When I found out that Maggie's mother was going to show up on Grey's Anatomy, I was a little sulky about it at first. Why is Grey's always trotting out new guest stars? Why do the characters we've fallen in love with disappear forever? I know the answer to that second question is, "Because a whole bunch of them are dead and a few more of their performers are dead to Shonda." Still, it's a little bittersweet to meet Maggie's mom when who I'd really love to see again are family members like Derek's mother or sister or ex-wife. Or Teddy! Or Mama Burke. And the list goes on and on. I am 100% aware that this is almost entirely Trump-induced "Sure wish things were the way they used to be!" melancholy, but I stand by it.

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That said, I ended up liking Maggie's mother, Diane, just fine, and not just because she's played by the inimitable LaTanya Richardson Jackson. It's always exciting to learn a little more about Maggie, who I still feel like I only know between three to five facts about, in spite of the fact that this is her third season on the show.

Diane tells Maggie she's come for both a visit and for some elective plastic surgery with Jackson. But when she's in an examining room with Jackson, she shows him a rash on her breasts and asks if he can remove it. He can't; it's a rare and aggressive form of cancer called inflammatory breast cancer. He offers to set Diane up with doctors back in Hawaii, to fly in when Diane needs surgery, and to come to dinner with Diane and Maggie, so that he can be there to answer Maggie's questions. I've tried to come up with an articulate way about how that emotional availability makes me feel, and all I can come up with is OMG JACKSON FOREVER.

But Diane never gets a chance to tell Maggie. When Maggie comes home to Meredith's house and finds Diane and Jackson there, she flips out, still angry at the fact that Diane showed up, inserted herself into Maggie's world, met her friends, and made plans on her behalf. That segues into what Maggie's really mad about: her mom divorced her father, moved far away, and "destroyed our family." It feels really abrupt and awkward, but then again, that's sort of how Maggie is: holding feelings inside of her brain and heart for so long that when they spill out, they're super-sized and a little bit spazzy. Diane tells Maggie that her life in Seattle is beautiful, and that Maggie should call her when she's ready to share it with her mom. She leaves, but since Maggie still doesn't know about her cancer (and since Jackson still does), we'll likely see her again soon.

Meanwhile, the battle against Eliza rages on, with most of the attendings still refusing to work with her. Bailey retaliates by suspending Meredith and giving her job to April, and it seems very inconsiderate of April to accept, since that is not the proper way to behave toward someone who let you have a caesarean section on their dining room table. Eliza insists that Arizona is afraid of Eliza being fired or quitting because then there will be NOTHING STOPPING THEIR LOVE and that terrifies her. Also, Catherine gives a speech about being a dragon at one point? It's all still very awkward.

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Throughout the episode, Owen and several other doctors work on a patient who was found wrapped in thick razor wire, having fallen from a wall she and her husband built to protect their house. It's properly harrowing to watch, and I did so almost entirely with my head in the comfort and safety of my sweater. Obligatory aside: pretty dark anytime says anyone even tangentially related to building a wall, huh?

I'm hesitant to type this, and hesitant to even believe this chapter of our lives has come to an end, but I think the question of whether Alex will go to jail is finally, finally settled. PROBABLY. Let's not jinx it. DeLuca bursts into the District Attorney's office and announces that he wants to drop the charges (I'd like to point out that I totally called this development LAST YEAR), but he's pretty deflated when the DA tells him he actually can't. The charges are the state's, not his. He thinks for a moment, then announces that if he's put on the stand, he'll blow the case by saying Alex didn't brutally attack him they were just in a fistfight that went too far. And just like that, Alex walks free. Bailey gives him his job back and everything, and he finally apologizes to DeLuca.

It's a sincere and heartfelt apology (especially given that we're talking about ALEX here), but it sends DeLuca into a bit of a rage. He tells Alex he gave him "every chance to say that" months ago. Alex says that he tried to, and then DeLuca claims he should'vetried more times? It's strange. If the guy you beat half to death asks you to get and stay away from him, the right thing to do is to listen, not pester him until he accepts your apology. And even though DeLuca claims Alex could've tried to make contact through one of his friends, I seem to remember DeLuca getting really standoffish when Arizona and Meredith mentioned Alex to him. Regardless, it seems like they're on non-hostile terms now, and as hard as I roll my eyes at DeLuca sometimes, I was still really touched when he gave Alex his reason for helping him: "Because Jo's been through enough." There's still no word about what this means for Alex and Jo, even though she shows up at Meredith's house for a long, erotically charged hug on the front porch. (I watched the hug three times to confirm and am comfortable with "erotically charged" as my assessment.) Neither one of them says a word, which seems fine, since their communication issues never played a part in this long, strife-riddled affair.

Also, Amelia is still hiding from Owen. Actually hiding. Not avoiding his phone calls, hiding in an apartment and refusing to answer when he knocks on the door. She does sometimes stand near the door while he's knocking, so that'sprogress. I've typed all of that out in a very judgmental manner, but now that I have, maybe Amelia has the right idea.

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Maggie Finally Gets the Spotlight on Grey's Anatomy and It's a Giant Bummer - Cosmopolitan.com