Grey’s Anatomy recap: Does Catherine survive her surgery?

The time has finally come for Amelia and Koracick to operate on Catherine Fox. While she’s being operated on, Richard and Jackson struggle to keep their emotions in check and Meredith finally makes peace with Thatcher on Grey’s Anatomy.

The moment every doctor has been preparing for over the course of the season has finally arrived. Amelia and Koracick will perform Catherine Fox’s surgery to extract her tumor, hopefully avoiding any and all paralysis. Grey’s Anatomy has never shied away from the intense moments, from killing off main characters, or leaving them fundamentally altered for some reason or other so many fans have been waiting with nervous anticipation for this moment to see if Catherine would make it out alive.

So does she? Thankfully, yes. Except there is a “but” as there so often is. Amelia and Koracick are able to extract 95% of the tumor, but unfortunately, 5% remains. One tiny piece could not be taken out due to its location. Because of this, Catherine will have to continue to get check-ups and scans every three months to ensure the tumor does not stat to re-grow.

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But Catherine Fox is a monument to bravery. The fact is, even though there is a possibility her tumor could return, she has been granted a new lease on life. Her surgical team has granted her years of life and without the loss of her mobility, meaning she can continue to pursue her passion in the operating room and enjoy herself the way she chooses to in between medical scans.

Plus, I imagine, even if the tumor does threaten to return, they would be able to catch it early enough with the scans to prevent it from killing her. She’s surrounded by one of the best surgical teams in the world after all.

For now, the party is on (after she’s recovered enough to get on the dance floor) and all is as well as it can be at Grey-Sloan Memorial.

Meredith visits Thatcher

Catherine isn’t the only one experiencing a brush with death. At Richard’s urging, Meredith makes the decision to finally visit Thatcher in hospice. He looks incredibly frail, although portrayed with typical excellence by Jeff Perry.

Of the many moments we have seen Meredith and Thatcher together, heartwarming is not typically an adjective you would use to describe, well, any of them. But this episode offers us a different side to their relationship. One that demonstrates what things could have been like had Thatcher not walked out on her all those years ago.

At least, in his final weeks of life, he is getting a chance to be a half-way decent person to Meredith. They laugh together, cry together, but it never feels forced. Thatcher says his piece and maybe gives Meredith a few answers she never knew she needed. This meeting certainly won’t fix everything that has happened over the years but at least it will give her some peace when she thinks about Thatcher instead of only anger.

They wax nostalgic about what life with Ellis was like, how she thought crushed ice was uncivilized and refused to slow down while pregnant. It’s a nice way to get closure out of the Meredith/Thatcher saga although it is sad she will inevitably be losing her last living blood relative soon.

Odds & Ends

• Jesse Williams is doing some of his best acting work this season.
• The moment where Catherine Fox and everyone were dancing before her surgery was one of those Grey’s moments that reminds you why you love this show so much.
• It appears Teddy and Koracick may have a romantic interest in one another.

A new episode of Grey’s Anatomy titled “Girlfriend in a Coma” airs Feb. 7 on ABC.