TV Review: GREY’S ANATOMY: Season 10, Episode 21: Change of Heart

ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy Change of Heart TV Show Review. Grey’s Anatomy: Season 10, Episode 21: Change of Heart started with Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) seated on a plane leaving Boston…sans Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh). Yang’s response to losing the Harper Avery Award was, “That’s how it goes.” Back at the hospital Meredith had quite a different sentiment and shared it first with April Kepner (Sara Drew). She blamed her, as “all Avery family members suck” even “by association” and told her to stay out of her way for the day. Meredith continued her tirade calling the doctor who won “Dr. Nobody sucks a lot.” Her response to Cristina losing the award was supportive, protective, big sisterly. I predict many tears when Cristina departs…for both the characters and the actors.

Derek Shepherd’s (Patrick Dempsey) sister Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone) showed up on the doorstep to announce her recent engagement. Visibly shaken by this life altering event, she came to see what married life with kids was like. She didn’t need to say much more before Derek promptly handed over one of the children. He didn’t seem to show signs of any distrust (given his sister’s past drug problems) and flew out the door with fervor at the prospect of a new solution to he and Meredith’s issues with juggling hospital schedules and kids. Amelia was a regular on Private Practice and delving in to her story would be a provocative addition to Grey Sloan Memorial.

Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) was finally set to do the deactivated HIV treatment on Braden (guest star Armani Jackson). His mother (guest star Bresha Webb) could no longer deny the possibility that the work being done on her son could be making him sicker. Weary of waiting for the doctors to cure him, she decided to withhold consent for the procedure. Bailey felt the pressure from Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams) to show him the merit of her genome lab. The very last moment of the scene had Bailey holding the vial outside of Braden’s isolation bubble. I felt pretty sure that Bailey was going to make the decision to inject him with or without consent. This storyline is either going to place Miranda Bailey in medical history…or seriously jeopardize her career.

In Boston, Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) paid Catherine Avery (Debbie Allen) a surprise visit at her office. She playfully suggested that he was there to bewail Cristina’s loss of the Harper Avery, Richard explained that he was there to wine and dine HER. Later, Richard went on a justified tirade about Cristina’s work being better than all the other nominees and could not understand why she lost. Catherine pointed out the obvious, Cristina could never have won. The Harper Avery Foundation owned the hospital she worked at, though great publicity and an honor, the nomination was just for show. She explained that Cristina actually had the votes needed to win. Richard was appalled at the politics, but it is Catherine left with jaw dropped as Richard finally revealed his real reason for the visit to Boston, to propose. Upset by it all, he left the ring on her desk and returned to Seattle to explain to Owen the real story of Cristina’s loss.

While everyone rallied around Cristina, she dove back into her work. Her three heart patient siblings were still in need of immediate care. Frankie’s status was the worst, during the transplant Cristina discovered UNOS gave her a bum heart and threw it across the OR. Alex and Arizona went to retrieve another heart as Ivy’s condition deteriorated. By the time the new heart arrived, it was a toss-up between which of the sisters would be the recipient. Cristina confronted the parents with the truth of the situation, advising that Frankie might die regardless of the transplant and that the heart could be redirected to Ivy. Not being able to imagine such a decision, they left it in Cristina hands.

And Cristina decided to give Ivy the heart, Frankie developed a dissection and died on the table. Cristina kept a stoic face as the kid’s parents (played exceptionally here by Rebecca Field and Billy Malone), chastised her for the decision. Later Owen found her fully clothed in a hospital shower. She explained to him that she knew unequivocally she had done everything perfectly…but what was the point. Owen chose at this time to tell her that she actually had won the Harper Avery, but lost due to politics. Dismayed, Cristina walked out of the hospital in her soaking wet scrubs.

This was a compelling installment that also included Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) giving his notice and April revealing her pregnancy. Watching the previews for next week confirms the return of Dr. Preston Burke, and the very dramatic departure of the beloved Cristina Yang.

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