Grey's Anatomy season 18, episode 13 recap: Bailey charms a snake in the OR

Sometimes, the stress of an unexpected circumstance can be life-altering. Will Owen (Kevin McKidd) ever walk again? Is Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) going to move to Minnesota? Does Resident Jordan think he has a chance with Dr. Bailey (Chandra Wilson)? It's just like a pet snake named Gigi squeezing the air out of you one breath at a time.

Yes, that illustration is oddly specific because it's true. Gigi, the python, claims center stage at Grey Sloan Memorial, and I loved every single second. Her storyline brought all our favorites together in the ambulance bay, working as a team to figure out how to unclench Gigi's jaw from her owner's arm.

It should be noted that all employees, excluding Bailey and Winston (Anthony Hill), were firmly planted in Indiana Jones' camp. Snakes are scary, and this particular one should be chopped up into a million pieces to save the man being squeezed to death. But in the end, Bailey squirts alcohol around Gigi's mouth, causing Gigi to unlock her jaw, allowing three brave men (Link, Winston, and Jordan) to unwind the massive body from her owner. The man is whisked away to surgery, and Gigi is left to snack on something inside the SUV until animal control arrives.

Do you know who else is pressing in firmly on a colleague? David Hamilton. While at a crowded meeting in Minnesota, Meredith is a little shocked and a lot annoyed by Hamilton's invitation for her to join him as the Director of the Grey Center and chief of general surgery. Plus, he forces an obscene amount of grant money in her face, claiming that Dr. Marsh (Scott Speedman) will have reason to celebrate, too, if Meredith chooses to move.

Everyone watching this show for a hot minute knows that Meredith has trust issues. She goes to the dark and twisty place, immediately inquiring if Nick has been in this relationship to get his research funded. I like that Nick doesn't get angry. He's a grown adult who understands that Hamilton is full of himself. It's Meredith's choice and Meredith's life.

But he sure would like to be a part of it. This is why Meredith invites him back to Seattle to meet her kiddos. When Nick eats the chocolate pudding surprise (surprise = gummy worms) and doesn't throw up, I know he and Meredith are meant to be.

The question remains: Are they meant to be in Seattle or Minnesota?

Back at Grey Sloan, the pressure is on with the "we don't speak about it" love triangle between Link (Chris Carmack), Jo (Camilla Luddington), and Amelia (Caterina Scorsone). Amelia wants to be friends with Link. Link needs to "hate" Amelia for a little while before doing that. Jo misses Link but doesn't want to be anything more than friends. Link has a lousy day tackling snakes and worrying about future daycares for Scout, so the natural thing to do is blow off some steam with Jo at Joe's.

Unfortunately, earlier in the day, Jo flirted with the guy from Pitch Perfect, convincing him to meet her, Jo, at the bar named Joe's. With an "E." It was aca-adorable, and I am delighted to see Skylar Astin on the Grey's Anatomy roster. His character's name is Todd, and he tells us twice that he has a Ph.D. in Environmental Science.

No, he's not a dork. He's a doting brother who cares very much about his pregnant sister, who has a heart condition, and a television show called Ready, Set, Glow. I fully support this union and Jo's willingness to protect her friendship with Link.

Speaking of protecting, Megan and Farouk have moved out, leaving an empty house for Teddy (Kim Raver) and Owen to handle the pressure cooker that is their marriage. At first, they bicker about Owen's physical therapy, but the conversation builds and explodes into a huge fight.

Teddy is done. She appreciates that Owen was trying to protect her when he gave drugs to Noah's wife, but what if a devoted kid arrives on their doorstep one day, asking why they helped his father end his life? This decision Owen made will follow their careers forever. Instead of protecting her, he should have included Teddy in the process. She needs Owen to not end up in jail one day.

Owen is so frustrated with Teddy as she storms from the room that he hops up out of his wheelchair to catch her. The tension subsides a touch when celebratory glances are exchanged. Teddy eventually asks Owen to please trust her next time. She will help him figure out what to do or talk him out of the moronic thing he's considering. That's what marriage is all about.

And marriage is also about give and take. Bailey wants to make sure that she and Ben haven't been "ignoring a big snake." That is not a euphemism. Get your head out of the gutter. What she means is, have they been ignoring the figurative Gigi in their life? Are they feeding the chaos around them? Are they unable to see that they are slowly being crushed?

Ben assures Bailey that he is here to stay, no matter what hot, young resident kisses his wife. And I want to assure Bailey that Ben could take Jordan out with one raised eyebrow, especially if he's in his Station 19 fireman uniform.

Is it getting hot in here? Where was I?

Ah, yes. Ben is never letting Bailey go. Nick isn't letting Meredith go. Kai isn't letting Amelia go. I hope Jo isn't letting Todd go. And even though Dr. Webber isn't letting Schmidt go, he might be hanging up his scrubs, thanks to a bad call with Gigi in the ER.

What I'm saying is that we may have let off a little steam, but the pressure is still on. As the season finale approaches, the squeeze can only intensify. Who's going to come out the other side breathing deeply? And who will lose everything?

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Grey's Anatomy recap: Bailey charms a snake in the OR

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