Greys Anatomy Recap: Derek Reaches the End of His Rope And Who Gets Devastating News?

Sarah Drew

Hope was a major theme on tonight's midseason finale ofGrey's Anatomy, for better or for worse. Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek (Patrick Dempsey) may have given up completely on trying to repair their marriage, and Stephanie (Jerrika Hinton) and Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) found out some devastating news about Jackson (Jesse Williams) and April's (Sarah Drew) baby. On the other end of the spectrum, Dr. Herman (Geena Davis) might have more of a chance at survival than she originally thought, and Callie (Sara Ramirez) and Arizona are making progress towards a reconciliation though not necessarily a romantic one.

Quiz: Grey's Anatomy plot or Florida news story?

Let's recap:

At the start of the episode, Meredith's caught in the middle of an argument between Derek and Maggie (Kelly McCreary) over which one of them should operate on a patient first. Maggie thinks she should, Derek thinks he should, and Meredith takes her sister's side. The awkward argument that ensues between Derek and Maggie in front of the patient and her mother and Derek's subsequent Blue Steel glare directed at Maggie is a far cry from the welcoming hug Derek gave his new half-sister-in-law a few weeks ago. Sheesh.

While giving April an ultrasound, Stephanie (who has rebounded remarkably well, I might add, from Jackson dumping her for April) accidentally lets it slip that the newlyweds are having a boy, and also notices something strange on the monitor. Uh oh.

Callie and Owen (Kevin McKidd) are continuing their veterans project with a cool virtual reality simulator game and less-cool traditional physical therapy, which results in a patient falling and cracking his head open. Turns out walking with an avatar is easier than walking with an actual prosthetic.

12 things Shonda Rhimes taught us to get away with (besides murder)

Dr. Herman, meanwhile, is eating ice cream for breakfast because she's dying, dammit. We learn that she is divorced, has no kids, and counts Graham (Nicholas D'Agosto), Arizona, and her job as her family. (Sad.) Arizona, who's really uncomfortable with Herman's flippant attitude towards her own mortality, keeps pestering her for more info about her condition. After Herman becomes annoyed to the point where she kicks Arizona off of a surgery, Arizona takes matters into her own hands by requesting that Dr. Herman's entire medical records get sent to Amelia (Caterina Scorsone), in her name.

Read more:
Greys Anatomy Recap: Derek Reaches the End of His Rope And Who Gets Devastating News?