The stalemate of a relationship between Meredith and Riggs has been a ridiculous see-saw for close to a year now on Grey’s Anatomy. It’s not just that the relationship has been on and off more times than a sprinkler system. Plenty of relationships on this show have gone through that, but the difference is that in those instances, we were pretty sure it would all work out in the end. Or at least we were sure it would work out for a number of years. Meredith’s resistance to take this step is understandable because this is the first big personal gamble she’s taken since she was an intern. However, life is a gamble, and it is for the living, not for living in memories.
Meredith Grey on a plane is already not a good idea. There are too many bad memories, more anxiety than other people would have, and to top it all off, Riggs joins Meredith on her flight to her conference. Despite their addition to the mile high club, Meredith steadfastly sticks to her guns about their non-starter relationship. Meredith hasn’t let herself be happy in some time, and it’s not always her fault. When she does try, it seems that there is always a crisis for her to prioritize. Recently it was the death of Maggie’s mother. This time around it is extra turbulence on a plane which brings up painful memories of the infamous Season 8 plane crash that took Mark and Lexie’s lives.
Meredith and Riggs spend the rest of the plane ride tending to patients hurt by the turbulence. A few cuts and bruises here and there can be taken care of. Treating a massive brain bleed on a turbulent flight, not so much. If anyone can do surgery on a plane, it’s Meredith Grey. Let’s not discount how much her husband the famous neurosurgeon taught her. It helps that she and Riggs receive help from a few unsqueamish passengers and flight attendants while the pilot tries to find a safe landing spot.
At the end of the flight Riggs has a better understanding of who Meredith is. She sacrifices for the people she loves. She watched her sister and her husband die, so now she isn’t willing to let anything happen to the people she has left, including be the cause of their pain. It’s why she won’t put her own happiness first. Deeper than that, she fears letting go of Derek. What does her life look like if she moves on from the love of her life? Riggs points out that life is for the living. We only get one chance to do what we want, to love and laugh who we want. It’s not something that should be taken for granted.
Though Meredith decides to jump in with both feet, will her relationship with Riggs last?
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