Grey’s Anatomy Season 19 Episode 4 Review: Haunted

Pumpkin carving and real cadavers make for a fairly interesting Halloween on Grey’s Anatomy Season 19 Episode 4, “Haunted.” The episode’s theme is clear: one mistake, one wrong choice, can haunt you for the rest of your life.

The new interns are still figuring out how to work together and remain competitive, and they are once again given an unorthodox assignment. While that works well one time, pulling them from their traditional work feels like an odd choice twice in a row.

It seems the reason is to show the contrast between them and the last class — which is now represented only by an overworked, very stressed Levi Schmidt. 

These interns are part of the revamped program and are being given different ways to learn and ultimately a less stressful work environment than interns of years past. The problem is that means more work falls on the previous class — on Levi. 

The pressure is even higher for Levi because of the mistake he made last season that resulted in the loss of a patient. That’s affecting him now, because he doesn’t want to be the reason something like that happens again. 

The good news is that Levi’s situation is rectified fairly quickly by Richard, who admits to Levi that they’ve failed them and that the new program is still imperfect.

His realization comes after visiting Taryn at the bar, who refuses to come back to work after the hospital. Richard’s talk with Levi makes for one of the most endearing moments of the episode, and it’s a relief, because I’d much more enjoy seeing Levi succeed as Chief Resident than drown in the work.

Meanwhile, the interns go from pumpkin carving to practicing trauma on real cadavers (poor Richard’s activity isn’t nearly as exciting as what Nick and Owen have to offer).

Unfortunately, the trauma training doesn’t get nearly the attention it deserves. considering that the interns are working on real live bodies, it’s not all that interesting to watch. 

There’s a message buried in their training about teamwork, but it’s glossed over pretty quickly. There’s also a message about the bodies being donated to science and what happens to them afterward, and as important and thought-provoking as that is, it also doesn’t quite get enough attention.

What I do love is the way Lucas points to his fellow interns to give credit, and then asks if they can all scrub in together on surgery. It’s sweet, and it says a lot about his character. 

The interns also bond after Simone reveals the meltdown they’d all been watching on video earlier was of her. 

It’s Maggie who learns this first and suggests that honesty is the best approach. She’s also completely empathetic, even before she finds out what’s been distracting Simone.

But then she learns her meltdown — her one mistake — had to do with why she was asked to leave her previous program. She’d been vocal about being treated differently because of her race, and that’s what resulted in her leaving. 

Rather than continue hiding from the video, she tells her fellow interns it was her, and what happened to cause it. They are all immediately on her side in a way that makes the moment feel pivotal. This is their found family — and I wouldn’t be surprised if they all wound up living in a house together soon.

Elsewhere in the hospital, two teenage boys are being treated for injuries sustained after trying to fly. They had taken LSD, and while one landed in the pool, the other did not.

The two cases give reason for the doctors to reflect on their own families and their own experiences, and they also continue the theme that one mistake can change everything. Because what we learn about these teenagers is that they are good kids who don’t usually do drugs or get themselves into trouble. 

Teddy relates this to her current feelings about Owen, whose catastrophic mistake is now clearly impacting their marriage. What made for interesting conflict just a few episodes prior is now concerning.

She’s bitter and the two of them are clearly no longer on the same page. Considering all these two have been through over the years, that’s really frustrating to watch. 

Then when Teddy’s advice to Link is to wait for his feelings for Jo to go away and stay friends, it’s even more concerning. The last thing I want to watch is another breakup between those two. 

Meanwhile, most of what we see of Meredith on this episode is reminiscent of Grey’s Anatomy Season 18. I don’t know about you, but I’m growing tired of watching Meredith and Nick hanging out in hotel rooms.

I really enjoy Meredith and Nick together, but it’s disappointing to have her removed from the hospital yet again when she spent so little time there over the past two seasons.

And yes, her time this season is going to be limited — but that makes it even worse. What little time she’s on the show should be more about the medicine.

That said, the difference here is that her story is more about Zola. Zola has been having panic attacks, and it seems they’re getting worse. I’m happy to see that mother/daughter relationship, especially with how quickly Meredith is willing to drop everything for her daughter.

It also sounds like Zola could be a reason for her to leave Seattle altogether.

—

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!

15 Truly Unforgettable TV Weddings