Well that was painful. Twelve seasons in, and with so much death and destruction that has befallen the Grey Sloan Memorial doctors, this was by far one of the most devastating experiences they’ve gone through. Callie and Arizona went into court to battle for their daughter. Only one mother emerged victorious, but in the end nobody really won. You’ve been warned.
Before we get to the custody battle, the episode does get a little clarity in other areas. Jackson and April don’t ever want to be in the position Callie and Arizona are in. To that end they decide to get all of the specifics of their custody arrangement settled now, and promise not to fight over their baby.
Oftentimes in cases like this you find yourself asking “How did I get here?” Given the amount of the love that was once between Callie and Arizona, it’s almost impossible to believe it’s come to this. It’s even mentioned that Mark would be devastated to see what is happening around his daughter. Callie seemed to pull up the lead in several ways. Owen and Andrew testify for Callie and Arizona respectively, with no complications. Things get dicey when Webber, Bailey, Penny and Meredith take the stand. Webber’s nights out with Arizona don’t help her cause, and the fact that Penny isn’t near close enough to Sofia to co-parent her doesn’t work for Callie’s case. Meredith starts out strong advocating for Callie, but all of the points she makes which make Sofia’s life consistent only apply if Sofia remains in Seattle. Should she move to the East Coast, Sofia’s entire support system would be ripped apart.
Bailey is rightfully indignant at Callie’s lawyer suggesting that Arizona’s hospital responsibilities make her unfit to be a consistent mother; the look Bailey gave Callie at this sent chills down my spine. Arizona is basically shamed for being a working mother. Arizona is put on the stand and brutally cross-examined over her long hours, and sure enough she can’t exactly defend the unpredictability of her job when Alex and April call her to respond to an emergency patient at the hospital. The judge doesn’t see this as weakness though. Because of her honesty and her example, Arizona is awarded full custody of Sofia.
The majority of fans wanted Arizona to win the custody case, and why not? Arizona was honest about choosing to be a mother to Sofia, and how she wants to set a good example for her daughter. Callie has been showing poor judgment as of late. Her custody arrangement with Arizona was working, everything was fine. Yet Callie was willing to rip Sofia away from her parent (when she had already lost one I might add), to follow her girlfriend of less than a year across the country. None of that really sounds like putting Sofia first, it sounds like putting Callie first. The judge agreed, which is why Arizona won sole custody of their daughter. At the end of the day though, Sofia’s family is torn apart, so is it really a win?
Is it too late for Sofia to have a stable family?
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