Grey’s Anatomy is more soapy and sweet than dark and violent. While it doesn’t hide the fact that life can be cruel (Ellen Pompeo’s Meredith Grey lost her soulmate, after all), a lot of screentime is devoted to flirting, joking around, and bonding. Well, the ABC drama has entered a new era that is giving me mixed feelings.
Before I watched the Grey’s Anatomy season 21 trailer, I was happy to see more Scott Speedman. Now I’m anxious to see what happens next and wondering when this show got so wild.
In the trailer for the new season, which drops on September 26th, Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) actually slaps Catherine Avery (Debbie Allen) in the face after Catherine tells her “You think you’re God’s gift to this hospital? You’re just another doctor.” First of all, ouch! Second of all, how could anyone say anything so cruel to Bailey?! She’s not “just another doctor.” She’s only one of the people who inspired Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) to stop being such a jerk and apply himself, which allowed him to find love with Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl) and then Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington) and then Izzie again. It’s a lot.
Bailey also showed Meredith you can be tough, strong, and vulnerable all at the same time, and has been a shoulder for Richard Weber to lean on since day one. But, sure, she’s just another doctor.
While I need to find out why Catherine is so mad at Bailey, I’m also stunned that they would fight so badly that Catherine would get slapped. Catherine lost me after she fired a bunch of doctors in the Grey’s Anatomy season 21 finale and refused to understand why Meredith would conduct some research in secret. Unless she did something truly dangerous or illegal, I’m Team Bailey.
When a Grey’s character got violent in the past, things didn’t work out so well for them. Alex beat up DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti) when he thought something was going on between him and Jo, and he went to trial. Although Alex kept his job in the end (this is a TV show!), this affected his reputation and made him realize just how close he came to losing everything. It’s hard to believe Catherine would fire Bailey, but she did go on a firing spree at the end of season 20. While this storyline is juicy, it’s also a smart reflection on the power plays in many hospitals. You might expect doctors to focus on saving lives, but sometimes they can’t help but want to be right and get what they want. I have to give Grey’s Anatomy credit for diving into a serious topic like that, even 20 seasons in.
The rest of the Grey’s Anatomy season 21 trailer shows Grey Sloan is just as messy as ever, and I love it. Besides a patient sustaining an injury while bungee jumping, which seems inevitable (then again, I’m afraid of heights), Jo tells Link (Chris Carmack) she’s pregnant. Wondering how he’s going to react is almost as nerve-wracking as trying to decipher why Catherine and Bailey are fighting! Is September 26th here yet?