[S8E12] All Or Nothing

In Richard's OR, a lot of staff has lined up to see him starting his 10,000th surgery. He acts like it's nothing and starts cutting as soon as a picture's been taken. Everyone applauds and he tells them all to get out. He gets a page that says that he's needed in the lobby, but he sends April to handle it.

[S8E12] All or Nothing

Meredith is putting the casseroles down on a table. Richard joins her and says Bailey told him the good news. Meredith is declaring general. Actually, Meredith says, she's not sure anymore. Richard is a little disappointed and brings up her mother, but that is exactly why Meredith isn't sure yet. She doesn't want to be like her mother. Richard tells her to look at everything she did today. That's nothing like her mother. She has a gift, and he tells her not to waste it.

Owen recalls it was an impossible situation. It was, Cristina, says, but it was his call. He put Henry on her table and had her lie to Teddy, just like he did. Those were his decisions, so he has to accept the consequences. He doesn't want her to talk about consequences, as she can't even accept a simple punishment for what she did today. She yells he doesn't get to punish her. It's not her fault that Teddy hates him, so she doesn't want him to take out his guilt on her. He thinks he has nothing to feel guilty about, this is about her. It's always been about her, it's always what she wants. That's always been her position, he says, she lives like and how she wants, she gets whatever she wants, all the time.

While last week's "Dark Water" was patient and tense in ways Doctor Who rarely is, this finale reverts to the mode of rushing around while nothing that happens makes any sense. It has more than a few moments of brilliance, but the overall effect lacks excitement and interest. It's dark and action-packed, and it wants to be moving but it's undermined by an absence of logic in its storytelling.

Anybody who had any concerns about whether Michelle Gomez would be able to pull off playing the Doctor's foe will be silenced by her excellent performance here. She exudes villainous energy, and is clearly having a great deal of fun with the role. The eventual reveal of her plan and the ease with which it is defeated by Danny Pink and the power of love may be disappointing, but there's nothing about the character that wouldn't make it fun to watch her face off against the Doctor again if she manages to avoid dying (and, as a Time Lord, that shouldn't be too difficult).

Chase agrees to start working clinic duty. His first patient is a nun with terrible pain in her left shoulder that started suddenly and nothing seems to improve. Chase starts an examination, but there are no other symptoms. She was sitting and praying when the pain started. The other nun with her assures Dr. Chase she wasn't doing anything physically demanding or repetitive. The sick nun has enlarged lymph nodes so Chase suspects breast cancer. He asks the other nun to leave while he does the examination. However, when he's alone, he asks if it might be angina brought on by her imminent vows to enter the convent. The patient is surprised, but the way that she's dressed tipped Chase off and he tells her that he was in seminary. He starts the breast exam as she admits she's having second thoughts about it. He finds a mass and wants to admit her.

Marcel was right that 2.0 and other AI are tools. Nothing more, nothing less. The fear of AI "taking over" medicine or any other human endeavors is a better example of catastrophizing than anything Charles' patient was dealing with.

Asher's problem had nothing to do with tech. If Dayton wants to learn how to run the hospital effectively, he'll have to be willing to put money into traditional medicine as well as technological solutions.

Elsewhere, Winter encounters Penny in a white, limbo-like space. Realizing what Penny has done, Winter claims Penny was always the truer Maiden than her, while she acted more like a machine, in her determination to follow orders, feeling unworthy of the Maiden powers. Penny counters that Winter was her friend, and that she will always be a part of her. Winter tearfully thanks her for trusting her. Upon returning to the Vault, Ironwood is pleased, saying the destiny he chose for has finally arrived, however Winter counters saying that he chose nothing and what she received is a gift. Winter activates the powers of the Winter Maiden, and effortlessly deflects Ironwood's shot back at him, knocking him out.

At the hospital, Marie gives Hank a sponge bath and playfully bets him that she can physically arouse him with a handjob. Certain that nothing will happen, Hank agrees to return home if she succeeds. She does indeed succeed; the scene cuts to Marie smiling victoriously as she wheels an annoyed Hank out of the hospital. 041b061a72