Warning! This article contains spoilers for Grey's Anatomy season 21, episode 13.
As Grey's Anatomy heads toward its season 21 finale, episode 13 sets up some key storylines. Most importantly, the end of the intern year is approaching for Jules, Simone, Lucas, and Blue. While Simone, Jules, and Blue are moving ahead, Lucas is set to repeat his internship, as referenced in the most recent Grey's Anatomy episode when the next class came in for interviews.
In this episode, Simone teams up with Amelia on Molly's surgery, while Jules assists Winston, paying off on their conversation about mentorship. Meanwhile, Lucas does well with Richard and Nick on a kidney patient, making him question whether he needs to repeat his intern year. Elsewhere, Teddy and Bailey head to a conference where they bump into Cass, and Owen reconnects with Nora while helping her friend.
The Interns Are The Highlight Of This Grey's Anatomy Episode
Jules, Simone, and Lucas Have Found The Perfect Mentors & It's Great To See
Episode 13 showcases what are quickly becoming my favorite of the current mentor-mentee pairings. The interns have had success working with other surgeons, but they have a clear personal connection to the mentors featured in this episode, which makes all the difference. In that vein, it's wonderful to see Amelia take a firm but gentle approach with Simone, telling her to own her power as a female surgeon but also reminding her that she can't let personal feelings into the OR.
Winston and Jules may be a new-ish pairing, but they both appreciate honesty and even bluntness in a way that benefits their professional relationship. I've been a fan of Nick and Lucas for a while now, partly because it's nice to see Nick develop relationships outside of Meredith, but mostly because they have a believable and warm dynamic.
At this point in the season, Blue is on an island away from the other interns, as his sole focus is his relationship with Molly. While that makes his storyline a bit disconnected from the others, it's progress for a character so focused on winning to put it aside for someone he loves. The end of the episode suggests Blue will lean on the other interns going forward, which would also be a nice bit of character development.
Teddy & Owen Open Their Marriage With Some Predictably Messy Results
Grey's Anatomy Continues To Explore New Relationship Dynamics In A Realistic Way
One of the season's most contentious storylines takes another turn this week, as Teddy and Owen both follow through on their decision to see other people while remaining married. Grey's Anatomy continues to lean into the thorniness of this decision in a way I appreciate, even if it's been pretty clear from the beginning that it's not going to help their relationship the way they think it is.
It's easy to see the end result coming here, with one of them deciding to go all the way and the other changing their mind, but it's an interesting flip that it's Owen and Nora who sleep together rather than Teddy and Cass, who, to me at least, have stronger chemistry and are easier to root for. But, crucially, there's no real emotional connection between Teddy and Cass, who haven't known each other nearly as long as Owen and Nora. That gives Owen's choice more heft and paints him as the bad guy in a way that's not very kind to the character.
Grey's Anatomy Episode 13 Does A Great Job Of Setting Up The Season 21 Finale
Only Five Episodes Are Left This Season
Based on last week's episode and this one, it's pretty clear Grey's Anatomy is setting up the current intern year to end in the season finale. This is a smart call, as it prevents the intern's storylines from becoming stale, builds some excitement for the finale, and offers a clear starting point for Grey's Anatomy season 22, which was just confirmed. This episode also tees up Lucas fighting to remain with his classmates, which will likely play out over the next few episodes, as will the ramifications of Teddy, Owen, and Blue's decisions.
While Jo isn't a major part of this episode, Grey's continues to let her pregnancy storyline simmer in the background. The colleague who helped her earlier in the season, Dr. Marcus, makes another appearance here, seemingly because he'll be the one to deliver her babies in the finale. With only five episodes of season 21 left, Grey's Anatomy is doing a great job building anticipation for what's to come.
