Last night's episode put the focus on April (Sarah Drew) and Jackson (Jesse Williams). Are they the most likable couple? No. But Grey's fans aren't left with many fully alive and present couples to get behind.
To kick off an hour of their love, Jackson's telling some other bride she's beautiful. This does not bode well for the future of Japril. Also not hopeful, a scene that has the pair sitting with two lawyers and divorce papers, looking at each other with meaningful gazes — not to be confused with "let's get to the supply closet to hook up" gazes.
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Flashback to two weeks ago (audience time, god only knows exactly what timeline Grey's is on with all the constant jumps), and we see a longer version of the divorce paper fight witnessed by a silent Meredith. Nothing new to report here, but April does demand to know when Jackson knew he was done. Jump to another, mostly uninformative fight, punctuated by dueling car keys that make sure their car stays locked. Oh, Grey's writers, you do like the glaringly obvious metaphors.
Another jump back, and the bride from the first scene, Tatiana, is a plastic surgery patient of Jackson's who's undergone four years of treatments after being splashed in the face with acid and is finally done. Maybe after that many procedures, it's normal to chat with your doc about his possibly pending divorce. Through two more painful flashbacks, you get hope that isn't really there, seeing the pair go off to have on-call-room sex, the preferred sex of the Grey's doctors. We also see Jackson reveal that he wanted a divorce, but now, he wants April. Okay, fine. I'm 100% on board now.
Another flashback, and the couple that is now almost as important to me as Mer and Der is sharing Chinese food. He asked for extra fortune cookies, her favorite, proof of their love! She knows he hates throw pillows, such a deep bond! And then, in spite of the obvious soul-mate vibe of their light banter over food and decorative pillows, Jackson brings up divorce, because he hates us. And then we're back to their core fight. Their son died, and April went off to be an army doc, leaving Jackson behind to deal with his grief alone. April keeps insisting that her grief was more intense, which seems to really inspire Jackson to get the divorce paper pens ready. Suddenly, April's throwing fortune cookies, and then they're making out on the counter. Because whatever grief and turmoil they're having, it can at least be delayed by poorly timed sex.
And then we get possibly the biggest reveal of the night: Jackson tried to follow April to Jordan, but the plane had already left. I mean, at that point he could have taken another plane, but then we wouldn't be watching this episode. Flashback to the one-year anniversary of Samuel's death, and April is near hysterical because she can't get a cell signal, and Jackson is sure she forgot, getting stitches in his arm after violently destroying the nursery. Everyone needs a hug, but no one is hugging.
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Even more sadness! April is inconsolable in the nursery soon after Samuel's death, before she left to become an army doctor. She lashes out when Jackson tries to comfort her by suggesting they have another baby. It's becoming very, very obvious that the comforting is only going one way, and that has a dramatic impact on Jackson.
We rapid-rewind past Samuel's death and the news that he had a fatal birth defect, to April and Jackson dancing to celebrate the pregnancy. The other docs join in before they even know what brought on the dancing, because you need to break up life-and-death stress with furious hookups or dance breaks.
Flashback to what should be a happier time, when the newlyweds are off to meet April's parents for the first time as husband and wife. But Jackson's refusal to lead the family in prayer, since he's not religious at all, leads to a fight. Back at the hospital, Tatiana worries no one will ever look at her with love, but Jackson insists she's beautiful, sadly choosing NOT to sing, "You Don't Know You're Beautiful" to convince her.
Back in the flashback zone, on the night before their nuptials, April tries to play the no premarital sex before the wedding thing, but their lust cannot be contained (also, I feel like when you're making out with a guy who convinced you to leave your fiancé at the altar , whatever deity you believe in is going to be shaking his head anyways). Pre-wedding, Jackson and April are debating minister versus justice of the peace, and April wins the first "compromise" of their romantic relationship. They also share fries, and she's so in love, she doesn't even care that he gets ketchup on her wedding dress (though really, she's probably not going to need to wear it again).
Oh, hey, remember when Jackson and April's friends were killed in a hospital shooting? There's a flashback to remind you that Meredith Grey isn't the only one who's going to need years and years of therapy. This episode promised the very beginning of Jackson and April, so we get a scene featuring them as interns together. He thought she was weird, not the world's worst meet cute. And then we're back to the present, when April finally signs the paper, so they're totally, completely done. Only, as she reveals to Arizona, surprise! April is pregnant. So, Japril shippers, there's hope yet.