Tag Archives: diligent

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Reveals Jo’s Difficult Side Effects From Premature C-Section

Camilla Luddington’s Grey’s Anatomy pregnant character, Jo, survived an emergency C-section — and the premature birth of her twin babies — but she’s not out of the woods just yet.

During the Thursday, January 15, episode of the hit ABC series, Jo was still in the hospital after giving birth to her and Link’s (Chris Carmack) twins. The babies, meanwhile, remained in the NICU, which Jo visited later in the episode.

Link and others at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital noticed Jo had been struggling emotionally after she snapped at several people — including Winston (Anthony Hill). She subsequently developed a friendship with a fellow mom who allowed her to open up about her postpartum hormone drops.

After her new mom friend collapsed, Jo tried to help treat her via speakerphone, which worked temporarily when an intern was treating the woman. But once her friend was stabilized, Jo wasn’t allowed access to her chart, which caused Jo to break out into tears while being wheeled away by Link — without her permission.

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Grey’s Anatomy’s newest episode also explored Jules’ (Adelaide Kane) crush on Winston who remains unaware of Jules’ feelings. Lucas (Niko Terho), meanwhile, was questioned by Simone (Alexis Floyd) for texting his cancer patient while Bailey (Chandra Wilson) and Owen (Kevin McKidd) attempted a risky operation.

Catherine (Debbie Allen) arrived at the hospital with Dr. Laura Kaplan (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) in an attempt to offer Richard (James Pickens Jr.) treatment options after his cancer diagnosis. Despite having concerns about side effects, Richard agreed to Laura’s suggestions.

Grey's Anatomy's Jo Goes Into Labor
Disney/Anne Marie Fox

Pickens, 72, opened up about his own health scare shortly after Richard’s diagnosis aired on the show.

“It’s not the kind of news anyone wants to hear, but to be honest, prostate cancer has run through my family,” Pickens told Black Health Matters in November 2025. “My father had it. He had a lot of brothers; several of them had it. I would have been surprised if I hadn’t gotten it.”

He added: “I’ve got a 90-year-old first cousin, who’s still alive, actually, [and] he had it. His son has it, a couple of his brothers had it. No one, as far as I know, has succumbed to it.”

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Pickens clarified he was diagnosed earlier in the year.

“I started getting my annual physical 34 years ago, and I started my PSA testing when I was 41. I’m 73 now,” he recalled. “My urologist said, ‘Because you were so diligent in that piece of your health, it was to your advantage. We were able to catch it so early because you were being tested.’”

After seeing a specialist, Pickens opted to undergo a prostatectomy.

“We caught it really early, and so they thought that would be the best route to take,” Pickens explained. “I do have a rare variant that you don’t see very often. They wanted to err on the side of caution and keep an eye on it. It was rare enough that they wanted to make sure that they were crossing all the T’s and dotting all their I’s, but they hadn’t seen one that was detected as early as mine.”

Pickens later revealed that he is now in remission, writing via Instagram that same month, “Hi friends, I’m blessed and grateful to be cancer-free. Thanks so much for all the love and support! Get checked!”

Grey’s Anatomy airs on ABC Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET before streaming the next day on Hulu.

If You Have to Watch 1 Drama Show This November, Stream This 1 Now

There are so many great prestige drama shows on streaming, it can be hard to decide which one to watch next.

Thankfully, Watch With Us is here to help you out. We’re highlighting a fantastic drama from the mid-2010s that you have to check out now on HBO Max.

Boardwalk Empire follows the corrupt treasurer of Atlantic City, Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi), in the early 1900s — a real guy from history, but heavily fictionalized in the show.

The show centers on Nucky’s dealings with other seedy criminals and crime bosses, in a Golden Globe-winning turn from Buscemi.

Watch With Us breaks down why Boardwalk Empire should be your next binge-watch.

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‘Boardwalk Empire’ Boasts a Fantastic Roster of Character Actors

When Boardwalk Empire was first airing, it provided something of a jumping-off point for many actors who were lesser known at the time, and have since gone on to do other great work and become recognizable names. Charlie Cox would go on to get a high-profile lead as Daredevil in the eponymous Marvel series, Michael Shannon has become a consistent fixture in prestige films, as have Michael Stuhlbarg, Jeffrey Wright and Julianne Nicholson. Still, there are plenty of veteran character actors you might recognize, like Stephen Root, Stephen Graham and Michael K. Williams, from more popular shows like NewsRadio, The Wire, and Adolescence.

Ultimately, Boardwalk Empire is a wonderful series for watching some of the best “Hey, I recognize that guy!” actors do some of their best work. Frequently embodying complex, unsavory people, the characters of Boardwalk Empire are complicated, flawed and multifaceted. It makes sense why so many of the recurring characters or small roles were filled by actors who have gone on to have bigger careers — it’s a character actor showcase, in need of memorable actors with unique faces who can sink into idiosyncratic personalities with ease.

The Period Production Design Is Meticulous and Immersive

Part of what makes Boardwalk Empire such an engrossing show is its diligent adherence to mirroring the world of Prohibition-era Atlantic City. That’s all thanks to the show’s production design team led by Bill Groom, who received four Primetime Emmy awards for his work on the show. To recreate the feel of Atlantic City in the 1920s, extensive, painstaking research was conducted.

The production design team created an elaborate, multi-block boardwalk set in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The team also combined historical detail with creative license, such as in the case of the recreation of the inside of the Ritz-Carlton hotel, which was embellished to match Nucky’s character. While some sets were hand-crafted, other scenes were shot on location in various Brooklyn interiors. With such care and depth put into the show’s tangible atmosphere, it’s hard not to get wrapped up in its world.

‘Boardwalk Empire’ Is One of HBO’s Best Dramas Ever

While Boardwalk Empire must balance an ambitious web of characters and subplots, it’s in juggling these complex relationships where the show shines the best. This intricate storytelling is at once dense and narratively rich, focusing on the ever-evolving dynamics not just between contentious criminals but also various friendships, families and romances. These relationships are given time and satisfying arcs, with characters who possess a refreshing moral complexity.

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Indeed, it’s this very moral complexity that adds to the character drama that Boardwalk Empire excels in. Since almost every character on the show exists in an ethical gray area, the show explores a banquet of complex themes pertaining to greed, corruption, the American Dream, generational trauma and class conflict. Ultimately, watching Boardwalk Empire is akin to digging into a great novel — satisfying, philosophically rigorous and replete with engaging melodrama.

Stream Boardwalk Empire now on HBO Max.