‘Grey’s Anatomy’: Jo Reaches Breaking Point Amid Mental Health Crisis

Jo (Wilson) Karev has had a difficult few weeks on Grey’s Anatomy, and the latest episode finally led to her reaching her breaking point

After Alex (Justin Chambers) gave his wife an ultimatum about showing up to work drunk in the previous episode, Jo (Camilla Luddington) continued to struggle.

While not entirely back at work, Jo reveals at the start of “What I Did for Love” she is back to check on a young patient named Gus.

As she helps the young boy with a game of legos, Jo receives a call with news that could save the child’s life. Jo rushes to find Alex but runs into the boy’s mother, breaking the news they might have found a blood donor match for Gus, who has a unique condition that makes transplants almost impossible.

Alex and Jo plan for the surgery, celebrating the fact they found the rare match for the little boy, when Alex attempts to talk to Jo about how she’s been feeling. She admits she is happy to have come into work that day, but seems hesitant.

The transplant hits a snag however, when the other hospital reveals they thought Gus was the donor rather than the recipient. The misunderstanding leaves Jo heartbroken, especially since she gave her husband and the boy’s mother false hope.

While she avoids revealing the tragic news, Jo runs into Ben Warren (Jason George), but after saying she screwed up she runs away. She tries to ask Teddy (Kim Raver) to try and find a blood match anyways, but after she says it is not possible, Jo starts to have a panic attack. Teddy tells Jo she doesn’t seem like herself and she can be there for her if she needs, but she again just walks away.

Both Ben and Teddy later go to Bailey (Chandra Wilson) with their concerns about Jo and she comes to a difficult decision. The doctors later find Jo breaking down to Gus’ mother after admitting her mistake. The episode ends on a tragic note as Alex and Miranda stand wondering what to do next to help her.

Jo sparked her tragic crisis back in March after she found her biological mother had been living in Pittsburgh, many years after she left Jo as a baby at a fire station.

The doctor chose to visit her mother to find out the truth behind being left as a toddler, but was not met with a warm welcome. As part of a powerful episode of the drama series revolving around consent and sexual assault, Jo’s biological mother revealed Jo was the product of her rape. Since then she kept all of her emotions to herself, blaming herself for searching for answers about her past.

Will Jo find her way back to her former self? Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.