From Stacy McKee, writer of "Something To Talk About"

Episode Airdate: 11/6/05

Ladies and Gentlemen - boys and girls! Step right up for one hell of a challenge -- Create a script to follow four unbelievably sweepsy episodes and a show featuring the most heartbreaking, terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad trainwreck ever... Now - GO!

Ok - so maybe crafting this episode wasn't exactly like a crazy carnival ride… but at times, it was close. Not just because it's the first episode yet where Meredith and Derek never once have a real conversation together (and, let's face it, some of us wait anxiously every week for those quintessential McDreamy moments)… but also because - Hello. It's the episode after a trainwreck!!! How on earth do you follow something like that??

The answer is - you don't. At least, not with more of the same. If the train wreck episode made everyone cry (and you know it did -- that sloppy, sniffly, messy but you don't care because you're at home and no one can see you kind of cry)… then as far as I was concerned, my episode should make everyone laugh - hopefully, just as hard.

Enter: the Medical Fascinoma.

In the medical community, a "fascinoma" is an anomaly. A medical mystery. Something so rare or unusual that not only is it uncommon, but it's completely intriguing to the doctors around it. So if one were to show up at Seattle Grace, it would - quite literally - be "Something To Talk About." The perfect medical case to compliment Meredith's obvious character arc in this episode -- she's become a fascinoma herself. She's like a carnival freak show. The entire hospital is talking about her. Perfect.

Only, finding the perfect fascinoma was, as it turns out, easier said than done. I think we went through a good dozen different possible fascinoma cases in the writers' room - and by my final draft of the script, the fascinoma case had changed at least four more times… The more we brainstormed, the more obvious one thing became: What is fascinating to the medical community… is not so fascinating on TV.

For example, picture an episode about… outrageously high liver-function-test numbers. OR, an inappropriately transferred critical patient. OR a particularly slow night at the hospital during which the attending on-call… did NOT take a nap.

Yeah. Not so exciting. And definitely not all that funny.

In the end, the idea for a "pregnant man" came from one of us cracking a joke. "Too bad we can't just do something medically IMPOSSIBLE. Like make some dude pregnant. Now that would be a fascinoma." We all laughed. Things quieted down. There was a moment of silence, and then - it seemed obvious. Why not try?

So, after multiple drafts, obscene amounts of caffeine, and a great deal of sleep deprivation (yes - my script about a freak-show had pretty much turned me into one…) the episode was ready…

I coupled the pregnant man with a heart on fire and one very STEAMY kiss… to (hopefully) create an episode that people will definitely talk about.

Comments

[karencloud]

Wanted to share with you writers what I posted to the message board.

I thought the last episode was absolutely perfect. "Something to Talk about"-clever on so many levels!!! I'm a huge fan of the series, the characters are so alive and represent all the people in my life that have touched me in good and bad ways. Everyone has known or presently knows a McDreamy. I'd love to take Meridith aside and give her the knowledge and experience I have under my belt from a lifetime of McDreamies. Derrick is stringing you along for his own ego boost. Izzy's kiss--been there too. Need to warn her too-- ALex is going to fantasize about her in an unrealistic way and it's never going to work. Fantasy is so much better than reality. I just have to laugh and cry with these characters. Christine, I'm rooting for you, hang in there. George, give up on Meredith and find someone who will appreciate you making her a queen.

The combination of characters is what makes the show work, they are real people. Some characters we may not like but they are an integral unit and the subordinate characters cause reactions in the main characters.

Thumbs up, 5 stars to these writers, they have it all together!!!

[Erin]

Loved the "And what are YOU looking at?" line by Grey. Because we have all had our heart broken at least once (well, all us normal people). We can all relate to how she feels. Love love LOVE this show! I am sad every time it ends!

[David Thomas]

Awesome cast, awesome writing; awesome show. You guys rock. Have you any tips/advice for new/young writers who'd like to follow in your footsteps?

btvsbt@yahoo.com

[Annie]

Alright, so I'm an unapoligetically geeky, teenaged fan of the great, Grey's Anatomy, who (quite literally) counts the days until at last, I can kick back, and be inspired, compelled and even tortured by your amazing show.

What's so special about Grey's is that it's actually incredibly tasteful. Sure, you've got some gore in there, but this is a character show--a real character show, where everyone is chiseled by their flaws as well as their charm. It's human and I can't get enough. So to hell with it! I'll be that geeky, shrieking teenaged fan (the type I like to make fun of).

Thanks so much for this show. It really does brighten my week).

Annie Siegel
MsMooMoo111@aol.com
(yes, that's my screename--I have no shame).

[LisaR]

The writing on this show absolutely fabulous! - I am embarrased to say I missed the first season. Makes you think, laugh, cry - all emotions come out as you can tell my the message board. Grey's Anatomy is like a breath of fresh air on television! Congratulations! People are still talking about the KISS - what can I say HOT is a tame word to describe it.

[Maria]

I'm spanish and I saw the first 6 episodes in spanish, but that one I saw in english and I don't understand why Izzie says "seriously" at the end of the kiss, I think I don't catch the joke. Can you explain me that please? Thanks
By the way, great episode, it's a shame don't see Derek and Meredith together, but I understand why Derek do what he is doing.

[Crazy4Derek]

Another great episode. Even better the second time around!

Hope you guys replayed this episode on purpose--and that the remaining new episodes this season will bring resolution on the Meredith/Derek and Alex/Izzie front! I'm mourning the end of the season in advance and hope we'll keep getting reruns once Season 2 is over!

Already have evidence that Derek never really stopped talking to Meredith (except in this one episode). Please give us Mer/Der fans a reason to hope in the off-season!

[clueless]

Will someone please explain how the heart caught on fire. That's not in the medical cases section of the website.

Seriously.

[casBoston]

Great to see this one again. It's good to be reminded of George & Burke's early relationship - he's his guy!

Also, good to be reminded of why we really like Alex and Izzy together (at least some of us) - that kiss was HOT! Alex is a very complex character, and I hope we get some more insight into why he is the way he is in future shows.

Also love the ongoing development of the Bailey/McDreamy relationship. Even though they aren't close friends, they really get each other, and help each other in small and often subtle ways when they need it.

Thanks to everyone involved for a truly captivating series!

[Shira]

What I thought was interesting was the family systems issues that accompanied each of the medical cases. In each case there was a certain amount of enmeshment that affected the way the patient and family interacted. For the pregnant man, his symptoms were associated in his mind with his wife's pregnancy: he "became" pregnant like she was. For the heart patient, the husband's meekness and their subsequent relationship together was all about his fear of doing just what he ended up doing: bringing on another heart attack. For the paralyzed girl, you have the classic "keep the kid sick because I'm too afraid to let her grow up."

In each case, the patient's illness and the relationship between patient and family were connected in very crucial ways.

I don't know whether the writers did that on purpose, but there it was.

[Kristen]

Thanks for the repeat!!

I missed this episode the first time around and it really helped bring things together that are currently going on...it was good to see George really holding his own and not 'flubbering' around as much. Great ep!

[salmonscrubs]

the hand-holding thing between derek and addison was amazing! i was waiting for them to...but then they didn't and i screamed because they were so close!!! ahhh...maybe next time. great story...also i like the derek/baliey relationship too...someone mentioned it before and i think it's great. i love bailey, she's so practical! (and on team addison haha)

[Bowen]

Personally, this is my favorite episode. Everything about it was perfect: the music, the dialogue, the flow of the plot. Basically, one of the best hours of television that I've watched. Well done, Stacey!

[Raquita]

I loved this episode, because Mer finally started coming back to life. And i like her when shes alive and functioning. if she was my real life friend i'd shake the stuffing out of her, and tell her to flight or get over it. but i got a chance to learn about about her. She's not just gonna roll over and die. although this get up and live thing took longer than I would ahve cared for. (yes I know this is all happening over a much shorter period of time than real life) but I'm living in real time here and it SUCKS to watch her do that.

P.s. Callie and bailey are the best glad Callie got upgraded to series regular instead of guest star.

[claire]

this is probably one of my favorite season two episodes. i love alex so much in this episode and izzie and their kiss and alex's first kiss speech and everythinggg. i know this was like a year and a half ago but i really want greys to be more like this episode now in the third season! it hink this is a model greys episode and it was AMAZING.