WARNING: This recap contains spoilers for Grey's Anatomy Season 21, episode 12: "Ridin' Solo."
This week's Grey's Anatomy episode is filled with building tensions and promising futures. The interns are getting closer to the end of their first residency year, which means the stakes are getting even higher. All the usual relationship drama continues, of course, revealing that Jules has unknowingly involved herself with someone she shouldn't ... again? But don't worry. It all works out. Here's the recap.
Simone overhears Bailey's patient complaining of menopause symptoms and realizes she might actually have a rare form of cancer -- an assumption that proves to be correct. The tumor on the appendix can easily be removed, and Bailey is impressed enough by Simone's discovery to give her the lead on the surgery. Simone chooses Blue to assist on her first solo surgery, and in a brief moment where she doubts herself, he encourages her through to the end. Simone worries, though, that getting the surgery over Lucas may have already created a discomfort between them.
Speaking of Blue, he's doing everything he can to help Molly "remember" their time together even though she can't. He's still not feeling great about her ex continuing to ask her to take him back, and is worried she is heading into a risky surgery soon that won't actually help recover her lost memories. Supporting Simone during the appendectomy pushes him to realize he should support Molly no matter what she chooses. But when he returns home, he discovers that instead of texting or calling Molly, her ex has shown up in person.
Jules is mortified to realize that the woman she just slept with is actually her attending's ex, which makes being on her service a little complicated. She goes through with assisting on an important surgery however, only to panic and accidentally puncture the patient's heart with a needle. Winston is graceful and quick in reassuring while also teaching her, and the problem turns out to be fixable. Jules apologizes for her mistake, but Monica tells her that making mistakes as a doctor is normal -- though focusing on her work over her personal life might help. Jules confronts Winston and asks him to mentor her, which he accepts.
Teddy and Owen are in disagreement once again. She wants to try an open marriage, but he's, well, not quite open to that yet. While treating a patient's broken butt (long story, or is it?) with Link, he realizes that sometimes making a marriage work means making sacrifices. He agrees to try an open relationship, while Link and Jo agree that a full wedding -- frills and all -- is what they both want.
Meredith and Amelia make the infuriating discovery that none other than Tom Koracick is applying for the same prestigious grant -- using their research abstract as a springboard for his own Alzheimer's study. Nick begs Meredith to let her personal experience with Alzheimer's into the presentation, but ultimately Tom ends up winning the grant due to -- what else? -- sexism in science and medicine. So Meredith vows to fund her own research focused on female mice and, ideally, patients. She wouldn't dare bring Ellis Grey into the fold for emotional brownie points, but her mother's frustration with the male-dominated field has stuck with her, and may even fuel her fire moving forward.