Warning: SPOILERS for Grey’s Anatomy season 18 ahead.
Richard Webber’s cognitive and physical assessment in Grey’s Anatomy season 18, episode 15, gave the Shondaland show the chance to showcase the series’ most underrated relationship. While romantic relationships come and go at Grey Sloan Memorial, often ending terribly or with somebody dying, familial relationships and friendships regularly thrive no matter the adversities faced in the medical drama. Richard’s (James Pickens Jr.) friendship with Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) was a constant since she moved to Seattle at her brother Derek’s request, and Grey’s Anatomy season 18 seemed to remember how important they were to each other.
While they weren’t entirely absent from each other’s lives when in difficulty, Amelia and Richard tended to rely more on other people in Grey’s Anatomy season 17. The Webber Method failing brought Meredith, Amelia and Maggie together to support Richard in season 18, episode 10, despite not believing in the feasibility of his system. Still, the personal relationship between Richard and Amelia, which could be visible in past Grey’s Anatomy episodes anytime they needed a meeting and went to each other for support or advice, was mostly absent from Grey’s Anatomy seasons 17 and 18.
Grey’s Anatomy season 18, episode 15 showed it didn’t forget one of its more wholesome friendships by having Amelia figure out Richard’s assessment date and show up beforehand to wish him good luck. By surprisingly appearing to boost his confidence, Amelia even risked jeopardizing her new relationship with Kai, as Amelia knowing about the visit could only be attributable to Kai telling her about it, despite that not being the case. Amelia still tried to support Richard and ask Kai about his assessment anytime she could, as she was worried the hospital might actually lose Richard as a surgeon.
Learning about Richard’s history in an AA meeting right after moving to Seattle brought him and Amelia closer. When Amelia was outed as a recovering addict by a patient’s daughter to the whole hospital in Grey’s Anatomy season 11, episode 7, Richard was one of the first to offer her support. When Amelia was stuck during her groundbreaking surgery on Dr. Herman in season 11, episode 14, and wanted to have Richard call Derek to help her with the case, it was Richard that gave her a pep talk and let her go through with the operation. Additionally, when Grey’s Anatomy season 14 saw Amelia coming to terms with her tumor, Richard was not only the first to know about it, but he also offered his opinion, support, and help during Amelia’s post-op. Anytime Amelia believed she needed a meeting because she was about to do something rash, like when she realized she wanted to adopt Betty in season 14, episode 21, she went straight to Richard and his unwavering support.
Yet their friendship was as fundamental for Amelia as it was for Richard. When Richard’s sponsor Ollie was at Grey Sloan Memorial and refused cures in Grey’s Anatomy season 14, episode 18, Richard instantly thought of Amelia to bring to Ollie for an impromptu AA meeting. Especially throughout Grey’s Anatomy seasons 11 to 15, Richard and Amelia’s friendship and mentorship were central to the two characters’ development, and both didn’t have to think twice about either offering or asking each other for support.
Grey’s Anatomy seasons 16 and 17 showed Amelia and Richard having healthy relationships with other people, which could only be considered good in the context of their lives. Still, the show also ended up neglecting their friendship, which was one of the most supportive and least problematic of the entire medical drama. Hopefully, with season 18, episode 15 remembering Richard and Amelia’s friendship, Grey’s Anatomy can finally go back to portraying their consistently supportive relationship.
New episodes of Grey’s Anatomy are released on Thursdays on ABC.
