Spoiler alert! This story contains spoilers about Grey’s Anatomy’s back-to-back episodes that aired April 13 — “Shadow of Your Love” and “Mama Who Bore Me.”
Grey’s Anatomy said goodbye to Maggie Pierce in a two-hour event Thursday, as Kelly McCreary is stepping back as a series regular after nine seasons. The episode saw huge steps for the character, as she refused to accept that her passion for her work meant she was cold as a person — particularly as a wife to Winston Ndugu and sister figure to Amelia Shepherd. Maggie and Winston came to a conclusion about the future of their relationship, and as sad as that was, it seems like Amelia is the one we need to be worried about.
A lot happened in the back-to-back episodes that bid farewell to Kelly McCreary. Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) continued to deal with backlash from being doxxed, and Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington) learned her daughter Luna has progressive hearing loss. While those things will no doubt be vital stories in the remainder of Season 19 (and beyond), it was Maggie and Winston’s big decision and an unexpected loss for Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) that have me most concerned.
Winston Is Not Following Maggie To Chicago
Maggie and Winston (Anthony Hill) reconnected over a major surgery in “Shadow of Your Love,” resulting in her asking her husband to move to Chicago with her. He, in turn, begged Maggie to stay and not be like her birth mother, Ellis Grey, by letting her career alienate her from everyone who loves her. In the end Maggie realized that staying in Seattle rather than following her passion is what would turn her bitter, and she told him:
My heart is in my work, Winston. I don’t think I’m cold, and I don’t think you’re a coward. I think that we did the best we could and that neither of us is to blame. I love you, but I have to go.
Winston, in turn, said he loved Maggie, but he had to stay. They didn’t specifically say they were getting a divorce, and it’s likely some tough conversations are still to come this season for the couple, as Kelly McCreary has said she’ll be returning for guest appearances.
Amelia Is Not Just Losing Maggie, But Kai As Well
E.R. Fightmaster returned to Grey’s Anatomy, as Kai Bartley and it seemed like perfect timing, as Amelia was beginning to spiral over losing Maggie so soon after Meredith moved to Boston. However, Kai dropped an unexpected bomb, when they announced they’d accepted an amazing opportunity in London.
This was devastating news for Amelia, who was already not handling her sisters' losses very well. Amelia knew that she couldn’t move to London with Kai, because of the son she shares with Link, and Kai was not interested in the possibility of moving to Seattle either. With so much loss, is Grey’s Anatomy setting Amelia up for a relapse?
Despite the character’s past struggles with substance abuse, she’s been sober for a long time at this point. However, losing both of her sisters as well as her partner is a lot for anyone, let alone someone who openly struggles with abandonment. The preview for next week’s episode shows Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) returning, so will the presence of her former sister-in-law be enough to keep her from going over the ledge? I’m not sure. Take a look at the preview:
So there’s clearly some tension between Amelia and Winston, and the neurosurgeon seems suspicious of Addison’s reasons for showing up at the hospital. We’ll have to see if and how Amelia is able to get through so many losses in such a short amount of time. Grey’s Anatomy returns at 9 p.m. ET Thursday, April 20, on ABC. Be sure to check out our 2023 TV schedule to stay up to date on all the upcoming premieres.
