‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 15 Episode 16: The Sins of the Fathers (RECAP)

Dan Clarendon March 7, 2019, 10:17 pm

Comments

GIACOMO GIANNIOTTI, ELLEN POMPEO — ABC/Eric McCandless

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Season 15, Episode 16 of Grey’s Anatomy, “Blood and Water.”]

After last week’s record-breaking Grey’s Anatomy episode, the docs of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital are back to practicing medicine in Season 15 Episode 16, March 7’s “Blood and Water.” Or, at least, they’re practicing medicine when they’re not dealing with their parents’ dramatic pasts.

Maggie (Kelly McCreary), for example, is being interviewed for a medical podcast episode about her latest cardio breakthrough when she lets it slip that she’s the biological daughter of Ellis Grey (Kate Burton) and Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) and the sister of Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo). Mer doesn’t mind so much, but Richard certainly does. Even he’s a bit fuzzy on the whole concept of podcasts, Richard chastises Maggie for airing the news of his adultery.

'Grey's Anatomy' Season 16 Renewal Very Likely, Says ABC President

Maggie is apologetic, but she later reminds him that it’s her story to tell. He’s worried about the damage his past misdeeds will do to Catherine’s reputation, however. He tells her that his affair with Ellis is not a part of his story he’s particularly proud of. “It’s the part of your story that culminated in me, Richard, in my existence,” an offended Maggie tells him. By the time he gets around to his apology, Maggie has already found out that the secret of her parentage has turned into quite a scandal online. “I’m a scandal,” Richard tells her. “You’re a miracle.” (Awww!)

Mer, meanwhile, is reeling from a dream she had, one in which her mother gave her a flash of medical inspiration. (The dream also gave us a chance to see Ellis interact with Maggie, her daughter, and with Caterina Scorsone’s Amelia, her quasi-daughter. And hey, we’ll take as much of Kate Burton as we can get on this show.) Mer gets to work on researching this dream science of hers, but she doesn’t have a eureka moment until Maggie identifies the chemical structures on Mer’s whiteboard as biomarkers. Mer later tells Maggie and Amelia that she’s working on a way to get a diagnosis as easily as taking a vitamin. Hand her another Harper Avery Award already!

(ABC/Eric McCandless)

Mer also gets doted on by DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti) in this episode, but DeLuca has his own parental issues to deal with. Dad Vincenzo (Lorenzo Caccialanza) arrived in last week’s episode, and this week, we know why. He wants to pitch a “baby in a bag” innovation to Alex — i.e. an external gestation sac in which babies can spend time developing even out of their mothers’ wombs. He also wants his son to join him on the project, thinking it would put DeLuca on the map and make him more worthy of a relationship with the world-renowned Meredith Grey.

Interim Chief of Surgery Alex (Justin Chambers) is all in on the idea, despite Mer’s warning. Remember: Mer knows what DeLuca told her about Vincenzo, which is the same reason DeLuca’s sister, Carina (Stefania Spampinato) is nervous: Vincenzo has manic episodes. Carina even thinks he’s bipolar. But Alex gives the green light to Vincenzo’s project anyway.

(ABC/Eric McCandless)

Besides, Alex isn’t about to shun anyone for their mental illness, especially not with his mother, Helen (Lindsay Wagner), in town. Helen, who’s living with schizophrenia, is doing well. She’s organizing the hospital library and knitting baby hats for the baby Alex has, ahem, not yet conceived with Jo (Camilla Luddington). Jo panics since she’s not ready for motherhood, but Jackson (Jesse Williams) comforts her — telling her it’s normal to be overwhelmed by children but also singing the praises of parenthood. Alex suspects Jo is freaking because of his genetic makeup, as he comes from a schizophrenic mom, but she tells him she’s actually worried because she doesn’t know her parents or what genes she would pass on. So she gets ready to mail in her DNA for genetic testing.

And while we’re on the topic of parents, Schmitt (Jake Borelli) is busy getting busy with Nico (Alex Landi) in an on-call room when his mom calls. Schmitt answers the call and shushes Nico, who becomes frustrated that Schmitt is seemingly avoiding telling his mom about his same-sex relationship. But Schmitt says the reason he’s keeping mum, so to speak, isn’t because Nico’s a dude but because his mom is a bit extra about everything. Schmitt even declares his love for Nico right there at the hospital, and the guys kiss and make up. Nico doesn’t immediately say the L-word back, but only because he wants Schmitt to sweat for a bit.

'Timeless' Star Abigail Spencer Heads Back to 'Grey's Anatomy'

As for the medical cases of the week, we meet a minor league baseball player named Hunter who needs his leg amputated because of a tumor, but first, Jackson et al. are attaching his foot directly to his upper leg — and facing backward — so that Hunter’s ankle joint can become his new knee. (And yes, it’s a freaky sight to behold.) In the pit, Bailey (Chandra Wilson) treats a man named Frank who hacks up a huge blood clot in the same of a bronchial tree — although it’s not as big as the one that real-life guy recently coughed up.

Turns out, Frank has a genetic disorder that makes him more susceptible to clots; and Dan, his husband, is worried that the disorder was passed down to Ella, their daughter, even though they pledged to never find out who Ella’s biological father is. Ella takes a test and finds out that she is indeed Frank’s flesh and blood, but she’s surprisingly chill about the genetic disorder. She just wants her medical alert bracelet in silver and gold.

In Defense of the 'Worst' Episodes of 'Grey's Anatomy'

The biggest drama of the episode, though, is Owen (Kevin McKidd) and Amelia, who are going through the paperwork necessary to adopt Leo. They squabble over their joint custody plan, though, and Owen once again berates Amelia for not committing to him. He even accuses her of sabotaging their relationship, saying she’s “fundamentally incapable of love,” so she withdraws her name from the adoption paperwork and tells Owen that she’s happy to be in Leo’s life as much as Owen wants but that she and Owen are done.

Hang in there, Omelia fans! There might be hope yet — we’ll see you next Thursday.

Grey’s Anatomy, Thursdays, 8/7c, ABC