Grey’s Anatomy Season 23, Episode 2, “Slippin’ and Slidin’,” reminds the ensemble that perfection doesn’t exist, and mistakes happen. Grey Sloan Memorial, at its best, is a teaching hospital. For the last 22 seasons, I have watched characters make intentional (L-VAD wire) and unintentional mistakes. All of which turn into lessons that change the trajectory of these characters’ lives. One of the assets of a show lasting this long is that it knows that perfection is unattainable. The more interesting characters and stories live in the dramatic and thorny and realistic (and sometimes unrealistic) struggles.
In all of that is an exploration of what it means to be a human being, let alone a successful doctor. That’s why this episode, written by Michelle Lirtzman and directed by Linda Klein, is about weighing risks and understanding the behaviors and feelings attached to them. It can sit with Jo and understand the pressure on her shoulders or that for Simone or Winston or even a patient like Patricia who has to decide if another surgery is worth the risk. It’s impossible to really know until you’re on the other side of it. The risk. The reward. The lesson.
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The Truth Always Comes Out
Simone being pregnant was always going to be a big story for this episode. It wouldn’t have been the cliffhanger otherwise. As anticipated, I really like that it gives the show little chances to highlight Simone and Blue’s friendship. But mostly I like that it gives the show the chance to have some honest dialogue between Simone and Wes. Their relationship is so new. Wes is so new. “Slippin’ and Slidin'” pushes them into the deep end when he finds out that Simone is pregnant. The episode holds space for Wes to have a reaction, which feels necessary, especially as Grey’s Anatomy finally gets to know him better. A line like “No, I don’t do things halfway, especially not with a kid” is crucial for that.
But so is how Wes responds after that. He apologizes to Simone and knows that she’s in a tough spot. Her mother died giving birth to her. She has ovarian deficiency. When she terminates this pregnancy, there is a high chance that she won’t be able to carry a child in the future. Grey’s Anatomy, as it always has done, holds space for all of her options and Simone’s reactions to them. She chooses her career. She chooses surgery. And Wes doesn’t push back. He says, “I’m not walking away,” and “I’m wherever you are.” That matters. That says something about his character and about his relationship with Simone.
It’s always refreshing to see Grey’s Anatomy have so many different conversations about motherhood. Simone can be sad she may never carry a baby and know that there are many ways to have a family. Jo can try to make up for lost time and hear Amelia and Toni — a total power couple, by the way — when they lovingly tell her that her best is enough. The tears in Jo’s eyes when she comes back into that kitchen — oof. She needed their support, and they didn’t leave until they knew she was okay. It takes a village and all that.
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Problems Don’t Fix Themselves
That support system at Grey Sloan Memorial is stretched extra thin in “Slippin’ and Slidin’.” With Amelia and Toni out, Jo having quit, Blue being, and Bailey at school, there are dwindling characters at the hospital. Naturally, that staffing concern is exasperated by the hospital’s continued issue of not filling Owen and Teddy’s roles as well as the VIP floor draining the energy of the doctors that are there. Dani is at the center of the latter in this episode. A mistake is practically predictable as she tries to juggle the inconsequential requests of a VIP patient and the life-or-death decisions for Meredith’s patient, Charlie.
But the pressure cooker of those cases clashing is exactly what Richard needs to hear Meredith out about Norton. His unnecessary reaction to Dani doing everything she can and still not enough rings warning bells in Richard’s mind. The big issue is that Norton already has so much power — too much. Meredith can treat Charlie like a VIP patient, as he should be treated, but she is going back to Boston. She won’t be there to provide that care for the patients who may slip through the cracks between the floor. Now Richard has to figure out how to resolve this problem, which is complicated by the Olympic Floor being Catherine’s pride and joy. There’s no easy fix to this. Not now.
Alternatively, Winston and Jules eventually get to a place where the easy fix for their issues is breaking up. His new job causing problems for their relationship is as expected as Ben being unable to stay neutral. Sadly, the former is far less enjoyable than the latter. I would have liked to see Winston’s preferential treatment and Jules’s ability to push back in the OR because of it continuing for at least one more episode. Let the tension build and linger. This was his first day on the job. This could’ve been a multi-episode story. Maybe it still is. They still work together. Winston is Jules’s direct boss now. They can’t avoid each other. That may be worse. And feelings, like problems, don’t disappear overnight.
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Other Thoughts:
- I am curious to see what all of this means for Lucas — if anything.
- Elsewhere, his relationship with Dani has potential. I hope the show actually commits to exploring it.
- Amelia and Toni get cuter and cuter with every scene. What do you mean Toni did a T-Rex impression to impress Scout?
- Link sweating because he doesn’t want to say the wrong animal in response to Jo’s sewn costume is very, very funny and sweet.
- By the way, Bailey and Link’s scene made me realize how rare their one-on-one scenes are.
- Blue bringing Bailey a green juice to try and get on her good side is in character.
- Meredith stealing video games from peds for Charlie is also very in character.
- Seeing Meredith in the OR brings me so much joy.
- Blue sitting up taller in the gallery when he realizes who Norton is is too good.
- Bailey implementing the “see one, do one” practice with Simone almost feels nostalgic even though it still happens regularly on the show.
- I love that Bailey went to bat for Blue. I just don’t like what this may mean for Norton’s VIP floor.
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