Amelia Shepherd has been popping in and out of Grey's Anatomy Season 21, like many of the show's other characters this season. There's a lot to juggle; not everyone can feature heavily every week. But thanks to a preview for this week's episode, we have confirmation that she -- and possibly Monica -- gets the spotlight tomorrow night.
In Season 21, episode 16, Amelia is tasked with treating a dangerous condition with an even riskier brain surgery. While it seems the parents are pushing hard for the procedure to go forward -- with no shame in begging for their daughter to be saved -- some, possibly even Amelia herself, are questioning whether or not the whole thing is a good idea.
Amelia has had plenty of impressive wins throughout her career and time on the show, but she can't win every time. This season has held off from eliminating a lot of its patients, and no one wants to see a kid suffer. But we're fast-approaching the end of the season here. Things are going to get sad. It's not going to be pretty.
It's easy to understand why Amelia might "need a minute" before a life-or-death brain surgery. In the back of her mind, she's probably always trying to live up to her older brother's legacy whether she realizes it consciously or not. She herself has also gone through surgery to remove a brain tumor and can -- fortunately and unfortunately -- empathize heavily with both the patient and the family in cases like these.
But the most heartbreaking piece of it is that the patient is young -- just a little kid. Amelia lost a baby to a brain defect (watch Private Practice, it really is worth it), and has likely seen and treated plenty of other young patients on top of her personal traumatic experience watching her own child suffer. It's not just a risky surgery. It's likely quite personal.
Can she succeed? Probably, but you never know for sure with Grey's. The new episode premieres tomorrow night on ABC and Hulu.