Grey’s Anatomy Recap: The Baby’s Out of the Bag

Grey’s Anatomy had babies on the brain tonight. There’s secret love-child babies. Hypothetical babies. Babies in bags. There’s also a foot that becomes a knee, which is something you can never unsee and we’ll get to it. Let’s start with the secret love-child babies because, you guys, I gasped when Richard said what he said. Gasped.

So Maggie Pierce is out in the world “telling her story louder” after her med-school bully tried to take credit for saving her own life, when in actuality her life was saved thanks to the brilliance of Grey Sloan’s chief of cardio. Today, she’s on a podcast because this is our life now. As the little podcasters are asking Maggie questions about her background and why she became a surgeon in the first place, Mags very innocently rambles on about how it could be a genetic thing, since both her biological parents — Ellis and Richard — and her biological sister Meredith are all surgeons too. In the moment, she forgets that almost no one, especially outside of this hospital, knows that she is the result of an affair between Ellis Grey and Richard Webber. The podcasters are like “holy hell, we’ve finally made it!” as they realize what a scandal they have on their hands. Wait, is this Scandal? CAN THIS BE HANDLED?

Maggie, about to jump off a cliff, is reassured by her sister that it isn’t a bad thing. This is Maggie’s story after all. She’s allowed to tell it. Her biological father doesn’t feel the same way. He’s mostly mad because now the entire medical community will know that Catherine Fox’s husband is an adulterer, and that’s not exactly what she needs as she is battling cancer. Also, he is pretty ashamed of that part of his life. And that, folks, is where I gasped. As Maggie points out, that part of his life, the part he isn’t proud of, “culminated in [her] existence.” It is an extreme slap in the face. Mags deserves better.

Don’t worry, folks! These two make up. Webber realizes how hurtful his words were and apologizes. She didn’t do anything wrong, he is “the scandal.” He calls Maggie a miracle, she got the best parts of all four of her parents. He ties the speech together with the lovely little bow that is “I am proud to be any part of you, Maggie Pierce.” And yes, he was just being an ass, but it is a very sweet moment. The Maggie-Webber relationship is one that is constantly evolving and there is so much to be mined, but it seems to take a backseat to other Grey Sloan drama most of the time. It’s nice to see it acknowledged again. Maggie has other things to worry about anyway: It’s just hitting her that her dad is going to hear that podcast in which she gives credit for much of her success to Ellis and Richard. He’ll be heartbroken. I guess the moral of this story is never go on podcasts.

Maggie’s boyfriend is wrapped up in a different baby story up in an OR. Jackson’s working on a huge ortho surgery alongside Link and Nico — it’s the ol’ turn your foot into your knee thing — with a minor league baseball player Link used to work with who has bone cancer. Jo Karev forces her way into the surgery because she is spiraling out and needs a distraction. Why is Jo spiraling this week, you ask? Well, Helen Karev is still in town, and although a very nice lady who wants to reorganize Alex’s bookshelf, she is spending time knitting hats for babies. Jo and Alex’s babies. Apparently, Alex told his mother that they want to have kids one day … and her reaction was to make some gender-neutral hats big enough to fit giant Karev heads. So, yeah, Jo spirals.

Eventually, because this is Grey Sloan, all of this comes out as Jo and the boys cut off a dude’s calf and then attach his foot to his upper thigh (yes, I’m saying it for a third time because IT IS INSANE). She wants to have kids eventually, but also she’s terrified. Kids are scary and gross and you can’t protect them all the time and all they do is cause you pain. Kids ruin lives, she yells, in the direction of Jackson Avery … who has a very cute daughter named Harriet … and who also lost his son. Jo should really learn what “know your audience” means. She apologizes for being so rude, it’s clear it’s because she’s scared. Jackson gives her some real dad advice: Kids “give you a reason to live when life tries to ruin you.” Dang, Avery, you should stitch that onto a pillow or something.

Jo comes clean to Alex. He assumes she was freaked out because she doesn’t want to have a kid that could possibly have a mental illness like Alex’s mom — but that’s not it. Jo is scared about what she could be passing on to their kids since she has no idea about what her parents passed on to her. She’s taking a DNA test. Also, we’re being prepped for the big Jo-finds-her-mom episode. Get ready!

Okay, finally we can get to this baby in a bag situation. Even just typing “baby in a bag” makes me nauseous. The baby in a bag is the reason DeLuca’s dad is here. He has created an external womb in which premature babies can gestate until they are full term and he wants Grey Sloan to fund his research. He pitches Alex and shows him video of successfully using it with sheep. It is wild.

The problem is that because of DeLuca Sr.’s past and his undiagnosed mental illness, it might not be the best or most ethical idea to allow him to do this. Carina sure doesn’t think so. She’s spent the most time with him and can tell he is in a manic period. He’s unwell. At Meredith’s suggestion, she even tells Alex what’s going on.

Andrew DeLuca feels very differently. He feels so differently that he signs on to work on the project with his father. Sure, it might partly be because he saw that lamb come out of the bag and was impressed, but we also know it’s a little bit because his father has manipulated him. Andrew’s father tells him that Meredith is out of his league. She’s beautiful and brilliant and she is an innovator. I mean, he’s not wrong but like, that’s harsh, dude. If Andrew were a part of a medical breakthrough like, say, the baby in the bag, he might start to be worthy of a woman like Meredith Grey. Andrew takes the bait. His sister warns him of how their dad operates, but he doesn’t want to hear it. He’s all in on this project. He’s all in on his dad. I mean probably no drama will come of this little situation, right?

Laughter Is the Best Medicine, Apart From Real Medicine

• SCHMITT LOVES NICO. He loves him. All of this comes out because Nico takes offense when he realizes Schmitt doesn’t want to tell his mom about who he’s dating, but it’s not because he’s scared to come out. Schmitt’s just scared of his mom. She flips out. Over everything. She will flip out because Schmitt is dating a human person. He doesn’t want her to ruin what they have. Nico is Schmitt’s first love and this relationship is very swoony.

• Uh, remember when that guy coughed up that horrible blood clot thing? And even Bailey was like “I forgot I was a doctor there for a minute.” This episode was low-key disgusting.

• Owen and Amelia have been relegated to this section because it is laughable that we are still talking about this crap. As they try to work out shared custody for Leo, things escalate until Owen starts yelling about Amelia not being able to love or be loved and finally Amelia bows out. She and Owen are over. She will be Auntie Amelia. It will be better for Leo if Owen has full custody. Also, Owen is a dick. She doesn’t say that last thing, but come on, WE ARE ALL THINKING IT.

• Meredith’s mom comes to her daughter in a trippy dream to give her inspiration for her next project. It has to do with taking a vitamin as a way to diagnose disease and also the phrase “the light in the blood” is important. Stay tuned!

• I know it was a weird dream sequence, but seeing Maggie with Ellis made me feel things. Sadness? Regret? Wistfulness? Oh, I miss Kate Burton on this show.

• Jackson cooks the sisters dinner and that should probably happen every week? Please?

• The face Meredith makes when she tries to get Alex to read her mind so she doesn’t betray DeLuca’s trust. The face Meredith makes at Amelia when she comes into the kitchen as the saddest of sacks. Mer is just really on it tonight.

• “Why do they call it that, podcasts?”

Sob Scale: 0/10
Maybe a tiny tear watching Alex so happy to sit on a bench and eat lunch with his mom, but that’s all for today, you guys.