mostly anyway.
The multiple time jumps move us forward in a practical way, and it’s not like Grey’s Anatomy hasn’t used this device before. This time, however, feels a little more disorienting, and as though it’s mostly about a means to an end.
It does make a certain amount of sense to allow this to be the rest of Meredith’s recovery so that we get to see her back in the OR where she belongs — and doing a risky surgery at that. She even gets her clap out after all, and in a way that feels a lot more relevant since this time, it’s about her being back working as a surgeon.
As nicely as that plays out, particularly because this surgery is one that will help a long-term COVID patient survive, I’m left wanting more from Meredith Grey. She has her moments of self-reflection, noting survivor’s guilt in a conversation with that same patient, and struggling with her new role in the residency program as she slowly recovers.
Even her focus on how to save that patient is shifted, and she’s not teaching the way Bailey expected she would.
Bailey is noticeably shocked by her behavior, actually — but this is all part of showing how the experience has affected Meredith. That said, speeding her through this way isn’t nearly as satisfying as seeing her grapple with recovery, especially considering all the times Meredith has come close to death.
It’s a shame we don’t see her explore this further.
The time jumps work well when it comes to Jo adopting Luna. It’s a long, agonizing process that, because of the time jumps, is resolved nicely and gives Jo a happy way to end the season. And hey, aren’t we glad she remembered she had those shares?
So she gets a new start, in a new apartment (that details even gives us a Jackson cameo), which is extremely satisfying for her character.
Link showing up at her door may change things a little, though. The episode also shows the downfall of Amelia and Link, which is quite frankly, painful to watch.
Link’s proposal is incredibly sweet (though why are you proposing at someone else’s wedding dude?!) and it’s not met with the response he hopes for at all.
CHRIS CARMACK, ANIELA GUMBS, BRODY GOODSTADT AND RYDER GOODSTADT, AVALON GRAY AND COLETTE GRAY
The saddest part is how oblivious he is as to what’s been on Amelia’s mind. But the way all of this shakes out feels like drama for the sake of drama — and a little like we’re circling back to the same issues that caused a problem for Amelia and Owen.
At least Owen and Teddy resolve their problems and have gotten back together — complete with an engagement. It’s satisfying and well-earned.
Maggie and Winston get their wedding day, too. It’s joyous and perfect, and a way to have everyone celebrate after the horrible year they’ve endured. As glad as I am to see something happy like this for Maggie, we just weren’t afforded the opportunity to become invested in Winston, and in their romance, the way we should have.
We’ve barely scratched the surface of Winston’s character, which makes the wedding much less satisfying. Still, the symbolism of a celebratory event like this taking place on the beach is a beautiful way to bring everything full circle.
GREY’S ANATOMY
Grey’s Anatomy leaned into COVID in a way most shows didn’t this year, and that’s to be applauded, even when the story suffered because of it. The show went for it in some risky ways and it didn’t always succeed, but years from now this season is going to feel like a time capsule.
All of that makes the vaccine montage on the season finale feel more important and more emotional. The detail of Owen giving his mom an extra — one that would have been discarded — is also a nice touch.
Ending the season on a more hopeful note is the best way to wrap all of this up. Even the coloring of the episode is brighter. It ultimately feels like a big sigh of relief.
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What did you think of the Grey’s Anatomy Season 17 finale? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Grey’s Anatomy will return this Fall to 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.