That was beyond rude of them to kill such an instantly lovable patient!
The death of Tank by the end of Grey’s Anatomy Season 19 Episode 8 was tragic, and the impact it had on the doctors who treated him was upsetting as well.
But we did get a new chief, a new love triangle, the dissolution of a marriage, and some Mer and Zola updates.
The interns are settling nicely into their new home, and as has been the case with this latest batch of newbies, the nostalgia is real.
They’ve been competing for the best room in the house and using tasks at work to do it, with Mika and Blue constantly emerging as the most competitive.
And it looked like pure fun at the house again. We haven’t had this fun, lively housing scenario in years, and now one can’t help but look forward to all the different storylines that will center the characters in that house.
They were the lighthearted moments that one could cling to after that tragic case with Tank.
Tank: What if it doesn’t work? What if he can’t repair it, and I’m stuck bagging groceries? What if I never play again?
Simone: But what if you can?
The hour telegraphed his death the whole way through, but it didn’t stop viewers from hoping for the absolute best. The more we got to know Tank, the more you couldn’t help but root for him.
He was just a kid, at 22, incredibly talented and destined for greatness. All he wanted was to succeed in the NFL as a Seattle Seahawks player and bring his entire family together for the first time in over a decade.
Tank’s talent as a player took him away from Haiti when he was 11. His drive and commitment got him to first-draft pick for the Seattle Seahawks.
And with that came such immense pressure that it made you fear it was too much for him. Everything was riding on his success. His family depended on it, and with a backstory like that, you wanted this sweet, loving, determined young man to win.
Amelia: I hope I’m not too late. I would like to be considered for the position of Chief of Surgery.
Teddy: You have got to be kidding me.
It was disconcerting to hear about all the havoc on his body he had sustained over the years. He wasn’t long for a football career. Link stated that he had six years in him at best.
But it would’ve been enough for him to get his family together and the success that he needed. And he was perfect for it.
He took every photo with a luminous smile, had such an infectious personality, and was genuinely a good guy.
But Simone got to see his fear and vulnerability more than anyone else, and she connected to him on the level of a fellow athlete with the same injury.
She and Blue were also the ones to speak to his mother and reassure her that things would be fine. Of course, when they weren’t, we got that heartbreaking scene of the two making that phone call.
It was a devastating scene but a great one for Simone and Blue, building on their respective characters and that specific dynamic.
Blue can be such an arrogant ass most of the time, but he didn’t hesitate when Simone asked him to make the call with her. And he opened up to her about how he knows all too well what it’s like to be on the receiving end of that type of phone call.
It was such a strong scene for both of them as individual characters and as a unit, and it makes you want to see them interact more and develop their own friendship.
As much as the interns are great and stand out in some way or another, the one thing that has been lacking for them is the emergence of strong platonic friendships.
The other layer of Tank’s death that was upsetting was its impact on Link. He was so excited about helping this kid and felt all the pressure to succeed.
But what one can appreciate about Link is that he doesn’t view his high-profile patients for their field and what they can do — he thinks about them as the individuals they are.
The city is angry and upset that they lost a rising star, a meal ticket, or someone who could help their favorite sports team make it to the Super Bowl.
Link saw a 22-year-old kid who deserved a full, happy life ahead of him and to see his family again.
And now, he has hell to pay and is likely the city’s number one enemy because Tank died on his table. The sad thing is that Link didn’t do anything wrong at all.
The surgery was a success until it wasn’t. Clots can just happen, and sometimes a person succumbs to them. My heart was in my throat when we learned they had been trying to resuscitate Tank for two hours.
What a godawful situation all around!
Of all the doctors impacted by his death, Link is the most concerning. Things will only get worse from here. He blames himself, even though he did nothing wrong.
However, other people will blame him too, and now the media has gotten ahold of this. He’ll likely face all types of public scrutiny and may even have a Morbidity and Mortality conference or something akin to that.
It’s a media nightmare. Link buried himself in booze and attempted to bury himself in Jo too, but that didn’t work. But he likely won’t be in a good place for a while after this, professionally and emotionally.
And the hospital will take a hit, too. The transition to losing Meredith to something like this wasn’t the smoothest for them. And now Teddy got thrust into a huge crisis no one could’ve prepared for right out the gate as her first challenge as the new Chief of Surgery.
Teddy wavering back and forth on the position made sense. She wouldn’t have gotten many perks as Chief, more problems than anything, and it’s an administrative job.
Teddy is a badass surgeon and one of the best who ran the Trauma department. In some ways, it feels like a step back for her.
However, she may also be in a place where that appeals to her. It was hilarious how Bailey tried to help her negotiate with Webber, and he was using his own tactics against her, too.
But the cherry on top was Amelia throwing her bid in to help Teddy get the position. Amelia wouldn’t give up surgery for that position, so it was obvious that she was trying to help Teddy out even if Bailey put her up to it.
And Owen is practically giddy about all this because he gets the Trauma Unit back. Teddy calling him out on being self-serving and selfish was a great line.
And then Winston had a dig or two for him as well when he reminded Owen that he gives the worst relationship advice and isn’t in the position ever to do that.
It didn’t seem possible for Maggie and Winston’s relationship to get any more fraught, yet it has. They’re not even talking to each other anymore, and Maggie is still staying with Amelia.
But after that final scene between them, it feels like Winston is over it and done. And the worst part about it is I can’t even blame him.
Amelia: You’re welcome.
Teddy: What?
Amelia: Bailey sent me in here. I don’t want to be chief.
The two of them have a lot of things they never got around to discussing before they got married, and it’s starting to show.
The frustrating thing about their final scene was Maggie’s inability to read a room. Winston isn’t like her, so he was still mourning Tank’s death and coming down from the adrenaline of all of that, and she was talking to him about something he didn’t want to hear and then essentially picked a fight.
Again, it’s not looking good for Winston and Maggie at all.
While Simone’s ex returned, it doesn’t detract from things looking up for her and Lucas.
The chemistry between them can’t be stamped out, and it’s only building. Jolink didn’t fall into grief sex, but Simone and Lucas almost did.
She practically pounced him in that elevator, and you can’t even blame a girl. He was all too willing to oblige, too. Their makeout session was incredibly hot, and if they had made it into the house and to the coveted big room, they probably would’ve gone for it.
But everything changed when Tre stood there with flowers for her, and Simone only referred to Lucas as her roommate. Oh, this is about to get messy.
We have ourselves a classic Grey’s triangle. Right now, Lucas is in the lead. Tre needs to know his place and fall back.
Grey’s Anatomy isn’t wasting its platform in the least this season. They aren’t playing about their coverage of women’s health issues and the statements they want to make regarding that Roe v. Wade ruling.
They don’t care about pissing people off, but I can appreciate that they’re not preaching or coming across as if they’re on a soapbox regarding these storylines.
The integration of these real-life issues and the messages they hope to send is seamless and organic.
Sierra was such an overwhelmed woman. The more time we spent with her, the more one could sympathize.
Her husband was constantly on the road as a driver, and she had two kids she was taking care of while juggling other things. Another pregnancy wasn’t in her plans.
She expressed her feelings about how she almost felt relieved when she thought she miscarried and opened up about her experiences with postpartum after her previous pregnancies were so raw.
Postpartum Depression is such a highly-stigmatized and poorly understood issue, and many forms of media shy away from it.
I appreciated how they dove right in with this and gave voice to the women who struggle with it, capturing how terrifying it is.
And I love that they depicted Sierra’s fear and concern about its return and how it would impact her and her children and family as a valid reason for her decision to get an abortion.
There are many reasons why people get abortions. These are personal choices with many nuances, more than those in direct opposition to them ever seem to consider.
It’s not a decision taken lightly, and one can appreciate that they showcased a rarely considered medical reason for why a woman would make this choice and how it is for the betterment of her and her children.
And then, they proceeded to show how simple the process was without panning away or making the screen go blank. It was another powerful and bold choice for the series, having Jo walk Sierra through every last step.
And we got to see how okay Sierra was afterward, showcasing how it’s a medical procedure like any other.
It was a strong storyline for this hour, and Jo and Jules were fantastic. Jo is very much shining in Obstetrics and gynecology, and it’s great that she’s finally found some grounding after all these years.
And Jules brings such a personal touch and compassion to cases when they give her focus. She’s so good with people, and I love seeing her evolve.
Over to you, Grey’s Fanatics.
Were you devastated by Tank’s death? What will the effects be on Link and the hospital? What are your thoughts on the return of Simone’s ex? Sound off below!
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Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.