Grey’s Anatomy Review: Living in a House Divided (Season 18 Episode 10)

After half a season of balancing Minnesota and Seattle, it is finally starting to feel like one show again. Grey’s Anatomy Season 18 Episode 10, “Living in a House Divided,” continues to bridge the divide between Meredith’s two overarching storylines.

One of the most exciting reveals of this season was the early return of Scott Speedman’s Nick Marsh, who brings a warm presence to every scene he’s in. After everything that Meredith has been through, it’s rewarding to see her so happy. Speedman and Pompeo have lovely chemistry together. 

They both agree — they don’t want to leave each other! I hope the show finds more ways to keep Nick in Seattle permanently. Meredith is smiling more with Nick than she has with anyone since Derek. And in a hilariously adorable and awkward moment, Nick finally meets her sisters!

One of the main issues this season is the lack of sister moments between Meredith, Amelia, and Maggie. “Living in a House Divided” allows them to briefly catch up with each other about their love lives. The scene is refreshingly comedic and sweet, especially during a somewhat tense episode. The show feels more grounded when these three share scenes. 

Although Meredith is happy in her new relationship, her goodbye scene with Hayes reminds us that whether platonic or romantic, these two share a connection. In a heartbreakingly beautiful goodbye, Hayes tells Meredith that she made him feel less alone. 

If Hayes needs to leave, at least he can leave knowing that he found healing and comfort in people like Meredith during his time in Seattle. We will miss you, McWidow!

Speaking of Hayes, his refusal to reveal why he is leaving creates a frustrating (and quite boring) storyline for Teddy and Owen.

The issue with Owen’s secret is that it’s less satisfying of a storyline when we already know what he is hiding. If Grey’s Anatomy decided to hold off on revealing what Owen said in the car until Teddy found out, then the conflict between Teddy and Owen would be more intriguing. 

A much more interesting conflict is the debate over Richard’s teaching method. Although Schmitt is the doctor in question, this episode quickly escalates into “Webber on Trial.”

The debates over the doctors’ teaching methods and the discussions about how to recover from painful losses create intriguing conflicts for the characters to overcome. They all make mistakes, but how do they deal with them and prevent future ones from happening? 

This storyline also allows Richard to interact with Amelia, Meredith, and Maggie more, which is always a plus. 

It is satisfying to see interns like Schmitt and Helm in more emotional moments that we can connect with. Most of the time, they are comic relief characters.

Borelli and Elliot beautifully portray the struggle of interns trying to succeed despite the challenges and fears ahead of them. Schmitt’s catatonic and traumatized response to his first major loss is heartbreaking. 

One issue that the recent seasons of Grey’s Anatomy run into, especially with Jo, is “pair the spares.” Personally, I do not feel much chemistry between Jo and Link. There is a solid foundation as friends, but this dynamic is missing the spark that it needs to grab our attention and our hearts. 

It feels like Jo has been shifting around to different storylines ever since Alex left. Instead of spending more time on Jo’s journey as a new mother or her career change, this season constantly reminds us that the show doesn’t use her to her full potential. Let her be more than the girl pining over a guy in love with someone else!

“Living in a House Divided” is a solid episode that allows many of the main characters to interact for the first time all season, which is a needed normalcy for Grey’s Anatomy. Let’s hope that the show can keep the parts of Minnesota that work (hello, Nick and Kai) while grounding itself back in Seattle. 

Stray Thoughts:

• Thank you to Perez for explaining to Link that fat-shaming isn’t cool. Not your finest moment, Dr. Lincoln!
• Speaking of Link, he is feeling very out of character this season.
• “I like Minnesota!” Same, Maggie!
• Koracick returns next week… It’s what we deserve! 

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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