2.18 "Yesterday"

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2.18 "Yesterday"; Original Airdate 2-19-06
Topic Started: Jul 18 2009, 07:31 PM (17 Views)
oncetherewasaway	Jul 18 2009, 07:31 PM Post #1
McEditor Posts: 1,625 Group: .Grey Girls. Member #23 Joined: October 25, 2006	Writers Blog 2.18 "Yesterday" wrote the teleplay Krista Vernoff Original Airdate 2-19-06 So, apparently, some folks are getting a little antsy for this blog. I know, because yesterday, Shonda emailed me and said “The fans are FREAKING OUT. You have to post your blog before they riot.” This email came as a surprise to me, mostly because I thought yesterday was Sunday and I didn’t realize my episode had aired yet. Weird, yes, but this was a holiday weekend and I was in Palm Springs having a MUCH NEEDED holiday with my husband and I got confused from all the sleep. Sleep will do that to you. I have the best husband. I am madly in love with him. Weekends in Palm Springs, where we got married almost two years ago, are about my favorite thing in the world. Really. We are so in love that when we go to parties at Shonda’s house, she frequently YELLS at us from across the room, “STOP LOVING EACH OTHER SO DAMN MUCH.” True story. I am living the dream. And aren’t you already a little bit annoyed with me, like, one paragraph in? The point here is that while I love my marriage, it would not make for interesting television. It really wouldn’t. The script would look something like this: Krista and Kevin are snuggling on the couch in front of the TV. KRISTA: I totally want the bald guy with the two step kids to win this year. KEVIN: You don’t think Paris should win? KRISTA: Okay, yeah, maybe. But they should definitely be the final two! And they snuggle some more as the wailing sounds of American Idol rise in the background. Seriously. Would you tune in next week? I don’t think you would. The critics would call us “saccharine” the fans would call us “boring” and ABC would cancel us. Now, if you cut back in time say, 10 to 15 years? My life then might have made for interesting TV. I could tell you tons of stories, but I’m gonna focus on one. I had this friend. I will call him Jim because that doesn’t at all resemble his name. Jim and I went to college together but we had actually known each other since we were 16. And Jim had had an intense crush on me since we were 16. And he was the nicest guy in the world and one of my closest friends. And I knew how he felt about me – because how could I not? And for this reason, I didn’t cross that line with him for a long, long time despite many drunken occasions when it would have been easy to do so. And then one night I did. Why? Because we had graduated from college and we were living in New York and I was in a constant state of “what am I going to do with my life” terror and he was there. And he was safe and familiar and so incredibly kind. And I wanted that kindness in my life very badly. I wanted to be a healthy woman who would choose the nice guy who loved me and stop chasing the sexy, unavailable guys who didn’t. And so, even though I had high hopes in the moment that I crossed that line, it didn’t go very well in the long run. Because at 22, I wasn’t that healthy. And I hurt a dear friend. And the friendship suffered for it. But eventually, it was a good thing because he got over me and met and married a woman who loved him back. And now we’re friends again. True story. And despite all this life experience? I was, for a very, very long time, WILDLY OPPOSED to Meredith and George hooking up. Like, shouting matches in the writer’s room opposed. Like, storming down the hall to my office and eating vast quantities of Trader Joe’s dark chocolate opposed. I was afraid people wouldn’t forgive Meredith. I wanted very much for Meredith to be healthier than she is. Because now, at 34, I’ve had several years of therapy and it’s hard for me to conceive of making the kinds of decisions that Meredith makes. But Meredith isn’t me now – she’s more like me then. Which, as I mentioned, makes for better television. And even knowing all of that, I was still opposed. Until Shonda had the flash of inspiration that the Mer/George hook-up should come on the heels of Meredith going to see her father. It was like the clouds parted. And suddenly, I completely got it. And I completely forgave Meredith. Here’s why: My Dad died five years ago today (2/21/01). It sucked ass in a way I find it difficult to describe. The whole month of February sucks for me and on 2/21 every year, it’s hard for me to get out of bed. The loss of a parent is a pain you can only fully understand when you lose a parent. And Meredith has pretty much lost her mom to alzheimers. And here’s what I think about her Dad: I think that for 20 years, Meredith has, somewhere in the deepest part of her psyche, held on to the fantasy that her dad is out there, just waiting to love her. I think she thinks that when she finally makes the effort to know him, he will open his arms, and open his heart and apologize for leaving and just love her like crazy. The news of Ellis’ affair was the opportunity Meredith had needed to finally forgive him enough to approach him. She gathered what had to be a HUGE amount of courage to knock on his door… And then the fantasy died. Because Thatcher didn’t throw open his arms. He didn’t apologize. He didn’t invite her in. He didn’t have the right words, he didn’t have the right anything. And to Meredith, that had to feel like a death. And then she went to a bar and drank. And then Mark made her hope again, if only briefly, that she could have the man she loves back. And then she went home and stared out her window in a state that I can only imagine was tremendous pain and loss and grief. And then George came in. And poor George DID NOT KNOW ANY OF THIS. He was not there to take advantage of her when she was in a vulnerable state. All he knew was that he had spent the entire day working up his courage to finally, finally make her hear him. And, unwittingly, he said the world’s most perfect things. He said he would never leave her (like her father did). He said he would never hurt her (like Derek did). He said he would never stop loving her. And he was safe and familiar and so incredibly kind. And she wanted that kindness in her life very badly. She wanted to be a healthy woman who would choose the nice guy who loved her and stop chasing the sexy, unavailable guys who didn’t (or couldn’t). And even though she had high hopes in the moment that she crossed that line, I’m guessing, that it didn’t go very well in the long run. I think that’s enough for now. I will try to write again soon to address the other 41 minutes of last night’s episode. Thank you for watching and for caring so much about these characters and these stories we tell. They do, as you may have noticed, come from our selves, from our psyches, from our lives. Putting that stuff on TV every week is sometimes not the easiest thing to do – and it means the world to us that you continue to care and continue to watch. Sincerely, Krista February 21, 2006 in Krista Vernoff Edited by oncetherewasaway, Jul 18 2009, 07:33 PM.



oncetherewasaway	Jul 18 2009, 07:33 PM Post #2
McEditor Posts: 1,625 Group: .Grey Girls. Member #23 Joined: October 25, 2006	Podcast 2.18 2.18



oncetherewasaway	Jul 18 2009, 07:34 PM Post #3
McEditor Posts: 1,625 Group: .Grey Girls. Member #23 Joined: October 25, 2006	Transcript - 2.18 Yesterday Original Airdate: 2/19/2006 Written by: Krista Vernoff Directed by: Rob Corn (Burke and Cristina's apartment) (Cristina is listening to music extremely loudly on her Ipod and dancing by herself in the apartment. She's also brushing her teeth and getting dressed at the same time) MVO: After careful consideration and many sleepless nights, here's what I've decided. (Cristina puts on her jacket) MVO: There's no such thing as a grown up. (Burke enters the apartment after his morning run all sweaty and stares at Cristina. Cristina instantly stops. Cristina starts dancing quite crazily up towards Burke) MVO: We move on, we move out, we move away from our families and form our own. Burke: Oh, no. I'm all wet. (Burke looks amused and Cristina laughs. She tries to get him to dance but he refuses. She moves up to him and removes his jacket trying to get him to dance. Burke tries to walk by her but she stops him and dances in front of him. He starts dancing with her and Cristina lets out a laugh. A mobile rings. Burke moves to answer it still dancing) Burke: Hello? No, Dr. Burke. (Cristina gargles and spits out her paste into the kitchen sink) Yes. (She wipes her mouth on the dishtowel...Burke looks confused on the phone) Yes I'll let her know. (Cristina continues on dancing. Burke dances in front of her half-heartedly) Burke: That was your landlord. (Cristina removes her earplugs from her Ipod and stops dancing) He wants you to know that there's a minor flood in your apartment. Your other apartment! (Cristina has an uh-oh look on her face and Burke looks less than impressed and walks off. Cristina looks after him with a very guilty expression) MVO: But the basic insecurities, the basic fears and all those old wounds just grow up with us. (Nursing home) (Ellis is sitting down on a chair. Meredith is helping herself to some coffee) Ellis: I'm exhausted. Meredith: Me, too. MVO: And just when we think that life and circumstance have forced us to truly, once and for all become an adult ... (Meredith places the coffee and some food on the table in front of Ellis) Ellis: I was going at it all night in the on-call room. What's your excuse? (Meredith stands up and turns around to face Ellis shocked) MVO: ... your mother says something like that. Meredith: Mom. Ellis: I tell ya that man makes me purr like a kitten. Meredith: Mom! Ellis: When he isn't making me growl like a tiger. Meredith: Stop! (Ellis chuckles to herself) Ellis: And my husband wonders why I'm not interested in him anymore. MVO: Or worse. Something like that. Ellis: If he had any balls at all he would leave on his own. (she shakes his head) No. He plays stupid. He's waiting for me to kick him out. I come home with a hickey on my shoulder. (she points to her shoulder) A hickey! For god's sake like I'm a sex-crazed teenager. (she chuckles) Which let's face it these days I am. And what does Thatcher do? Pretends he doesn't see it. (Meredith just looks stunned at the information) MVO: We get bigger, we get taller, we get older. But for the most part, we're still a bunch of kids. (Locker room) (The interns are getting ready for another day. George is standing from afar watching Meredith sitting down in front of the locker just staring at them) MVO: Running around the playground trying desperately to fit in. (George moves to walk up to Meredith. Cristina enters the locker room and pushes past George) Cristina: You know, he's acting like I committed a crime. Like my apartment is full of stolen goods. (George walks off as Cristina dumps her stuff in her locker ranting to Meredith) Cristina: He's acting like I kept my apartment to hide stolen goods so I can do illegal transactions for money. Meredith: Are you sure he's just not acting like you lied about moving in? Cristina (makes a face): Ok, what's wrong with you? Meredith: My mommy's a filthy whore. (Cristina shrugs) (Another part of the locker room where Izzie is getting ready. Alex is standing in front of her giving her a very suggestive look also getting ready) Izzie: You have dirty in your eyes. Alex (grins): You have dirty in your eyes. Izzie (smiles): I'm not doing dirty with you any more. It was a one time lapse in judgment. Alex: Oh it was a 4 time lapse in judgment. Izzie: Yeah well it's not gonna happen again. Alex (disbelieving): Oh ok. Izzie (smiles): I'm serious! We're friends and it didn't work when we tried to be more than that so ... as fun as it was, it's not gonna happen again. (She looks at him like she wants to have sex right there now) Alex: Stop looking at me. Izzie: I'm not looking at you. I'm rounding. Alex: I'm rounding too. Izzie (smiles): Fine. Alex (smiles): Fine. (Patient room. A middle aged man named Chuck Eaton is lying in the hospital bed. Burke is in there standing with Bailey's interns minus Bailey of course) Meredith: Chuck Eaton. 54. Has stage 3B non small cell lung cancer with possible invasion of the pleura. And a history of COPD. He's had extensive chemo-radiotherapy (Cristina shoots Burke a look which he returns) with minimal regression of the tumor. He's been admitted for radical and block re-section. Chuck: I was a smoker. The ah oncologist, he explained that I have a 25% chance of surviving the surgery. Burke: Well unfortunately that's about right. If you should elect not to proceed we can make you more comfortable. Chuck: With all do respect ah- there's no way you can make a man dying a slow death comfortable. I'll roll the dice. (Izzie and George are walking down a hallway) George: How would you say I looked today? Would you say I looked nice? Izzie: Well I say you could use a little more lip gloss but yes you're very pretty. George (smiles): Oh you're mean. Izzie: I'm just kidding. You look fine. George: Seriously, how's my breath? (He breathes onto her face) Izzie: George. Would you just talk to her? George: Who, what... Izzie (interrupts): Oh! (Further up ahead she sees Cristina, Meredith and Alex standing with Bailey holding her baby boy Will. She walks up to them) Izzie (in a baby voice): Good morning Dr. Bailey. Hi, big boy! Bailey: Are the OR's up and running? Cristina: Ah yeah fully functional. Except there's some smoke damage to the corridor. Bailey (to Meredith): How bout you? You fully functional? Meredith (nods): I'm fine. How's your husband? Bailey: Take him home tomorrow. (Will makes a cute noise and Bailey does a little baby voice as well) Yes we are. Yeah. Yeah. Izzie (joins in): Oh, you're cute. I know you are. Bailey: Okay this is not a tea party. Go work. Save some lives. (They disperse quickly) Now! (Bailey chuckles and walks down the other way) (Patient room where a teenaged boy named Jake Burton is lying in the hospital bed. Jake has very prominent bony structures on his face making it appear a lot larger than normal. Derek, Cristina, Alex, Izzie, George, Meredith and both Jake's parents are there) Cristina: Jake Burton. 15. Has advanced craniodiaphyseal dysplasia. Was admitted last night after complaining of headaches. Mrs. Burton: He's not a complainer. Mr. Burton: He's been having some nausea as well. Derek: Okay may I? (The parents move aside and Derek moves close to the bedside) Jake, can I get you to sit up please? Jake: Sure. Derek: Right okay. I want you to look right here for me. (He holds up a finger in front of Cristina. Jake looks directly at Cristina) Thank you. (Cristina looks a little uncomfortable and shifts her gaze as Derek checks Jake's eyes) Jake: You know you could pretend I'm a lion. It helps. Cristina: Sorry? Jake: You could pretend I'm a lion and then instead of a really messed up kid you get a talking circus animal which is way easier to look at. (Derek chuckles) Derek: Dr. Yang what's our immediate concern? Cristina: Ah that the bony tumors are growing inward and encroaching on his brain. (Derek nods) (Meredith is typing at a computer standing up at a nurses' station. A very, very hot young man wearing a leather jacket comes up to her and peers over her shoulder. His name is Mark) Mark: Invasive non-cell. With a history of COPD. (he shrugs) That guy's pretty much a goner, huh? Meredith: Sensitivity. I like that in a stranger. Are you new here? Mark: Visiting. Confounded by all the rain and it's only my first day in town. Meredith: You get used to it. (Meredith moves away from the comp and a few feet away. Mark follows her) Mark: Makes me wanna stay in bed all day. Meredith: We just met and already you're talking about bed. Not very subtle. (Derek stands up noticing him through the window of the adjacent office behind the nurses' station. Addison comes up the hallway and looks shocked) Mark: Subtle has never been my strong suit. So ... do you ever go out with co-workers? Meredith (smiles): I um...make it a rule not to. Mark: Then I am so glad that I don't work here. Meredith: Are you hitting on me? In a hospital? Mark: Would that be wrong? Meredith: Meredith. (George is also looking through the window annoyed. They shake hands. All of sudden Derek punches Mark really hard across the face. Mark falls to the ground) Derek (shakes his hand): Aah! Meredith (stunned): What the hell was that?! Derek: That was Mark. (Conference room where Derek is now sitting down. Addison puts an ice pack on it and Derek removes it. Richard is pacing around angrily. Addison sits a few chairs away from Derek) Richard (angry): Punching out people on my surgical floor! My head of Neurosurgery punching out people on my surgical floor! A ddison: Put the ice back on your hand. Derek: My hand is fine! Richard (angry): Put the damn ice on your 2 million dollar a year hand! (Derek places the ice-pack back on his hand) Now, would someone tell me what the hell happened? (Derek gives Addison a look) Addison: That was Mark. Richard (more calm): Who's Mark? Addison: He and Derek used to work together back in New York. ... ... And umm... They ah... We were all close friends. ... Until, Derek found us in bed together. (Richard is silent for a moment) Richard (to Derek): You put your weight behind it? Derek: Yes sir. Richard (nods): Well, alright then. (He leaves. Addison places her head in her hands) Derek: What the hell is he doing here? Addison: I have no idea. (Trauma room where Meredith is cleaning up the large cut on Mark's face) Mark: Derek and I always did have the same taste in women. Meredith: Excuse me? Mark: You're Derek's lusty intern, right? Heard about you all the way back in New York. You're famous. Meredith: Hmm, well I heard about you all the way here in Seattle so I guess we have a lot in common. Mark: We're the dirty mistresses. Meredith: I suppose we are. Mark: My 400 dollar an hour shrink says that because behind this rugged and confident exterior, I'm self destructive and self loathing to an almost pathological degree. Meredith: Hey, we do have a lot in common. Mark: You know it's funny, Derek...(he turns to face Meredith but she grasps his face so he's staring straight so she clean the wound on his cheek) Derek walks in on me naked with his wife actually in the throes. And he just turns around and walks away, but he sees me so much as talking to you and I'm on the ground bleeding. Interesting, don't you think? (Meredith doesn't respond. She places a towel on his shoulder and moves to start suturing his face) Mark: What do you think you're doing? Meredith: You need stitches. Mark: I know. (he holds up a mirror) Hold the mirror. (Meredith gives him a look and hands him the surgical tools. She takes the mirror from him and stands in front of him so he can stitch it up himself) (Out the window you can see Cristina, Alex, Izzie and George all watching from the nurses' station) George: Why is he suturing his own face? Cristina: To turn me on. Alex: Cause he's Mark Sloan. He's like the go-to plastic surgeon on the East Coast. George (shocked): That's the guy Addison was sleeping with? Izzie: You can't really blame her, can you? Cristina: No, not really. George: Yes you can. (Meredith comes up to them) Meredith: McSexy wants an x-ray to check for fractures and I think it's a bad idea if I take him. George: Why? Why? Alex: I'm on it. (Alex leaves) George: Why is it a bad idea? Cristina: McSexy? Meredith: No. Izzie: McYummy. Meredith and Cristina: No. Meredith: McSteamy. Cristina: Oh there it is. Izzie: Yep. (she chuckles) (They all look at Mark through the trauma room window) George: Uh, just ah choking back some McVomit. (He walks off) (George and Izzie are putting on some yellow gowns getting ready to enter the Pit) George: I saw her first! The night she met Shepherd, I had her ear. We talked. And I can't even remember what I said. Izzie: You know how when you haven't had sex for a while and you sort of forget how good it is and you don't really need it as much? George: Yeah, that doesn't happen to guys. (George moves behind to tie up the back of Izzie's gown) Izzie: It's like a beast. A beast that was asleep for a long, long time and now, the beast is wide awake! And wants to be fed. And the food that Alex gave it was good food George. (George yanks back Izzie's yellow gown) George: Something needs to be done about your taste. Izzie: Oh! You're just jealous because your beast is still asleep. George: Heh! My beast isn't asleep. My beast never sleeps! (They rush outside to meet the incoming ambulance) (Meredith is peering into Mr. Eaton's room. She enters and sees that Chuck is assembling a video camera) Meredith: Mr. Eaton. Do you need a hand with that? Chuck: Ah if you could set up the tripod that would be very helpful. Meredith: Are you...what are you doing? Chuck: I'm dying dear. 1 in 4. I ah, I've never done well with odds like that. Some people are lucky. I just never have been. The camera is for posterity. Saying good-bye. Meredith: Do you want me to hold the camera for you? Chuck (teary-eyed): You're very kind. Thank you. (He sits more upright and Meredith turns on the video camera. Chuck wipes his eyes and removes his oxygen tube) Meredith: Okay, we're recording. Chuck: This, this ah this is a message for Susie Zelman. My college sweetheart and the love of my life. (Meredith smiles at this) Susie, I loved you with my whole heart. And I never would have stopped loving you if you hadn't been a vilest (Meredith looks shocked) whore to have ever walked the planet Earth. You deserve that- that drunken imbecile that you slept with and then married. And then at the reunion I met your ugly children, I, I knew that you had done me a real favor! I am so deeply happy that I never have to see your face again. ... Love, Chuck. (Meredith doesn't look too impressed. He puts his oxygen tube back in) Could you please put in a fresh tape dear? (Alex and Mark are looking at x-rays of Mark's face in the x-ray viewing room) Alex: I read about that jaw reconstruction you did using a micro-muscular free transfer from the foot. Mark: You interested in plastics? Alex (nods): Absolutely. Mark: Might want to consider a transfer to New York or Los Angeles. You're not gonna see any heat up here. Alex: Actually, have you ever seen an advanced case of craniodiaphyseal dysplasia? Mark: Lionitis? (Alex nods) (Incoming trauma case. A young woman named Pamela is being wheeled on a gurney by the paramedic named Jill down a hospital hallway in the Pit. George and Izzie and other E.R. doctors are wheeling the gurney as well) Jill: Restrained driver in a minor MVC. Vitals are stable but witnesses saw seizure activity behind the wheel. (They move her onto a hospital bed in the Pit) Pamela: I really don't think I even need to be here. Izzie: You should really let us determine that ma'am. Jill: Witnesses say she was screaming, shuddering and, and cracking her jaw. George: Do you have a seizure disorder that you're aware of? Izzie: Epilepsy? Pamela: Not epilepsy. I don't have epilepsy- Oh no. Oh god it's happening again. Oh no! Oh! Oh! Oh, Oh Ah! (She has a very vocal orgasm) Ah! (She looks upset that just happened) Jill: Was that a ...? George: Did she just have a...? Izzie (breathes out): Orgasm. (Izzie, George and Addison are standing at doorway leading into the Pit) Addison: Spontaneous orgasms? Are you sure? Izzie (smiles): Oh yes. George: Kinda hard to miss. Addison: Okay. (They walk up to Pamela) Miss Calva, I'm Doctor Montgomery-Shepherd. Pamela: It's Pamela. Since we're gonna be talking about you know. May as well get familiar. Addison: Okay, Pamela can you tell me how long this has been happening to you? Pamela: For a few months I guess. Addison: How often? Pamela: About 7 or 8 times a day. Izzie (excited): Everyday? Addison : Eh Dr. Stevens. Izzie: I'm sorry. Everyday? Pamela: Yes. Everyday. Addison: And you haven't seen a doctor about this before? George: It's not exactly something you want to cure is it? Addison : Dr. O'Malley! George: Sorry. (low tone) Is it? (Izzie grins) Pamela: I went to my doctor. He sent me to a shrink. Addison: And he didn't do any tests? (A voice calls out) Mr. Calva: Pammy? Are you back here? (Pamela notices a middle-aged man calling out through the window) Pamela: Oh god no. You called my father?! George: He's your emergency contact person. (Mr. Calva walks up to them) Mr. Calva: Pammy, what happened? You were in an accident? Pamela: I caused the accident Dad. Mr. Calva: You had one of your... Pamela: Episodes. Yeah. Oh no. Dang it. (She grabs a pillow to muffle her orgasm) Mr. Calva (tries to talk over it): She's a junior at UW. She's a math major. Last 3 semesters she made the honor roll. High up in the honor roll. Addison (uncomfortable): Mr. Calva we're gonna run some tests and we're gonna ... we're gonna figure out what's causing your daughter's... Pamela: Episodes. Addison: That's right. Episodes. Ok. (Chuck's room. There is a pile of about 12 tapes made already. He's doing another while Meredith is helping sitting down filming) Chuck: And when you were 14! You stole Laura Brendese right out from under me. You knew how I felt about her! Don't say you didn't know because you knew! And you went for her anyway. What kind of human being does that to his little brother? Meredith: He was 14! Cut him slack for god's sake. Oh. Sorry, I forgot we were recording. Chuck: If you wouldn't mind rewinding just a little bit. Please? (Meredith shuts the video cam and stands up) Meredith: I'm a doctor. Not a videographer and I do need to prep you for surgery. Chuck: But you offered to help. Meredith: When I thought you were saying goodbye. Chuck: I am saying goodbye. None of these people. Not one of them knows how I really feel. My whole life, I've kept it all inside. I, I don't want to carry this with me to my grave. Meredith: You seem like such a nice man. Wouldn't you just rather them remember you that way? Chuck: No. ... Please rewind the tape. (Jake is lying down about to enter an MRI machine. Cristina is standing over him) Cristina: Okay Jake it can get a little cramped in there so you have to try not to move. Jake: Yeah uh this is like my 50th MRI experience. Cristina: Right, sorry. (Cristina presses a button and Jake starts moving into the machine) Jake: It's okay. You have really nice eyes. (Cristina presses the button to stop) I'm just saying you're mostly all surly and hard core but your eyes aren't. I'm really big on eyes. The only part of my face where the tumors aren't growing. Cristina: Yeah, you've got nice eyes. Jake: Yeah? Cristina: Mmm Hmm. Jake: You, you get that I'm jailbait right? (Cristina grins broadly) (Meredith is walking out into the hall. Richard walks by her and up to a nurses' station) Richard: Meredith. Meredith: Chief. ... (she walks up quickly after him) Chief, can I ask you something? Not worked related? Richard: Mmm okay. Meredith: Do you remember my father? (Richard looks up at this) Richard: Of course. Meredith: Do you know why he left? Richard: I believe your mother asked him to. Meredith: Right but do you know why? Richard (shakes his head): No. No I'm sorry I don't. Well have a good day. Meredith: Thanks, you too. (Richard walks off unsettled) (Cristina and Derek are walking down the hall) Derek: Dr. Yang, book an OR please. (They walk to the doorway of Jake's room. Mark is in there with Jake and his parents and Alex) Mrs. Burton: How, how is that possible? Mark: It's precision work. It won't be easy but... (Derek looks furious that Mark is even in there) Derek (interrupts): Dr. Sloan, can I help you with something? Jake: He says he can fix my face. He says he can make me look like normal. (Derek gives Mark a very angry heated look that Mark just stares right back down) (Cristina and Alex are watching through some windows Richard's office where Richard, Mark and Derek are discussing the case very angrily) Alex: What did he say? Did you hear that? Cristina: Did he call him a crack-whore? Alex: You call him that. Cristina: Oh shut up. I'm trying to read lips. Shepherd's gesturing! Big gesturing! (George walks up to them) George: What do you got? Alex: Shepherd, Sloan battling it out. Cristina: Oh it's getting good! Alex: Why what do you got? (George shrugs and acts very casual) George: Just a woman down in the E.R ... having spontaneous orgasms. (Both Cristina and Alex turn to stare at George. They all sprint off. Cristina is a little behind) Cristina: Hey, wait, wait, wait! (Richard's office where the arguing is going down) Derek (angry): That is not the point! Mark (angry): The point is that the kid wants his face fixed! Derek (yells): The point is you wanna get published! Mark: Well yeah and I'm guessing your Chief of Surgery does too. You know how the press love a good before and after shot Richard. Richard (annoyed): Call me Dr. Webber. (Derek looks smug) Richard: Derek out of friendship to you I would very much like to say no to this ... jackass. But as Chief ... Derek (shakes his head): Please don't say it. Richard: Dr. Sloan if you can get the parents to sign a consent form ... (Mark nods) Mark: Round two goes to the jackass. (George, Cristina and Alex are at the doorway entrance to the pit. Pamela is dead across from them with Izzie, Mr. Calva and Addison at her bedside) Cristina: Which one? Which one? George: Twelve o'clock. Pamela: Oh no! Oh no it's happening! (George and the other two walk in a bit. Pamela starts having an orgasm. Cristina and Alex look very amused. Addison notices them and quickly closes the curtain to give her privacy) Addison: Doctors. Is there something you need? George: No. No. (Alex shakes his head) Cristina: No. Addison: Well in that case move on. (They turn around and start heading out back the way they came) Cristina: I don't get what McDreamy and McSteamy see in her. Alex: She's McHot. George: McYeah she is. (Addison is walking down a hallway. Derek comes up in the opposite direction closely followed by Mark. They all stop when they see each other. Derek instantly turns around and walks away. Addison moves to walk away and Mark chases after her) Mark: Oh come on, you're not even a little bit happy to see me? Addison: Go home! Whatever it is you came here to do, just drop it and leave. Mark: Hey we all make mistakes Addison. All 3 of us... Addison (tries to interrupt): Mark. Mark (continues ignoring Addison): but somehow, somehow I lost my best friend and the woman I loved. Addison: Please don't say that. Mark: He doesn't know how we felt. ( Addison looks away) He doesn't know you stayed with me after he left? How do you expect to work out a marriage if you can't even be honest with him? Addison: Why are you here? Mark: For one reason. To bring you home. I miss you, Addison. Addison: I'm in love with my husband Mark. Mark: But he's not in love with you. (Addison looks down) He's in love with that intern and he's not even trying to hide it. Why would even want to stick around for that? (Addison looks at him and then walks away) (Outdoor cafeteria. Meredith and Cristina are already sitting down having lunch. Alex, Izzie and George sit down with them) Alex: I think you're making it up. Izzie: He's not. I saw it four times. (Cristina chuckles) Meredith: What? George: Woman with spontaneous orgasms. Cristina: Oh yeah, uh huh. Meredith: Really? George (to Alex): You're just jealous because you didn't see it yourself. Alex: Totally am. (He gives Izzie a 'dirty' look. Izzie shakes her head at him) Meredith: Spontaneous orgasms? Really? George (to Meredith in a low voice): You look really nice today. Cristina: Any chance they're contagious? Meredith: I mean spontaneous orgasms that would solve so many problems. George (chuckles): It would. It would. (again in a low voice) I think you smell nice too. Cristina: You know it's like you see someone throw up, makes you wanna throw up too. Kinda like that? Izzie: Kinda like. (She glances at Alex. He's grinning and laughing silently at her. She tries not to laugh) You know what? I'm not hungry. (to Alex) Do you hear me? I'm not hungry. Neither is the beast. (She gets up and leaves) Cristina: The beast? Is that like some sly reference to your penis? Alex: Get your mind out of the gutter crack-whore. Cristina: Mmm. (George and Meredith laugh) George: No it's not Alex's penis. It's, you know when you haven't had sex for a long time and you forget how good it is, so you want it less? (Both Cristina and Meredith look at him weirdly) Cristina: Yeah that doesn't happen to me. Meredith: Me either. George: Me either. (CT viewing room where Izzie, George and CT tech guy are waiting for the images of Pamela's scan) George: I grew my hair for her and... Izzie: I know. George: And I don't even think she's noticed. Izzie: You could just try telling her how you feel. (The scans that come up and really blurry) CT Tech: Uh guys, she's moving. Like a lot. (Izzie speaks into the mic) Izzie: Pamela you have to hold still. (You can hear Pamela having an orgasm through the mic. The CT tech looks amused. Izzie switches off the mic) Izzie: Okay. George (amused): That's not helping the beast sleep. Izzie: Ah no. (she shakes her head) No it's not. (Jakes room where Mark is drawing on Jake's face out-lining where he'll be cutting. Cristina and Alex are watching and Jake is looking at it through a mirror) Alex: You're drawing the medial to the tumor. Mark: It's a guideline for what the bone structure should be. Jake: You hear that? I'm gonna have bone structure. (His parents and Derek walk in) Mrs. Burton: Jake. Jake: What do you think am I Dali or more of a Picasso? Mr. Burton: Could you stop doing that for a minute please? (Mark stops drawing. Mr. Burton squats near Jake) Mr. Burton: Jake, Jake I'm sorry. This surgery, the brain surgery is very dangerous. Jake: Oh don't say that. You, you don't get to change your mind. Derek: You know I know Dr. Sloan has made you some big promises ... but the bony tumors inside your skull are bad. Jake: I don't care! Derek: The bleeding will be hard to control. I'm not trying to frighten you. I just want you to understand. Jake: I do understand this...I understand this has nothing to do with plastic surgery. So, so if I'm going to be under the knife anyway then I- Mr. Burton (interrupts): The plastic surgery can be done at some- Mark (interrupts): I'm sorry to interrupt. Derek (interrupts): What you need to understand... Mark (interrupts): Excuse me Jake is actually right. (Derek scoffs) No reason to put him through a second surgery and a second round of anesthesia. (Alex nods) It's much safer to just do it all at once. Mrs. Burton: Honey we just want to focus on keeping you alive. Jake: Come on mom. I almost died when I was ten years old. And then again when I was twelve. And then again last year. But, but I'm still alive. I'm still alive. So, so I say we go for it. Mrs. Burton: Jake. Jake: Look, I...I know that you think I'm perfect just the way I am but ... that's your job to do that. But (he shrugs) ... for once in my life I'd like to think to that someone else thought that. Please? (Mr. Burton looks at his wife who is crying) Jake: Please? (Meredith is sitting in an office behind the nurses' station where she is putting the tapes Chuck made into envelopes. Derek comes up to her) Derek: You've given up surgery to go into clerical work? Meredith: I'm fulfilling a patient's dying wish to send hate mail to everyone he's ever met. Derek: Ah. ... Right now I understand the impulse. Meredith: Me too. Why do people cheat? Derek: That's a good question. Meredith: Why do you think she cheated on you? Were you different then? Were you a bad husband? (He is silent for a bit) Derek: I was ah ... (he sighs and sits down next to her) I was just a little absent. Not that that's an excuse for her. Meredith: Do you think things would have been different if you'd had kids? Derek: Do I think she wouldn't have cheated? ... (he shakes his head) I don't know. (They just look at each other for a bit. Mark comes up to the doorway) Mark: Alright man Jake's ready to roll. (Derek looks annoyed at Mark) I'm sorry did I interrupt something? Meredith: No it's fine. (Meredith and Derek both get up and leave through different doors) (CT room. Pamela is sitting in a wheelchair. Izzie is standing in front of her) Izzie: Pamela you should really try and relax. Pamela (nods): I am trying to relax. The episodes happen when I won't relax. (Izzie helps Pamela stand up) Do you really think you can fix this? Izzie: I uh hate to be insensitive but ah would it be the worst thing ever if we can't? I mean ... (she shrugs) Pamela: You know I like sex as much as the next girl. Like in bed or even private. But when you can't go to the movies or drive a car or go to church with your parents. Izzie: Oh my god. Pamela: You know that dream where you show up at high school and you're naked? Izzie: Yeah. Pamela: Yeah well I would really, really like to wake up. (Izzie nods) (OR where Burke is operating on Chuck with Meredith assisting) Meredith: It's crossed the intra-thoracic fascia? Burke: I'm afraid so. I'm gonna have to go into the chest wall. Meredith: He made 17 hate tapes. Burke: I'm sorry? Meredith: Video-tapes of himself. Telling people how much he hated them. Spewing every hurt feeling he ever had. Burke: And he mailed them? Meredith: No he wanted me to but I don't think it's a good idea. He was scared. He was in shock. He wasn't thinking clearly. Burke: That's not for you to decide Dr. Grey. He asked you for something. You told him you would do it. If you don't, that doesn't make you noble. It makes you a liar. (Meredith glances at him) Did you know she kept her apartment? Meredith: Yeah I did. Sorry. (Derek is performing surgery on Jake. The camera pans up to the gallery where the are a lot of doctors watching including Richard and Bailey with her son) Bailey (to her son): Now, Dr. Shepherd is opening the skull cap. That's what he's doing. Yes he is. (Cristina is watching in the OR as is Alex. Mark is standing near the side ready to start the plastic surgery. All of sudden Jake's heart monitor starts beeping rapidly) Derek: Oh, son of a bitch. Alright I need another unit of blood! (Cut up to the gallery) Bailey: Oh no that's too much blood. Derek: Put in the pressure and fusia. Alex: No carotid. We've got V-FIB. (They all start scrambling and yelling different orders as Jake flat lines. Mark grabs the paddles to jolt Jake's heart into starting) (Up in the gallery Bailey shakes her head sad and leaves) (Back down in the O.R Cristina looks sad as the monitor stays flat-lined) (Empty O.R with Jake's dead body. Cristina and Alex are suturing him closed) Alex: Shame he never had his face fixed. (Cristina looks at Alex thoughtfully) (Cristina and Alex are entering an attending locker room. Mark is standing there looking extremely yummy shirtless) Alex: Dr. Sloan? Mark: Yeah? (Morgue with Jake's body on a table. Cristina and Alex are standing there scrubbed up. Mark comes in) Mark: Alright, I got the parents approval. (Cristina and Alex move to put their scrubs masks on) Mark: You don't ... (he shakes his head) really need those. Alex: Right. Mark: Scalpel. (Alex hands him the scalpel) (Chuck's room post-op. Burke is in there at his bedside. Meredith is standing at the end of the bed) Burke: Mr. Eaton, can you hear me? Chuck: Oh god. Ugh. Burke: Don't try to sit up. You're gonna be in pain for sometime. But I'm please to report that we removed the entire tumor. Chuck (smiles): I'm alive? Burke: Yes sir, you are alive. Chuck: My tapes ... (Meredith holds up a bag filled with envelopes) Meredith: Would you like me to throw them away? Chuck (contemplates): No. I'd like you to mail them. I've said my peace. Sometimes a man has to say his peace. (Meredith is at a nurses' station anxiously looking up a phone book. George cheerily comes up to her) George: Mer! Do you want...I want to take you ... out for a drink tonight. Maybe not Joe's, maybe some place where we can talk? (Meredith just rifles through the phone book not really listening) You know there's something I need...I want (he chuckles) to talk to you about. (Meredith is still looking through the book) It's important. (Meredith rips out a page from the phonebook) Meredith: I don't want to make video tapes on my deathbed George. (She walks away leaving George just standing there) (A house) (Meredith is standing outside and rings the doorbell looking sad. She rings the bell again after a bit. A 50 year old or so man walks up to the door. He peers through the glass in the door and looks stunned as he realizes who Meredith is. He opens up the door. Meredith is standing looking teary-eyed) Meredith: She had an affair. Thatcher: Ye...yes. Meredith: Why didn't you stay and fight for us? (Thatches steps outside and closes the door) Thatcher: I did. I tried. Meredith: Why didn't you try harder? You just left. Thatcher (looks unsure and hopeful): Meredith. (Meredith wipes a tear away) Is there anything you need? Anything at all? Meredith: No. ... I don't need anything from you. (She turns around and walks away) (SGH, hallway) (Derek is entering an empty elevator dressed to go home. Addison quickly stops the doors from closing and hops on the elevator as well) Addison: Hey. Derek: Hey. Addison: I haven't seen you all day. Derek: I didn't want to see you today. Addison (upset): It's not my fault he showed up Derek. Derek: I know. (The doors open on a new floor revealing Mark. Mark steps in and Derek and Addison step to the side. Mark hits a button) Mark: Don't beat yourself up. Derek: I'm taking the stairs. (Derek walks out just before the doors close and Mark holds them open) Mark: Oh come on. (Derek stops and turns around) How come you can forgive her but not me? Derek: I didn't forgive her and with you I have no obligation to try! (He walks away and the doors close. Addison leans back against the wall looking upset and tired) Mark (in a quiet voice): Your marriage is over Addison. All you have to do is admit it. (he walks up close to her) And you can come back home with me. (Addison stares at him) I'm going to the bar across the street. (He gently brushes his hand against Addison's face) Meet me there. (He gets off the lift leaving Addison looking very torn and upset) (Cristina and Alex are letting Jake's parents into the morgue to let them see Jake after the plastic surgery. Mrs. Burton strokes Jake's hair) Mrs. Burton: He looks ... peaceful. Mr. Burton: He does. (They leave the morgue and Cristina covers up Jake's body. She leaves and Alex follows, closing the door behind him) (Burke and Cristina's apartment, bedroom) (Cristina is sitting in bed eating Chinese take out and reading a magazine. Burke enters the apartment and walks into the room. He drops his bag to the floor and removes his jacket) Cristina: Um... (He holds up a hand to stop her talking and walks up in front of the bed and paces back and forth) Burke: I am Preston Burke! A widely renowned cardio-thoracic surgeon. I am a professional and more than that, I am a good and kind person. (he sits on the dresser behind him) I am a person that cleans up behind myself! I am a person that cooks well. And you, you are an unbelievable slob. A slovenly, angry intern. I am Preston Burke! And you, you are the most competitive, most guarded, most stubborn, most challenging person I have ever met! And I love you. (Cristina stares at him) What the hell is the matter with you that you won't just let me? (Brief silence) Cristina: I gave up my apartment 20 minutes ago. Burke: Well alright then. (he walks into the bathroom and closes the door) MVO: I've heard it's possible to grow up. I've just never met anyone who's actually done it. (Pamela's room) (Pamela is in hospital bed and Izzie is prepping her for surgery) Pamela: Dr. Stevens, after the surgery will I still be able to...when I want to will I still be able to have (she glances at her sleeping Dad and lowers her voice) you know, episodes. (Izzie smiles) Izzie: Even better Pamela, you'll be able to have orgasms. (She walks to the window and sees Alex standing at the nurses' station) MVO: Without parents to defy we break the rules we make for ourselves. (Alex looks at her and grins. Izzie grins back) (Walkway outside SGH) (George is sitting on bench by himself looking very unhappy) MVO: We throw tantrums when things don't go our way. (Izzie walks up to George) Izzie: Hey. George (upset): She doesn't hear me. (Izzie sits down next to George) Izzie: What? George: She doesn't even hear me when I talk. Izzie: She will if you make her. (George looks at her) George: You fed the beast didn't you? Izzie (half smiles): Twice. (She shrugs. Alex is waiting for Izzie a few feet way. George rubs her arm and then pushes her away. Izzie giggles) Izzie: I'll see you later. George: Bye. (Izzie runs up to Alex and they walk off together) MVO: We whisper secrets with our best friends in the dark. (Nursing home) (Ellis is standing looking out the window at the rain outside. Richard comes up behind her and sighs) Richard: Meredith came to see me today. Ellis: Hmm. Poor baby. Poor thing. Her father left, you know? Richard: I think she knows about us Ellis. I think she's figured it out. Ellis (bemused): She's 5 years old, Richard. (She chuckles and walks to a seat) (Joe's bar) MVO: We look for comfort where we can find it. (Meredith is sitting at the bar looking contemplative. Mark walks in and sits next to her) Mark: This seat taken? Meredith: I guess not. (He sits down and speaks to Joe) Mark: Double Scotch. Single malt. (Joe nods and Mark looks at Meredith) Mark: You look sad. (Joe lays the drink down in front of Mark) Meredith: I just saw my father for the first time in 20 years. Mark: How'd that go? Meredith: Could've gone better. (There's a bit of a silence) What are you still doing here? Mark: I'm hoping Addison shows up. Meredith (surprised): You're still in love with her? Mark: You're still in love with him. Meredith: She won't show you know. Mark: No? Meredith: He's not the kind of guy you leave if you can help it. Mark (sighs): What if you're wrong? What if just this once ... life comes down on the side of the dirty mistresses? (Meredith half smiles) MVO: And we hope. Against all logic. Against all experience. (Derek's trailer) (Derek is lying down on the bed looking tired. Addison is sitting in another room at the kitchen table, looking upset and if she's just been crying) MVO: Like children, we never give up hope. (Meredith's house) (Meredith is standing in her bedroom, wrapped in a robe looking out the window at the rain. There is a knock on the door and Meredith sighs) Meredith: Come in. (George opens the door and enters and closes it behind him. George walks up to her and struggles to speak for a bit) George: I know I'm not a world renowned surgeon and I know I'm not a lot of things that you've gone for in the past. I know. ... But ... I would never leave you ... I would never hurt you ... and I will never stop loving you. (Meredith is silent and just stares at him. She then places her hands on his waist and he does the same to her. She lifts his shirt off him and they lean in to kiss) ----------------------------------- transcribing credit to : Brandee http://www.tvtdb.com/greysanatomy/ Edited by oncetherewasaway, Jul 19 2009, 08:39 PM.



oncetherewasaway	Jul 18 2009, 07:35 PM Post #4
McEditor Posts: 1,625 Group: .Grey Girls. Member #23 Joined: October 25, 2006	Other Stuff You've got questions, we've got answers... As some of you have already discovered, Shonda took the time last weekend to answer many of the "frequently asked questions" that have been posed to her over the last few weeks. You can find the new FAQ here: http://abc.go.com/primetime/greysanatomy/faq.html It's a work in progress that she hopes to keep updating as the season progresses, and definitely worth checking out. February 24, 2006 in Eric Buchman More questions? More answers! Hey all, just a heads up that Shonda just put some more questions & answers up on the FAQs page at the main site. Enjoy! Frequently Asked Questions - Answered by Shonda Rhimes In response to your pleas, here are some answers to the questions y'all seem to ask most. They are in random order but 'hope it helps! When will the Season 2 DVD be released? The Season 2 DVD will be released on September 12, 2006. On the DVD, what does "uncut" mean? There were several episodes that aired in Season 2 that, were it not for the fact that we only have 42 minutes and 30 seconds of air time, would have been longer. And they were good longer - some of them were even better longer. There were also some moments in episodes that we had to delete because of the rules of Broadcast Standards and Practices. Nothing too racy but perhaps more racy than what is usually shown on television. We go to battle with the extremely kind people at BS&P and sometimes, we lose. Those important moments we lost are restored in the DVD versions of the episodes. Is it possible ever to see the writers breaking story in the writers' room? Our writers' room is super-secret, incredibly crazy, sacred place. It is Narnia. It is Oz. It is…well, some other place it's really difficult to get into. In that room, we talk, we laugh, we eat a LOT of cupcakes, we jog on the treadmill to burn off those cupcakes and most importantly, we come up with the story lines for the season and for each episode. No one gets in. Not the press, not the actors and -- I'm sorry -- not you. You might have heard that I am obsessive about secrecy. It's true. I am. When does Season 3 production start? And when is the Season 3 premiere? Season Three production starts NOW. Like, we're shooting the first episode now. The new season's premiere air date has not yet been officially set by the network. But we air Thursday nights at 9 pm and I'm guessing you'll start seeing promo ads with the air date very soon. Can you tell us anything about your new show with Jeffrey Dean Morgan? No. Again, I'm obsessive about secrecy. You'll just have to wait… Will you be blogging over the summer? I do love to blog with you all. I really do. But I'm gonna be spending the summer writing episodes and so, until we air again, you probably won't be hearing from me. Wait. Just now, I had an idea. We (the writers) can blog the first season reruns of Grey's Anatomy the same way we blogged the second season. Will the show ever appear on iTunes? Honestly, I'm not sure. I'll find out and get back to you. Why has the show moved to Thursday nights? Here's what I was told by Steve McPherson, the head of ABC: Grey's is a strong show that can stand on its own in the 9 o'clock hour. Thursday night is a big night for television and the network would like to see Grey's compete on that night. Here's what I say: Thursday nights rock. I love 9 pm because it means I can stay up and watch my own show. And I think it's kinda awesome that Steve and the network have that kind of confidence in our show. Where do you get the characters' names? A couple of names were thought up by other writers. Kip Koenig came up with the name Denny Duquette. But, mostly, I make up the character's names. They pop out of my head. And then ABC legal checks the names to make sure that, say, there's no surgical interns named Meredith Grey in Seattle. If they clear the name, we use it. If not, I keep thinking. I can tell you that I came up with the name Finn and when searching for a last name, I glanced up to my wall and saw the movie poster for the movie "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge" which hangs over my sofa - and thus, Finn Dandridge was born. When is the first year of residency over? On our show, the first year of residency will be over sometime near the end of Season Three or the beginning of Season Four. Our show is odd in that an episode may air that is actually in real time only moments after the last episode ended. So much less than a year of time has passed on the show since the pilot aired. And I wanted to honor that. How can we (the posters) write YOU? I read your responses to the blogs. All of them. Write me here. Who writes the other blogs? Joe the Bartender's blog is written by my assistant Chris Van Dusen. Nurse Debbie's blog is written by show writer Stacy McKee. And the medical blog is written by research director Elizabeth Klaviter. Will there be another podcast? YES. YES! We love the podcasts. We love podcasting. Podcasting is crazy fun. So absolutely, yes! How much input do you (Shonda) have on the editing? I have incredible, smart, funny editors. And they are kind enough to allow me to sit behind them in the editing room and scream and complain and whine and make all kinds of changes. Editing is my favorite place to hang out. To me, the shows are truly shaped in editing and I enjoy being a part of it. How much of the back story of each character have you already determined? And, have you ever written yourself into a corner where you wish you had done something different with a character's back story? Back stories for characters have been planned from Day One. And we write ourselves into corners all the time. It's part of what I love about the show. Every season, we paint ourselves into crazy corners and then we sit down and figure out how to get ourselves out. How do you pick the song titles for the episodes? Each writer picks his or her own song title. Each writer has their own sensibility and, part of writing an episode, is choosing a song that fits both the show and the personality of the writer writing the episode. Will there be a Season 2 soundtrack? Yes. And it's going to have great songs on it. Executive producer Betsy Beers, music supervisor Alex Patsavas and I are busy choosing the song list right now. Are the character bios going to be updated soon? Yes. The bios will be updated before the premiere of Season Three. In your eyes, how long do you see the show lasting? As long as they'll let me air it. Seriously. I love these characters. I love spending time with them. I can't imagine letting them go. How long does it take to write an episode versus how long it takes to shoot an episode? Writing is an interesting process. First there's the time we take planning the season and each episode. That can take weeks. Then there's the time each writer takes to write an episode. Some people write slowly, carefully going over each line and word. Some spend a long time with the episode in their head and then barf it out onto the page quickly. Me? I'm a barf writer. But both ways result in great episodes. We shoot the episodes in 8 days. 8 fast, furious, exhausting days for the crew and the actors. Can we see a floor plan of Seattle Grace? I'll ask the production designers if that is possible and get back to you. Will you or Peter Horton ever make a guest appearance on the show? I'm not an actor. I don't pretend to be. Acting is serious business and requires this thing called talent. I don't have talent. None. So you're never going to see me in an episode. Now, Horton is a real, honest to God, actor. He's chock full of acting talent. So I'm not ruling him out. But I have tried to cast him in the show before. I tried to get him to play Derek and Addison's marriage counselor. But Peter truly prefers to direct these days and so I have to work on him… How involved are you in directing each episode? Wonderful directors come and give their all to directing the episodes. I have what is called a story meeting where I tell them what is in my head, what I imagine. And then I step back and let them do their thing. Directing is a supremely creative process - honoring the vision of the directors is part of the fun of making the show. Can you give us more information on Jeffrey Dean Morgan? I can tell you the important stuff -- he's very nice, truly talented and more than a little bit dreamy in real life. Why are you nervous for Mer and Der? Because they had sex. And Derek is married. And Finn has plans. Does Meredith's locker keep changing? Yes and THANK YOU for noticing. I'm obsessed with it. That locker…it changed and changed and changed. I thought I was crazy but finally Bossy McBossy Rob Corn noticed it too, confirmed I was sane and fixed it. How is it possible that Callie actually lives in the hospital? Will Callie ever sing on an episode? Is Callie a regular character now? Can we see where Richard or Alex lives? Is McSteamy ever returning to the show? Will we see more of Thatcher next season? Can we have more of Richard's back story? Is Cristina's mom ever coming back? Can we have something on Alex's family situation? Is Izzie really leaving the show? What will happen to Izzie? Why didn't Thatcher ever check up on his daughter? Wait and see. Wait and see. Wait and see. Okay, at this point, you probably want to throw things at me but I can't tell you about plot that may or may not be coming. When will we get background information on Addison and Derek's relationship? Ooooh…really wait and see. How did you come up with the idea of "McDreamy?" Here's a question I can answer. Patrick Dempsey was on the set shooting the pilot of our show. Every day for fourteen hours a day, Betsy Beers and I sat on set watching him. And we like to add "Mc" to things. McTired, McBossy, McSilly. And there was one phrase we kept saying when looking at Dempsey - McDreamy. The man is McDreamy. He is. Look at him. Just look at him. There isn't another word for that kind of sexy gorgeousness. McDreamy. Are we going to be able to read/see Ellis' diary? I don't know. I've been considering it. But I wouldn't want anyone else to write it and I don't have a lot of time - I have to focus on the show itself, first and foremost. How long were Thatcher and Ellis married before she began her affair? Probably about seven years. At the end of Season 1, how did Addison already know about Meredith sleeping with Derek? Richard called her up and told her. That's why she came out. Richard brought her out to Seattle because he didn't like the goings-on between Derek and Meredith. And not because it was an attending and an intern. He didn't like it because he likes Addison and he feels a responsibility to look after Meredith. Why did Bailey seem so angry when Meredith and Derek slept together, but no one seemed to care that much with Cristina and Burke? Or George and Callie? Because Meredith and Derek were the first. They broke the taboo. And because they kept it a secret. In addition, Burke and Cristina were honest and went to the Chief - Bailey doesn't like it but she can't do anything about it. Also, there is an issue with interns dating attendings. But Callie's not an attending - she's a resident. That's not a big deal. Did you write Chandra Wilson's pregnancy into the show, or was that an original storyline? If not, what was the original storyline? Chandra called me and told me she was pregnant. I was thrilled for her. But I knew that hiding a pregnancy on a show almost never works. So I took it as a gift and added it to her character arc. I love the idea of watching a surgeon struggle with how motherhood affects her career. And I love the idea of watching Bailey struggle with managing her tough resident side with her maternal side. Why was Derek more concerned with operating on Burke than the Chief? Because the Chief's surgery was a relatively simple, straight-forward surgery that Derek knew he could perform. The outcome of Burke's surgery was a lot more difficult to predict. Is there really no chance of Denny in Season 3? Denny, like Dylan, is dead. He's really dead. He's so very, very dead. And it breaks my heart. But he is dead. Where are the panties?! Good question. Stick around and find out. How did you select "Chasing Cars" for the finale? We had a lot of songs to choose from - A LOT OF SONGS. So many that it made me a little bit panicked at the thought of choosing. Ed Ornelas, the editor for the second hour of the finale, placed the song "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol as a temp song when he was putting together the episode. And it felt so brilliant, so perfect that I left it in. Thank you, Ed! Where can we get Izzie's prom dress? I will ask Mimi, our costume designer, and get back to you. Okay, that's it for now. Enjoy your summer!!! Is Dylan dead? Dylan is dead. He is not coming back. And he doesn't have a twin brother who is surgeon. Kyle Chandler, who played Dylan, is a very nice guy but he is busy. He is, in fact, making a pilot for a TV version of the movie "Friday Night Lights." Yes, he is cute. Yes, he is as nice as he seems on TV. Yes, we all want to lick him inappropriately. But that does not change the fact that Dylan is dead. Why did Dylan carry the bomb in his bare hands? Because now he's dead and I'm mad and I don't think that bomb squad guys would carry bombs in their bare hands and you are a stupid-head!!! Bomb Squad Guys (BSGs as I've decided to call them - and many of them are, in fact, not guys but women) most certainly do carry bombs in their bare hands. We had numerous BSG specialist-type people working on this episode. They emphasized to us that in a true high pressure situation, the most important thing for safety is that they have maximum control. Which means not wearing helmets that could obscure their vision or big heavy glove things that could make them drop the bomb. Having as little between them and the bomb as possible means they have more control over the situation. They also said that all the helmets and gloves in the world would not have kept Dylan from becoming pink mist should that homemade, unstable device he was carrying decide to explode. FYI, it was the BSGs who said that Dylan would carry the bomb from the OR into the hall where he would then place it into a container. Because picking the bomb up (ie, pulling it out of Mr. Carlson) and putting the bomb down are the two most dangerous moments of bomb removal. See? Not that much of a stupid-head, am I? But how come no one talked about Dylan after he exploded? Because he's dead. And Meredith was in shock. And we only had 42 minutes and 30 seconds for the show. But they grieved. They really did. And, like everything that happens on our show, the death of Dylan will come back up again. Because no way that happens to Meredith without her having some kind of angst. I love angst. Can I have a job working on your show? No. We are fully staffed. In order for me to hire anyone else, someone would have to quit. I went around asking people if they wanted to quit. Apparently, people like working on a hit show - despite the painfully long hours and lack of glamour. Not one was willing to give up their job so another person could have it. Why did you do that with Meredith and George? Why? WHY????!!! First of all, I told you that characters have to do what the characters have to do. In that one moment, Meredith was weak and George was brave and…it happened. But more importantly, Meredith is the one of only a few women on television who is truly flawed. FLAWED in capital letters. Remember, this is a woman who, in the very first episode of Grey's Anatomy, picked up a guy at a bar, brought him home, slept with him and then tried to throw him out in the morning without even learning his name (his name happened to be Derek Shepherd). Her flawed nature is the thing I love most about the character. It's why I wrote the show. Meredith is all of us on our worst and best days. And, at one time or another, we've all slept with a guy friend when we knew we shouldn't (and Dad, if you are reading this, I mean "we" in an "every single woman on the planet but me" kind of way). You know what I'm talking about, you know you do. And here's the thing I really would like you to remember on dark nights when you lie in bed hating my guts: In movies and most TV shows, when two friends sleep together, it's a magical start to a wonderful relationship. In life, it's quite often a hideous beginning to a very long awkward nightmare. I wanted to take a leap and keep our characters honest. Come on and leap with me, people. I've known this was going to happen from the very first day the show started. It's where Meredith and George have been headed from the beginning. They had to have this awful moment so that they could come out the other side. Now, George can see beyond the fantasy to the reality and Meredith can see George as a man more than as a brother. What's up with the music on the show? How do you choose it? Our super-cool music supervisor Alex Patsavas sends music she likes to me and the editors and executive producer Betsy Beers. We all listen and Betsy makes suggestions, the editors try out songs for a first cut and then I sit in a room with the editors and try more and more songs until I generally realize that the editors had the right song in the show all along. Many times, I'll have a song I'm obsessed with that I tell the editors about early on and they do all of their cuts to that perfect song. Like the song at the end of "Break On Through" where the old lady dies and Meredith cries in the linen closet with Derek. It's a crazy system but it works. You can find a listing of each song used in the episodes in the MUSIC section of our show website. And check out our music-casts for more info. Isn't "Grey's Anatomy" the name of a book? No. The book is called "Gray's Anatomy" and it was written by Henry Gray and first published in England in 1858. It's a textbook that was commonly used to educate doctors on the anatomy of the human body. When are we going to meet Izzie's birth daughter? When will we see Meredith's dad again? Is Christina Ricci coming back on the show? WHAT WILL HAPPEN? I can't tell you anything about the future. Why not?! Because it is the future and I hate when you already know what is going to happen on a TV show. But just tell me this: when are Meredith and Derek going to get back together? Seriously? You think I'm answering that question? Seriously? Why do you and the characters say "seriously" all the time? Because Krista Vernoff, one of our valued writers, says it constantly in the Writers' Room. CONSTANTLY. Like, four hundred and fifty times a day. And it is catching. Now we all say it. Seriously. Krista says she caught the "seriously" bug from one of her friends and brought it to work and spread it to all of us. It's an awesome word. Said correctly, it can convey sarcasm, dismay, disbelief, a sense of moral and ethical superiority and gentle chastising punishment all at once. Seriously. Well, what about "va-jay-jay"? That was totally you, right, Shonda? You made that up? 'Cause you're so cool? That was Blythe Robe. One of our assistants. She says va-jay-jay. In reference to her vagina. As in, "I've got to get to the gynie and do the va-jay-jay thing." Blythe is very hip and very funny and way cooler than me. But I do take credit for borrowing the phrase and having Bailey say it on national television in front of 25 million people thus bringing "va-jay-jay" to the world. Where do the scrubs your characters wear come from? Because I'm a doctor and they're scrubs look amazing on them and, in real life, scrubs just hang from the female body like a big ugly sack. Here's my one big nod to the fact that this show is not reality. Our scrubs are perfectly tailored to each actor's body by our very amazing costume department. They have darts and tucks and, here's the key, LYCRA in them. Because I like it when people look good on TV. I really do. When Chandra Wilson (Bailey to you and me) was pregnant and sweetly ever-expanding, we worked hard to make sure her scrubs kept her looking fabulous. For those of you who just want scrubs of your own (and I gotta admit they make damn good pajamas), you can order similar scrubs on the ABC website. They say Grey's Anatomy on them and I don't know if they have the all-important lycra in them but I have some and they are very comfy. I love the blogs but I want to know more and I want to know more RIGHT NOW! We have podcasts! Yes, podcasts! Different interviews each week with actors, writers, exec producers, editors, etc. They are funny and random and give you a lot of insight into how much fun the actors really are or exactly what the heck the writers are thinking. You can check them out on iTunes. They are FREE! More answers will appear as I get more questions… July 24, 2006 in Eric Buchman 2.18 2.18



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