‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Tweet-cap: What's Done Is Done

Warning: This recap for the “Undo” episode of Grey’s Anatomy contains spoilers.

“We have to face up to the stupid things we do,” Meredith says at the end of the season 13 premiere of Grey’s Anatomy. The doctors of Grey’s have done a lot of stupid things over the years, and they’ve had to pay the price again and again. This time, it’s Alex who has to pay and face up to the (very) (dangerous) stupid thing he did: beating up DeLuca.

At first, he tries to hide it, aided and abetted by BFF Meredith and (ex?)girlfriend Jo. But on Grey’s, you can try to run, but you can never hide. It’s a gut-punch of an episode — testing the loyalties and bonds between characters with longstanding relationships, questioning the moral imperatives of these doctors, and casting shadows on some of the most lovable figures in the show.

At the end, Alex is in jail, rightly, for what he’s done. But that doesn’t mean we like it. Damn you, Shonda Rhimes.

Here’s our recap of the season premiere, including our live tweets:

If I could turn back time …
The premiere begins where last May’s finale left off: at Owen and Amelia’s wedding reception. Riggs is trying to flirt with Meredith, who is still grappling with the knowledge that sister Maggie has feelings for him. And then she gets a call from a hysterical Jo.

Meanwhile, Alex accompanies a very bloody DeLuca to the hospital, where Ben takes charge of his case in the ER. Alex insists on paging Avery to fix DeLuca’s broken face, but is cagey when asked what happened to the intern.

Meredith and Webber arrive at Alex’s loft to talk to Jo, who is incoherent (and still drunk, tbh). From what Jo is able to say, and from what she sees inside the loft, Mer puts two and two together. When she goes to hospital to confront Alex, he asks if she’s going to turn him into Bailey or the police. Against her LEGAL OBLIGATION, she gives him a cover story about slipping in the rain.

Back at the loft, Jo is piecing together what happened and she cries that it’s all her fault. Richard firmly tells her it’s not and that she’ll be OK in the morning once she sobers up. “A little coffee. A little sunlight. Your troubles will get smaller.” Richard Webber is usually right, but this time … not so much.

At the hospital, Maggie is thrown for a loop upon learning her ex-boyfriend’s condition. Riggs tries to comfort her, but he refers to DeLuca as her current boyfriend, after which Maggie scurries to inform him that, nope, they broke up. Totally broke up and not together, not a thing. Watching her try to be cute with Riggs is painful.

Alex begs Meredith to look at DeLuca’s CT scans herself. He doesn’t want to talk to the police until he’s talked to DeLuca (sigh, really, guy?). Once more, against her better judgement, Meredith agrees. Of course, people are going to be suspicious, and first in the line is Ben.

Name game
Wait, so remember how April had her and Jackson’s baby? And that Ben had to do a C-section on her kitchen table? Yeah, that happened! Anyway, she’s fine, the baby’s fine. But little Baby Japril needs a name, as Catherine points out, and maybe they want to name her after Grandma?

Nope. April announces the baby’s name is Harriet. Mmmmkay. Well, fine, whatever, but Catherine’s hackles go up when April says the baby’s last name won’t be Avery!

Jo arrives at the hospital to check on DeLuca, and of course the first person she sees is Alex. He very condescendingly forgives her to being drunk and hooking up with DeLuca. Though Jo tries to protest, he talks right over her, saying, “It’s the way you were raised” and “I was asking for something you’re not capable of, I should’ve known better.” Jo storms off in a huff and in tears.

Avery is performing surgery on DeLuca, and is trying to be very careful because DeLuca’s vision is at stake. He is able to save his eyesight, but will it be enough to continue his career? In the gallery, Ben is watching when Meredith comes in. He knows it was Alex and asks if Meredith is keeping quiet out of blind loyalty.

Jo is furiously packing up her locker when Stephanie comes in, there to support her friend. Jo declares she’s quitting the program and leaving the city, and then tells Steph the whole story. Steph tells Meredith, who tells Alex that he was the one who royally f***ed up. Not Jo. Not DeLuca.

“He isn’t the bad guy here. Jo isn’t the bad guy. We’re the bad guys,” Mer says.

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Jo is outside, waiting for a taxi, when Webber finds her. He totally shuts down her excuses that it’s better for everyone if she leaves. She can’t fix things by running away, he says. “We don’t quit.” This is why Richard is Richard.

Back in April’s room, Catherine talks up the last name Avery, but April notes that the name Kepner also stands for something where she’s from — hard work, good people, all that. Catherine seems to stand down, and urges April to sleep and relax. Later, April concedes that baby Harriet could be Harriet Kepner-Avery.

In his hospital room, DeLuca wakes up with Jo hovering over him. He’s immediately concerned for her, because he’s a good guy. They joke a little about his face, but then Jo pleads with him not to reveal her secret that she’s married. DeLuca is pissed, realizing she isn’t there to make sure he’s OK, but to keep her past from getting out.

Then, it really hits the fan when Alex walks in. Dude, we told you not to try to talk to him. DeLuca freaks.

Truth and consequences
A somber Meredith is alone in the lounge when she’s joined by Riggs, who is still trying to flirt with her. But there’s too much on her mind, and Mer realizes what she needs to do.

She goes to Bailey and informs her that Alex beat up DeLuca.

Bailey is understandably furious and orders security to find Alex. Maggie overhears and realizes that Meredith kept this gigantic secret from her… about someone who was once her boyfriend! “You were just going to lie to everyone?” When they all find Alex, though, he’s already turned himself in. The police take him away in handcuffs.

In their home, Bailey watches Ben sleep — then shoves him away. Did he know about Alex? “I didn’t… not for sure,” he admits. She is annoyed, until he reminds her that he could tell his wife about a suspicion, but not the chief. Church and state! Hey, he’s got a point.

In Casa de Grey, a penitent Meredith checks in on Maggie in her bedroom. Maggie is sad and mad. “I am your sister,” Maggie says. She would “go down swinging” for Meredith. And yet, Mer kept this from her.

Meredith feels super guilty and promises that Maggie can trust her in the future. And then what happens? Riggs shows up at the door. Well, Mer, you haven’t exactly been honest about that situation, have you? Meredith, stung by Maggie’s sad eyes, rebuffs Riggs. This isn’t happening anymore, she tells him.

From there, she goes to jail to visit Alex. He believes his career at the hospital is over. Meredith urges him to be more hopeful, but… things are looking very bleak. Still, as she says in voiceover, “What’s done is done. But the future is ours to choose — for better or worse”

Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on ABC