Grey’s Anatomy Season 19 Episode 10 Review: Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves

Grey’s Anatomy continues to return to its original form with the latest group of interns and emotional medical cases.

On Grey’s Anatomy Season 19 Episode 10, “Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves,”  Catherine Avery returns for a major surgery that leaves Levi feeling more confident and reveals that Blue does have a weakness in the hospital, after all.

Meanwhile, there’s jealousy between Lucas and Simone, putting the drama back at the intern house. Jules is part of a tragic case that forces her to learn a harsh lesson about being a surgeon, and Owen and Teddy finally move past their resentment for one another (thank goodness).

Everything about this episode brings back the vibes that Grey’s Anatomy Season 1 had. We return to the cafeteria table to see the interns airing out their drama and competition with one another, but ultimately also developing a friendship.

The chemistry between the interns brings lively energy back to the show. Even the pacing feels faster and lighter than it has in recent years.

What I’m saying is that Grey’s Anatomy is fun again.

The vibe is more upbeat overall, and there are more moments of levity. Teddy trying to bribe Bailey with compliments about her pie and a cup of coffee, Blue passing out in the OR (can you blame him?), and Levi worrying about looking cool in front of his new crush are just a few examples. 

Because it’s not just the interns. The fact that the focus has shifted and we’re spending the time with them that we are is a major reason things feel like they used to.

However, even Owen’s storyline on this episode brings levity. That’s needed for his character more than anyone, really. 

Link following him around while patients refuse to cooperate is awkward and funny all at once, but then things shift when Owen is given the chance to show what he’s really good at. 

He breaks protocol and worries that will keep him from being able to reinstate his license early, but he does what knows is best and he proves how incredible he is at his job. Despite breaking some rules, he shows that he deserves to get his license back, and it works.

He doesn’t find that out, though, until Bailey offers the kind of life advice she’s so good at doling out. 

Owen’s apology to Teddy is sincere and thoughtful, as is hers in return. It’s a relief more than anything else because their resentment and fighting have been frustrating to watch. 

Focusing more on the patients is another reason Grey’s Anatomy feels like it used to. Catherine’s patient feels so awkward about his condition that he hasn’t even told his wife, yet she shows up after his surgery because it turns out that she’s known all along. 

It’s so sweet that she allows him to believe she doesn’t know — she just wants to make sure that he’s okay. 

There is also the group of sisters who boast of all having cancer. They carry around the ashes of the sister who died, and they seem disappointed to learn that the youngest’s brain tumor is actually benign. It all comes from a deep emotional place, and a place of survival, really.

Then to learn the ashes are actually cat litter — it’s so wild that it feels true to life.

Sadly, not every patient has a good outcome. It’s these kinds of emotional stakes that always made Grey’s Anatomy such a standout show, as heartbreaking as it is to watch. Learning that Natalia isn’t going to make it, and that she could die within a few hours, is tragic news, especially after having two episodes to get to know her. 

It hurts to watch her go through it, and it probably hurts more to see her husband — now technically ex-husband because of their medical divorce — handle the pain.

But this is also a lesson for Jules. She feels helpless and doesn’t understand why the surgeons don’t continue to try to fix her. Richard offers his wisdom, saying the best surgeons are the ones who know when it’s time to do the hardest part of the job, which is doing nothing.

The interns have so many lessons to learn, and not just about performing surgeries. There are emotional lessons involved in this job as well, and seeing them have to learn everything that the original interns had to learn over the years is the best direction Grey’s Anatomy could take right now.

There’s another emotional storyline that it’s clear we’ll need to brace ourselves for. Catherine’s cancer is back. We found that out earlier in the season, but Richard wasn’t aware.

He finally tells his wife that he can tell something is wrong, and she finally reveals the news. It’s devastating, and while I worry about seeing Richard go through more pain, I do like the idea of seeing more focus on him and Catherine in the coming episodes.

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Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.

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