Grey’s Anatomy Review: Shadow of Your Love / Mama Who Bore Me (Season 19 Episodes 14 and 15)

Maggie gets a bittersweet, appropriate exit on Grey’s Anatomy Season 19 Episode 14, “Shadow of Your Love,” and Grey’s Anatomy Season 19 Episode 15, “Mama Who Bore Me.”

The two back-to-back episodes allow Maggie to go out with one last incredible surgery. Quite frankly, if we’re comparing the exits of Ellis Grey’s daughters, Maggie’s is a much better send-off than the one we got for Meredith. 

Her surgery is groundbreaking and emotional, but what’s key is that she has Winston by her side and they pull it off as a team. She also makes sure that’s known to the patients — which shows she’s learned from recent mistakes. 

The two episodes also show Maggie’s struggle with the reactions to her decision. Richard is hurt and upset over her leaving. Amelia is feeling abandoned. And Winston, of course, is focused on the fact that this is likely the end of their relationship.

But Maggie doesn’t want to have to apologize for making a choice that will make her happy. She doesn’t see a problem with putting her career first if she loves that career, and the point she makes about Ellis Grey is such a poignant note about her character that you can’t blame her for wanting to take this next step.

As much as Ellis put her career first in her life, she stayed in a marriage when it made her unhappy, and she ultimately did let that hold her back. That meant she resented her husband and her family in a way that made her bitter. Maggie won’t do the same. 

Meredith didn’t either, for that matter. Maggie’s exit parallels Meredith’s closely, which is an interesting move for the story to take.  

Meanwhile, Amelia is on the opposite end of that exact situation. Kai has an opportunity to work in London, and they’ve already accepted it.

As much as Amelia can see things from Maggie’s point of view, when she’s on the other side of it, it hurts. I think this also feels different because Kai was a different type of relationship for Amelia, and that relationship felt like it was still in its beginning stages. 

It would be great if the show could cut Amelia some slack because she’s been through too much unbearable heartbreak at this point.

I’ve said it before, but her backstory from Private Practice is really key to her character, and showing that somehow through flashbacks would be good to help flesh some of that out more.

Now, though, basically, every new connection she made since moving to Seattle is gone, aside from Richard. It’s good news, at least, that from the promo for the upcoming episode, it seems Addison is coming back for a visit soon.

While we’re on the subject of relationships, we also have to talk about Jo and Link. Their chemistry together is so obvious that others are just assuming they’re together now.

And they certainly both have feelings for each other, but they can’t get their timing right. Link also has a point about their friendship, and honestly, there is something to be said for the family they’ve developed as platonic partners and close friends. 

Yet it is also painfully obvious that they should be together. It’s Owen’s speech to a patient about how he knew Teddy was the love of his life, and how he finally went for it, which makes Link re-think everything. 

His romantic gesture is probably too far over the top, but it’s a punch to the gut to see him start throwing away flowers and blowing out candles when he gets that call from Jo.

It’s an even bigger punch to the gut when Jo pushes him away after finding out the news about Luna’s hearing loss. 

More interesting than any of this, though, is what’s going on with Bailey. She still seems to be in denial about being doxed, but after finally retrieving her phone from Yasuda and then receiving a photo of Tuck at school, everything changes.

It’s terrifying to see this happen to her and to know this sort of thing happens plenty in real life these days as well.

What I appreciate most about this is that they are continuing to build upon something from early in the season.

Bailey’s new passion and how this all took shape after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, slowly from re-opening the clinic to seeing how much help is needed and how easily a doctor can be targeted — it’s strong storytelling that’s making this season a standout. 

This episode also offers the chance to see some new progression for Levi, who we learn should have picked a fellowship specialty by now and is way behind. Richard is hard on him about it (he’s generally hard on everyone across these two episodes) and Levi is left feeling lost once again. 

He does, however, have good reason to explain why he’s struggling. From the pandemic to the program being shut down temporarily, he hasn’t exactly been given a fair shot. 

But then Richard sees how Levi deals with their 13-year-old patient. He’s not only kind to him, but he understands him — he remembers what it’s like to be that age and he’s able to get through to him, and to listen to him, in a way that not every doctor can. 

It’s even Levi who convinces Teddy to let them hold a bar mitzvah for the boy in the hospital lobby.

This feels like another callback to early Grey’s, if you’ll recall the time they held a prom (long-time Grey’s fans definitely won’t forget that episode.) 

The bar mitzvah doesn’t have nearly that amount of drama or heartache — instead, it’s mostly joyful as the boy gets to celebrate his milestone and even have a learning experience from it. This is when Richard tells Levi that maybe he should consider a peds fellowship.

It’s a sweet moment, especially since it shows how Richard has realized he was coming down too hard on everyone.

And circling back to Maggie, he has a nice goodbye with his daughter that includes the most thoughtful gift imaginable. It’s a replica of the bench where he found out he was a father. 

And with that, Maggie leaves, and no, Winston isn’t going with her. It really is bittersweet.

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

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