I don't think anyone has mentioned that Camilla Luddington (Jo) is pregnant? So I assume they'll have to write her out OR use it as the mechanism to get her and Alex back together...still really want Alex and Mer together, Riggs is awful.
Quite keen on the new flirty with Arizona lady...
April and Jackson need to get back together, but I'm really enjoying their little family unit...

Oh so they have two pregnant actresses this season. Didn't know Camilla was either. Congrats to both of them

I have always found grey's way of dealing with maternity leave rather well

When Ellen was pregnant, they had Meredith on bed rest for a few episodes after recovering from a kidney donation to her father. Ellen filmed many of her scenes in advance so while she wasn't absent for any episodes, Ellen was actually off set for about a month or two.

When sarah drew was pregnant, she was absent for 2 episodes and then had small screen time in the second half of season 11

And with Jessica capshaw's pregnancies, they had arizona work abroad., then had her bedridden following the loss of her leg and then had her out of town co parenting with Callie.

I did like this episode more than the recent others, felt sorry for Webber, he's the heart and soul of the Hospital But I did also quite like the new doctor, especially if she is going to be Arizonas new love interest so we will see how that goes.

And i also wish they'd stop writing Amelia and Jo so poorly, its annoying the hell out of me.

Even Stephanie is annoying now. I'm not sure if they're setting her up to make a massive error or mistake. They've made her so cocky,arrogant and full of herself. I'm just wondering if it's leading to something.

I know it's the obvious answer but, Rehab?

maybe after a huge fight over babies with Owen or maybe even an annulment she starts pill popping again?

That sounds reasonable and realistic for the character

Even before i knew the actress was pregnant, i had a feeling Amelia may end up relapsing into her addiction again. As the whole baby thing really shook her up and allowed her to open up old wounds. Be curious to see if this does happen somewhere down the line.

They don't really need to write her out now. They'll be on their winter break soon and she's due soon. The cast is so big now that not everyone appears in every episode anyway.

Even Meredith only appeared in the opening and closing scenes of the sixth episode. They'll probably shoot a bunch of episodes material with Caterina at once and then spread them out.

This season is kind of slow paced and the continuity is really annoying me. I kinda like the new love interests she reminds me of early Arizona. I was always a fan of Murphy but her return makes zero sense. They're all about to finish their residency why would she transfer a few weeks before? It's like she's been bought in tonfulfil whatever they had planned to do with Penny if Sara hadn't quit.

^ Yet in some scenes they literally make NO effort. Caterina gave birth this week and the most recent episodes were only shot about 6-8 weeks ago. Very visible.

Great episode. Very different. Less than half the cast were used and it took place in one main location. It was nice seeing Ellen Pompeo having some stuff to act out. Meredith has felt neglected this season so far. And i twigged earlier on that Webber was referring to his mother.

^ I think they're probably trying to lighten every bodies work loads a bit. Ellen had a very, very busy Season 12 and 13. Season 12 was the first time she was really the sole main character even though Amelia and Arizona came a close second it was very Meredith centric.

It seems like they're almost shooting in blocks at the minute (having actors come and shoot scenes for multiple episodes in one go and then having time off) as it seems to be a pattern that an actor will have one or two scenes for 2-3 episodes and then feature prominently for the same amount.

I quite like the balance. I love Meredith and I'm impressed Ellen has stayed so long but it's nice to have others shine I just wish Bailey would get some of her Bailey back. Re-watching the earlier seasons she's lost all of her spark. Also Webber needs to get over it. It's been eight years in the shows world since he was Chief.

It took me a little while to get into the latest episode but by the end it was my favourite of this season. I loved the personal touches for each of the four doctors. Ellen Pompeo is fabulous and I hope she keeps getting opportunities to shine. Zola telling Meredith to fix Derek was heartbreaking and it was a nice touch seeing Derek at the end.

I don't think this will be the last of Megan, there definitely seems to be more to that story.

I agree with the previous post about Bailey losing her spark, when I think back to Bailey as the Nazi and chief resident she was fiesty and exciting and had such a thirst for her job, she doesn't seem to have any of that anymore she just seems so gloomy. I was hoping when she became chief of surgery she'd get some of the early seasons Bailey back but she's got worse.

I'd say it's because there's very few personal relationships left on the show. Meredith and alex are the only people you really see as friends everyone else seems like friendly colleagues now.

Back in the day until season 10 the interns always had friendships with each other and with attendings. It's romance and work now. I would love to see scenes as Meredith and bailey as friends or Arizona and bailey as they once were. None of the guys seem to have relationships with each other a

Does anyone know if they used old material for the Derek bits, or did Dempsey film 30 seconds? You can usually tell when it's an old scene, 9 if so it was done really well! As an episode though - bleurgh, such filler crap.

old scene he looked a lot younger

If we weren't going to see her again they would not have cast Bridget Regan

I hope Grey's doesn't go down the route of Megan being alive all along. As soapy as Grey's Anatomy is, it has never really gone down the silly classic soap plot lines like other shows do. The only time the show ever jumped the shark was when Izzy had a brain tumor and she was having sex with Denny's ghost.

I always assumed they were going to bring her back alive (flashbacks seems a bit limited)...maybe amnesia or something along those lines, hope its not a faked death as that would be horrid for Owen.

Maybe they'll do something like her being a prisoner of war, I hope it's not memory loss.

I think I read it was an old unused scene from when Meredith was finding out if Derek had picked her or Addison. I thought they used it very effectively in this episode. He did look very young in it.

I would have thought it obvious that that was what was intended from the first. Why go to all that trouble of having a mystery over the fate of the helicopter if it wasn't to open the possibility? Surely they'd just have crashed it and had the funeral?

Good old Jo, just concerned about herself not arsed about Alex..

So they wrote Amelia out last night to tie into Caterina's maternity leave. It seems she left a note and scarpered.

I am glad that Owen and Riggs are gowing close again, but I am not happy with the way the Owen - Amelia line is going Why did they bother to get them married for her to just run off and leave a note. Owen deserves a bit of happiness, bring Teddy back.

Alex

I really need to stop watching this show, I cry like a baby at the majority of episodes

Well there is the small matter of Caterina Scorsone's pregnancy to deal with. It is particularly unfortunate that it happened in this past series break given that the events of the last of the previous series and the first of the current series happened on the same day. There weren't that many options open to the writers. Who knows what they intended originally?

They don't need to write someone out though, characters miss episodes all of the time. Episode 8 had 11 cast missing. All they had to do was focus the story on other people for three episodes