We’ve been waiting for it, and finally it’s here — Japril, the sequel. This week’s episode of Grey’s Anatomy was all about Jackson Avery and his on-again/off-again wife, April Kepner. And you know what? I’m not mad at it.
In full disclosure, I loved the first Japril episode. You remember that one, right? The one that heartbreakingly explored the rise and fall of the couple’s marriage? Yeah, it was brutal. But it was also one of the most beautiful episodes I’ve ever seen come out of any television series.
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Since then, a lot has happened at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital… and yet, Jackson and April are still both single and, whether they would ever admit it or not, have essentially been fighting off the feelings they have for each other the entire time.
So, coming into this week’s episode and knowing the pair was going to be traveling à deux to Montana for a medical case, Japril ‘shippers were on high alert.
Will they or won’t they? Can the couple formerly known as Japril put the past behind them and actually reunite?
Based on what happened in the episode, the answer is apparently yes. Yes, they can. In a poignant turn of events, Jackson meets his father (who seems to have more of a story than Grey’s is letting on) and has the gutting epiphany that the man never actually missed his son.
April proves to be a solid support system, both in the hospital working alongside Jackson to save a little girl’s voice and on the personal front while Jackson wades through his feelings about his dad.
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In the end, April and Jackson wind up in bed together. But the best part of their reunion is that she helps Jackson find his voice again. That’s big, y’all.
That’s not what I want to talk about, though. Sure, I like Japril all right. It’s nice to see them both happy, and particularly happy together. However, what really struck me this episode is what a gosh damn treasure Jesse Williams is.
If ever there comes a time for another Grey’s spin-off (à la Private Practice), I vote for Williams to helm the show.
His performance in Japril the sequel was extraordinary. Sometimes, on these sorts of medi-dramas, it’s easy to get caught up in the flurry of activity and faces and forget just how intentional these actors are in their portrayals of the characters.
Williams is an actor who clearly pours himself into his craft. As someone who has dealt with her own daddy issues in the past, I related in an acute way to the emotional struggle Jackson was going through — largely because Williams portrayed it in such an authentic way.
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All of this coupled with the fact that Williams is such a solid human being — an activist, a humanitarian, a champion of social justice — makes me want to see more of him. Movies? Glancing at IMDB, it appears Williams has at least one movie coming out this year, a thriller called Jacob’s Ladder.
While it would be great to see him on the big screen more, let’s just say I, for one, wouldn’t hate it if Shonda Rhimes used her tremendous wit to spin an entire show around Williams.
Would you like to see a Jackson (or Jesse!) spin-off?
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