Grey's Anatomy recap: Throwing It All Away

Welcome back to Seattle, where for once, there seemed to be a little bit of sunshine! And yes, it was indicative of something: It was time to let go of everything that wasn’t a necessity. As the voice over put it, “Bodies only hang on to things we absolutely need,” so shouldn’t we be the same way with our own emotional baggage? The answer is yes, we really should. I can’t tell you how happy I was to hear that this episode was about pushing past the drama. Things felt bright and shiny, relationships were mended, and there was even an elevator scene! And for that I say bless you, Shonda Rhimes. Bless you. Let’s get into it!

The episode started with Arizona, who would remain a focus throughout the entire hour. After Sophia spilled fruit juice on her artificial leg, she wasn’t exactly in the best mood. So when Callie asked about where to put her wheelie sneakers, Arizona told her to throw them out, a statement that made me audibly whimper and as a result, like myself a little less.

At the hospital, Arizona was then asked if she was a robot by one of her young patients, and you know what? She handled it like a pro. Finally, she’s moving past this “you cut off my leg and I hate you” business! However, Hunt was there to drizzle on her parade when he told her she had to meet with HR. Turned out, Leah was the one who filed the harassment complaint. Womp womp.

But Hunt didn’t stop there! He also delivered bad news to Alex and Jo. Thanks to Alex deciding to essentially give the board the finger when it came to the non-fraternization rule, he was suspended from surgery for three days. Jo, on the other hand, had to stay far away from him (as in on another floor) and all things having to do with pediatrics.

So while Jo and Alex paid for their fraternizing, Richard wanted Cristina to get over hers. He told her to take Ross back on her service and teach him her ways. But when she brought up their previous inappropriate “shenanigans,” Richard was there to inform her that Hunt had put him in charge of looking out for Shane. And as for the moment when she referred to Owen as “the chief”? Well, Richard had something to say about that: “As far as you’re concerned, Dr. Yang. I am still and will always be the chief!” At this point, I was applauding. True story: I struggle not to refer to Richard as “the chief” every time I write a recap.

NEXT: A baby … in a dumpster?

Outside, Jo and Stephanie made up and started discussing boy drama when they found a baby in a box by the dumpsters. They took Baby Doe, as I like to call him, straight to Arizona. It was obvious he’d had heart surgery before, but he’d need more. Then, just as Arizona was walking away, Stephanie accidentally rammed her with a gurney, causing Arizona to do a cartwheel that sent me into a laughing fit. Stephanie broke Arizona’s (fake) leg. Luckily, there was another one in the car. Yes, Grey’s! Way to have fun with the fake leg! I’m so happy we can all — Arizona included — laugh about these situations now. This really is the sunshine after the storm.

In other good news, Derek was back in the hospital. Now, he wasn’t leaning on the walkway the way that I like for him to, but simply having his McDreamy presence (and hair) back in the hallways made a big difference. The bad news was that his new government project was going to ruin his trial with Callie. In order to use the sensors he and Callie had created for his new project, he had to discontinue all other work with them. Needless to say, Callie was not very happy about that one. (Next step: Make them friends again. I miss them.)

Also returning this episode, as I’d mentioned, was the elevator! Stephanie and Jackson had an awkward run-in where he tried to apologize, and she stopped him. This scene wasn’t quite what I was hoping for — I would’ve liked it to have been just Jackson and Stephanie and a little bit longer, but I’ll take it. You know what else I’ll take? More of this Meredith-Alex stuff. The two of them make me smile, as do Mer and Cristina, who found out that Owen had broken things off with Emma. “I can’t tell if you’re happy or sad,” Mer said. “Neither can I,” Cristina replied.

Continuing to focus on Arizona, there was another young patient in this episode who actually wanted to have both of her legs cut off. After living her entire life with a condition that caused her legs to hurt 24 hours a day, she was asking her father to cut them off so that she could get fake legs and actually learn to walk and run. Callie wasn’t on board at first, but after Arizona confronted her about her fear of amputation — which Arizona was afraid she had caused — Callie finally gave in and realized it was the best thing for her patient. Honestly, I’m loving this Arizona.

NEXT: “I’ll tell you if you tell me.”

Cristina, not wasting any time, went straight to Owen to ask him why he was such an idiot. Emma was it. She was the wife with the picket fence and the fresh-baked goods. She was the one. So why’d he throw that away? Was it because of the night they slept together? No, he claimed to know exactly what that night was. But why was Cristina so upset about him breaking up with Emma? Was it because of the night they slept together? “I’ll tell you if you tell me,” Owen said. And with a “No,” Cristina left the room. God, the cuter these two get, the more I hate the idea that this is Sandra Oh’s last season.

Down in the ER, everyone had heard about Stephanie’s “bowling for doctors,” a.k.a. that one time she hit Arizona with a gurney that morning. But apparently, Stephanie wanted a second go at it, because without looking, she rammed another (full) gurney into Jackson. Just like that, the place erupted in applause and snide remarks. See, this hospital can be fun!

That being said, HR is never fun, as Arizona learned when she recounted the details of a surgery where Leah made a mistake. But it turned out that Leah had not filed the complaint against Arizona. She’d filed it against Callie. And as we all expected, this lead to a big showdown between the happy-for-two-seconds wives. Back at home, Callie was through listening to Arizona apologize. Of course Leah’s complaint was valid. Callie was petty and jealous and at her worst because she had just found out that Arizona had slept with Leah. She hadn’t taught Leah the way she was supposed to. She knew that. But what she didn’t know was that Arizona had only been thinking about herself ever since the accident, but now she finally knows who she is again. And she doesn’t need much to be happy. She doesn’t even need two legs. She needs Sophia, and she needs Callie, but she’s afraid that Callie has given up on her. When Callie left the room, my heart sank, as did Arizona’s. But she returned five seconds later with Arizona’s wheelie sneaks. “You shouldn’t have to give up anything,” Callie said.

On the topic of not giving up, Cristina was finally up front with Shane. She asked him if he had ever felt compromised during their rendezvous. He said he hadn’t. Then she continued to tell him that he doesn’t have to get people’s coffee. He’s a good doctor, and he’ll still be a good one in 10 years. To prove it to him, she put his name on the record as being one of Baby Doe’s doctors so that he could answer any questions the kid might have in 10 years. P.S. Her naming the baby Oscar because he was found in the trash took me right back to ceviche girl, and I loved it. Cristina at her best/worst.

NEXT: What’s a love contract?

After accidentally stealing Alex’s surgery, Meredith decided to make it up to him. She went to HR and got a “love contract.” Apparently, if he and Jo both sign it, it clears them from any claims of favoritism or sexual harassment. Meredith was trying to prove she had his back, but Alex was too scared. He had already proposed to Jo in a moment of panic, and now there was this non-fraternization clause. He was worried that if they made it too hard, she would be like Izzie and walk away. It was a ridiculous (and heartbreaking) idea, that Meredith treated perfectly: “Will you just sign the stupid paper?”

And while we’re talking about Izzie and past characters, there was a really great moment between Cristina and Arizona. Arizona was having a “bad leg day” — it was literally squeaking — and so Cristina sat with her and asked if Arizona still had dreams about the plane crash. She said that she did, usually when she’s anxious. She dreams of Mark and Lexie and the pilot, Jerry. Cristina, on the other hand, dreams of Arizona. “I dream about you screaming. You wouldn’t stop screaming. So, thank you for that,” she said. They both chuckled and briefly held hands before getting on with their lives. In an episode that was so pivotal for Arizona in moving on from what that accident did to her, I thought this was beautifully done. And as much as I’d never like to hear about the crash again, it’s unrealistic to think that it wouldn’t still affect them. Plus, Mark and Lexie! Ugh.

In another great moment, both Jackson and Stephanie found themselves filling out paperwork at HR. Jackson took the opportunity to apologize and explain that he genuinely had no idea that he was going to leave her at the wedding. He had told himself that he didn’t want April and that she didn’t want him. He didn’t see it coming. But as far as Stephanie was concerned, they both got a day they’d never forget. He got everything, and she became the girl people pitied. But not anymore. She will no longer be sad, angry, or pitiable. She was done caring about him. “To me, you just exist, because I don’t care,” she said. (Side note: We also learned that poor Matthew quit his job.)

Directly outside the hospital, Cristina met up with Owen — this is another Grey’s-esque setting I’ve missed. She didn’t understand what happened with Emma. She wanted to see Owen happy. Or did she want to see him squared away so that she’d no longer have to feel guilty? Or did she want him to be married so that she’d be forced to stop thinking about him? Good Lord, could these two be any cuter?!

From there, we cut back to Arizona, who had earlier made peace with Leah. She and Callie were on the sidewalk in front of their home, letting Arizona practice wearing her wheelie sneakers again. So many throwbacks, so little time! I loved it. And I ended the episode with a smile on my face. What about you? Did you enjoy this episode? What’s going to happen with Cristina and Hunt when she leaves? Sound off below!