Grey's Anatomy season 21 keeps serving up high emotional stakes and intricate medical drama, and episode 13, Don't You (Forget About Me), is no different. The episode delves into memory, mental health, and the tough choices that accompany pursuing the past. But the question that lingers is: Is Molly chasing memories or losing her mind?
Yes—she does. Molly chooses to undergo a risky, experimental brain surgery in hopes of recovering lost memories, particularly those tied to her former relationship with Blue. But as the episode unfolds, it becomes painfully clear that chasing the past might cost her everything, including her present mental health and the very relationship she's desperate to reclaim.
Grey's Anatomy season 21: A surgery borne from lost memories
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The overall narrative centers on Molly, a trauma patient who lived through a car crash that wiped out all of her past life memories—including those of Blue, her former lover. Set on recovering her past, she undergoes an experimental brain surgery, with Amelia at the helm and young upstart Simone as her assistant. For Blue, it's a whirlwind return, on the one hand, optimistic, but on the other, overridden by profound emotional turmoil.
Molly's former fiancé, Dave, shows up with worries about her mental state, and he discloses that Molly went into an obsession in her attempt to recover her memories. He states she spent all her money on treatments and was finally coerced into therapy by her family. Although Blue initially brushes aside Dave's alerts as jealousy, Molly's emotional stability also starts to crack.
Grey's Anatomy season 21: Simone caught in the crossfire
Simone's role in the procedure becomes complicated when Blue asks her to monitor Amelia, who has a reputation for testing limits in the OR. While the ask puts Simone in a tricky spot, she acquiesces in loyalty. Her interjection, though, provokes Amelia, who then bars her from the pivotal moment of the procedure—a major misstep in Simone's otherwise shining career.
Despite technical success, the surgery doesn’t deliver the results Molly hoped for. The only memory she recovers is of Dave, not Blue. Devastated, she expresses her desire to undergo more surgeries in pursuit of lost time. Blue, realizing she’s not truly choosing him but the hope of recovering who she used to be, ends the relationship. In the end, the emotional weight of her decision becomes too much, and it’s clear that Molly’s past is consuming her future.
Grey's Anatomy season 21: Lucas hits rock bottom
Meanwhile, Lucas is struck with devastating news—he will not be advancing with the rest of his intern class and will have to redo his first year. Already battling feelings of inadequacy, the shock plunges him further into quiet depression. His relationship with Simone, now succeeding in her field, is burdened by unspoken realities. As she wallows in triumph, Lucas remains stuck in limbo.
Assigned to work with Nick and Richard, Lucas learns a great deal from their mentorship, particularly while treating a patient who has had three failed kidney transplants. The case is reflective of Lucas's own emotional state—exhausted, drained, and unsure how many more times he can fail.
Grey's Anatomy season 21: Turbulent romances and open boundaries
Teddy and Bailey attend a medical conference where they encounter Dr. Cass Beckman. The chemistry between Cass and Teddy is undeniable, and with her and Owen's marriage now open for business, the door to new relationships is wide open—at least theoretically.
Teddy kisses Cass but ends up pulling back. However, Owen has no problem pursuing his relationship with Nora. This indicates that their open arrangement could be much more complicated than they had hoped.
Back at Grey Sloan, Jo struggles with a younger, too self-assured OB-GYN, dramatizing the tension between experience and new ambition. Meanwhile, Jules' shining moment comes under Winston's mentorship when she performs a sensitive procedure on a pregnant woman with a blocked esophagus.
The quieter moments of mentorship introduce warmth and character development to the episode, balancing the emotional intensity. By the end, several important relationships have broken down. Blue and Molly part ways. Lucas, dealing with failure, starts questioning his place at Grey Sloan.
Simone, for all her advancement, discovers that professional success can exact a personal price. And while Teddy is holding back, Owen does something that may alter everything.
Grey's Anatomy season 21 continues to show that the most complex operations frequently occur beyond the OR. As memories dissipate, aspirations escalate, and love falls between the cracks, Grey's Anatomy season 21 episode 13 reminds viewers: occasionally, forgetting is simpler than confronting what's already gone.
Catch the latest episode of Grey's Anatomy season 21 streaming on ABC.
