Danger Zone (Grey's Anatomy)

"Danger Zone" is the fifth episode of the fourteenth season of the American television medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'', and the show's 298th episode overall. Written by Jalysa Conway and directed by Cecilie Mosli, the episode aired on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States on October 26, 2017.

The episode primarily focuses on Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) dealing with his sister Megan Hunt's (Abigail Spencer) decision to move to Malibu, California, with her adopted son Farouk (Bardia Seiri) and her former fiancé Nathan Riggs (Martin Henderson). Simultaneously, flashbacks to 2007 in Iraq reveal the backstory of Megan’s kidnapping and Riggs' proposal, involving Owen, Riggs, Megan, and Teddy Altman (Kim Raver).

Although the episode was fictionally set in Seattle, Washington, filming occurred in Los Angeles, California. The episode marked the final appearance of Henderson as a series regular, after having been introduced in Season 12 as a love interest for Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) after the death of her husband, Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey).

Upon its initial airing, "Danger Zone" was watched by 7.67 million viewers in the United States and garnered a 1.9/7 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic. The episode received mixed-to-positive reviews from television critics, with praise directed towards Spencer's performance, Mosli's direction, and Conway's writing, though Henderson's sudden departure garnered mixed reviews.

Plot

The episode opens with a voice-over from Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) about life's cycles and how breaking them, though scary, can lead to unexpected freedom and peace.

In Iraq in 2007, Megan Hunt (Abigail Spencer) eagerly awaits the stratification rankings, hoping to become a flight surgeon. When she finds a necklace under Nathan Riggs' (Martin Henderson) clothes, he explains it was meant to be his proposal to her, opting for a necklace instead of a ring because of her tendency to lose things. Megan accepts the proposal and shares the news with Teddy Altman (Kim Raver) and Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd), but her joy is short-lived when she learns she did not secure the top spot in the rankings. She later discovers that Owen, her Commanding Officer, recommended against her promotion to protect her from the dangers of the position.

As wounded soldiers flood the hospital after an attack by rogue Iraqi allies, Megan and Owen work on the same patient, which leads to Megan confronting him about sabotaging her career. Meanwhile, Teddy and Nathan operate together, and Teddy reveals she knows Nathan cheated on Megan, recognizing the necklace as belonging to another woman, Felicia. Nathan admits his infidelity, and Teddy convinces him to tell Megan the truth. This sparks a heated confrontation between Nathan and Megan, which is interrupted when she has to care for a patient named Sana (Yasmine Akram). Distraught after learning of Nathan's betrayal, Megan is instructed by Owen to board an evacuation helicopter with her patient, against protocol. However, Teddy soon realizes the second shooter in the attack was a woman, but she is too late to warn Megan, who is kidnapped after being distracted by Sana.

In the present, Owen accompanies Megan on a road trip to her new home in Malibu, California, where Nathan and her adopted son Farouk (Bardia Seiri) are waiting. The siblings reminisce about their past, but tensions rise when Megan confronts Owen about sabotaging her flight surgeon training. Eventually, they have a heart-to-heart conversation in which Megan asserts her independence and reveals that she had also been unfaithful to Nathan, explaining that her time in captivity taught her to embrace happiness wherever she can find it. She encourages Owen to let go of his rigid ideals to find his own happiness.

Meanwhile, Nathan and Meredith have their final exchange via text, expressing gratitude for their impact on each other's lives. Megan arrives in Malibu and reunites with Nathan and Farouk, and the family enjoys time together on the beach.

Owen returns to Seattle and informs Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone) that they need to separate in order to find happiness, a realization she shares. They exchange rings and embrace, marking the end of their relationship.

Production

The episode marked the final appearance of Martin Henderson as Nathan Riggs, with Shonda Rhimes announcing Henderson's exit via Twitter. She expressed, "I loved that we were able to give Riggs a happy ending worthy of his character and talent... He will always be family, and I can’t wait to find a new project to work with him on." Henderson later explained in an interview with ''Deadline'' that his departure was due to a "short-term contract", stating, "This asmy final year, so I was expecting Nathan’s storyline to be wrapped up."

Henderson shared his thoughts on his relationships with both Megan Hunt (Abigail Spencer) and Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo):

I think there was clearly something for Nathan in those relationships. Feelings like that, I don’t think they go away. The nature of his previous commitment to Megan and his feelings around that put him in a horrible state of having to choose between two people he cares about, but honoring his commitment to Megan and following through on that is the right thing to do. It doesn’t negate his feelings for Meredith. The complications of Meredith’s emotions, the loss of Derek and moving on from that still plagues her. And there’s as much ambiguity around all those feelings. The two of them found each other and that provided good drama. I feel bad for fans who were keen on Meredith and Nathan making it, and not being privy to where each character would go. It’s hard to hear those outpourings from those who didn’t know it was going to end up like this. But it makes for nice drama and it’s something that Shonda does brilliantly: Dashing people’s hopes and expectations. That’s why the show continues to be successful. You can’t predict what will happen to people at any time.

On Owen Hunt's (Kevin McKidd) decision to break up with Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone) after her tumor removal, McKidd commented, "There’s always a chance for reconciliation in any relationship. By the end of this episode, it seems like Owen and Amelia are committed to being friends. Whether that remains or their chemistry reignites, that’s possible." He added, "They handle the breakup in a mature way, recognizing the tumor’s role and avoiding blame or guilt. They’ve agreed to hit the restart button and see where it leads."

Spencer also discussed Megan's advice to Owen about living his life single and putting himself first, telling ''TVLine'', "Megan plants a seed for Owen to reflect on his pattern of holding onto things. She’s sharing her own experience of letting go and hopes Owen does the same, as only a good sister can."

Release

"Danger Zone" was watched by 7.67 million viewers in the United States upon its initial broadcast and garnered a 1.9/7 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic.

Reception

"Danger Zone" received mixed-to-positive reviews from television critics, with praise directed towards Abigail Spencer's (Megan Hunt) performance, Cecilie Mosli's direction, and Jalysa Conway's writing, though Martin Henderson's ( Nathan Riggs) sudden departure garnered mixed reviews.

''Entertainment Weekly'' gave the episode a 'B' grade. Buckie Wells from ''FanSided'' described Riggs' final text to Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) as a "sweet end" to their relationship, made even better by the scenes of his new family with Megan. Courtney E. Smith of ''Refinery29'' felt indifferent about Megan’s storyline, stating, "I still don't care about the Megan storyline, so now I never have to think about it again," and suggested Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) and Teddy Altman (Kim Raver) begin a relationship.

Maggie Fremont for ''Vulture'' rated the episode 4 out of 5 stars, praising Spencer's performance, noting her chemistry with both McKidd and Henderson. While she acknowledged that some viewers might not connect with the storyline, she expressed her personal enjoyment of the episode, though she lamented the underuse of Raver. Danielle Jackson for ''PopSugar'' appreciated Riggs' happy ending, commenting that, despite his exit being difficult, it was a more manageable departure compared to others in the series.

References

{{Grey's Anatomy episodes, 13

2017 American television episodes
Grey's Anatomy season 14 episodes