| “ | There's a reason the punchline to so many doctor jokes starts with "I've got good news, and bad news." Often, the bad news is so bad, when something good comes along, we tend to go a little overboard. Every cloud has a silver lining. But it's still a cloud. A cloud can mean a shower, or a storm. So, you take your good days where you get them. You try to stay positive. You try to remember that even in the bad news, there's good news for someone. | ” |
Both Sides Now is the fifth episode of the thirteenth season and the 274th overall episode of Grey's Anatomy.
Short Summary[]
Meredith and Bailey are at odds when both of their patients need a liver transplant, Owen seeks help from the other doctors when he is charged with babysitting baby Harriet for the day, and Amelia struggles with telling Owen some important news.
Full Summary[]
Alex opens the fridge and stands in front of it. Maggie comes in and said the air conditioner coil is broken and it's hot. Alex says it's fall, but Meredith says it's global warming and tells him to close the fridge. She calls for Zola. Alex asks Maggie if she can fix the air conditioner. She says she fixes people and tells him to fix it. He says he's a surgeon, too, but she reminds him that he works in a clinic. Meredith tells him to close the fridge again, but Maggie suggests they just leave. Meredith calls for the kids and pushes the fridge shut herself.
At the hospital, Bailey tells Meredith it's a glorious day, but Meredith wants it to be 20° cooler and for her air conditioning to be fixed. Bailey says it's the kind of day that comes to mind when people ask why she became a doctor and asks her to ask why it's a glorious day. Meredith doesn't, but Bailey tells her anyway. She has a liver for a patient who's been waiting for years. A patient who is pushing 80.
Amelia comes into the ER and is surprised to see April. She thinks April's there early, but April tells her it's the 29th. Amelia stares at the tablet April hands her as April talks about how nice it is to be back, to have people to talk to who can actually talk back. When she sees that Amelia isn't listening, she realizes she's still talking to herself.
Maggie comes up and asks Stephanie what she's doing. She then invites her to scrub in on a cardiac myxoma. She'd like the best resident she can get. Jo overhears that and is offended. Stephanie agrees to the case and goes with Maggie. Jo complains to Andrew about Stephanie being the "best resident" and wonders if that's what everyone thinks. Andrew tells her to define best. Just then, Bailey comes up and tells Andrew he's on a case with her. Jo offers to help instead, but Bailey wants Andrew.
Bailey gives Andrew a tablet and tells him to get up to date on the case. He thought he was on OB, but she says she has power and she can just take him. He asks if he's in trouble, but she said she just thought he'd like some joy. And she's Ed McMahon. He doesn't know who that is. She says she's trying to give him joy and he just made her feel old. Bailey puts on a knitted hat and leads him into the room. June Crowley and her family all applaud. She tells them to make room so the doctors can sit. She insists, because they've worked so hard. Bailey sits on the edge of June's bed and glares at Andrew as he starts to sit in a chair, causing him to remain standing. She notices Bailey's wearing the hat and tells Andrew she'll be giving him something, too. She has her daughter, Samantha, give him cookies. Andrew then presents her case. June says she feels blessed to have the best doctors taking care of her. She then asks Karen, her granddaughter, if Andrew's a hottie. Karen is embarrassed but says that he is. June tells Karen to give him a hug. She doesn't, but Samantha does. They all clap again.
Meredith comes into a trauma room where Chelsea Keen is on the bed. Richard says she was out for a run when she collapsed and was brought to the ER. Nathan says her heart is fine. It's heat stroke. They need to admit her and get her temp down. Richard tells Jo to call the ICU. Meredith explains what they're doing to Chelsea, who is confused about what happened. They ask if there's someone they can call of her and she says her sister. She's her emergency contact. Meredith says she'll go get a cooling blanket.
Outside the room, Nathan says Maggie told him their AC was broken and he thought he could help. She asks if he can fix it, but he says he doesn't have to. His isn't broken and he's willing to share with a colleague in need. He's a giver. She says that's not an offer a colleague makes. He says they're talking about the weather, which colleagues do. She says he needs a cooling blanket and walks away. He tells a nearby patient that he'll get her.
In a supply closet, Amelia is looking through the shelves. Meredith comes in and gets the blanket. She's suspicious of what Amelia's doing. Amelia has her close the door. Meredith asks if she's looking for drugs. She says she isn't. She confesses that she's pregnant. Meredith congratulates her and hugs her. Amelia says they just started trying. Meredith says Owen must be thrilled, but Amelia admits that he doesn't know. She wanted to wait until she was sure. Meredith is upset because Amelia just thinks she's pregnant. Amelia can't find the tests. Meredith grabs one, hands it to her, and tells Amelia to tell her when it's real.
Amelia puts the test her lab coat and walks up to Owen. She asks if he has a minute. Just then, Jackson and Harriet get off the elevator. It's April's first day back and he got paged for a hand de-gloving, so he's taking Harriet to the day care. Owen offers to take Harriet to the daycare. Jackson hands her over and suggests walking her around to get her to sleep before taking her. After he leaves, Owen asks Amelia if she needed something, but she says she'll find him later.
Amelia tells Maggie she can't steal her resident. Maggie points out that Stephanie's not her resident. She's A resident. Stephanie says she's the best, Maggie's words. Amelia tries to re-claim her. Stephanie says she doesn't belong to anyone and also, she's standing right there and can hear everything they're saying. Meredith says Amelia doesn't need Stephanie for what she needs to do. Meredith asks if she told Owen. She tried, but he already had a baby. Maggie's confused, so Meredith tells her Amelia's late. Amelia objects that Stephanie's right there and Stephanie quips that now she's aware that she can hear them. Maggie's excited, but Meredith says no excitement until Amelia pees on the stick. Amelia asks for Stephanie again, but Maggie refuses.
Richard sees what he thinks is Chelsea walking around in the lobby. He tries to lead her back to bed, but she says she's actually Chandler. She and Chelsea are twins.
By Chelsea's bedside, Chandler questions why she'd go for a run on a day like that. Chelsea says she's not a wimp, which Chandler says would mean more if she weren't in a hospital bed. Jo tells them that the heat stroke has compromised her liver. They're treating her aggressively, but the liver's not responding. It might require a liver transplant. Chandler says she can donate. They're basically the same person twice. They have the same everything. She asks them to test her. Richard says they aren't quite there yet, but says they'll test her. Chelsea tells Chandler to trade place, but Chandler just says she wishes. She explains to the doctors that when they were kids and got in trouble, one of them could say trade places and the other would go and get yelled at for a while. Just then, Chelsea starts to seize. They push Chandler out of the room.
Owen has Alex check out Harriet. He says she's fine and suggests that he take her to daycare and make it their problem. Owen says Jackson told him to get her to sleep first, but she won't go to sleep. She won't eat and she has a clean diaper. Alex says maybe it's the heat, which is pissing him off. Owen asks if he should take her someplace cool, but Alex just tells him to take her to daycare. He takes Harriet from Owen and she immediately stops crying. He says maybe it's Owen. Babies can tell when you're freaked out and it freaks them out. Maybe he's just not a baby guy. He hands her back and she starts crying immediately. He leaves and Owen says he's a baby guy.
Stephanie presents the case of Andrew Billings, who has a cardiac tumor. He's otherwise healthy. He asks Stephanie if she's good. She says she's the best, but Maggie just says she'll do. They go over the complications. But Andy's prepared to take the risk. He was a shuttle commander. Without the surgery, he'll be dead within a month.
Meredith comes in and tells Chandler Chelsea is stable. She called UNOS and Chelsea has 1-A status. Chandler asks what about her being a donor. Meredith says she can't be a donor because she's pregnant. Chandler's shocked. It's good news, but it means she can't save Chelsea.
Jo gets supplies for Chelsea. Andrew comes in and she asks why he smells like Christmas. He's eating the cookies from June, who is a human sunflower. Jo is jealous of Andrew's case. He offers her a cookie, but she brushes him off.
April congratulates Amelia on her pregnancy and hugs her. She says Owen must be excited. When Amelia tells her Owen don't know, April tells her to stop talking. She'll have trouble not telling Owen if she sees him. April tells Amelia to go tell him and make sure he's the first to know. You can avoid family court that way.
Owen is in a scan room with Harriet. Ben comes in and asks why he's in there. He says it's cool, dark, and quiet. Ben asks Harriet what's wrong. Owen asks him how he handled Tuck crying, if there was a way he held him. Ben says Tuck was four when he met him and he didn't hold him that much because it didn't seem right. Owen says that's a good call. Ben says maybe Harriet has colic, but he doesn't know what colic actually is. He offers to hold Harriet, but Owen refuses, so he offers to get April. Owen says he can get a baby to stop crying, but if April's free, it wouldn't hurt.
Meredith goes over Chelsea's treatment. It's not working. They're just buying time. She needs a liver transplant or she'll be dead probably by tomorrow. Meredith remembers that there's a liver coming to the hospital.
Bailey tells them no. June's liver is a match, but it's already June's. UNOS would allow her to give up her place, but it has to come from her. Bailey is upset because June's been waiting so long. Meredith says she's strong. She can wait for the next liver, but Chelsea can't. Bailey's sure if she asks June, June will say yes. Bailey's upset because her day of joy has been sullied.
Bailey is explaining the situation to June. June considers it, but then refuses to give up her place in line. Granny June is getting a new liver. She encourages her family to start clapping again.
Outside, the doctors are shocked that June said no. Lily comes out and apologizes, but they say it's absolutely her right to say no. Lily says it's unlike her. She asks if the other patient will get another chance. There's no guarantee, so Lily says she'll pray for her. Bailey tries to be joyful again, but the others won't play along.
Meredith's checking incoming traumas for potential donors. Richard says he's surprised that she's lived so long and hasn't learned some compassion.
Richard talks to Bailey, trying to get her to join his side. Bailey says Richard's being ageist. She doesn't know how he can be so ageist when he's so ... and she stops speaking. Arizona asks who is ageist. When Bailey tells her, Arizona says that's terrible. She has a lot of old friends. Richard's her old friend. ... Her friend who is older than she is. Richard says that's ageism. Bailey goes to check on June and Arizona tells Richard he doesn't look a day over 45. He tells her to go.
Amelia says Stephanie's been like her right hand and her right hand is no good to her if it's in Maggie's pocket. Maggie says she's just borrowing Stephanie. They do this all the time, like when she borrowed Amelia's cute shoes. Stephanie's excited to be compared to cute shoes. Maggie sends her to check on Andy's tests. Meredith tells them they need to learn to share. She has a patient who will die because an old lady never learned to share. Amelia says she needs Stephanie back, especially if she is pregnant. Meredith asks if she peed on a stick yet. If she hasn't yet, stop talking. Amelia doesn't know when to tell Owen. She asks how Meredith told Derek. She says she gave Zola a "Best big sister" shirt. And with Ellis, she was off the hook because he was dead. Maggie says this was fun for a minute.
Maggie tells Andy it's his last chance to bail out. He says he'll see her on the other side. She goes to scrub. He asks Stephanie for a joke. He would like to go out laughing. She struggles to come up with a joke. She thinks of one, but it's too late and he's already out.
Harriet sleeps on Owen's chest. Jackson comes in and asks if Owen's going to take her to day care. Owen shushes him and shoos him out.
Meredith is lying on a bench with Alex. She needed some air, but he says it's steam. Meredith says she could steal the liver. Alex says then she could get fired, too, and they'll have more time for movies. Meredith says June would get another liver. People die all the time. She wants to go talk to June again, but Alex says it's coercion. She'll get the hospital sued. They see someone come in with the donor liver. Meredith says she'll go talk to June, but Alex reminds her what happened when she talked to Andrew for him. She made it worse. Meredith realizes it's a bad idea and they sit back down.
Amelia washes her hands. April comes in and asks her if she's okay and if she found out. She says not yet. She's not sure how to tell Owen. Amelia says the last time she was pregnant, she didn't have to tell the father because he was dead.
Meredith watches Chelsea from outside the room. Richard comes up. Meredith tells him to go home and rest. She's going to wait out the clock on this one and says she'll tell him if she has good news.
Owen is still sitting with Harriet when Nathan comes in. Owen always wanted a pile of kids. So did Nathan. Owen remembers at the lake house, with Megan. She liked the name Bernard, though, which slowed the conversation a bit. But life had other plans. Nathan sniffs and then says something's happened, something terrible. Owen has Nathan get the diaper bag. Together, they change the diaper. They double up on the diaper. Nathan says he's good at that and Owen says he just has a knack for it.
Maggie finishes the resection. Stephanie thanks her for letting her be a part of it. Maggie says she has a knack for cardio. It's flattering, but she loves neuro. Maggie says she's like a neighbor's snow plow. There's no reason to buy one yourself, but it's nice to be able to borrow one. Stephanie preferred being cute shoes. Just then, Andy starts crashing. They rush to try to save him.
Bailey does June's transplant. Bailey says she usually loves transplants, but Meredith stole the joy from this one. Andrew says if it's any consolation, it's the best day he's had in a long time. Bailey says it's not.
Amelia examines Andy. He's brain dead. He must have thrown a clot in surgery. Stephanie is crying and says, "A stick." When Maggie questions her, she says, "What do you call a boomerang that doesn't come back?" It's a stick. That's the joke she thought of to tell Andy. Maggie says that's a terrible joke and would have killed him if the clot hadn't. Maggie encourages Stephanie to find the good. Andy did. Now he can donate his organs, which was important to him. And that's good. Maggie suddenly remembers something and tells Stephanie to come with her.
Meredith asks if she's sure. She doesn't want to tell them if they're not sure. UNOS agreed to it already. Andy's a match for Chelsea. They have a liver for her. Meredith says Bailey was right. It's a glorious day. Meredith goes in to tell Chandler.
Bailey tells June's family the transplant went well. They still have to watch for signs of rejection, but it looks good so far. They all thank her. Karen gives Andrew a scarf, which June started and Samantha finished. Sean stands up and they all pose for a selfie.
Meredith does Chelsea's liver transplant. Richard says June is doing fine, too. Meredith says if it were him, she'd want him to have the liver. If someone asked, she'd refuse them, too. Richard asks how old she thinks he is.
Up in the gallery, Ben asks if they're going home. Bailey says she wants to soak up as much of the joy as she can.
On the other side of the gallery, Jo says she should have been in that surgery. Her patient got no good news all day and when she finally did, Stephanie got the surgery instead. Andrew tells Jo to get her self-pity gland treated because it's swollen. She says she'll treat it with alcohol, which he supports. He also offers her cookies.
Owen tells Jackson that Harriet ate an hour ago. Jackson's surprised Owen had her all day. He says he wasn't busy. Richard says he didn't want to put her down. It happened to him all the time. Jackson's glad she didn't give Owen any trouble. Owen says it was easy. Richard tells Owen that he and Amelia should get on having one of their own. Owen watches Jackson leave with Harriet.
Chandler's on the phone with her husband. She tells him she's going to stay the night with Chelsea. She also tells him she's pregnant. She wanted to tell him when she saw him, but she couldn't wait. She couldn't know without him knowing. All of this is overheard by Amelia.
Owen comes home and sees a pregnancy test surrounded by candles. He picks it up. He asks Amelia about it. She had a couple ideas for how to do it, but none of them worked out. She says she might be pregnant. She was going to wait to tell him, but she wanted him to know first.
Maggie, Alex, and Meredith stand in front of the fridge. Meredith says they need to close it. One more minute will mean a week of spoiled food. Maggie's excited because she thinks Amelia's pregnant and it's her first sister pregnancy because she missed Meredith's. They close the fridge.
Owen tells Amelia about his day with Harriet through the door as she pees. She comes out and they sit down to wait for the test to be ready. Owen talks about renovation options for the nursery. The test comes up and Amelia sighs. It's negative. Owen says it's okay. They just started and they'll keep trying. He holds Amelia on the couch.
Cast[]
Main Cast[]
- Ellen Pompeo as Dr. Meredith Grey
- Justin Chambers as Dr. Alex Karev
- Chandra Wilson as Dr. Miranda Bailey
- James Pickens, Jr. as Dr. Richard Webber
- Kevin McKidd as Dr. Owen Hunt
- Jessica Capshaw as Dr. Arizona Robbins
- Sarah Drew as Dr. April Kepner
- Jesse Williams as Dr. Jackson Avery
- Caterina Scorsone as Dr. Amelia Shepherd
- Camilla Luddington as Dr. Jo Wilson
- Jerrika Hinton as Dr. Stephanie Edwards
- Kelly McCreary as Dr. Maggie Pierce
- Jason George as Dr. Ben Warren
- Martin Henderson as Dr. Nathan Riggs
- Giacomo Gianniotti as Dr. Andrew DeLuca
Guest Stars[]
Co-Starring[]
- Don R. Williams as Andy Billings
- Henrée Alyse as Lily
- Heidi Sulzman as Samantha
- Andrew Thatcher as Sean
- Cece Paige as Karen
Medical Notes[]
Andrew Billings[]
- Diagnosis:
- Cardiac Myxoma
- Brain death
- Doctors:
- Maggie Pierce (cardiothoracic surgeon)
- Amelia Shepherd (neurosurgeon)
- Stephanie Edwards (surgical resident)
- Treatment:
- Tumor resection
Andrew, 59, had a cardiac myxoma and was in the hospital to have it resected. It was a very risky surgery, but Andy was prepared to take the chance. In surgery, the resection was successful, but he coded. Maggie suspected he'd thrown a clot. They were able to resuscitate him, but the time without oxygen left him brain dead. His organs were then donated for transplant.
June Crowley[]
- Diagnosis:
- End-stage liver disease
- Doctors:
- Miranda Bailey (general surgeon)
- Andrew DeLuca (surgical resident)
- Treatment:
- Liver transplant
June was in the hospital for a liver transplant after three years on the waiting list. When another patient had a more time-sensitive need, June was asked if she'd be willing to give up her place in line so the liver could be re-allocated to her. However, June decided not to do that and the liver was given to her. After surgery, she was stable.
Chelsea Keen[]
- Diagnosis:
- Heat stroke
- Seizure
- Acute liver failure
- Doctors:
- Meredith Grey (general surgeon)
- Richard Webber (general surgeon)
- Nathan Riggs (cardiothoracic surgeon)
- Jo Wilson (surgical resident)
- Stephanie Edwards (surgical resident)
- Treatment:
- Lorazepam
- Diuretics
- Antibiotics
- Lactulose
- Liver transplant
Chelsea came into the ER with heat stroke after running in the heat. Her condition compromised her liver. They tried treating her, but they advised her there was a possibility she could need a liver transplant. Her sister, Chandler, immediately said she'd donate. Chelsea had a seizure while they were waiting. They determined she'd need a liver transplant and she was given 1-A status on the transplant list. Her sister was determined to be unable to donate because she was pregnant. They bought time using diuretics, lactulose, and antibiotics, but she really needed a transplant as soon as possible or she would die. A liver transplant became available when Andrew Billings was declared brain dead and Chelsea received her transplant.
Jackson's Patient[]
- Diagnosis:
- De-gloved hand
- Doctors:
- Jackson Avery (plastic surgeon)
- Treatment:
- Surgery
Jackson came in to treat a patient with a de-gloved hand.
Chandler Keen[]
- Diagnosis:
- Pregnancy
- Doctors:
- Meredith Grey (general surgeon)
- Jo Wilson (surgical resident)
- Treatment:
Chandler's twin sister Chelsea was in the hospital with liver failure. She needed an emergent liver transplant, so Chandler asked if she could donate a portion of her liver to her sister. She was given a blood test, which revealed that she was pregnant and therefore would be unable to donate to her sister.
Music[]
| Song | Performer | Scene |
|---|---|---|
| "The Feels" | Estelle |
|
| "The Story Never Ends" | Lauv |
|
| "My Mind Is an Endless Sea" | The Wind + The Wave |
|
| "Something's Missing" | Kris Orlowski feat. Aron Wright |
|
Notes and Trivia[]
Grey's Anatomy 13x05 Promo "Both Sides Now" (HD)
- This episode's title originated from the song Both Sides Now, originally sung by Joni Mitchell.
- This episode scored 8.17 million viewers.[1]
- A deleted scene from this episode shows Owen cluelessly babysitting a crying Harriet with Arizona giving him some tips.
- Goof: The tablet Amelia looks at shows the date as October 29th, 2016, although at this point it should be fall 2017 considering the year that passed during "She's Leaving Home."
- Goof: At many different times, Owen was holding Harriet and it sounded like she was crying. But she can be seen not crying.
- Goof: Ben says that he met Tuck when Tuck was four. But the first time we see them on screen together was when Bailey left town after the shooting. Tuck should have been two at that time, though Ben could possibly be talking about the first time they formally met, which may have occurred later.
Gallery[]
Episode Stills[]
Behind the Scenes[]
Quotes[]
- Bailey: It's the kind of day when people say, "Dr. Bailey, why did you become a doctor?", you think of a day like this one. Ask me why it's a glorious day.
- Meredith: Do you really need me for this conversation?
- Bailey: I have a liver transplant for a patient who's been waiting forever on the UNOS list. Patient is a sweet old grandma. Do you know how many people pushing 80 get livers, Grey?
- Meredith: Not many people make it to the top of that list.
- Bailey: Not many people have Miranda Bailey in their corner, but this one does, and so today, I am Ed McMahon with a big check.
- Amelia: I don't know if I should tell Owen before or after. How did you tell Derek?
- Meredith: I gave Zola a shirt that said "Best Big Sister."
- Amelia: That's sweet, but not helpful.
- Meredith: And then with Ellis, I was off the hook because he was dead.
- Maggie: Well, this was fun for a minute.
- Meredith: I could steal the liver. I could just, like, run up and grab it. Or I could walk up to the guy and say, "Hello, I'm Dr. Bailey. Right this way."
- Alex: Do that. Then you'll lose your job, too, and we'll have more time for movies and stuff.
- Nathan: You and Shepherd don't wait around, do you? You always said that you wanted a pile of kids.
- Owen: So did you. I remember up at the lake, when you and...
- Nathan: Yeah, Megan and I talked about it. She liked the name Bernard, so that slowed the conversation a bit.
- Stephanie: What do you call a boomerang that doesn't come back to you? A stick 'cause a boomerang's supposed to return.
- Maggie: I get it. No. Why are you telling me?
- Stephanie: 'Cause he wanted a joke. He just wanted one joke, and I went blank. I could've thought of something, anything. He just wanted to laugh.
- Maggie: Well, the good news is, that was a terrible joke.
- Stephanie: I know.
- Maggie: If the clot hadn't killed him, that joke would have, so it's a really good thing he didn't hear it.
- Andrew: You should really get that treated.
- Jo: What?
- Andrew: Your self-pity gland. It's incredibly swollen.
- Jo: Go to hell.
- Andrew: I'm a doctor. I can see it from here.
- Jo: Well, I'm gonna treat it with alcohol.
- Andrew: That's the recommended course. I support that.
- Maggie: It's my first sister's pregnancy. I missed all of yours.
- Alex: Amelia's pregnant?
- Meredith: Maybe.
- Maggie: I hope so.
- Alex: Yeah.
- Meredith: Me too. She'll be talking for two now.
See Also[]
|
A complete overview of this episode's crew can be found here. |
| Grey's Anatomy Season 13 | ||||||
| #01 | "Undo" | #09 | "You Haven't Done Nothin'" | #17 | "Till I Hear It From You" | |
| #02 | "Catastrophe and the Cure" | #10 | "You Can Look (But You'd Better Not Touch)" | #18 | "Be Still, My Soul" | |
| #03 | "I Ain't No Miracle Worker" | #11 | "Jukebox Hero" | #19 | "What's Inside" | |
| #04 | "Falling Slowly" | #12 | "None of Your Business" | #20 | "In the Air Tonight" | |
| #05 | "Both Sides Now" | #13 | "It Only Gets Much Worse" | #21 | "Don't Stop Me Now" | |
| #06 | "Roar" | #14 | "Back Where You Belong" | #22 | "Leave It Inside" | |
| #07 | "Why Try to Change Me Now" | #15 | "Civil War" | #23 | "True Colors" | |
| #08 | "The Room Where It Happens" | #16 | "Who Is He (And What Is He To You)?" | #24 | "Ring of Fire" | |
| << Season 12 | Season 14 >> | |||||