The 300th episode of Grey’s Anatomy began with Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Karev (Justin Chambers) on a ferry — something fans will remember was a favorite of her late husband. That was just the start of the Easter Eggs thrown into the episode. While Mer was supposed to be on a plane to the prestigious Harper Avery awards, the moment she arrived at the hospital and saw a major trauma, she couldn’t leave.
After a rollercoaster car flew off the tracks, multiple victims arrived at the hospital — and many looking very familiar. Two of them could have been the spitting images of Cristina (Sandra Oh) and George (T.R. Knight).
Izzie 2.0
Then there’s their pretty, perky, pregnant friend who looks a whole lot like Izzie (Katherine Heigl), and naturally, Karev could barely complete a sentence in front of her. After passing out, she had to deliver her baby early and begged Karev to stay by her side, holding his hand.
Following the surgery, Jo (Camilla Luddington) tells Karev that he should call Izzie since it’s clear that he misses her. Instead, he prefers the image he has in his mind of her — a busy, married-with-children surgeon who is always smiling.
Cristina and Meredith: Forever
The Cristina look-alike goes quickly from annoyed with the doctors gawking at her to desperate for their help. After realizing that Meredith is the Meredith Grey nominated for the Harper Avery award, she begs for the famous doctor to treat her like she’s her friend. She even calls her royalty — just like the interns said about Meredith’s mom in the pilot.
When everyone got upset that Grey decided to skip the awards and stay behind to operate on “baby Cristina,” she points out that only Cristina would have understood what the award meant to her. Ultimately she does save her — and the episode ends with Mer taking home the award. Jackson accepts it for her and she watches as it streams at the hospital. In his speech, he recalls the people she’s lost in her life: her sister, her husband and her mother. “She takes all that pain, all that loss, and she turns it into drive — drive to save lives,” he says.
At the end of the episode, Karev and Meredith cheers to champagne in their paper cups in the tunnel, and Cristina calls to celebrate with them.
In Memory of Derek Shepherd
On the Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) and Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone) front, things were just as awkward as ever. Amelia actually interrupted his romantic half-naked morning with Carina DeLuca (Stefania Spampinato), which caused some major tension that day at work.
It didn’t help that Amelia had to beg to get a CT scan on a patient and Hunt didn’t agree with her choice. “He would have bled out if we would have waited for the CT. You’re looking too much into this because …,” he starts.
“It’s OK, you can say it. Dr. Hunt thinks my decision-making is clouded because my brother died under similar circumstances,” she tells the doctors in the room. “But, he’s wrong.” And it turns out, the patient really did need the CT scan. She was right — but so was he. She told him later on that she did force the scan because of Derek: “He was in my head. He saved this guy. He was that good.”
During the surgery, Maggie tells Zola she’s so smart, something she must get from Meredith. Zola actually corrects her that it comes her from her dad, too.
A Mark Sloan Salute
During “baby Izzie’s” surgery, Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) is asked about motherhood. It’s then that she mentions Mark Sloan (Eric Dane) is dead and that she’s raising her daughter — whom she shares with ex Callie Torres — without a father. It was tough to swallow, but she did follow up with a spot-on impression of McSteamy. Following the day at work, Sofia tells Arizona she misses her mom, which leads to Arizona giving her little one ice cream — three scoops, of course. On the wall, is a photo of Mark, Arizona and Callie.
Grey’s Anatomy airs on ABC Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET.
