Yeah, it didn't really... I mean, the "your mother is alive" line was in the trailer, and then the actual scene occurred before the opening credits... so by the time the revelation came, we were pretty much expecting it. And it really feels like nothing much happened - they're at pretty much the same place at the end of the episode as at the start.

Gretchen's grown on me this season, yeah... though I don't think I'd miss her, honestly.

That would have been awesome. ^^