From Shonda Rhimes, creator and writer of "Thanks For The Memories"

Episode Airdate: 11/20/05

So, Thanksgiving.

Writing this episode was a bit of an exercise in torture for me. Don’t get me wrong – it was fun. It’s always fun. But for the first time, the majority of our interns are outside the hospital. Which meant figuring out a way to have medical cases without having “medical cases”. How was I going to have patients? You need patients on a medical show. That’s why they call it a medical show. So I sulked. Then I lay on the floor of my office for a while and thought about running away to Italy. Then I opened my office door and told everyone that I would never write again and that my career was over. Then I ate a lot of candy. And then I came up with an idea. Enter…the turkeys.

I like to call them Turkey One and Turkey Two.

Turkey One is the bird that Burke and Izzie spend the day cooking. Did you watch the pilot episode? If you did, then you know that Burke talks George through an appendectomy. It's a pivotal scene for me, as it was the very first scene I envisioned when creating this show –- it’s essentially what started the show, the idea of one poor surgeon being labeled as “007.” That scene is called back, almost word for word, in the Thanksgiving episode. Joe and Walter bet on Izzie’s moves, Burke yells “Suction!” and, for the first time on our show, we play a song that we’ve already used before. Yep, it’s the same song from the pilot episode (a great tune by The O.A.O.T’s). What made me happy about Turkey One was that it gave us an opportunity to explore a relationship that had never really been explored on our show – Burke and Izzie. In writing the episode, I discovered how much of a gentleman Burke really is. Out of kindness, he takes over this potential turkey-making disaster and finds a way to bond with Izzie. Which tells us a couple of things about him:

1.) that he can make himself at home anywhere

and

2.) that he is in love with Cristina.

Because why else would he do what he does on Thanksgiving? He loves her, pure and simple. And no one can tell me otherwise. I do wonder if they’ll make it as a couple. Because, I gotta tell you, it killed me to write that Cristina would rather spend the day in the operating room than with Burke. But it was the truth and I had no choice. Just like I had no choice but to let Derek choose Addison. People will tell you I had a choice but I didn’t. Really. I promise. I’m sorry. The characters made me do it! I’M SORRY ALREADY!

Ahem.

On to Turkey Two. Turkey Two is the turkey that George is forced to hunt with family. I really wanted to show more family stuff in this episode because we all have families and, while we all love our families, much of the holiday time spent with our families is ruined by a lot of crap we should have gotten over when we were kids but did not. For George, that’s the idea that he’s always felt like an outsider. You can see George as a kid, can’t you? He’s the one reading a book while his brothers and Dad are watching monster truck rallies. He’s the one winning challenges with the Mathletes while his brothers are lettering in football. George is the runt of the litter and the runt of the litter always ends up feeling like the outsider. What was most important to me, though, was showing the flip side of George’s hostility. As much of an outsider as he is in their life, they are in his life. Which is what made the “Pick a Car” speech his Dad gives so nice, I think. They don’t know how to talk to him, they know he thinks they're stupid, they know he’s in a world they’ll never be in. But they try. So why can’t he? I love seeing this side of George. So much of his personality is explained in this episode. He’s a science geek raised in a family of hunting, shooting, car-talking men’s men. How could he turn out any other way? I love the moment where George is loading the truck at high speed and he takes a moment to laugh with his celebrating brothers. Because the moment his brothers turn away, George’s face turns deadly serious. He wants out of there in the worst kind of way. This is pure misery for him on a real level. Kinda makes you almost sorry you laughed at his syphilis. Almost. But not quite.

Let’s talk about Alex. He played a small but pivotal part in this episode. I like to create moments for him and Meredith. Because, in my head, they are very similar people. Even though Alex can be such an ass, even though he’s arrogant, even though he gave George the Syph. He and Meredith are both lost, both lonely, both former screw-ups who got their acts together. In another lifetime, they would be really good friends. So throughout the season, we watch them pause from time to time to look at each other and see that they are mirrors of one another.

In a lot of ways, this is really Bailey’s episode. I came up with this story line because, every once in a while, someone will meet me and underestimate me. I’m fairly round, I wear a lot of pink, I tend to forget how to talk when I’m nervous – people tend to ignore me. Which, let me tell you, pisses me off. And I thought about how that must happen to someone like Bailey all the time. She’s short, she’s cuddly cute and she doesn’t say much to strangers – she doesn’t look like you’d assume a hot shot “Nazi” surgeon would look. So the fact that this guy would assume the Nazi is a man, that Bailey might be stupid, that he can talk to her like she’s an intern…well, let the fireworks begin. What I love is that Bailey (who always lets people have it – here in the writers’ building, we call them “Bailey’s Arias”) never lets this guy have it. All she says is “Happy Thanksgiving”. And that’s more biting than any aria she could deliver.

And, oh yes, the Mer/Der of it all. I love this couple. LOVE. LOOOOOOVE. I love watching them together, I love imagining what they will say to one another, I love watching McDreamy be McDreamier than I ever McDreamed he could be. LOVE. So it’s been a little hard on me what with him choosing Addison and leaving Meredith behind. I have been suffering. (Yeah, yeah, I know it was my idea but still…can I not hurt?) What I needed was a bit of closure. A bit of a sense that Meredith was gonna be okay. And a sense that Derek would never be the same for having lost her. So, to get all metaphorical, Holden -- the sleeping patient -- is Meredith. She’s the one who woke up to find that everyone has moved on without her. She’s the one trying to figure out how to get through this. There’s that moment at the end where she tells Derek that it is good that he’s trying, that if he didn’t try, he wouldn’t be the guy she fell in love with. And she’s got these glittering tears in her eyes. She’s dying inside but she’s right. If he didn’t try to make his marriage work, he wouldn’t be McDreamy. I tried to find a way around that but that’s a fact. McDreamy would try. McDreamy would do everything he could. But she also asks Derek if he loves Addison. And Derek says “I don’t know.” Which gives us a little bit of hope. You hear that? We have a bit of hope. Okay, not hope for next week’s episode because I saw in the promos that Meredith might be kissing someone else but eventually…all my fingers and toes are crossed. Keep hope alive.

About Addison…Maybe you can try to feel a little sorry for her? See how hard she’s trying? See how much she’s suffering for her mistake? Give the woman a chance. She didn’t mean to show up and bust up our Mer/Der love. Okay, maybe she did but still…she’s a good person. And she’s no longer wearing the salmon colored scrubs.

Last thing: our bartender, Joe. Joe is gay. Now, I knew Joe was gay this whole time. I’ve known Joe was gay since I wrote his first lines. Joe has always been gay. What I wanted to do was let Joe be gay without it being a “thing”. Without having a very special coming out episode of Grey’s Anatomy. I hate "very special" episodes of things. So instead of being very special, I made it as “unspecial” as possible. Here’s Joe, here’s Joe’s boyfriend. Whatever. Moving on. It’s one piece of who Joe is as a person. There are more pieces. You’ll learn about them. In time.

Okay, I’ve rambled on and on and on. Go eat your turkey. Go be with your families and friends. Thank you for watching the show.

And Happy Thanksgiving.

Comments

[LaurenD]

I am a college senior and fell in love with your show. My roommates and I had made Sundays - Greys night but its not much fun anymore. We decided to go to Ladies Night at the local bar from now on ---please tell Meredith to join. There are alot more fish in the sea and life doesn't have to be such a drag.

[Stephanie]

I miss the old Greys from the first season. It was a bait and switch. I refuse to watch anymore.

[Kira]

Thank you for a great Thanksgiving episode -- it made me laugh and tear up all at the same time. LOVED PRESTON BURKE! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE MAKE CRISTINA REALIZE HOW MUCH HE LOVES HER AND HOW MUCH SHE NEEDS TO LET HER WALLS DOWN AND LOVE HIM BACK!!! They're so great together, a lot of us would die if they didn't stay together. Yes, their conflicts are interesting but only because we think they will stay together DESPITE those conflicts. Ultimately a ton of us fans out here LOVE THEM TOGETHER! I saw a bright light at the end of that tunnel this episode when Dr. Bailey, during the wishbone surgery, acknowledged Cristina's relationship with Burke and said that he would have made a good father. Now Cristina knows that someone she respects and admires has accepted and even approves of her and Burke being together. PLEASE don't disappoint us -- he's so sweet and loving toward her; I know she's got the same capacity for love inside of her but she may be afraid to show it right now. Please don't let this relationship falter -- Meredith/Derek/Addison is more than enough angst for now. Cristina and Burke would be wonderful as the stable yet intriguing couple of the show!

[Sarah]

My girlfriends and I watch your show religiously every week. Cristina is our favorite character on your show and has been from the beginning. However, we'd like to know why she must be portrayed as so one-dimensional. She's ambitious, driven, hardheaded and goal-oriented. Okay, we get that. But that's ALL we see of her. The way she behaved on Thanksgiving was abysmal -- abandoning Burke who turned out to be a real sweetheart was unforgivable. Why can't she be an amazing surgical intern who also has a heart, at least for the one other person on the show who can truly understand her drive and her need to excel because he's the same way? You've given Burke room to grow and reason for us to love him but you've denied Cristina that same grace and she continues to come across as a total b***h. My friends and I think she should at least embrace the kindred spirit she's found in Burke. Even if she refuses to show a kindhearted side to anyone else in the world, she should show it to him. He's trusted his heart to her, she should at least make an effort to do the same with him. Otherwise, why should we keep wanting to know her if what she is on the surface is ALL that she is inside? Just our opinion as big fans of your show!

[Jessica S.]

Hope, we have hope. That is enough for me. I LOVED this episode. It was so phenominal I dont have words for it.

[Diane T.]

I've been a fan of Grey's from the beginning and it's gotten better every episode and the Thanksgiving episode was no exception. I can't wait until this Sunday! Keep up the wonderful work!!!

[Pam in Janesville]

I thank you for writing such a complex and satisfying show - Like the voice over effect of Meredith's....and while I am not a fan of Addison either, the fact that Derek is making the attempt to save his marriage really IS what he brings to a relationship, and adds much to how Meredith sees him....and what gives him the substance and heart we see in the day to day of the hospital. You also got tears from me when I realized Meredith was scrubbing in late on Holden's surgery, just in time to see him pronounced...and to see his son did indeed return to see his dad *sniff*. Great job, hope you get to do this for a long time !

[Stephanie]

Ok first I love the show. I am not a tv watcher but I am totally hooked. Next what kind of jeans did McDreamy have on in this episode? I really need to get some for my McDreamy husband!! they look kind of like vintage Levi but no sure. Please post the brand. Thanks! keep up the awesome story line!!!!!

[Lisa]

I really enjoyed this episode and post. One thing really struck me though. I understand how Alex and Meredith are similar, but I feel like more is being read into their similarities. It’s obvious from the few Mer/Alex moments this season that they can really understand each other now that both have been knocked down by Derek and the USMLE Step 2 (just wait till Step 3). This post seems to imply more screw ups. What are they? How have these characters gotten their lives back together? Mer doesn’t have love and Alex hasn’t retaken and passed his boards yet. Would these 2 really have been friends in another life? From day 1, these two characters did not get along and seem to only now have found common ground.

On a side note, I am a medical student who has never stood in one place or walked for so long in my life. It’s mostly the standing that gets me. During the episodes I notice that Addison--the prettiest, smartest, most self-confident women that I love to hate--walks around in stiletto-like heels. How does she do it? It only makes me hate her more. I know I would appreciate a shout out to all the real-life medical students and professionals whose feet hurt at the end of the day (as I’m sure many other professionals’ feet do too).

Keep up the good work

[JD]

AS much my wife and I enjoy watching the show week in and week out I do wish whom ever wrote the part about George and turkey hunting with his brothers and dad it would have been a little nicer had you bothered to check and see that they was hunting turkeys out of season so you showed them infact being poachers... A little more research would been nice...Try not to drop the ball so bad again

[sj]

my vote is for derek to stay with addy and maybe meredith can fall in love with george. i gues i am just a true romantic:)

[Katja]

Oh man, I LOVE this show! And after reading this post, I understand the logic behind McDreamy trying to make his marriage work... it's a noble effort, but I think you writers would all be crazy not to get Der and Mer back together eventually. For now, though, I think the way Der and Mer look at each other and try to have civil conversation is... intriguing, I guess? They're both aching for each other but the current circumstances prevent them from saying or doing anything about it. It breaks my heart- maybe I'm a masochist- but it'll make their reunion so much sweeter. As for the rest of the episode, I thought it was amazing. Pure gold like every other episode. Keep up the magic!

[Robyn]

I appreciate you feel bad having the Sheperds reunite. I must say, it has completely destroyed me. The chemistry is zero -- it is too painful to watch. I shall keep hoping that Addison will be off the show in the future. Until then, I have had to say goodbye to my favorite show. My apologies -- it has truly been devastating to give up the most well-written show (with the exception of the Sheperds) since Sopranos. I disagree Derek is being true to his innate character -- otherwise, he would not be so conflicted nor act so childish with Add. Hope to see you down the road. Signing off!

[sophia]

i love you for saying burke loves cristina--because he does. he really does. keep up the good work!!!

[Hannah]

I must admit... Grey's Anatomy is my life! I LOVE IT!! I'm 14 years old and usually a 14 year old would never wish away her weekends... but I can never wait until Sunday nights!! And then... once they're over... I just can't sleep... which would be why I'm here now... but I LOVE YOUR SHOW!! I swear... when the season is over and I have to go a couple of months without this show... I don't know what I will do! And I'm sorry... I have to disagree with you... Addison is NOT a good person. I HATE HER! I love Der/Mer... and Addison is just in the way when she sooo shouldn't be. I don't know... whatever... I'm counting on you to make it all work out! Anyway... every Sunday night during the commercials my little sister and I always talk about if we wrote the show... the couples would be: Meredith/Derrick, (George would be hopelessly in love with Meredith), Alex/Izzi, Christina/Burke and Addison and that stupid nurse that messed with George and is messing up Izzi/Alex... would be gone! And Miranda Bailey... I have to say she is my favorite character on the show. I love her! She is incredible! She is absolutely my hero... and I would wish she was real so that I could know her... but I know someone KIND OF like her... so its all good. Anyway... thank you sooo much!! You are one of my heroes!! Your show better never be cancelled... my life would cease to exist!

[Wanda]

Last week's show was wonderfully written - tonight (I'm sorry - I don't know which writer I'm referring to) was way, way TOO far over the top. Please - broken penis. People simply wouldn't be that crass in front of a patient/lover. Last week (the Thanksgiving show) was beautifully complex, real, crazy, over the top (but not too far), and enough to have me hooked on a show for the first time in decades (literally). Tonight - I was ready to turn it off. Too much sex - no love interests - it lost it's pull (for me). Fix it!!! I want the old show back. And in spite of the fact that I'd love to see Meredith & Derek together, the fact that the writers put the spouses back together - wow - that was real, tender, tear-jerking, and so much more like reality than the stupid "broken penis" show tonight.

[Diana]

Dear Shonda,

I love your show and your intelligent casting of engaging characters instead of tired stereotypes. The Thanksgiving episode was one of my favorites because we got to see Burke in a whole new way! But I have to agree with your uncertainty about Burke and Cristina's future together. Frankly, I'm not even feeling the chemistry. You're right, the characters are talking to you - the fact that Cristina left Burke to go to the hospital tells me that deep down she needs someone else.

But revisit the Thanksgiving episode and you'll see what's cooking in the kitchen is Burke-Izzi dynamic (during both the meal prep scenes and the dinner scene just before everyone walks in)...there was a magical spark between them that only needs a whisper of a kiss to catch fire. Why not take us there...?

In any case, keep up the fantastic writing!

[kodi]

i love,love,love the show! sunday nights gotta be abc! ga rocks!

[Chris]

Grey's a great show! My whole family watches it (including my dad, can you imagine?! Hehe). Thanks for this! :)

[Cynthia]

Shonda, your show is a hit! I enjoy tuning in to "Grey's Anatomy" each week! I haven't watched evening drama shows in many, many years. But for sure, I won't miss my "G.A." (I've asked my friends to tune in also.) I love the interaction between the characters and the smooth background music. Having been a licensed clinical social worker in some of the best LA hospitals, I have had co-workers who are very much like your interns. It's interesting to watch them work at "staying on top of their game" at the hospital while desperately trying to build a relationship with someone that they can trust and be real with. I get tickled with how intense they can be! Even the simplest thing can get convoluted (Burke and Cristina having their restaurant "date"; the Thanksgiving dinner at Izzie's...) When the toughest of them show their tears (Cristina, Bailey, Addison) it hits home that surgeons are people, too!

Shonda, thanks for choosing a marvelous and believable cast. You and the other writers are "the bomb". Keep writing great people stories and we will keep watching. Listen--my husband is even watching (but he pretends not to be as interested as I am...)
P.S. it was a pleasure to read about you in EBONY magazine a few months ago.

[Kirstin]

This episode was so great! There was definately a needed closure for Derek and Merideth but, also some hope. I love that this show is not just about them though. This episode was so creative in telling other stories. I love knowing more about George. Brillant, by the way, of revealing Joe's sexuality. It didn't even occur to me until I read this blog that he's gay, but I watched the scene in which he introduced his boyfriend! Great!!!!!!! I love the depth that is revealed about each character in little snipits every week! This show is great- not that you need me telling you:) Keep it up!!!!!

[T.Rudd]

What is McDreamy Doing??It is just out of character. As the Creator you want Derek to have some sort of moral fiber but why is he still growing emotionally intimate to Meredith. What is the point? You don’t continue to express your deepest emotions to someone you broke up with. Unless you don’t want to let them go …. Which if that is the case THEN STOP YANKING MY CHAIN.

[Sabrina]

I love the show and I loved this episode, but I'm quickly losing interest. I understand why Derek has to try to fix his marriage...that's the kind of guy he is, but I hate watching him with Addison. There is absolutely no chemistry between those two. It was his chemistry and sexiness that drew me in to begin with. He just seems very miserable and morose. The martyr...let him try, but he can't succeed. If he stays with Addison permanently it won't be believable at all! He is uncomfortable and unhappy with her and did I mention that they have NO chemistry?

[Lisa R.]

Hello to the whole cast of GA - you should be very proud of your well written, captivating show!
I take everything in from the first credit line of the show to the music and cinematography (I even notice the background scenes and even how the extras are stategically placed in the shots).

To Shonda and writing staff: I hope you read all these comments and bulletin board entries because you have a hit on your hands - congratulations!
And also wanted to tell you that your community of fans are smart, witty, funny and appreciate your intelligent scripts - your show is #1 to us!

[William Hays]

You said, "Because, I gotta tell you, it killed me to write that Cristina would rather spend the day in the operating room than with Burke. But it was the truth and I had no choice."
Hmmm.
As I remember the story, Cristina couldn't find any alcohol to drink, and had to leave her friends and Thanksgiving dinner in order to go to the store and buy some.
ie, it's a show written "by Alcoholics, for Alcoholics."