Previously on Grey’s Anatomy: Meredith dropped her kids off with her new-new-new half-sister so she could jet off to DC for a weekend of Doing It; Arizona and Callie achieved the quickest divorce in the history of legal proceeding; and Dr. Geena Davis had a tumor the size of a Rockford Peach all up in her brain that was going to kill her sooner rather than later.
Quick note: One of the main plots in this episode was Bailey’s husband finding out that his younger sibling is a trans woman. The name she goes by is Rosalyn, so when we talk about her, even before she comes out to Ben or the other doctors, we’re going to call her Rosalyn and use she/her pronouns
I’m down-to-my-toes thrilled that we start out this episode with a shot of Miranda Bailey (Hi Bailey, hi!) and she’s not even voicing over her own impending demise! What she is doing is keeping a lookout down a hella steep embankment where Mr. Bailey and Mr. Bailey’s sister Rosalyn are breaking a hundred laws and scattering the ashes of Ben’s father in the woods. It was all he wanted for a funeral, Ben tells us. They reminisce a bit about how their dad used to drag them on camping trips.
“We eat what we catch. We sleep where we fall. We whizz with impunity. Just us men,” Ben says, and we get a reaction shot of Rosalyn being very sad indeed.
Yes, yes. It is the east and I am the sun. Move along.
In a patented little sibling maneuver, Rosalyn preys on Ben’s inability to lose and demands they race to the top of the hill. Ben makes it up but Rosalyn gets lightheaded about halfway up. She pauses, grabs her chest, and then jack-and-jills right back down.
At Seattle Grace Mercy Death, Mer-Bear has returned from her weekend of Doing It with a spring in her step and her invisible children already at day care, courtesy of Maggie.
“How was it?” Meredith asks, looking far too refreshed and happy to have spent the weekend making sex with Derek. You just know he’s the kind of dude who always wants to have really intense sex while staring straight into your eyes the whole entire time until you’ve got to fake a cramp so you can change positions.
“Amazing,” Maggie replies. “Your invisible kids were no trouble at all.” She’s giving Meredith a sisterly glare of doom, but Meredith is absolutely crap at families, and has no idea. She ambles out to the ambulance bay, where Bailey and Mr. Bailey are unloading Rosalyn. Bailey is talking one hundred miles a minute about hypertensive fainting and other medical words, shouting at Meredith like she’s just a wee intern. My toes tingle a little. Original Bailey, everyone! Original Bailey is back! Everyone head into an exam room, and when Mr. Bailey tries to pull Rosalyn’s top off to help her get changed into a gown, Rosalyn shoves him away.
Sometimes I just want to eat rice crispy treats in my pajamas and watch my stories.
I miss Yang.
In Ellis Grey’s House of Horrors, Arizona is trying to take a shower, but Jo scampers into the bathroom and starts stripping off her clothes. Sadly it isn’t because she’s trying to put the moves on Arizona, but is because Alex’s shower is on the fritz, and Jo’s late for rounds. Arizona hollers at Alex, but his give-a-shitter hovers around empty on a good day and the best he can do is to tell Jo to put on some pants cause Arizona is checking out her ass.
But Ezra already had chickepeas in the cabinet.
There is literally no one I don’t hate.
All of these shower shenanigans make Arizona late for work, and late for an MRI with Amelia, who apparently needs even more scans of Dr. Geena Davis’s brain. Arizona bursts into the room bitching about Jo, and Dr. Davis sits up and says, “You live with residents? Get your shit together, Robbins.”
Arizona thought she had her shit together, once upon a time. She had the hottest wife in the known world and an adorable invisible daughter, but Shondaland, you know what I mean? Now she’s no people, and she’s holding it together with spit and duct tape, so maybe everyone could cut her a little bit of slack. Lucky for her, Dr. Davis is in a great mood, or else her tumor has shorted out her laser beam eyeballs, because she immediately wants to know whether or not Jo was hitting on Arizona by climbing into the shower with her.
“Residents gone wild,” Dr. Geena Davis laughs. She looks so beautiful in this entire episode, and I love her more than ever. Arizona needs a people so badly. I really hope that Dr. Davis isn’t acting like one simply because of the peach in her brain.
But you’d already made the exact same play earlier in the season!
I know.
Meanwhile, Callie is filled with sadness that everyone is getting freaky except for her. She laments to Owen, then to Amelia that she has no game, and she needs some game, and some out-of-pajamas time, but with another person. Girl has gone so bananas—so completely ’round the bend—that she’s now identifying with a guy who’s so needy his girlfriend has taken to literally hurling her body down flights of stairs to get away from him.
Is this that hospital that has ghosts?
NO ONE HAS EVER HAD SEX WITH GHOSTS IN THIS HOSPITAL, YOU HEAR ME?
Rosalyn’s lab results come back and they’re doubleplus ungood. Her spleen is shot to hell, and her estrogen levels are the same as a teenage girl’s. Ben’s in a panic, trying to figure out what’s wrong. Drugs? Rosalyn’s colon? I didn’t think the spleen-bone was connected to the colon-bone, but my specialty is spicy beef stew and cheese grits, so I have no idea what I’m talking about. Bailey and Meredith usher Ben out into the hallway and make urgent faces at one another until Rosalyn starts coughing up blood and is rushed to the OR.
Quick! Pop Quiz! What do you not do when a loved comes out as Queer/Trans/Bi/Gay/Lesbian/Asexual to you?
That’s right, the correct answer is “Make it all about yourself and call them crazy!” That is what you DO NOT DO. Ten points to Hufflepuff!
Ben, however, gets no points. No points for you Ben, because when Bailey pulls him aside to out Rosalyn (No Bailey! That’s not your job, Bailey!) Ben pitches such a temper tantrum.
Bailey: I will tell you, but only because when he tells you, you need to react better than this. Curt is transitioning. He…She is transgender, and she identifies as female, and she wants to live life as a woman. Your brother is becoming your sister.
Ben: He’s upset about dad. He’s having some kind of emotional breakdown. So we’ll get him a psych consult.
Bailey: No, we won’t.
Ben: Curt’s crazy. This makes no sense.
Bailey: After the surgery, you will talk to Curt, and you will listen to Curt tell you her good news, and it is good news, and you will listen. And you will tell her that you love her.
After surgery, Ben lashes out at Rosalyn, because the best way to show someone you love them is to attack them immediately after someone has had their hands all over your loved ones’ internal organs. Rosalyn pleads with Ben to understand that she just wasn’t ready, but she’s waited 25 years and she just wants to be happy with who she is. Ben stomps his feet and pitches a fit about “you don’t know crap” and “I’m just supposed to be okay with this?” and “why didn’t I know?”
He storms out of the room and Bailey flies after him like she was shot from a cannon of Tumblr’s own fury, whole-naming him and shouting. “Benjamin Warren, I am so disappointed in you. She’s your family…She wasn’t ready. This isn’t about you. This is her song, so get off the stage and let her sing it.”
ME ME ME ME MEEEE
At its heart, Grey’s has always been an ensemble cast, and sometimes some characters slide into the chorus so others can have a solo, but I’ve missed original Bailey so much. She’s hard and unyielding, and doesn’t always get it exactly right, but most of us don’t either. I’m convinced that this show is never better than when Bailey is at the center. She’s their moral compass.
Protect Bailey at all costs, is what I’m trying to say to you. Perpetual prayer circle for Bailey.
Rosalyn has named herself now, and it’s a beautiful name. Jackson tells her as much when he comes to talk to her about her medical transition. As our Trans Editor Mey pointed out, an endocrinologist might have been more helpful because Rosalyn’s medical issues are stemming from her DIY hormone replacement therapy, but Jackson was so good it’s like Bailey brought him in for that reason alone. He asks Rosalyn if he can call her Rosalyn, because he doesn’t know what they’re waiting for. As he speaks, Rosalyn physically unfolds, uncrossing her arms and turning towards him, looking for the first time in the whole episode like she’s not holding herself together with her bare hands.
It is very rare to find these kind of trans allies on television, especially when we’re talking about black trans women (glaring at you forever, Glee). Usually, we see trans characters being used as the punchline for main characters’ jokes or as the catalyst for growth for main characters’ storylines. We see really violent things like misgendering someone with incorrect pronouns being played for a seemingly innocuous laugh. (It is not innocuous.) And then, eventually, one main character maybe comes around and teaches a lesson to the other characters, who become the focal point of the trans character’s story. Mey says she thinks these are some of the best trans ally characters she’s ever seen, in large part because they insist on correct pronoun usage and refuse to make Rosalyn’s coming out about themselves.
I heard we were having a meeting of the Perfect Bone Structure Club.
Did you invite Callie?
I want to quote Mey here, one more time, because we’re having an important cultural conversation right now about whether or not it’s fair or correct to have cis men play trans women on television:
I understand all the reasons they might want to go with a cis actor, but it’s probably always going to rub me the wrong way. Like, I know how hard that must be and how weird that would be for the trans actor [to play a character who appears male], and in the real world I know that this is the most practical and realistic thing. But in my dream world, they would be able to find a trans actress, you know? So I know all the realities of it, but still, I don’t know if I’m ever going to like the idea of a man playing a trans woman, even though I know that sometimes in a practical sense, that’s possibly the best move.
One of the greatest needs of the queer community right now, visibility-wise, is more quality representation for black trans women on television. We’ve lost six trans women of color to murder already this year. In 2014, 14 trans women were murdered, and 12 of those 14 were black trans women. There is a pandemic of bigotry and violence against trans women of color in this country, and frankly, sometimes scripted TV is the only way to make people pay attention, and to teach them.
This was a great first step for broadcast television. So let’s see more Rosalyn, Grey’s!
Meredith, turns out, rented a hotel room and spent three whole days sleeping like single people sleep, talking to herself, and drinking tiny bottles of alcohol out of the mini-fridge. Maggie hears this news like it’s the saddest thing ever, but every parent watching just laughs and laughs. That sounds like heaven, Maggie.
Across the street at Joe’s, Callie drinks shots and makes eye contact with a pretty fellow. When he does not immediately offer to put a baby in her, she grabs his hand and pulls him onto the dance floor. She dances, tosses her hair around and looks how she looks.
Oh shit, I’m missing the Perfect Bone Structure Club meeting.
Back at the hospital, Arizona and Dr. Geena Davis steal a couch, and Arizona laughs her magical laugh for the first time in I can’t remember how long.
They’re finally healing.
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Prayer circle meetings for Bailey will be happening at my apt, so if you’re in the New York Capital Region, drop me a line.
This episode was a bright spot in a season that has been a little lack luster for me. I’m still mourning Yang.
All the shenanigans that have happened in that bathroom over the years…yeesh. That could be a show all of its own.
Can you imagine Arizona trying to deal with those bathroom shenanigans during their intern years? She’d have done murder with her bare hands.
Maybe I’m just hungry, but I’d like to hear more about this spicy beef stew and cheese grits, personally.
Also, aside from Ben being an ass, this was a much better episode than the most recent ones.
Also also, yay Hufflepuff!!!
I ALWAYS want to talk about spicy beef stew. It’s the recipe from Pioneer Woman, and it’s SO good. But if you don’t have time to do all the grits shenanigans, or if you’re a heathen who just doesn’t like cheese, the beef is always really good over mashed potatoes.
AW YEAH HUFFLEPUFF! Join me in the kitchen for some snacks, won’t you?
I love cheese! Cheese, however, doesn’t love me, so I can’t eat it as much as I’d like, unfortunately.
Heck yea!! As long as the snack involves spicy beef stew, I’m all in.
There have actually been 6 TWOC murdered this year…
I’ll update the stats.
Thank you.
Fucking hell.
This was a good Bailey episode. I’ve missed Original Bailey too. I feel like the show hasn’t really known what to do with her these last few seasons as far as her own storylines are concerned. And I still haven’t quite warmed to Ben. I think that’s because he’s just “there” you know. He doesn’t get many scenes and we don’t really known much about him.
I don’t know what Callie is whining about anymore. Last week she had a woman practically throw herself at her and offer her sex and she her turned her down because she wasn’t ready. Now this week, all of a sudden she’s ready to get laid and claims she has no game and nobody is interested. Okay. Then there is the flip-flopping about Arizona. She was the one who wanted to go ahead with the divorce from Arizona(who for her part wanted to try to continue working through it) and originally it seemed like maybe Callie wanted them both to move on and be happy seperately. But the few times she has seen Arizona she acts like she’s mad Arizona is in her presence and is trying to get on with her life and do her job and isn’t curled up in a corner somewhere crying about her. This is the side of Callie that often annoys me.
I have been against an Owen and Amelia pairing since I first heard about it and I don’t think I will ever be okay with it. I don’t know if that’s my hatred for Owen in relationships talking or what. I just don’t think those two are a good fit and that’s mostly based on the Amelia I knew from Private Practice, who I don’t think has changed that much other than she’s clean now. Amelia and Christina are a lot alike in terms of their dogged determination when it comes to their career goals. I just feel like Owen will hold back any woman he gets involved with. Especially Amelia.
Agreed with all of these things. Also, I was really shipping Amy/Maggie (although maybe that would be weird since Amy is technically Maggie’s sister-in-law, I think? Does that apply to the siblings of people your sister is married to?). Perhaps, knowing Grey’s, there will be a dramatic love triangle which involves Amelia ditching Hunt for Maggie just like Cristina and Mershould have done.
I am completely on board for Maggie and Arizona. I ship Arizona/happiness, tbh.
I could not be more anti-Owen with anything. His hot air mansplaining is the worst. And the idea of him with Amelia makes me teeth grind. She deserves so much better. My fondest hope is that she and Arizona will grow closer while fixing Dr. GD, and then Things Happen.
I don’t really have any feels about Ben? I like him so much better than the nurse dude Bailey dated, but that’s not saying much.
Arizona and Amelia are great. I have also been liking the Arizona and Dr.Herman scenes. I am just really enjoying this Arizona storyline because it is allowing her to form friendships out side of her relationship with Callie. It has been sorely missing from her storylines(or lack thereof) from the beginning. Arizona was brought on specifically for Callie and the majority of her storylines have revolved around that relationship. Callie always had Mark as her go to person while Arizona had nobody who was truly her friend first. The rest of the cast were basically friends with Arizona by association with Callie. The only exception being Alex, who is less of a best friend to her and more of a protege. Bringing on someone fresh to the cast like Amelia allows Arizona to develop as a character beyond just being apart of a romantic pairing.
I still hope Calzona eventually get back together but by the way things are going onscreen it’s probably wishful thinking on my part. Shonda might truly be done with the couple at this point, whatever she says on twitter to the contrary. She always talks about them as if they are real people and she is not their creator who doesn’t have a hand in controlling their actions. As if she has no power in what happens to them and it always annoys me. I don’t like her trolling.
Wait, wasn’t Arizona BFFs with Teddy? Remember Teddy you guys? I miss her. I miss Hahn too
But I miss Yang most of all.
This was a super great recap and it expressed so much of what I was feeling about the entire episode! I’m glad I could be a part of making it happen!
I want to throw you a parade of hearts and glitter!
I don’t think this recap is complete without this picture
They are my favorite.
oh no i can’t seeee!
Ugh! It was a picture of arizona and herman stealing the couch with arizona smiling!
i fixed it for you!
so the problem with the link you made is that there was no http: before the //, and also you only need one quotation mark before and after the link — you had two quotation marks at the end, and one of them was a curly quote (which looks like two commas but in the sky) instead of a smart quote (which looks like two little lines in the sky), and you never want a curly quote anywhere near your HTML. also you had a / before the > at the end, and you don’t need to do that.
all the love in the world,
riese
http://40.media.tumblr.com/2d93eec3b80b17580cbe64c201eeea31/tumblr_nk23eja96b1qet7mao6_1280.png
there was a rogue quotation mark at the end of the link, hopefully it shows up now
they’re SO dear!!
I appreciate the lack of Owen and Amelia in this recap but it makes me sad that Amelia is saddled with Dr. Major Patriarchy as her new love interest. Less Amowen (Omelia? They don’t even have a good couple name that’s how awful Owen is) and more of Amelia b
I appreciate the lack of Owen and Amelia in this recap but it makes me sad that Amelia is saddled with Dr. Major Patriarchy as her new love interest. Less Amowen (Omelia? They don’t even have a good couple name that’s how awful Owen is) and more of Amelia bonding with Maggie and Mer and Arizona and Dr. Geena Davis and Bailey!
I too have missed original flavor Bailey. It’s so good to see her doctoring and mentoring and showing Mr. Bailey up at just being an awesome person! It’s so much more satisfying than watching her stare at cultures in her genome lab
Dr. Major Patriarchy! Ha! I’m with you; if Amelia has to have a love interest, I would rather it be anyone than Owen.
Many thanks to Jenn and Mey! I was having a lot of conflicting feelings about this episode re: Rosalyn’s storyline. On one hand, my hear soared every single time Bailey insisted on proper pronouns and when Jackson asked if he could call her by her name. I think those are important lessons for America to learn (hell, we need to learn A LOT FLIPPING MORE THAN THAT, but it’s a small start) and like Jenn said, sometimes broadcast tv can be the best place to learn those lessons. But on the other hand, I can’t get over another cis actor playing a trans character. I expected more from Shonda and was pretty put out by the casting choice. But, I’m a cis woman, so I’m also remembering to step back and amplify trans voices on the matter instead.
So thanks to Jenn for reaching out to Mey and many, many thanks to Mey for sharing her thoughts!!!! It helped me work through some things.
And, one last thing, how absolutely sexy was Callie during that last scene at Joe’s? My heart damn near fell out of it’s chest.
Thank you so much, C.P.! I think you’re a million percent correct. In conversations like this, it’s so important for us cis white people, queer or no, to listen to, learn from, and amplify the voices of trans ladies of color. I’m so grateful Mey was so eager to hop in and help me and share her thoughts with me, and with all the rest of us. AS is lucky to have so an awesome lady on board.
ANYWHOODLEDOO. CALLIE. Girl. Curvy ladies with dark hair are my absolute kryptonite, and she looks like she looks, you know?
I was really happy with how Grey’s Anatomy handled the Rosalyn storyline. They handled it with grace and compassion. I hope there will be more of this storyline in this season. I think it’ s a brave choice for Grey’s to take on this issue in such a public platform. All-American folk watch this show. I hope this storyline invokes compassion from the Grey’s audience. Bailey handled the situation beautifully. The actor playing Rosalyn did a phenomenal job as well.
I was happy to see Callie and Arizona be happy in their different storylines. It was nice.
Overall, great episode.
p.s. if folks want to support my lesbian-geek-comic-book-loving movie; check it out: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335851532/geek-loves-punk-comedy-about-a-lesbian-geek-and-he
I really hope Rosalyn is here to stay. Network representation, yes!
Another awesome recap Jenn, you are on fire!
Hope Rosalyn is here to stay.