Drama-filled romances have been at the heart of Grey’s Anatomy as much as its unbelievable medical cases, but the new couple Grey’s Anatomy is dropping hints about finally tackles the drama’s oldest romance issue from the beginning. Ever since the arrival of Grey’s Anatomy’s new class of interns, the medical drama established only one relatively stable couple among them in Lucas and Simone. Jules and Mika had the potential to become Grey’s Anatomy’s best romance in season 21, but Mika’s departure quickly put an end to that. However, Grey’s Anatomy hinted that another romance is in the cards for Jules.
After finding out in Grey’s Anatomy season 21, episode 12 that the last person she hooked up with was Monica Beltran’s ex-wife, Jules swore off dating to focus on work. Millin’s decision was heavily influenced by how Mika’s departure in Grey’s Anatomy season 21, episode 8 negatively affected her, especially after she had described to Simone how what she had felt with Mika was dissimilar to any other feeling she had for other romantic partners. Grey’s Anatomy nonetheless introduced an unexpected connection for Jules that has the chance to bring back the show’s original romance dynamics, but with a twist.
Jules asking Winston Ndugu to be her mentor forced them to spend a lot of time together. While Grey’s Anatomy season 21, episode 15 subtly hinted Winston saw Jules in a different light after she tricked him into facing his fear of heights, season 21, episode 16 doubled down by unveiling their similar past with difficult fathers. Richard Webber noticing their connection and cautioning Winston to be careful only made Winston more determined to deny something was going on between them despite the stolen glances, and it had everything to do with his past and the power imbalance between them.
Winston’s refusal to accept that he might secretly want to explore his connection with Jules introduces the power imbalance between them as attending and intern right at the beginning of their romantic connection, something Grey’s Anatomy’s earlier seasons only briefly tackled when it paired iconic couples like Meredith and Derek or Burke and Cristina. Recognizing the power imbalance and not accepting that he might find himself in such a position prompted Winston to be unfair to her in a bid to promote professionalism, unjustly criticizing Jules’ behavior when his feelings were unprofessional in Grey’s Anatomy season 21, episode 16.
Recognizing he would be in a position of power this time thus motivates Winston to stop anything from happening with Jules, remembering how rough his and Maggie’s last months were.
Winston’s restraint could also be a consequence of his being in Jules’ position when he first had a crush on Maggie Pierce. While Winston and Maggie only got together years after his residency ended, their relationship dynamic included Winston still feeling like a student in Maggie’s presence, especially at their marriage’s end. Recognizing he would be in a position of power this time thus motivates Winston to stop anything from happening with Jules, remembering how rough his and Maggie’s last months were that she even confessed not to respect him because he would sacrifice cardiothoracic surgery to save their marriage.
Relationships between attendings and interns were often the norm in Grey’s Anatomy’s earlier seasons, despite being always frowned upon by Webber and Bailey. While it would be unfair to say Grey’s Anatomy never tackled the power imbalance in Meredith and Derek’s relationship, as Meredith pushed Derek away in Grey’s Anatomy season 1 because he was her boss, the pushback never came from the attending. Moreover, the big problems of Meredith and Derek’s relationship in Grey’s Anatomy were never related to the inherent power imbalance of their workplace romance, making that almost an afterthought.
While the relationships between Meredith and Derek and Cristina and Preston might have been the most iconic, Grey’s Anatomy included various relationships between attendings and interns, including the one between Jo and Alex, Lexi and Mark, Stephanie and Jackson, and many more.
Interns striking relationships with attendings nevertheless caused massive problems, and it was evident when Cristina covered up Burke’s hand tremor by always being there on his surgeries, taking up a burden that should have never been hers, and also lying to their bosses, potentially endangering their patients. Despite showing this kind of terrible behavior, Grey’s Anatomy refused to problematize it, something it instead does in season 21 with Winston’s refusal to entertain he might be developing feelings for Jules.
Adelaide Kane as Jules Millin, Anthony Hill as Winston Ndugu and James Pickens Jr. as Richard Webber in Grey’s Anatomy season 21
Winston finally admitting to Jules that he also had a difficult dad only prompted her to propose to have a coffee together to decompress, something he politely declined before putting even more distance between them by leaving Jules on Webber’s service the next day. Winston’s refusal to come to terms with whatever he feels for Jules and putting some distance between them nonetheless makes their pairing more interesting because the conflict between reason and emotion can easily bring him to a breaking point.
Whether this means Jules asking Winston about his behavior changing or Winston suppressing his feelings long enough that they come out in the least convenient way possible – something Grey’s Anatomy season 21, episode 16 already proved likely, as Winston repressing his feelings prompted his almost beating up Mr. Purdy – it can only make their romance more entertaining to watch. This simultaneously makes Grey’s Anatomy acknowledge the power imbalance and why it can be a problem from the beginning, unlike previous attending-intern relationships, and inevitably creates a much more compelling dynamic between Winston and Jules.
