Is it time for Richard Webber to hang up the stethoscope permanently?
After a bit of a hiatus, we're back to our regularly scheduled program with Grey's Anatomy Season 20 Episode 6, and we're left to wonder if Webber may be hanging up his white coat for good.
It's been 20 years, give or take, of watching him on our screens, and he's been practicing medicine for infinitely longer.
But something has been troubling him for some time, and we may see him unraveling to the point of interfering with the job.
We know he's faced some issues with his sobriety.
He opened up to his constant sober buddy, Amelia Shepherd, about it, and he's gone back to AA meetings after feeling he has to start the process all over again after a difficult moment.
Fortunately, it doesn't appear he's set down a path of battling his alcoholism with troubling results.
However, Webber has been showing some signs of burning out. He also comes across as disoriented sometimes.
But most importantly, he tends to freeze during times of need.
We catch a glimpse of that during the promo when it's evident that an emergency happens and Lucas is in dire need of assistance.
A patient is coding, and we hear Lucas shouting that they need to page Webber.
Webber shows up to the room when necessary, but he looks a bit out of it and doesn't jump into action even though the situation calls for it.
The fact that they're revisiting Webber's unusual behavior and how it's affecting his work at the hospital means they may finally delve deeper into it during this installment. We'll be close to getting some answers.
Webber is just a tiny fraction of "The Marathon Continues," however.
The story arc most overtly ties into that particular episode title and must deal with Webber's wife, Catherine, and her high expectations of Link and Dr. Beltran regarding a patient.
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It's interesting to see that Link and Monica will be working together because, on a personal front, we haven't seen that interaction at all yet.
But because Monica Beltran has already butted heads with Amelia on more than one occasion, there's so much the installment can toy with when Monica finds out that Link is Amelia's ex and the father of her child.
It feels like the perfect fodder for Monica to weaponize against Amelia in their ongoing rivalry that still feels like something else is simmering beneath the surface.
Catherine will have Link and Monica in a case involving a teenager needing orthopedic assistance.
We hear Link suggest he'll do a residual limb revision on her.
However, it's not impressive enough to Catherine, who expects them to move heaven and earth for a VIP client because her parents are considerable benefactors to the hospital.
You can tell this makes things awkward for Link and Monica, who have their own viewpoint on what's best for the patient and how to execute their plan.
But it's typical Catherine to throw her weight around.
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Offhand, it doesn't sound as if it'll be the most exciting plot of the hour, but there's potential for some entertaining moments.
The interns, however, have become the characters who bring the most exciting drama.
One of the more entertaining dynamics between the newbies and the veterans is that of Mika and Teddy Altman.
We need to improve in some classic mentorship involving an attending taking some interest in one of the interns, taking them under their wing, and ushering in the future of whatever field of interest.
The closest we've gotten to that with this latest batch of interns is the relationship that's building between Teddy and Mika.
Mika has been the best and strongest intern out of the bunch and certainly the most focused.
She's there for all the right reasons, and when the others are often dragged down by their personal drama, she thrives because she gets to have arcs that are most focused on practicing medicine and finding her place as a doctor.
Teddy will again provide her with that opportunity when they take on a case involving an inmate at the nearby prison.
Major Crimes and Breaking Bad's Raymond Cruz will guest-star as the prisoner patient in question who requires Teddy and Mika's assistance.
Since it's Teddy, it's likely he's facing a cardio issue requiring her immediate attention. But she's also one of the Trauma queens, so he may have something else entirely of which he's dealing.
We see Teddy warning Mika about how differently things are done when they visit a prison to treat a patient.
You can already tell that Mika is either struggling with the conditions surrounding how the patient may be treated or she's genuinely scared to be in the environment altogether.
Teddy made it well-known that everything, including the patient, is strapped down when they're in prison.
Knowing Mika, she'll do well under Teddy's tutelage. Still, she'll also be outspoken and unafraid to challenge how she feels about their environment and how they have to practice medicine within it.
She'll probably be advocating hard for the patient, assuming she doesn't swing wildly in the opposite direction due to some unexplored moral issue.
Regardless, it'll be a great way to dive into her character and learn more about her.
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Meanwhile, Bailey still needs to work on connecting with and overseeing this new group of interns.
According to the synopsis, she's trying hard to incorporate "wellness" into the residency program with the interns.
There has been so much emphasis on doctors burning out, how the old school ways of teaching interns don't work the same way anymore, and how a different class and generation requires a new approach and a more evolved program.
However, the interns may feel Bailey's wrath like they did in all the previous classes.
In the promo, new friend duo Simone and Blue are roaming the halls and chatting about the latest developments with Bailey and their newest expectations.
But anyone with sense knows that you don't gossip or whine around the halls of GSM.
You will be heard, and in this case, Simone's flippant comment about how Bailey needs to give them raises doesn't go unaddressed when the icon herself doesn't hesitate to tell Simone about herself.
Bailey point-blank reminds them that if they want to talk smack about her, they can go right home.
Simone really steps in to piss off Bailey.
However, they try to incorporate wellness into the program.
It should be interesting, especially since there have been so many little moments, throwaway comments, and interactions that suggest the interns struggle sometimes.
Ironically, Simone and Blue are the two who are likely still reeling from the patient who almost died by suicide during Grey's Anatomy Season 20 Episode 5.
There is a darkness to Blue's mental state that's been alluded to but not explored, and we've seen how Simone and Lucas have struggled at times as well.
We'll have to see how all of this plays out!
Over to you, Grey's Fanatics.
What are you most looking forward to when Grey's returns?
Let's hear it in the comments below!
Grey's Anatomy returns Thursday at 9/8c on ABC. You can stream the following day on Hulu.