I will not name it a comeback, however it completely is.
Holy crap, Gray’s Anatomy truly did it. Nineteen seasons in, they efficiently revitalized the sequence with a beautiful mix of nostalgia, recent faces, and a renewed focus.
With Gray’s Anatomy Season 19 Episode 1, it appears like a reboot of the sequence, and it is all the higher for it. I am genuinely enthusiastic about what’s to come back this season.
The hour took us again to the sequence’ roots, understanding the magic that was M.A.G.I.C. Utilizing the sequence’ staple beloved characters like Meredith Gray herself, Webber, and Amelia to buoy the introduction of those recent, new characters was good.
They already established a basis with these characters that successfully ties and connects the newbies with our veteran actors, the place the dynamics developed will be compelling.
Simone, as our candy, immediately lovable gateway character to the intern storyline, already had moments with each Mer and Webber that excite you about what these dynamics will probably be like shifting ahead.
Webber shines greatest when he has a mentee below his wing, and a gentle spot for a younger, up-and-coming physician, and Simone provides him that.
SImone: My mother died. She died after I was born, on this hospital, so I have never been right here since then.
Webber: Because you have been born.
Simone: I have never been right here for the reason that delivery of me killed my mom someplace in one in all these rooms, which is why I used to be late the primary day, it had nothing to do with the twister, I had a panic assault, after which I noticed the colours of the partitions I have been picturing this place my complete life. Once I consider my mom and the partitions are beige, and I get right here they usually’re blue, it is disorienting, disappointing. I acquired it unsuitable all this time.
Webber: Effectively,t hey solely painted the partitions blue a couple of years in the past. You bought it proper. S
imone: Makes me really feel so a lot better. Thanks. Thanks, Dr. Webber.
The scene when she confessed why she was late gave us this nice perception into her character and made her immediately rootable, however it made her endearing and one to look at, one thing Webber took word of there.
And Mer spoke to Simone with a familiarity that implies that Mer really rigorously chosen and crafted her unorthodox surgical intern class and sees one thing that others do not with every of them.
The Lucas connection was the largest shock of all and legitimately stopped me quick and made me emotional. We’ve got Derek’s nephew, this unexplored a part of him that retains Derek and his impression on this sequence alive on this stunning method.
However he is not one other Derek, they usually ensure of that. As an alternative, the extra fascinating angle is the notion that he is very very similar to Amelia. Not solely does she get to mentor and information her nephew, however Amelia will get to confront some issues about her previous and really relish how far she’s come, what she endured, and what she’s achieved.
It is nothing like a mini-version of your self trying to you as an aspirational aim that places issues into perspective. It reminds you of your roots and humbles you, however it additionally makes you proud.
Lucas and Amelia’s dynamic, along with her serving as his mentor, molding him into the good surgeon that he is destined to be, is such an thrilling storyline to discover, one not marred by the redundancy of Amelia’s relationship bother arcs or perpetual hangups about being a screwup or so forth.
It appears like an arc that is worthy of Amelia, lastly.
In some ways, the first characters took a backseat to the introduction of the brand new children, and it labored fantastically. We all know there was a six-month time soar, and we’ll have the time to delve into all of the modifications.
Amelia: Derek was a god to him.
Mer: I do know.
Amelia: And Lucas was Derek’s favourite nephew, and I do love him, so I hate to maintain saying this, however I do not assume he has what it takes.
Mer: I do know you do not.
Amelia: He is a large number. He does not observe directions. He has to do every little thing he personal method. Did you rent him as a result of he reminds you of Derek?
Mer: Not Derek. He’s a large number. He does have to do issues his personal method. However he does have a stroke of the household genius, and he is a little bit of a black sheep. You do not see it, do you?
Amelia: Is that why he drives me loopy? He is me.
Mer: Sure, he is you. He is acquired the spark. He is acquired the drive. He simply wants an opportunity.
For now, the callbacks and parallels between the surgical interns and the OG ones have been an excessive amount of enjoyable. The sequence has all the time been in regards to the characters evolving and rising, however the sequence desperately wanted that ingredient of wandering into GSM with new eyes, a clear slate, and the unknown forward of you.
The sequence was all the time at its most engrossing once we watched younger medical doctors fumble their method by means of studying be nice with the steerage of those that got here earlier than them.
Mer is an effortlessly pure match within the position of chief. She’s a implausible mentor, and I completely adored her rendition of the “Welcome to Gray Sloan Memorial” speech.
It is a recent begin, she carved her personal method, discovered her personal voice and phrases to say, and the break from custom marked the mandatory modifications and evolution of the hospital and present.
Finish your day higher than it began.
Nick
The prospect of Mer and Nick working collectively to proceed increase this new and improved intern program, one Nick largely impressed within the first place, can be a promising storyline.
We all know that Ellen Pompeo will solely be in eight installments this season, and presumably, Nick will take her up on the provide and stick round to function residency director for a bit.
However one absolutely expects the 2 of them to fall again into some pleased bliss and undergo with their relocation plans. Mer wanted to get this program off the bottom, and that six-month timeframe gave them the area to deal with some enterprise and notice how a lot they needed to be with each other.
From the sounds of it, on a private degree, Mer has been unhappy this whole time. Even Zola needed to contact Nick to cheer her mom up.
The 2 of them working collectively briefly provides them time to rekindle that connection and permits Mer to have her cake and eat it too. She needed to make this sacrifice and repair this program, suspending her personal happiness.
However now that she’s established this, she poured her all into getting this program off the bottom, and even that proved to be a love letter to this hospital meaning a lot to her and Nick; her reward will probably be Nick and regardless of the future holds for them.
She nonetheless considers this job as an interim one, and Nick acquired the chance not solely to see how a lot she missed him of their time aside however he additionally acquired to see what she achieved on the hospital.
Mer sacrificed their relationship, however it wasn’t in useless. And Nick is a good sufficient man and physician to see and respect that now, even when he is a easy and human sufficient one to have needed Mer to struggle for him extra and tougher.
Jules: I believe I’ll have already slept with an attending already.
Mika: You’re employed quick.
They’re already organising a Mer departure, and it will work. One can already envision her naming Amelia the Chief if Bailey does not step again into the position.
It appears the previous six months of the residency program shutdown have weighed closely on the employees. However we’re catching them previous the thick of it, and it is a model new day on the horizon.
Levi, for instance, having the come up of getting chief resident fits him, notably since he is been probably the most notable resident of his class by design for the reason that others disappeared or acquired sidelined.
Even that’s fascinating as a result of he’ll be lording over the surgical interns. Their class represents what Levi’s class with Sam, Parker, Helm, and so forth ought to’ve been upon their introduction.
It would not be Gray’s Anatomy in the event that they did not have the inappropriate romantic entanglement facet of the present. Hyperlink because the Derek who slept with an intern he met at a bar earlier than he realized who she was good for a giggle.
Hyperlink is absolutely in his informal hook-up period. We’re previous the uncomfortable Amelia stuff and the unresolved Jo stuff, too. They might nonetheless revisit a few of it. And womanizing, Sloan-like Hyperlink remains to be a far cry from the man we first met, however a woman will simply be content material that he is not randomly a dick anymore.
Mer’s response to Hyperlink’s admission was priceless. She really is not the one to guage, and her recommendation about avoiding elevators could not be higher.
They might mess around with this Hyperlink and Jules factor, possibly recycle that kind of relationship once more, or they will really stick by Jules’ assertion that it meant nothing and depart it there.
Hyperlink was merely protecting his bases, and doing the absolute best factor he might with the H.R. paperwork, however Jules’ unfazed rejection of them even having a relationship was hilarious.
Jules is enjoyable. She appears savvy, and he or she has coronary heart. She took her first day in stride, and I am unable to wait to be taught extra about her.
They performed round loads with giving the brand new interns related traits to beloved characters of the previous whereas nonetheless attempting to make them their very own.
Simone has that candy earnestness of an April with an Izzie edge. She immediately stood out, and he or she’ll be one to look at. She dealt with her instances properly and expertly managed to easy so many issues over.
Hyperlink: I slept with an intern. However I did not know she was an intern, it was earlier than, it was not at the moment. Wow, that is awkward.
Mer: I’m in no place to guage you on this. I do suggest you keep away from elevators for the foreseeable future. Go to HR. They’ve paperwork for this form of factor.
Mika can be fascinating out of the gate. Initially, she had a little bit of that Cristina high quality with the darkish humor and inappropriate jokes. However she shortly pivoted and exuded such real, open compassion and coronary heart.
Her connecting with the affected person’s mom by sharing she’d hope sufficient for each of them as if that affected person was one in all her seven sisters was such a fantastic second for the character.
Blue comes throughout as extremely aggressive and a little bit of a jerk, however in an endearing method, which has shades of Karev. And as a lot as you need to dislike him for mendacity a few lifeless organ donor brother, it was efficient.
Of all of them, he appears to have a hell of a narrative to clarify why he is there. Harry Shum Jr., in something, is prompt gold.
And Lucas is impossibly fairly and candy, like a human model of a labrador. His undeterred optimism, earnestness, social awkwardness, and skill to ramble and put his foot in his mouth are shades of our beloved George, making him an prompt favourite.
He even made the primary screwup that the others will not let him stay down anytime quickly. It was all as a result of he needed to be as personable and compassionate as attainable when informing relations that their relations have been braindead.
I look ahead to studying why every of those recruits, who weren’t the highest-ranked of their class, and are basically a merry band of misfits and rejects, acquired into this program.
All of them had some screwup that made him the undesirable ones out of the bunch, however they’re diamonds within the tough, and Mer noticed the potential in all of them.
I hate it. I hate it a lot. You want senior surgical residents. I’ll go so far as to say you want a chief resident. And if you happen to make me him, I will probably be imply. I will probably be bossy. And if I am ever tempted to go gentle, I’d image a return to OB, and I’ll get stronger. Stronger like a vagina, which I have been compelled to be taught can stretch to 200 instances its pure dimension and carry a 30lb weight simply by flexing. I will be the vagina of this system if you happen to’ll let me.
Levi
She’s picked these variations of the perfect of the folks she set to work with over time, and it is laborious to not love that for what it’s.
Additionally, there is a frustratingly binary outlook on intelligence, as if grades or rating dictate any of that. Essentially the most book-smart particular person is not all the time the neatest within the room. For each Cristina, Maggie, or Bailey, there are folks like Karev or whoever else.
It additionally speaks to the pandemic’s results on the medical discipline. So many individuals acquired thrown into the deep finish of working towards medication, and looser standards have expanded choices and afforded genuinely gifted, good folks alternatives that they’d’ve gotten locked out of due to low scoring, rating, or the place they acquired educated.
I really like that this new batch of interns is tough across the edges and an embodiment of what the technology has the provide — good and gifted however in unorthodox methods, bucking in opposition to custom.
The hour completely nailed their introduction, and I am already invested in every of them and wish extra.
Further Notes:
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Guys, even the music decisions felt so old-school Gray’s Anatomy!
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We did not get a lot of Bailey, however she regarded carefree, stressfree, and pleased, so good for her.
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Maggie and Winston’s relationship wants extra substance.
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Levi’s Vagina Monologue was top-tier. Ten out of ten execution and supply.
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Is it too early to ship Simone and Lucas? As a result of there have been vibes, and I need to see extra of them.
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Boo! It sucks that Niko Terho and Jake Borelli did not have a scene collectively but. If you wish to watch a enjoyable, queer romance, try The Factor About Harry. They have been each nice in it.
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Interns on the gurneys within the hallway won’t ever stop to hit me within the emotions!
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The bizarre wrap-up of Teddy and Owen’s authorized troubles offscreen was weird. However tanned, unfazed Owen and aggravated, wine mother Teddy was fascinating.
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They forked over half one million for Owen’s protection after they went on the lam, and now Owen has a suspended medical license. If I have been Teddy, I’d be pissed. Like, are they’re their marriage okay? As a result of oof.
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The child intern jokes, watch for it, by no means acquired outdated. Bokhee’s was the perfect. And sure, we should always all the time say “please,” to her. I do not care.
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Transplant instances are among the greatest, with out fail, and I recognize the reverence and respect Nick all the time exudes throughout them. It is important to see that. Good for him that he acquired to do a triple-organ surgical procedure!
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I’ve solely had these 5 interns for a single episode, and I already would kill for them.
Over to you, Gray’s Fanatics.
Did you take pleasure in this gentle reboot of the sequence? What are your ideas on that? Which new character did you take pleasure in most? What are your ideas on that Lucas/Derek reveal? Hold forth beneath!
You possibly can watch Gray’s Anatomy on-line right here by way of TV Fanatic if you should catch the premiere!
Jasmine Blu is a senior employees author for TV Fanatic. Comply with her on Twitter.
