Police brutality and racial injustice on 'Grey's Anatomy' has Twitter enraged
On Grey's Anatomy Thursday night, the long-running ABC show tackled another controversial topic, this time addressing the issue of racial injustice and police brutality, as peaceful protestors were being brought into Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital after being shot by tear gas canisters and rubber-coated bullets. However, as heartbreaking as the episode was, the moment that drew the biggest response from viewers, was when Maggie's boyfriend Winston, who is Black, was being pulled over by two white police officers.
The scenario, which we've seen go wrong countless times in the past and, most recently, with the shooting of Daunte Wright, had viewers taking to social media both in tears and enraged.
After being forced to end his call, for the remainder of the episode, Maggie was full of anxiety over what happened to Winston. Fortunately, unlike the multiple cases in real life, Winston was just fine as he called Maggie to tell her that they had let him go. The reason it had taken so long was because they made him exit his vehicle, take off his mask, take a DUI test, and then checked his trunk. Due to the fact that he was driving across the country to move closer to Maggie, his car was full of his life belongings. During the scene, all of Winston's things were pulled out of his car and completely pulled apart. Why was he pulled over? "My bike rack was obscuring my license plate, and then they saw me. So, it just turned into one of those things, I guess," Winston told Maggie.
The heartbreaking episode ended with Winston in tears on the side of the road as he told Maggie over the phone, "I'm not good. I'm not okay yet, you know? I just gotta breathe a little bit." And even though the incident itself was a scene in a TV show, the moment was still so powerful.
Video Transcript
[MUSIC PLAYING]
WINSTON NDUGU: Music off. Hat off. Hands on the wheel.
- License and registration, sir.
- Thursday night's episode of "Grey's Anatomy" addressed the issue of racial injustice and police brutality, as peaceful protesters were being brought into Grey Sloan Memorial after being shot by tear gas canisters and rubber-coated bullets. However, as heartbreaking as the episode was, the moment that drew the biggest response from viewers was when Maggie's boyfriend, Winston, who is Black, was being pulled over by two white police officers.
- I'm going to need you to turn off your phone, sir.
WINSTON NDUGU: Oh, it's just my fiancee. She's up in Seattle.
- Your phone, sir.
WINSTON NDUGU: She worries about me on a long drive. Can I leave it on?
- Mr. Ndugu, are you failing to comply?
- The scenario, which we've seen go wrong countless times in the past and most recently, with the shooting of Dante Wright, had viewers taking to social media, both in tears and enraged. Especially, since in the end, we learned that Winston, whose car was full due to moving across the country, was put through so much trouble over something so trivial.
MARGARET PIERCE: Were you like swerving on the road?
WINSTON NDUGU: No, no, no. My bike rack was obscuring my license plate, and then they saw me, so it just turned into one of those things, I guess.
MARGARET PIERCE: They can't do that.
- Many viewers took to Twitter sharing tweets like this one which read, "this is disgusting and so heartbreaking. Black Lives Matter today, tomorrow, and forever." And even though the incident itself was a scene in a TV show, The moment was still so powerful.
WINSTON NDUGU: I just got to breathe a little bit, you know.
MARGARET PIERCE: OK, OK, OK. Listen, you're OK. You are OK, and I am here with you as long as you need OK.
WINSTON NDUGU: All right.
MARGARET PIERCE: Breathe, baby. Breathe. You are OK.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
