The only thing that I’m more excited about than watching the season 13 (!) premiere of Grey’s Anatomy is breaking it down with YOU in my very first TV recap for (Pop) Culturally Informed! So, let’s get right to dishing about the dark and twisty lives/careers of our favorite surgeons from Seattle Grace Mercy West Grey-Sloan-(McDreamy) Memorial Hospital.

In this episode, titled “Undo,” we learn that hindsight is 20/20…unless you get your face beaten in to the point of potential blindness. 

Devil (Re)Spawn

There’s a lot of talk around this show about everything Meredith has gone through. Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely not easy being Grey. But I would like to put in a word for Dr. Alex Karev’s woes. He was almost thrown out of the program for failing his medical boards. His patient turned fuck buddy turned stage 5 clinger entrapped him with a hysterical pregnancy before trying to kill herself in his kitchen. On top of all that, he spent the majority of season five pretending Jeffrey Dean Morgan wasn’t there saying he was “here” for Katherine Heigl during Izzie’s infamous cancer-induced ghost sex plotline.

So what fresh hell do we find ol’ Devil Spawn in now? Oh, just that (unbeknownst to Alex) Jo can’t marry him because she’s already married (!) and has lied about her identity (!!). The one thing Alex does discover is intern Andrew DeLuca a.k.a. McDreamy Jr. on top of a wasted, giggly Jo in their bed (!!!). This huge misunderstanding (DeLuca was just protecting her from her drunk ass self) leads to an epic beat down that brings McDreamy Jr. to the hospital clinging to his life and exquisite bone structure.

The fact that a visibly shaken Alex rides with DeLuca (who freaks out whenever he lays eye on Alex) in the ambulance doesn’t fool Meredith and Ben for long. Alex comes clean to Meredith, who supplies him with a lame alibi to explain his bruised knuckles. Although Alex and Mer are each others’ person (Ellen Pompeo and Justin Chambers are still excellent together),  her resolve weakens as Ben, Bailey, and Maggie press her for answers and DeLuca undergoes a risky procedure for his eye socket.

Meanwhile, there’s Jo, who finds herself hysterically crying on “Chief” Dr. Webber. He offers her coffee and sunshine to cope with her mistakes, but she runs away to the hospital throwing mascara and caution to the wind. En route to DeLuca, she crosses paths with Alex, who refuses to hear her version of the events. Then, as Jo is attempting to leave without a trace, Stephanie enters, extracts the truth, and promptly fills Mer in.

After one last shouty heart to heart, Meredith and Alex know what has to be done. Mer blabs to actual chief Miranda Bailey, but, by the time they find Alex, he’s being read his Miranda rights by the police after turning himself over. If snitches get stitches, it’s good that this is a show about doctors.

We end on Grey and Karev on either side of his cell door where Alex foresees the possible loss of his career and 15-20 year jail sentence. Meredith reassures him that everything will be okay echoing her earlier sentiment that he has grown from being one of the worst people she’d ever met to one of the best.

What’s In a Name? A Hyphen, That’s What.

Jackson and April have also been shit on by Shonda and the writers more than a few times, so they have earned this episode’s comedic B-plot. April has just given birth to her and Jackson’s post-divorce oops baby (it’s a girl!) emergency C-section style, but mother and daughter are doing great. Phewww!

That is until Catherine Avery literally creeps out of the shadows of April’s room, cradling her new granddaughter and asking what to call her. April insists that Jackson be the one to reveal the baby’s name. Catherine digs in, and we are officially introduced to baby…Harriet. Yes. Harriet.

Much to April’s chagrin, Catherine assumes this baby will be called Harriet Avery. Catherine seems to prefer the child actually use “Tubman” or “The Spy” as her last name over Kepner. Both mothers give heartfelt speeches about their pride in their family names before Jackson comes in with news (to Catherine, not April) that the baby’s name will be hyphenated: Harriet Kepner-Avery.

At least both her parents are attractive, gifted surgeons, right? She’ll at least have good genes.

“Come sit with me.”

Just as Mer finds herself hot piece of ass Dr. Nathan Riggs to have steamy parking lot sex with, her half-sister Maggie has to go and ruin it by catching feelings for him.

Maggie whispers to Mer that she has has a crush on him at Owelia’s wedding ceremony, and the awkwardness spills over into the reception. Riggs asks Meredith to dance, but she isn’t having it so she takes Maggie onto the floor. The moment is “blocked” (according to Maggie) by Richard, and again Riggs pursues Meredith. Maggie is completely oblivious to Riggs’s attraction to Meredith, and that is just one of many reasons why Maggie was incredibly frustrating this episode. She seems to have no clue how or why her relationship with DeLuca began, existed, or ended last season. Frankly, neither do I. She steps up to the plate after the attack to hold his hand and call his parents, but breaks that up by pining over Riggs to Meredith, who does her best to hide her “I’ve seen him naked” face. It’s maddening.

Riggs, on the other hand, could not be more clear about what he wants. It’s Meredith all the way. Each time Riggs comes for her though, she rebuffs him citing some “problem” that will prevent them from working. At one point, she has to tell him to stop his constant and endearing habit of asking her how she’s doing. There’s one scene where he sees Meredith in the lounge and adorably slips up. Instead of chewing him out, she throws him an emotional bone. She confides in him that doesn’t know whether or not she should tell on Alex. Riggs basically tells her to do what she wants and don’t do what she doesn’t want. It’s honest advice from a person who just wants to see Mer stress free and at peace. This touches Meredith, and she allows him stay and share a meaningful silence with her.

Maggie’s trust in Meredith is shaken by Mer’s omission of Alex’s guilt in DeLuca’s attack. She makes Meredith swear that there will be no more lies between them, and I’m sure Meredith means to keep that promise until Riggs shows up at their door. Pulling an Angelica Schuyler, Meredith shuts him down one last time for Maggie’s sake. Will she ever be satisfied post-Derek? When Maggie asks Meredith who was at the door, she says “no one” and we know that this love triangle is far from one-dimensional and far from over.

WELL, that was Grey’s this week. I enjoyed this tense, suspenseful medical and emotional whodunnit of a premiere. I am also definitely looking forward to next week’s episode which looks like The People v. Alex Karev: Shondaland Crime Story. Is it always a beautiful day to save lives in courtrooms too? Hmmmmm… Until next #TGIT, friends!