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Grey's Anatomy Season 18 Is Failing Jo Wilson
Grey's Anatomy showed how Bailey will do anything she can to save Grey Sloan's residency program, but what she asked of Jo will deprive her of joy.

Warning: SPOILERS for Grey’s Anatomy season 18 episode 16 ahead.

Jo Wilson has been a staple of Grey’s Anatomy since season 9, but after all her time on the show, season 18 is failing her. Like protagonist Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), viewers got to know Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington) as a shy resident and saw her progress in her career as an attending general surgeon first and an obstetrics and gynecology resident since Grey’s Anatomy season 17, episode 13. While coming to Grey’s Anatomy later in its run, Jo still became one of the medical drama’s fan-favorite central characters, and while she had to go through very tough times, she was finally happy with her choices in season 17. Grey’s Anatomy season 18, episode 16, “Should I Stay or Should I Go,” showed how Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) needing to make good on Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital might threaten Jo’s happiness.

While Jo’s story seemed similar to that of other interns, her relationship with Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) provided insights into her past, which came back to haunt her at Grey Sloan Memorial in the form of the abusive ex-husband she ran away from before moving to Seattle. Grey’s Anatomy put Jo through her fair share of struggles throughout the years, such as when she learned the true story of why her birth mother gave her up for adoption and became clinically depressed, or when Alex left her abruptly with no warning whatsoever except for a letter explaining himself after he had already moved to Kansas. Nevertheless, Jo was proactive in trying to get better and face everything in the best way possible, and the job she liked helped her. When in Grey’s Anatomy season 17 she realized she wanted to switch to gynecology, she pursued it and became an OB resident, choosing joy, which she didn’t get any more from general surgery.

Grey’s Anatomy season 18’s residency program being put on probation and lack of physicians threatened that as season 18, episode 16 proved with Bailey begging Jo to come back as a general surgeon and leave her OB residency. While Jo coming back as a general surgeon would greatly help Grey Sloan, it would only cause her problems, as she wouldn’t know if her spot would be taken and when she could go back to study for the career she wants. Grey’s Anatomy season 18 showed Jo being thankful and joyful for two things, namely her daughter, Luna (Annabelle King), and her OB residency, but accepting Bailey’s offer would take one of them away and even risk her chance to come back to it in a few months when the residency program might be saved.

While Grey Sloan’s surgical residency program being put on probation undoubtedly threatened the hospital, Jo didn’t really owe that to Bailey or Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. Jo gave a lot to Grey Sloan, and while the hospital also taught her everything she knew, when her transfer to gynecology was approved, despite Grey Sloan Memorial already having a physician shortage, she stopped owing anything to it. Bailey’s request went back on her word that she gave Jo when she let her switch specialties despite the shortage, and Bailey gave her nonetheless permission to switch because she knew she couldn’t keep Jo trapped in a joyless job. By having Bailey ask Jo to come back as a surgeon mid-year, Grey’s Anatomy shows it doesn’t really care for Jo’s happiness and won’t let Jo’s career flourish.

Jo didn’t give an answer to Bailey in the episode, and it’s highly likely that she’ll take Todd’s (Skylar Astin) advice and try to do both. Still, Grey’s Anatomy season 18, episode 16 had Miranda beg Jo to come back even if Catherine (Debbie Allen) suggested the plan to help the hospital should have focused on retaining residents rather than hiring new attendings. This shows that, while Jo will probably do her best to keep finding joy in her new career, Grey’s Anatomy season 18 forgot her wishes, clearly failing Jo in the process.