*Spoilers given!*
The main theme of S15 E19, “Silent All These Years,” was sexual consent, and while it is a topic we are all familiar with, the execution was brilliant. Hats off to Shonda Rhimes and the entire “Grey’s Anatomy” team for this episode.
The first thing in order to prevent sexual assault is teaching our kids and even us young adults right from wrong. Telling them that it is okay to change your mind if at any time you feel uncomfortable, that you have to stop once either person involved is not enjoying it anymore. And this is explained to Tuck, Dr Baileys’ teenage son, with a simple analogy about sports.
The episode gives you all the feels of what a sexually assaulted woman may go through by depicting a current-day rape case. A disoriented woman bangs into Jo and asks her where the ER is. Jo realizes that something is not right and takes over the case. With a little encouragement, the patient tells the doctors that “the kit” wouldn’t prove that her short skirt or the tequila wasn’t at fault, that her husband might think she was just using this as an excuse to cover up her cheating on him.
Finally, the episode shows the long-term impact of a rape case. A person, Jo in this case, coming to terms with the fact that she is a product of non-consensual sex. The episode starts with a flashback of when Jo goes to see her birth mother, where the truth about her conception is revealed. Jo is struggling with the recent truth about her existence and needs time to process it herself before she can tell anyone else about it, providing the important message that giving people the time to come to terms with any major information is important.
The episode touched on many important topics associated with a rape case, including the prevention of sexual assault, the harmful blame often placed on survivors, and the long-term impacts it has on people.