Greys Anatomy season 11, episode 4 recap: Spring of 83

Greys Anatomy season 11, episode 4, Only Mama Knows shed some new light on the Ellis Grey of the past and the Richard of the present.

Cases: Roy: Spinal graph blocks spinal blood flow Nadia: 10 year old with a giant abdominal tumor

Round One: Ellis Grey, visionary, motivator to women in medicine, yet not the ideal mother figure. The word audacious is thrown around the episode like it was on clearance in the writers bin, but when you have a woman who names her discovery The Grey Method, what else would you call it?

Meredith and Derek are still going the rounds with no end in sight for their reconciliation. Derek is growing impatient with his wife, who claims she needed to stay in Seattle to shine. He wants results and he wants them sooner rather than later. Coming to terms with his own poor decision to abandon the DC job is not Merediths problem.

A Unanimous Decision: Karev is back on the pediatric floor of Grey-Sloan Memorial, taking over the duties as an attending, helping out Arizona as she works through her fellowship. A bit of unsettling news reaches Alexs ears when he finds out that Bailey won the board unanimously.

Another nearly unanimous decision sweeping the board, Maggie Pierce cannot leave the hospital. Turning in her resignation, Pierces departure will cause a PR nightmare for the hospital that cannot hold onto chief cardiac surgeons. Leave it to Miranda The Nazi Bailey to keep the place from looking like a clown car. Richard is indifferent to her departure, but Amelia Shepherd tries out her own tactic.

Pierce cites personal and professional reasons for her resignation. Amelia decides that since she cannot betray the information she received in the confidence of AA, Derek might be able talk to Pierce.

Misdirection: Pierce is a brilliant cardiac surgeon and in an impressive split second decision, she is able to redirect blood flow from her paralyzed patient and offer him a life with his legs in tact.

Meanwhile, a 10 year old arrives at the hospitals bay doors appearing to be pregnant and possibly in labor. An ultrasound confirms that she is not, but a massive tumor still serves as damning evidence for the mother of the girl who let her daughter get that sick. Alex is able to point out the girl is sporting a Dutch braid, not unlike the ones he used to tie for his sisters. Neglect was not the reason for Nadias abandonment. Her family is in the country without papers and her mother explains that she made a choice. She could have helped her daughter and gone back to a country to work as a stripper or prostitute, but instead she chose to pray. Lawyers were able to help out in Nadias case and Karev agrees to see her treatment through.

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Greys Anatomy season 11, episode 4 recap: Spring of 83