The new episode isn’t even here yet, but I can already feel my heart breaking. Let’s get into our Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 Episode 4 Spoilers.
According to the latest promo, we’re going to be introduced to Chloe next week.
Chloe is, of course, Mika’s 22-year-old sister who just received a devastating cancer diagnosis.
Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 Episode 4 Spoilers: Another Heartbreaking Cancer Arc
A few things stand out about this storyline.
First, Midori Francis announced before the new season premiered that she would be exiting the Grey’s Anatomy cast.
Naturally, I’m wondering if the writers will use Chloe to explain Yasuda’s decision to leave, or if it will be more complicated than that.
As seen on Grey’s Anatomy Season 5 Episode 17, sometimes cancers can be genetic and affect entire families.
While I really hope this isn’t the case with the Yasuda siblings, my concern now is that Mika will learn she also has cancer, leading to her dropping out of the residency program for treatment.
Worse, they could decide to kill Mika off, which would only serve as yet another example of the dreaded “bury your gays” trope.
LGBTQ+ Representation on Grey’s Anatomy
Despite the fact that Mika asked Jules to press pause on their developing romance on Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 Episode 3, fans still have hope that their spark will stay lit.
And I get it, trust me.
As a queer fan of Grey’s who has been along for the ride since the beginning, I know how badly this show has fumbled some of its LGBTQ+ relationships.
I’d like to think that isn’t happening again just because Mika needs friendship more than romance right now, but it is hard to watch a favorite ship sink.
The good news is that even with Jake Borelli and Midori Francis taking their leaves, there are still several queer characters on the show.
Amelia, Monica, Teddy, and Jules are all confirmed to be bisexual, Helm is a lesbian, and newcomer James (the chaplain) is gay.
Plus, if Carina DeLuca returns now that Station 19 has ended, we’ll hopefully see more of her relationship with her wife, Maya.
I totally understand why Grey’s fans are worried about the treatment of queer couples on the show.
I’m just holding out hope that lessons have been learned from past mistakes and that we have solid LGBTQ+ representation to look forward to.
If not, it’s going to get even harder to watch straight relationships as boring as Owen and Teddy or Meredith and Nick.
Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 Episode 4 Spoilers: Does Anyone Care About Nick and Meredith?
Oh, and about Nick.
He’s fine, I guess.
There’s no real heat between him and Meredith, but he’s willing to let her be the sun in a way Derek never could, so I can’t hate him.
I do think he’s being underutilized, though.
Aside from the puppy-like sidekick he is for Meredith, Nick is actually a pretty great teacher.
He has insight into the interns and their needs, especially when it comes to Adams.
Lucas and a Much-Needed Neurodivergence Storyline
The writers have already gone down the path of having him be in charge of the residency program, and of course that was squashed after he followed Meredith to Boston.
But I’d really like to see a deeper bond develop between Nick and Adams as the younger doctor navigates repeating his intern year.
Lucas clearly needs a mentor, and it really should be one who understands neurodivergence (are they ever going to continue that ADHD storyline, by the way?).
Adams has so much potential, but first he has to get out of his own way. If he does have ADHD, there are ways his life could get easier once he acknowledges it.
This kid also has to find a way to get out of his family’s shadow.
Between Derek and Amelia (and not to mention his own mother and all three of his other aunts), Adams has a massive family legacy of medical excellence.
He clearly sees it as his responsibility to live up to the Shepherds who guided him into this career (sorry, I had to).
Now that Lucas and Simone have made their relationship official and he’s started getting some kudos at work, maybe he’ll finally start to feel worthy in his own right.
It would be nice to reach an end to the angst with Griffith and Adams — maybe we’ll get a healthy, lasting relationship to follow out of those two.
It’s been a while since we’ve had one of those, but hopefully Ben’s return will mean more Ben/Miranda content.
Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 Episode 4 Spoilers: Warren’s Big Return
Warren officially joins the residency program next week, and he’s about to get a dose of reality.
Between the inevitable nepotism concerns and the fact that he’s been out of the surgical game for so long, Ben has an uphill battle ahead of him.
In the promo, we got confirmation that Ben is having a hard time keeping up with the demands of the job.
He was never a bad doctor, but he has a history of making rash decisions in stressful situations — both as a doctor and a firefighter.
It’ll be interesting to see if the writers lean into that part of Ben’s personality or if his new journey back into medicine will reflect personal growth.
Next Week’s Spotlight
It really looks like Mika and Chloe will be the center of next week’s episode, and Mika will stop at nothing to get her sister help.
Chloe’s cancer diagnosis is bad. But Mika is determined to save her, and she’s going to recruit every doctor in Seattle to help.
I am a sucker a good devoted sibling storyline.
If we have to say goodbye to Yasuda, I’m glad we get to see how loyal and brilliant she is first.
This upcoming installment is sure to be a heavy one, so I’ll bring the tissues and chocolate.
In the meantime, let me know in the comments if you have any theories, hopes, or burning questions ahead of the episode!
Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 10/9c on ABC.
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