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Danger Zone

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“ As surgeons, we rely on cycles. Heartbeats. Cell regeneration. Circadian rhythms. We know something's wrong when the cycle is broken. Our duty is to fix it, to force the cogs back in line. But that break can also be useful, like a warning shot. When we come to depend on a cycle, the thought of breaking it is scary. Even if the cycle causes harm. But sometimes, when we break the cycle, we find something better, something unexpected. Something we never dared to dream was possible. We find freedom. We find peace. ”

Danger Zone is the fifth episode of the fourteenth season and the 298th overall episode of Grey's Anatomy.

Short Summary[]

In a flashback to Iraq in 2007, the events leading up to Megan's kidnapping are revealed. In present day, Owen and Megan hash out old wounds.

Full Summary[]

Owen wakes up from a nightmare with the sound of gunshots and helicopters still echoing through his mind. He goes to open a curtain, revealing three soldiers. One of them quickly pulls up his pants and they all salute him before running off. Shortly after, a helicopter lands in the military base camp.

The Green Zone, Baghdad, Iraq; 2007 — While Megan and Teddy are getting ready, Owen is on the phone explaining to Beth that his leave was cancelled. Megan comments to Teddy that his testicles are about to pop off. Teddy asks how she's doing. Megan is nervous because today decides her military future, so she prefers on Owen's pathetic love life. Owen comes over and says they need to get everything loaded so they can leave for Fallujah. The Colonel is coming. He wonders where Riggs is. Megan says he was on call last night. She'll go get him.

A pensive Owen is called on by Amelia, disrupting his thoughts. He says he's okay. He's watching Megan load stuff in her car. Amelia tells him it's not really goodbye since he can go see her in Los Angeles whenever he wants. He knows. Amelia suggests she make dinner tonight.

Megan answers a phone call. It's Farouk, who's already at their new house with Nathan. He asks her to drive fast so he'll be there soon. Nathan is struggling with the door as Farouk hands him the phone. Megan asks him about Farouk, but Nathan assures her they are having a blast. Megan is worried that the fan isn't there while Farouk can't sleep without it. Nathan looks for it and says they just need to put it together. He lets go of the door, which falls onto the floor. He assures Megan everything is fine, but Farouk spills the truth.

Back in Iraq, Megan startles a sleeping Nathan. He rolls out of bed as she laughs. He asks if they are done fighting. They soon start kissing and laughing. She says they need to go to Fallujah. She can't be late today. He recalls she has a stratification ranking. If she's not ranked #1, she can kiss flight surgeon goodbye. She picks up his clothes and throws them at him. She's surprised to find a necklace on the floor and picks it up. He says she wasn't supposed to find that. It's not exactly a ring, but she lost a ring in the sink once. Megan tells him not to do the thing unless he's doing it. He starts to propose and she happily yells yes before jumping him.

Nathan and Megan run up to the helicopter. Teddy and Owen are already on board. As they get on, Owen asks what kept them so long. Megan says she said yes and Nathan clarifies he proposed. Megan happily shows them her engagement necklace as the helicopter starts taking off. Teddy comments that the choice for the necklace is interesting.

As Megan is packing her last bag, Owen is trying to convince her not to move to Malibu. She promises she'll come home for Christmas and he has to come visit. She will miss him. They hug. She then leaves the house with the bag.

Mobile Medical Treatment Center, Fallujah, Iraq — The soldiers are lined up as Nathan exits a tent. Two lieutenants are talking about the strat. They think Megan will be number one. She's pretty confident she will be. The Colonel arrives and compliments Owen's work. Before starting on this tour, they will begin with the strat ranking. It was a difficult decision, but John Matthews is number one. They all applaud while Megan is visibly disappointed. Teddy then is notified of incoming wounded soldiers, shot by two Iraqi shooters. They all get ready for work.

Megan is surprised as Owen gets in the car with her. She wanted to beat traffic and he's decided to come with her and turn this into a roadtrip. She laughs and drives off.

Owen says he's always loved roadtrips. Megan recalls they always fought so their parents always threatened to drop them off at a gas station. Owen says they are adults now. Megan replies she doesn't need a babysitter then. Owen says he's the co-pilot. She says no detours. He's fine with that, he's just along for the ride.

Megan and Owen are triaging incoming patients. Megan wonders what the hell happened to have Matthews be number one. She asks if Owen told the Colonel that she was CGO of the year. He did, but these things are political. She says she'll never get flight surgeon training now. They enter the tent with a heavily wounded soldier, Tyler. He can't feel his arm. A corpsman tells them that two of their Iraqi allies went rogue and opened fire on their troops. Tyler pushed people out of the way. Owen promises they'll do everything to save his arm. An Iraqi woman starts screaming and Megan explains to her colleagues that she does not want to be touched by men. She goes over and calms the woman down. The woman needs a chest tube.

After directing one soldier to pre-op, Teddy is presented with a man with multiple gun shot wounds to the torso. This perp is believed to be the second shooter. The MP points at Megan's patient and tells the doctors to treat her well, because she tried to wrestle the shooter's gun from him. Teddy decides to take the patient to the OR and asks Nathan to scrub in.

At the Malibu house, Nathan tells Farouk they'll turn his bed into a race car. He asks where his mother will sleep. Nathan says they have their own room across the hall. This is home now, and there's no more need to sleep in the same bed. Megan also won't be his teacher anymore because he will get to go to school with other children. Farouk accidentally drops a lightbulb. Since he's bare-footed, Nathan picks him up and puts him on the counter. Nathan cleans up the mess and says it's no problem.

Nathan and Teddy finish scrubbing in as she brings up that the necklace is really special. She wonders where he found emeralds in Baghdad. He points out she's really interested in the necklace. Teddy says it reminds her of the one Sergeant Phillips got from her boyfriend back home, the one with her initials engraved on the back. Nathan is shocked to hear that.

Owen is driving now as he and Megan are singling along to Push It by Salt-N-Pepa. Owen asks her to open a bag of chips, but she refuses since there's no food in there. He can eat when they stop for gas. Owen then makes an unexpected turn and tells Megan to trust him.

Owen has taken Megan to an abandoned carnival. He offers her a rematch at ring tossing. The place brings back many memories for the siblings.

Megan tries to examine her patient, but she refuses to undress. Megan introduces herself and the patient says she is called Sana. Megan examines her and says they need to place a chest tube. Owen approaches Megan and says she was great with Sana. Megan says it's almost like she knows how to do her job. Owen invites her to scrub in on his surgery so they can talk and celebrate the good things in life. Their mother's head will explode now that she has to plan two weddings. Megan says she'd rather have her plan his divorce.

Teddy and Nathan are operating. Teddy calls Nathan's actions preventable and moronic as Owen and Megan enter the operating space. Nathan tells Teddy she doesn't know the full story. Teddy tells him that their patient opened fire on the people who loved him. That's betrayal and no amount of rationalization makes it okay.

Nathan is working in the bathroom as he's on the phone about a job. Farouk comes in with the box for the fan and points at the tool he needs. Nathan says he won't take less than what he deserves. He signals Farouk to be quiet.

Megan and Owen are tossing rings. He calls her lucky, but she disagrees. They start making bets as they toss the rings. Owen then says if he gets the next one, she has to stay in Seattle. He makes it and says they have to turn around now. She calls him unbelievable. He says he was just joking, but she says this is what he's always done. He always thinks he knows what's best for her, regardless of whether she wants it or not. He became a life guard since she was a bad swimmer, he served because he didn't want her to get shot at, and the strat, too. He says that was ten years ago, but she yells she got kidnapped before they could fight about it.

Megan and Owen are operating. She wants him to ditch Beth. Owen says they'll see. Owen says he was going to miss them working together. The flight surgeon training takes months and the job is three times more dangerous than this. He thinks she dodged a bullet. She asks if he recommended her, but the patient crashing saves him from answering on the spot. He says it wasn't his decision.

Nathan is on the phone with Megan and tells her to drive safe. He shouts at Farouk that Megan will be a little later, but he did find the screwdriver he needed. As there is no answer, Nathan starts looking around the house.

Nathan runs out onto the street and asks passersby if they have seen a 10-year-old boy, but they haven't. He starts running.

Owen wants to pack the patient and get out, but Megan wants to try a reversed saphenous vein graft. Owen thinks that's too risky. He's more experienced and he outranks her, and he says no. She doesn't listen since she wants to save the arm and starts preparing the leg to harvest the vein.

Owen and Megan are driving again. She's not hungry so they are not stopping for food any time soon. Owen answers a call from Amelia and explains he's gone because he decided to drive with Megan. He tells her they are having a blast. After he's hung up, Megan asks if there are women in his life he doesn't lie to. She then turns up the music.

Nathan runs down a street and finally arrives at a food truck. He's relieved to find Farouk sitting on the ground. Nathan tells him he can't just run off. Farouk says he was trying to helpful by getting them some food, but there's so many choices. Nathan sits down with him and agrees.

Nathan and Teddy have controlled all the bleeders. Nathan talks about his situation through the patient's situation and says he should apologize for hurting the people he cares about most. He was scared, stupid, and wrong. Now he can fill everything slipping away and he'll do anything to stop that. Teddy thinks he should've thought of that before pulling the trigger.

Owen urges Megan to stop working. She asks him to help her sew instead. They take the clamps off and the arm pinks up. Everyone present applauds. Megan says that shouldn't be a surprised and leaves him to close.

Megan tells Owen she was the best. She put in the hours and became the best military officer. She had her entire military career planned. She was going to attach to Special Forces and become a General. Owen says her qualifications weren't up for debate. All he had to do was the tell the Colonel the truth, that she's a child. She makes rash, reckless decisions, but she doesn't learn because he always bails her out. She would have been dead in under a month if she had joined the Special Forces. Now they are 10 years later and she has learned nothing, seeing as she's running away from her family just because she likes the beach. That's a whim. Yes, he tanked her strat, and he'd do it again.

Megan can't hide her anger but stays silent. Owen says she always does that when he tells her something she doesn't like. This is exactly the childish behavior he was talking about. She then tells him about nickname in Baghdad, Major Diamond. He thought they called him that because he was sharp, clear, and focused. Megan corrects him. It was because he was so uptight that if you put coal in his ass, a diamond would pop out. He thought it was a compliment, which made it even funnier. Also, she came up with it.

Farouk and Nathan are eating nachos. Nathan invites Farouk to try out which dip he likes best. Nathan confesses he's a bit terrified about starting over in a new town with a new family. He doesn't have a job and he wants everything to be perfect for Megan, but it took him half a day to put a door on. Farouk asks what he'll do. Nathan says he'll have to be okay with not having all the answers. He'll just have to trust on Megan's love for the two of them, and that they can figure it out. Farouk asks Nathan to teach him baseball.

Teddy and Nathan have finished up their surgery. If their patient is lucky, they'll fly him to Baghdad. Teddy asks how he could do this to Megan. Nathan says they were fighting. Teddy doesn't think that's an excuse to propose with his side piece's stolen property. Nathan says him and Felicia was a one-time thing. He asks Teddy what to do now. Teddy asks if he meant the proposal. Nathan says yes. Megan is his one love. He was going to come clean, but she found the necklace and he panicked. Teddy says she'll find out anyway and if it comes from anyone but him, it's going to be bad. He knows. Teddy says that's his answer. Nathan asks if there's a chance. Teddy says she has a temper and every right to be angry and Owen will snap his neck, but people mess up and forgive. If he tells her the truth, there's a chance it'll work out.

Megan and Owen are still driving. He finally apologizes for getting in the way of her career. That was wrong. She thanks him for that. However, he still thinks it's better if she stayed in Seattle, where everything is familiar and stable and Nathan has a job. Megan pulls over and tells him to get out.

Teddy has just told Owen that Megan is not flying back to the Green Zone with him since she's mad at him for tanking her strat. Teddy thinks there's truth to that. Owen says she just got engaged, so you'd think she'd want to live a happy life and start planning the wedding. Teddy says she wanted that strat and she was so close. It's really hard to stand by and watch someone else live the life that you're willing to give up everything for. She calls him an idiot. Owen is informed that they need to head out. Owen asks Teddy to make sure Megan rides back with them and boards the helicopter after he and Megan stare at each other.

Megan insists that Owen get out of her car if he's not supporting her. Owen refuses to leave her again. Megan says he has to stop making decisions for her. Owen says this is a bad decision. Owen says they lost her because of Nathan. He cheated on her and now she's starting a family with him. Megan reveals she knows he cheated on his first wife, and don't even get her started on him and Teddy. He cheated, Nathan cheated, it happens. People are imperfect and some of them get kidnapped for a decade and when they get a second chance at life and happiness, they seize it because they know what matters. Now they know what's precious, that every tiny moment of happiness is worth having, regardless of what anyone thinks. And for the record, she cheated on Nathan first. Megan goes to stand at the edge of the cliff to overlook the ocean.

Nathan finds Megan lying on the OR table. She takes his hand but she realizes something's wrong. He asks her for the necklace back. Megan asks what "he" said and immediately says it was a drunk mistake that she was going to tell him about. He doesn't know what she's talking about. She thought he knew she slept with someone else and that that's why he wants the necklace back. Nathan says it wasn't his to give. She can't believe he proposed to her with another chick's necklace. Nathan says she's not the only one who gets to be mad. Megan says she's been showing that thing off all day. Megan asks if he even meant it. He says yes and asks if she did. A soldier interrupts them because there's a problem with Megan's patient.

Megan finds Sana moaning in pain. Lieutenant Sieger tells Megan that the chest tube started coming out when they were transferring her, but they just need to reposition it. Megan attempts to calm Sana down and starts talking about her own life. She tells Owen is her brother, who drives her crazy all the time. Sana says he sounds like her brother, who means well. Megan repositions the tube, which ameliorates Sana's condition. Megan says they need to get Sana on the next chopper.

Megan contacts Owen and says she needs to ride back with her patient on the next chopper because the patient is freaking out. Owen says that is against protocol, but she reveals that Nathan cheated on her so she doesn't want to ride back with him. Owen says screw protocol and tells her to get on the chopper. It's his call and he's sure. Megan thanks her brother.

Teddy checks up on a wounded corporal, who tells her he's happy to be alive. In the background, two soldiers are discussing what they'll do with the shooter, who's lying in the next bed. The corporal wonders why they are talking that way. Teddy says he's the second shooter, but the corporal then says the second shooter was an Iraqi woman. That guy was trying to stop her.

Megan is on the helicopter with Sana. She assures Sana she's going to be okay. The helicopter starts to take off as Teddy comes running out of the tent. She signals and yells to stop, but the helicopter takes off before her eyes.

Aboard the helicopter, Megan is staring out the window and not paying attention to Teddy's message asking them to return to base. Taking advantage of her being distracted, Sana starts reaching for a gun.

Owen and Megan are sitting down on a boulder. Owen says Nathan never said anything about her cheating. Megan says he's a good guy. Owen agrees. Megan recalls a family trip in California when she left the map at the rest stop bathroom. Their dad was furious and refused to stop to ask for directions, and after hours of arguing and them fighting, their dad pulled over and they had the best day on a random beach. She never forgot about that. She would lose herself in that memory on the hardest days, pretend that the desert sand was the beach and that the screams and yells were laughter and sea gulls. She could fake everything but the water. She promised herself that if she ever got out, she'd go and live by the ocean in California and feel that water every day. Owen says he always imagined them raising their families together, near their parents, with camping trips and cookouts. Megan says Dad is gone and Owen doesn't even have kids. That dream can't work out. She tells him he's the most loyal person she's ever known, but he's loyal to ideas and dreams. Her beach plan makes her happy, and she wants that for him. That might mean he has to break up with some of his ideals. He lets that sink in and agrees.

Farouk is sleeping on Nathan's lap in the living room. Nathan takes his phone and texts Meredith "Thank you." With Zola sleeping with her in her bed, Meredith smiles as she reads the message. She sends him the same text. He smiles, too. Seconds later, Megan enters the house. She notices there's still a lot of work to be done and jokes that she was promised move-in ready. She sits down with him and they share a kiss. She also kisses Farouk and asks Nathan about his day. He says it was pretty okay and tells her she raised a pretty good kid. Nathan asks where Owen is. Megan says she dropped him off at the airport, but he'll come visit soon. Megan then gets comfortable in Nathan's arms.

A cab arrives outside Owen's house. Owen gets out and takes a moment before walking up the driveway.

Amelia is surprised as he enters. She looks at him and realizes what's about to happen. He apologizes. She gets it. He married a tumor. He says it feels like they don't know each other. He wants them to be happy, and they are not. She knows. It's okay. She walks up to him. They take off their wedding rings and return them to one another. They are both emotional and hug tightly.

Owen's voice over talks about how, if you break a cycle, you can find something better and unexpected.

Megan is standing on the beach and walks into the ocean. She puts her arms in the air as she takes in her freedom. She's soon joined by Nathan and Farouk. Nathan picks up his fiancée and their son. They start running around, and later let the prospect of their new life together dawn on them as they watch the sun rise over the ocean.

Owen is sitting on the docks in Seattle and also overlooks the ocean. His voice over mentions finding freedom and peace as he smiles.

Cast[]

Main Cast[]

Guest Stars[]

Co-Starring[]

Medical Notes[]

Tyler Burdeaux[]

  • Diagnosis:
    • Arm injury
  • Treatment:
    • Saphenous vein graft

Tyler was injured in a shooting. His arm was seriously injured and he needed surgery on it. While they were working, Megan decided to a reserve saphenous vein graft to save his arm, while Owen thought it was too risky. She was successful and once she were done, she left him to close.

Sana[]

  • Diagnosis:
    • Gun shot wound
  • Treatment:
    • Chest tube

Sana was shot in her upper right chest. They put in a chest tube to drain the blood. While she was being transported, her chest tube came out, so Megan had to put it back in and then evacuate Sana.

Teddy's Patient[]

  • Diagnosis:
    • Shrapnel wound
  • Treatment:
    • Surgery

Teddy sent a patient with a shrapnel wound to pre-op.

Nadir al-Jabouri[]

  • Diagnosis:
    • Gun shot wounds
  • Treatment:
    • Exploratory laparotomy
    • Splenectomy

Nadir was shot multiple times after he fired on several others. He was sent to the OR for an ex-lap, during which they removed his spleen. He survived the surgery and was moved.

Music[]

Song Performer Scene
"Push It" Salt-N-Pepa
  • Owen and Megan sing along to the radio in the car.
  • Owen takes a detour, saying it's a shortcut.
"The Gambler" Kenny Rogers
  • Megan and Owen drive in silence.
"Heartbeats" Aron Wright
  • Megan and Owen look out over the ocean together.
  • Nathan texts Meredith while Farouk is sleeping, thanking her. She thanks him as well.
  • Megan surprises Nathan and asks him how his day with Farouk was.
  • Megan tells Nathan she dropped Owen off at the airport and he'll visit soon.
  • Owen goes home.
"Across the Room" Odesza (feat. Leon Bridges)
  • Owen and Amelia hug.
  • Megan stands on the beach and walks into the ocean. She cries and laughs.
  • Nathan and Farouk join her.
  • Owen looks out on Elliot Bay.

Notes and Trivia[]

Grey's_Anatomy_14x05_Promo_"Danger_Zone"_(HD)_Season_14_Episode_5_Promo

Grey's Anatomy 14x05 Promo "Danger Zone" (HD) Season 14 Episode 5 Promo

  • This episode's title originated from the song Danger Zone, originally sung by Kenny Loggins.
  • This episode scored 7.67 million viewers.[1]
  • The table read for this episode took place on August 23, 2017.[source?]
  • Ellen Pompeo appears with no lines.
  • The episode was followed by a PSA where Kevin McKidd talks about unhoused veterans.[2]
  • This episode marks the final appearance of Martin Henderson as Nathan Riggs as part of the main cast.
  • The flashback Army scenes were filmed at Mystery Mesa in Santa Clarita, California. The location was prepped for filming on August 31, 2017.[3]

Gallery[]

Episode Stills[]

Behind the Scenes[]

Quotes[]

Owen: Beth, please. I know. Yeah, my leave was canceled. Don't cry. I will make this up to you, I promise.
Megan: She's got that vice grip so tight, his testicles are about to pop off.
Owen: So, you're just gonna punish me like you always do when I tell you something you don't like. Fine. But you can't think of anything to say because you know that I'm right. And, for the record, this is the childish behavior I was talking about.
Megan: Diamond.
Owen: Excuse me?
Megan: Your nickname. In Baghdad. Remember? Major Diamond.
Owen: Yes.
Megan: Know why they called you that?
Owen: Well, they told me. Sharp, clear, focused.
Megan: Anal retentive. High-strung. So uptight that if you put coal in your ass, a diamond would pop out. You thought it was a compliment, which only made it funnier.
Owen: Like I said. A child.
Megan: And, for the record, I came up with it. Sorry I never told you, but, you know, since we're coming clean.
Nathan: Say he regrets it.
Teddy: Pardon?
Nathan: He made a huge mistake. He hurt the people he cares about most. But say he regrets it. He was scared, stupid, and wrong, and now he can feel everything slipping away and he'll do anything he can to make it right again.
Teddy: I'd say too bad he didn't think about that before pulling the trigger.
Owen: I decided to drive with Megan, and I completely forgot to call. I didn't want her driving alone, so... We're having a blast. Yeah. Okay. Bye.
Megan: Are there any women in your life you don't lie to?
Teddy: She wanted that strat, Owen. It's all she thinks about. And she was so close. Do you know how hard it is to stand by and watch someone else live the life that you want? The life that you're willing to give up everything for? You're an idiot!
Megan: You remember that family trip we took, somewhere in California, when I left the map at the rest stop bathroom?
Owen: Oh, yeah. Yeah. How could I forget? Dad was furious.
Megan: And he refused to pull over and ask for directions.
Owen: Yep.
Megan: And after him and Mom arguing for hours and us complaining, he finally said, "Screw it!" and he just, like, pulled over. And we played in the water for hours until the sun went down. I don't even remember where we were going, but I just I've never forgotten that beach. On my hardest days, I would lose myself in that memory. Pretend that the desert sand was the beach, that the screams and yelling were laughter and sea gulls. And I could fake everything but the water. And I promised myself, if I ever get out I am going to live by the ocean, in California, and I'm gonna feel that water every day.
Owen: I always imagined us raising our families together, you know? Next door, or a few blocks, near Mom and Dad. Camping trips and cookouts.
Megan: Dad's gone, Owen. And you don't have any kids. How exactly would that dream work out? You are the most loyal person I have ever known. But you're loyal to ideas, too. Ideas and ideals. My beach plan makes me happy. Like, I can feel it in my fingers happy. I want that for you. I want to see you happy. And that might mean that you're gonna have to break up with some of your ideals.
Owen: Yeah.
Amelia: You're back.
Owen: Yeah.
Amelia: Oh.
Owen: Amelia, I'm so sorry.
Amelia: You married a tumor. I get it.
Owen: It just It feels like we don't know each other.
Amelia: Yeah, I know.
Owen: I just want us to be happy. And we're...
Amelia: We're not happy. I know. It's okay, Owen. I know.

See Also[]

A complete overview of this episode's crew can be found here.


References[]

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