Miranda Bailey, baddest ass of them all.
Tonight, Grey's Anatomy taught us So. Much.
First, we learned that a heart attack manifests differently in men and women. We should definitely have known that already, but we didn't, and now we do.
Second, we learned that Chandra Wilson is a star. We definitely knew that already, but now we know it even more.
And third, listen to women!! We knew that already too, but it's always good to learn it some more.
Bailey was just chilling in the car with Ben when she knew exactly what was happening to her, and calmly explained she had to go to Seattle Presbyterian. When she got there, she explained (with a truly impressive amount of fire) that she was having a heart attack.
No one believed her, including the multiple white male doctors who examined her. They even brought in a psychiatrist to ask her many questions about her home life and stressful job and blah blah blah, they were all wrong. And no one wanted to listen to Bailey explain, impossibly calmly and rationally, that women—especially women of color—die at an alarming rate because they don't get the right treatment from doctors who don't believe them.
Of course, Bailey really was having a heart attack, but no one would admit it until she passed out after trying to save the woman in the bed next to her from coding, and after Richard and Maggie had shown up to help. At first, Maggie wasn't allowed to help since she didn't have privileges, but after another emergency, Maggie and Richard both demanded those privileges.
We never actually thought Bailey would die, but damn did things get hairy for a few minutes, and by the time it was clear that she would be OK, we were ready for a good sob.
It definitely didn't help that need to sob that we were treated to flashbacks throughout the ep, from Bailey's childhood with a mother who feared everything Miranda ever did to George O'Malley helping her deliver her baby and Derek Sheperd comforting her with a big hug. It was just a big pile of Bailey-related emotions and it was just great.
Finally, we learned that Grey's Anatomy can never ever ever kill Bailey unless she is very very old and dies of natural causes in season 63. Just so everyone knows.
Grey's Anatomy airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. on ABC.