‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 12, Episode 23 Recap, Review: Meredith, Calzona, Jolex and April in transition again (SPOILERS)
Original air date: May 12, 2016 on ABC
“Grey’s Anatomy” Season 12, Episode 23 (“At Last”) aired May 12 on ABC. This week’s new episode opens to Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) talking about an infection that came back worse. This pertains to Owen (Kevin McKidd) selling Derek’s trailer because he’s ready for a grown-up house. Meanwhile, things get even worse for Calzona.
Spoiler alert: This review recaps the highlights of the season’s penultimate episode, with “Grey’s Anatomy” Season 12 spoilers. Greys 12x24 airs next week as the season ender.
All the Grey Sloan couples get their moments in the episode before the season finale. Some have gloomy endings, while others see hope and surprise. Here’s a quick look into everyone:
Owen and Amelia (Caterina Scorsone). They spring hypothetical questions and scenarios concerning a married life. Eventually, things get serious, with Amelia asking Owen, “Will you marry me?” Meredith is not enjoying this development because Amelia is somehow changing things up in everything that’s familiar for Meredith: Derek’s trailer, Cristina’s (Sandra Oh) ex who is still single, and even Amelia’s homeless situation. The “infection” caused by losing Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) gets back in a bad way because of this.
Callie (Sara Ramirez), Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) and Penny (Samantha Sloyan). Callie decides to break up with Penny, believing that a long distance relationship is hopeless for her. After winning full custody of Sofia, Arizona tries to meet Callie’s custody requests. But she couldn’t forgive Callie for putting her through hell in court. Meredith finds a sobbing Penny, who later confides in her. In the end, the two hug it out, which is the first good thing that Meredith has done in “Grey’s Anatomy” Season 12, Episode 23.
Stephanie Edwards (Jerrika Hinton) and Kyle Diaz (Wilmer Valderrama). Stephanie finds out Amelia is going to run a risky operation. She tries to change Kyle’s mind, but she later puts her trust on Amelia. Unfortunately, Kyle dies on the table. Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington) tries to console her, but Stephanie is devastated. This changes the friendly dynamic between Steph and Amelia, who were a team for most of “Grey’s Anatomy” Season 12.
Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) and Jo Wilson. A patient’s grandma tries to set up Karev with her daughter. He says he’s with someone. Grandma asks: Are you engaged? Are you getting engaged? By evening, Karev realises he wants answers. Is Jo going to commit to and marry him eventually? Jolex fans must have been crushed when she gave Karev a very sad, seemingly irreversible “no.” Jolex has been in a relatively better place than most couples in “Grey’s Anatomy” Season 12. However, after seeing Stephanie grieve over Kyle, Jo decides marriage is not for her. Perhaps the gravity of Steph’s pain scared her off even more.
Miranda (Chandra Wilson) and Ben (Jason George). The two are in a “waiting game,” expecting the other to apologise while biding their time. Jackson (Jesse Wiliams) asks Ben how the two are dealing with it. Ben explains he is still mad, but Miranda is the love of his life. He says Jackson has April; he should understand. Jackson points out they are divorced. Perhaps it is now occurring to him that unlike Ben, he focused on his anger and not on his love.
Jackson and April (Sarah Drew). The ex-couple has a brief scene in the penultimate episode of “Grey’s Anatomy” Season 12. In the previous episode, however, they agree to never fight over their child’s custody and schedule. April’s baby bump is more obvious now, which could mean a Kepner-Jackson baby delivery in the finale or the Season 13 premiere.
Richard (James Pickens Jr) and Catherine (Debbie Allen). After a long day of observing the embattled couples at Grey Sloan Memorial, Richard gets a morale boost upon finding Catherine Avery in the elevator. His wife couldn’t wait to see him, and all is well in the world for Dr Webber. It remains to be seen, however, if Catherine is done meddling with Jackson and April, who seem to be healing now, finally.
Meredith Grey and Nathan Riggs (Martin Henderson). She wants to stay mad at him because she’s Team Owen, because Owen is Cristina’s ex. Riggs is resilient, though. Each time she comes at him, he has something to throw in her face, like the fact that she couldn’t be happy for Amelia and Owen because Derek is dead and Cristina is never coming back. They make a good verbal punching bag for each other, which Maggie (Kelly McCreary) has probably sensed. (In an earlier Maggie-Riggs bonding scene, Maggie tells Riggs to just be tough as tough on Mer as she is on him.). In two minutes, Meredith and Nathan go from yelling and hurling judgments to passionately kissing in the parking space.
Some fans have seen the Meredith-Nathan ship coming since that scene in the Grey Sloan elevator, when Meredith and Nathan were creating sparks just by standing next to each other. There is a real good chemistry between them, and creator Shonda Rhimes may have seen it from the get go, perhaps soon after the death of Derek Shepherd.
It looks like Hunt and Riggs are meant to be family, after all, just like Meredith and Amelia. By the end of “Grey’s Anatomy” Season 12, Episode 23, Meredith is back as voice over, asking: When is it finally safe to move on? The voice over concludes, while Meredith and Nathan are kissing, that one should just “go for it” if it feels “really good.”
The finale episode of “Grey’s Anatomy” Season 12 airs next week, May 19, on ABC. What happens next to Jo and Alex, Jackson and April, as well as Meredith and Nathan should take centre stage in the season ender, 12x24.
