Grey’s Anatomy Round Table: Did Maggie’s Farewell Exceed Expectations?

Maggie Pierce has left Grey Sloan.

With a supersized installment starting with Grey’s Anatomy Season 19 Episode 14, we got an extensive farewell for Maggie by the end of Grey’s Anatomy Season 19 Episode 15 that didn’t disappoint. We also saw the possible end of Kaimelia, Jo facing a crisis, Bailey inching toward danger, and so much more.

Join former TV Fanatic and diehard Swiftie Meaghan Frey, Grey’s Fanatic and actor Joshua Johnson, and Jasmine Blu as they discuss it all.

Did the series execute Maggie’s sendoff well? What was your favorite part about it? What do you think they could’ve done better?

Joshua: The series executed the sendoff well in terms of final episodes. Everything leading up to it was maddening, though, and that may have lessened the impact of Maggie leaving. For almost the whole season, Maggie felt unrelatable and unlikeable, so going into this episode, I had some trouble caring about the fact that it was her last.

However, in this episode, Maggie was everything that I’d always liked about her: open-minded, optimistic, relatable, a good teacher, a cardio god, etc. It was refreshing but also annoying that the writers dragged her through the mud to get here.

My favorite parts about her send-off were her scenes with Catherine, Simone, and Richard. It’s always nice to see Catherine’s softer side, and seeing her treat Maggie like a daughter is even nicer.

Watching Maggie work with Simone was great, especially because it wasn’t even a cardio case, but also, it was just nice to see Maggie be a good teacher and to someone who would appreciate her.

And, of course, the scene where Richard gave Maggie the business card holding bench was especially effective. I teared up a bit in the moment, mostly for Richard’s sake (and then I got annoyed that we didn’t get anything like that between Richard and Meredith).

The final scene in the elevator was killer, and I was wholly unprepared for it until just a couple of seconds before it happened. Ever the crybaby, I burst into spontaneous tears.

Meaghan: Given how rocky the end of Maggie’s journey on Grey’s Anatomy has been, I’m satisfied with the sendoff we got. I’m glad that she and Winston were able to come to a place of understanding and recognize that they do love each other.

Unfortunately, a relationship that once burned so brightly faded out quickly; unfortunately, life sometimes gets in the way.

I’m also happy we got a few great Richard and Maggie scenes before she left. Richard and Maggie’s relationship has felt absent at times recently, but watching Richard give Maggie the miniature bench had it feeling a little dusty in my living room.

Jasmine: I was not pleased with how things were playing out for Maggie leading up to her departure, but they pulled it off well in the end with this double episode, and I appreciated that. I loved her final moment with Webber and that elevator scene. The elevator scene with her mothers was fantastic.

Were you surprised that Maggie and Winston fell into bed together? What did you think about him asking Maggie to stay and her asking him to come with her? Did they make the right choice?

Joshua: ABSOLUTELY, they made the right choice. I was a little surprised that they fell into bed together, but it was definitely necessary for them to eventually decouple. It was clear that both of them wanted to make the relationship work, but there was just no way for it to happen.

Meaghan: There is no question that these two love each other, but sometimes love isn’t enough. Of course, they will try to cling to that last bit of hope for reconciliation. It’s only natural. But Maggie couldn’t stay, and Winston couldn’t leave without one of them having to give up something extremely important to them.

Maggie would have resented Winston if she had given up such a huge opportunity for him; Winston would’ve always felt like the second best in Maggie’s life if he had gone with her. I’m glad each of them made the decision they did because they both deserve to be happy.

Jasmine: I didn’t expect the hookup because they’ve loathed each other so much before that. But they both made the right choice.

Maggie deserved the chance to leave and spread her wings, and I was proud of Winston for sticking his ground and not following after Maggie like a puppy. He made a home at GSM and deserved the chance to do his own thing too.

What are your thoughts on Maggie’s journey processing if she was like Ellis or not after what Winston said?

Joshua: I’ve been the most vocal about Maggie becoming like Ellis, and this episode changed my perspective of Ellis entirely by reframing the kind of person that Ellis was.

Ellis wasn’t cold and harsh for the sake of being cold and harsh; she was driven and dedicated to her career to the point where she expected that same drive from everyone else. She demanded excellence from herself. Maggie is absolutely all of those things and always has been.

However, Maggie wasn’t raised by Ellis; she was raised by Diane, where she learned all of the things Ellis wasn’t: warm, effusive, and compassionate. One of the reasons I think this episode was as effective as it was, is because the writers could balance the two.

Meaghan: This was a great moment of character growth for Maggie, but it felt like one that should’ve begun sooner rather than them shoehorning it into her final episode.

We started to get some of it when she had her Ellis fever dream, but it was like they completely forgot about it until last night. It’s extremely important that Catherine pointed out that there was more to Ellis than just her negative qualities.

Ellis Grey has gotten a pretty bad rap over the years, but she was still a pioneer for women in the medical field; that shouldn’t be forgotten.

Jasmine: I agree with you 100%, Meaghan. I liked the emphasis on Ellis being more than just a terrible mother or wife. She had so many layers to her, and that was perfectly okay. Having some aspects of Ellis in there is not always a bad thing.

I also found it interesting because being like Ellis didn’t mean Maggie had to be precisely like her bit by bit or in the same ways. There wasn’t anything wrong with Maggie being ambitious or genuinely loving saving and helping people.

But the criticisms were about how she handles other people in her relationships, and I thought that was valid without accusing her of being this cold, unfeeling person.

There was a narrow view of what it meant when people said she was like Ellis. It was a storyline they could’ve explored much better rather than throwing it in like this at the end.

How do you feel about Kai’s decision to move to London and they and Amelia ending things? Should Kai have said something sooner, or have they always been clear about their stance? Did Amelia make everything about herself?

Joshua: I’m not worried for Amelia, but my heart is breaking for her. Kai should have said something sooner, but I also understand them wanting to talk about it with Amelia in person.

What I find the most interesting about this plot point is that Amelia and Kai seemingly had yet to discuss what their relationship would be in the long term, especially considering Kai’s opinion on children.

Amelia made the moment about herself, but I understand that. Addison was put in danger and then left, Meredith left, Maggie left…all of the people closest to Amelia are leaving her, and in a moment when she finally felt safe and content, Kai pulled the rug out from under her.

Given Amelia’s past, and all of her defense mechanisms, it made total sense for Amelia to think of herself first. I did appreciate how Kai gently called Amelia out rather than rage at her.

Meaghan: I have such mixed feelings about this storyline. First, what was the point of having Amelia and Kai get back together if Kai was going to leave? I’m tired of Amelia getting the shit end of the stick in the Grey’s Anatomy universe. But I digress.

I understand where Kai is coming from to an extent, but at the same time, I don’t. If Kai were to move to Seattle to do research, that wouldn’t automatically mean they have to be involved in Scout’s life. It would just mean they don’t have to take a plane to spend time together.

But, If London is their dream, they shouldn’t have to give that up. The least they could’ve done is talk to Amelia about it before deciding so they could figure out, together, what that move would mean for their relationship: do they break up? If they stay together, how do they see each other?

Amelia can’t just take a plane to London regularly between her job and Scout, so would Kai be flying to Seattle? It just ended up feeling like Kai didn’t care about their relationship.

Jasmine: They really love to make Amelia suffer, don’t they?

I was never invested enough in Kaimelia to have strong feelings, mainly because I felt the kid issue and Kai’s devotion to their work would always be an issue.

Kai said precisely who they were from the beginning, and they tend to stick to their convictions, and I just never saw how Kaimelia could sustain a relationship by separating parts of their life like this.

My issue was that Kai didn’t give Amelia a head’s up when things were happening or discussed anything. They also had all of these romantic moments and rolled around in bed together and all of this BEFORE they broke the news to Amelia which didn’t sit right with me either.

And they seemed like they just shut their emotions off like a switch the second Amelia got annoyed about all of this, which made me question how invested they were in Amelia this whole time since she fell hard and fast as usual.

But Amelia definitely made everything about her the whole time, which sucked.

I like Amelia, but sometimes I tire of her coming with this huge disclaimer of how someone has to handle her or what they need to know to make sense of Amelia. It’s something other people don’t get.

She made everything about her at that moment, and it was also feeling as if she’s been holding out hope that things would change for Kai, that they would reach a point where they would put Amelia first or maybe change their mind about kids, and that’s wrong, too.

How concerned are you about Bailey’s well-being? Do you think she’s finally taking the situation seriously?

Joshua: I thought Bailey was slightly cavalier at the beginning of the episode, but I also understood her brushing it off. It wasn’t a problem until it became a problem.

It took seeing that her family was in danger, with the picture of Tuck sent to her phone, to take it seriously. Before that, there was almost a badge of honor that Bailey was wearing–if Addison can go through what she goes through on the road, then Bailey should be able to deal with some unknown phone calls.

Once it became more than just about her, though, it became real. Finally, she’s taking it seriously, and I hope she gives that phone number to the police.

Meaghan: I have to hope that they won’t let anything too horrible happen to Bailey, but it also seems like they are headed in that direction, so I’m terrified at the same time. Once they started involving her family, it really began to sink in for Bailey how dangerous this situation is.

Jasmine: I’m concerned about Bailey. They touch on this in Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19, which makes me feel like something terrible will happen, and I won’t be able to deal. I’m glad she’s gotten out of her denial and is taking this as seriously as Ben has been the whole time.

Link’s attempt to tell Jo his feelings got thwarted, and now Luna is hearing impaired. React!

Joshua: This is the most Grey’s thing, to get us to the point where finally a character is ready to act only to have a tragedy set them back. This will only give Jo a chance to see how dedicated Link is not just to her but to Luna as well. My biggest takeaway from this plot was, “Can Jo really never get a break?”

Like, come on, Grey’s, let a girl be happy for once!

Meaghan: Poor Link. That was about to be such a beautiful moment. Also, poor Luna! That little girl has already had to go through so much in her young life. It’s so unfair.

This situation with Luna will inevitably bring Jo and Link closer. Right now, she is pushing him away due to the shock of it all, but he is her person; she will need him now more than ever.

Jasmine: Link is back to giving me all that romantic male lead energy — what he fully delivered before that whole invasion of the body snatchers Link they gave us randomly last season, and I’m just so happy about that. He’s got that rizz, and we need somebody to deliver on that. He was crushed, and I hated that for him, but their time will come.

I’m genuinely looking forward to this storyline with Luna’s hearing impairment. It could be very interesting, and I know how complicated and emotional that is…

I watched my mom have to process that with my brother. And I think we’ll see the family unit Jolink has formed become even tighter because Link will be there for Luna as much as Jo.

Do you think people were being harsh and unfair to Levi? Has he found his specialty with Peds?

Joshua: They were absolutely being unfair! Schmidt listed them off himself:

• 
  The pandemic happened.
• 
  The program briefly shut down.
• 
  A doctor shortage overloaded him with work while not furthering his education.

Also, he’s only a fourth-year resident! Meredith didn’t even claim a specialty until halfway through her fifth year!

I think peds is a great specialty for him because Schmidt was often overlooked, and people who were overlooked knew how to look out for others. Peds needs that kind of doctor.

Meaghan: Levi’s career has been an absolute shit show up until now, so I will need everyone to back off. After seeing Levi with his patients this week, I could absolutely see him going into Peds. With losing Hayes, we completely lost the specialty, which is unfortunate because the Peds cases were always some of the best.

Jasmine: I was so put off by how everyone was treating him! Like, he lowkey was getting the Millennial treatment with Boomers and Gen Z ragging him over stuff he had no control over without ever considering the situation he was in.

Like, the residency program got shut down. He legitimately went through burnout because of the pandemic; THE FREAKING PANDEMIC, HELLO?!

Nothing about Levi’s residency has been status quo because of things outside his control, so it was maddening that they acted like he was some slacker with no guidance.

Nevertheless, I’m here for him going into Peds to break up the monotony of General Surgery, and I can’t think of any other specialty that suits him. Also, we need a Peds doc.

What was your favorite intern storyline?

Joshua: Interestingly, I enjoyed Simone and Jules’ interactions the most this week, especially culminating in Jules helping Simone with her measurements.

Something this group of interns does consistently well is show up for each other. They may snip and gripe at each other, but ultimately they support and care for each other in a way that the original five didn’t.

Meaghan: I loved Jules finding her passion for cardio and reinforcing for Winston that he was making the right decision by staying. It felt like the perfect storyline to bridge the gap between the old and the new.

I’m also really loving the messiness of Simone’s marriage storyline. This is the kind of drama that I love from Grey’s Anatomy. More of this and less of Teddy/Owen or Maggie/Winston type drama, please, writers.

Jasmine: I was amused by Lucas carting Pru around for semi-shallow reasons. They looked so precious, and I swear they almost look related.

Simone’s messiness delights me. I love Jules emerging as one of the best of the interns. And I’m incredibly worried about Mika.

What was your favorite moment, storyline, etc., from the episode?

Joshua: I liked when Maggie and Winston removed the cardiac tumor and waited for the heart to adjust. It was a nice callback to Season 12. Another great callback to classic Grey’s was the bar mitzvah ceremony; I wish we’d gotten to know Grayson and his grandfather a little more, just for the emotional impact. I’m a sucker for crying during the show.

Meaghan: Maggie’s final scene standing in the elevator with both of her mothers — the two women who have made her who she is — was such a powerful and emotional moment.

Where was that kind of moment in Meredith’s goodbye episode? Sorry, I’m still just so salty over Ellen Pompeo getting the short end of the stick with that goodbye.

Jasmine: Yes, Meaghan. Everything you said.

I loved that final shot of her in the elevator with her mothers. And it’s so wild that she got this meaningful sendoff compared to Meredith’s, which felt like they threw something together on the back of a Post-it.

As a Maggie fan, I’m happy that she got something good. She deserved it; Kelly McCreary deserved it.

Is there anything else you’d like to add or discuss?

Meaghan: Last week, Jasmine asked whether or not we thought Amelia would relapse, and I was a hard no; now I’m not so sure. Maggie leaving is one thing, but Kai leaving her at the exact same time? This will bring up many issues and push her in a dark direction.

Jasmine: I am worried about Amelia after this Kai blow. I’m also worried about Catherine because it feels like we’re headed somewhere dark. And I’m concerned that Mika is stretching herself too thin, and no one is taking that seriously.

Over to you, Grey’s Fanatics.

Do you agree with us? Do you disagree? Sound off below.

Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.

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Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You’ll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on Twitter.

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