Season 2, Episode 2 – Delusions of Grandeur

Amy is sleeping in the on-call room after the hostage situation, when Joan shows up and surprises her. We learn that Joan has been away for five months and is an instructor of medicine and surgery.

Amy goes to see Michael on the OB floor to tell him congratulations on the baby. He tells her how glad he is that she’s ok after the hostage situation. 

Michael and Nora decide to name the baby Simon after Nora’s dad. 

In flashbacks to five years ago, we see Michael coming into the hospital to ask Amy if she wants to go to the symphony that night. He sees her lashing out at Dr Brian Clark and is in disbelief at her behavior. Amy coldly brushes Michael off when he asks about the symphony, saying she has dinner plans with Joan. Michael says they need a night out alone, but she tells him that he should have planned better. Michael then finds Joan in the hospital and talks to her about Amy and their failing marriage, saying he needs help. Joan says she’ll talk to Amy at dinner that night. She reiterates that Amy is doing really well professionally and is about to become Chief.

Max tells Michael that UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing) is angry at the hospital for lying during the hostage crisis. He tells Michael that it miight be best if he take his paternity leave now to let things settle down. In that discussion, Max mentions that Michael has been at Westside for seven months, so he probably got there about four months before Amy’s accident. 

TJ is recovering from being shot and not doing well mentally. Amy talks to TJ at Sonya’s request. Amy tells him not to punish the people who are taking care of him, saying that’s a mistake she’s not going to do over.

Amy apologizes to Sonya for lashing out at her on the day of the mass casualty train accident, but Sonya doesn’t accept the apology. She says that Amy trying to come back to work at Westside is misguided and narcissistic and that she doesn’t belong there. Sonya blames Amy for the hostage crisis because she didn’t remember the history with Rosie’s father, which could have prevented his actions.

On the OB floor with a patient, Amy runs into Michael and gets to meet baby Simon. Nora walks in while they are talking. Later, she asks Michael to tell her if he still loves Amy. She says she needs know now, even if it’s hard to hear. Michael says he loves Nora and isn’t going anywhere.

Michael offers Joan the Chief of Internal Medicine role to replace Richard. Joan negotiates to have veto power when it comes time to replace her someday. Joan implies that Michael is still trying to take care of Amy by appointing a trusted friend and mentor to watch out for her. He says that Joan always goes where she’s needed, and she’s needed here now.

Amy and Gina talk about what happened to their relationship after Danny died. Gina says that she felt like she lost Amy, and Amy wasn’t there for her when she needed it. Amy promises to make it up to her.

Throughout the episode, Amy has memory flashes of a dinner with someone. Eventually, remembers that it was a dinner with Joan. We realize it was the dinner five years ago, the reason she couldn’t go to the symphony with Michael. Amy asks Joan if she remembers the dinner and what the words “you have no choice” were related to. Joan says she doesn’t know. 

That night, Amy is at home scrolling pictures of Michael, Nora, and Simon on social media when Gina texts her, saying that Michael appointed Joan as Chief. That triggers Amy to remember the full context of the dinner she remembered with Joan. During the dinner, Amy tells Joan that things between her and Michael are brutal. Joan says that Michael has always held her back, and now all Amy sees is the man she thinks let her son die. Joan says that Amy has no choice but to leave Michael.