Grey’s Anatomy Season 19 Episode 9 Review: Love Don’t Cost a Thing
It really does feel like the early days of Grey’s on Grey’s Anatomy Season 19 Episode 9, “Love Don’t Cost a Thing.”
The interns have a party at the infamous Grey house, there’s romance and competition, and there’s an even awkward dinner party. Plus, there’s a patient that we’re clearly going to be getting to know over the course of two or more episodes.
It’s like Grey’s Anatomy Season 1 all over again, and that’s a great thing.
NIKO TERHO, ALEXIS FLOYD
The party at the intern house: Dance it out
The party itself gives the episode an upbeat vibe and brings a good number of the characters together. It’s an opportunity to have Taryn Helm back interacting with more of the cast, and there’s the endearing moment of Levi finding romance.
There’s also the love triangle (ish) with Simone, Lucas, and Trey. It’s hard to tell what’s best for Simone, but it’s nearly impossible not to want her to so no to that proposal and run into Lucas’s arms instead. Those two clearly have chemistry; plus there’s a real openness between them.
What works well about all of this is less about the romantic drama and more about the story once again centering on interns. Their lives are so different from the attendings.
They’re broke, they have to compete and work incredible hours, and they’re still figuring out what they want their lives to look like. That’s the stuff that’s really interesting to watch. And there’s potential for so many fun storylines as we watch these characters grow like we did the original interns.
NIKO TERHO
The party also ends with a “dance it out” scene that’s so reminiscent of the one from Season 1 that I’d have been disappointed if it wasn’t there. It’s joyful and cathartic, and maybe even more relatable than a lot of the storylines we’ve been seeing with the attendings in recent years.
Risky procedures and bold interns
Meanwhile, at the hospital, Blue and Jules are working with Maggie on a risky case. The competition between the two of them is also the kind of thing we used to see in the early days — and it makes for dramatic tension, especially considering the romance that’s been brewing between them.
The real focus, though, is on the patient and her husband. She finds out she needs another surgery before the one she intended. However, their biggest concern comes down to whether or not they can afford it.
Blue has a solution that he blurts out, which is out of line, but ultimately is a smart idea for the couple: get a divorce.
That gets Blue in trouble with Maggie, but he’s arrogant and doesn’t think he did anything wrong. It’s later we learn that he’s being crushed by his mother’s medical bills, which is why he’s so personally invested to begin with.
It’s a learning experience for him, sure, but it’s also one for Maggie.
Another Awkward Dinner Party
Of course, there’s plenty to focus on when it comes to the attendings as well. Teddy is now Chief of Surgery, and when she and Owen have Bailey and Ben over for dinner, every bit of tension she and Owen have between each other is put right out on the table.
KEVIN MCKIDD, JASON GEORGE, CHANDRA WILSON, KIM RAVER
It’s the epitome of awkward Grey’s Anatomy dinner parties, but it’s also a bit too much. It’s exhausting to see Owen and Teddy fighting once again.
If done correctly, it seems like her being Chief could offer opportunities for levity. Instead, both characters are just feeling like people I don’t want to see on my screen anymore, which is a shame.
Unfortunately, we also see Ben and Bailey having their own troubles. And that’s not very fun to watch either. It seems a bit out of character for Ben to resent Bailey for going back to work as well.
Other thoughts:
- Poor Link! He currently has to hide out and he’s losing patients. It’s sad but it’s also a cute storyline for him, and Jo’s feelings have now been made abundantly clear to Amelia, who points it out pretty bluntly.
- I like seeing Kai via FaceTime! I’m glad that relationship hasn’t been put aside.
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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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.