Harry and Gabrielle on Syphilis!

"Who's Zoomin' Who"

Original Airdate: 5/22/05

Wow.  Season one.  It seems like such a long time ago.  This was our first script for the show and as with all first scripts, you’re just a little bit nervous.  What cool stories can we come up with? Can we capture the voices of the characters?  Will it be dramatic enough?  Will it be funny enough?  Will Shonda like it? 

Fortunately after a few weeks in the writers room with our brilliant colleagues, we felt pretty confident about our stories:  Richard’s possibly career threatening optical tumor,   Meredith forced to confide one of her dark secrets to Derek;  Burke’s oldest friend discovering he not only has an ovary, but a cheatin’, knocked up wife… 

But George, what should we do with George?  Hmmm..   How about… Syphilis!!

Nobody at the network had a problem with Richard’s story, or the Burke story,  but we’ve got to admit the syphilis was a tough sell. We  had to convince the powers-that-be that our storyline would not only be dramatic, it would be FUNNY.  Fortunately, Shonda had our backs.  We’re Grey’s Anatomy after all, genital highjinks is our specialty!

We ended up creating  a David Letterman-esque “Top Ten Reasons We Can Give George Syphillis List” and sent it with our episode outline to the studio and network.  Finally, they were convinced and we were in business.   It wasn’t until we actually sat down at the computer that we had a twinge of doubt.  Could we really make a disease that results in open sores and possible insanity, funny?.

You’ve seen the results, so we’ll leave it to you to decide but we think TR and Sara Utterbeck (Olivia) were amazing in their respective roles.  George getting the shot in the butt scene still makes us laugh and when George attacks Alex in the locker room, awesome.

Of course, what we should’ve realized is that Monday morning no one would be talking about syphilis, they’d be talking about Addison.  The final scene of the episode, when Addison just comes up out of nowhere was amazing to write and awesome to shoot.  (In fact the first time Kate Walsh said, “And you must be the woman who’s screwing my husband?” I, Gabrielle, almost ruined the take because I couldn’t stop myself from squealing, “nooooooo….” as I watched the monitor in video village.  And I knew it was going to happen! Harry looked at me like I was crazy, (Okay, I, Harry, have to admit I was also kind of squealing in a very manly way on the inside).

So, anyway, here below, made public for the first time anywhere, is the super-secret “Top Ten Reasons We Can Give George Syphilis List” we sent to the network.   Enjoy!

TOP TEN REASONS WE CAN GIVE GEORGE SYPHILIS:

1. Syphilis goes AWAY.  It’s a serious STD.  If untreated it causes madness and death – however- once diagnosed it can be treated and cured with ONE SHOT OF PENICILLIN.

2. Rockdale County – an upper middle class community – had an outbreak of syphilis among white fifteen-year-old college bound girls.

3. It has a nickname: “The Syph”

4. 9/21/04 – breaking news – sharp increase in cases of syphilis in New York state.

5. 70,000 incidents a year – that’s 192 a day and 8 an hour.

6. An Epidemiologist from the CDC, stated an outbreak of syphilis among Surgical Interns is completely reasonable and plausible event because of the following:

a. Our characters move in a closed network of people.

b. Long hours, lots of stress and little contact with people outside the hospital can lead to having unprotected sex with people you work with.

7. Syphilis has catchy prevention campaign slogans such as:

a. Look What’s Back! Syphilis!

b. Stop the sores.

c. Making every penis a healthy penis.

8. The anti-syphilis campaign has TWO mascots:

a. A healthy cartoon penis.

b. Mr. Phil, a red cartoon syphilis lesion

9. ER hasn’t done it.

10. Did we mention that syphilis is completely CURABLE with ONE shot?!

-Harry and Gabrielle

Comments

1st time George has his pants down in front of 3 beautiful women-classic and hilarious. However, he still fantasizes about it in the second season-you cure that as well(with pink mist) I hope George really gets a break this season with Callie.
MAKE IZZIE HAPPY!PLEASE!

Please please I am not too proud to beg...Choose MerDer.

Wonderful show-the best!!!

[Liz]

thanks for a great season! can't wait for season 3

[Samantha]

I love this episode! It seems that every episode gets better when you watch it again... especially knowing what you know from season 2. I think I forgot how completely adorable Mer & Der were together before Addison came back.

Great work... love the list about the syph. :)

[Katherine]

I was ROLLING on the ground with laughter after reading that list. Thank you for that. =)

[Jenny]

haha LOVED the top ten reasons george should get the syph!!! (plus it also showed teen girls why 'no glove no love' is important!) ahahaha I can't stop laughing! Oh, and this show has done SO much more than ER ever will!

[MrsTGraham]

Am I first again? Who knows since these are screened.

I loved this episode! I threw the remote at the TV when Addison said the infamous line of "And you must be the woman who’s screwing my husband?". My husband Travis threatened to sedate me.

The whole syphilis storyline was a hoot. I am kind of sad though that it ended George's relationship with Olivia. I love Sara Ramirez, but I liked George better with Olivia than Callie.

Please keep blogging the old episodes. I love these looks back and the inside info is awesome. I loved the TOP TEN REASONS WE CAN GIVE GEORGE SYPHILIS list.

[Emily]

You had me at "The Syph".

Loved it.

Thanks! :)

Slowly biding my time until the Season 3 Premiere,
Emily

[Jeff Funk]

I was riveted by the syphilis storyline. I particularly loved the Burke and Cristina moment, how he explained that she didn't need to be in the line. I thought it was one of the most memorable scenes from the season.

[Lara]

You guys are AWESOME. That episode was awesome, it's one of my all time favorites. (I also squealed at the TV when Addison showed up!)
And I'm glad you gave George the syph. It was mad funny. You hear that network people that put up a fight??? SYPHILLIS IS FUNNY. Okay, it's not. But the writer's of Grey's sure made it funny.

[Lisa]

LOVING the three a week reruns! It should be like that ALL the time. I have to admit that George has his moments where I want to just slap him up side the head, but episodes like this are his saving grace. And the comment about the reality of being half naked in a room with three girls being so much better than the fantasy definitely had me flashing to the shower scene in "It's the End of the World"...and then of course to the parody of it with all the guys. LMAO

Thanks to NBC for feeding our unhealthy need for GA during the break and thanks to you guys for keeping us entertained with the blogs while you create what I can only assume will be more awesome episodes for season 3.

[Shelley]

I've always wondered, did Burke's friend Bill leave his wife?

[Mark]

Great episode - the interaction between TR Knight and Katherine Heigl was fantastic.

The whole "little jimmy and the twins" scene was the funniest of the entire season. Loved it.

[r]

#9 is soo funny.. but didn't Carter get some sort of STD early in season 1 when he slept with a patient that came in for a skin rash? I could be wrong (after all it was a long time ago) but I thought he got an STD and then doug said one of those "don't dip your pen in company ink" type of lines. However I'm pretty sure it wasn't the syph.. great episode...

[s]

i think it worked out well that the season ended here.. i think the addison showing up was a bigger draw for us (the fans) then the pick me choose me love me bit... besides if you left season 1 at pick me choose me love me you would have never been able to leave season 2 with the der/finn decision, which was a great way to wrap season 2... just a thought

[Caroline]

Can someone explain what "the pit" is?

[Randi]

Just wanted to say that I also love the 3-a-week reruns! Great show! I got addicted over the summer and so these reruns are so great!

And please continue with S2 like planned on Thursdays, not skip back to "Raindrops..." because those of us who missed eps in the middle have been/are waiting patiently to see them (although I would so buy the DVD if it was out yet), especially since you already showed the beginning of S2 on Sundays...

It seems like S1 had a bit more of the witty, humorous stuff than S2...like the Syph. I know all the Mer/Der stuff is serious and consuming (and I'm all for that), but make sure and keep it light sometimes too!

[Nicole]

I love the top ten list!
Thanks for blogging over the summer, it makes not having new episodes more tolerable. =)

[Baylink - http://baylink.pitas.com]

The episode was wonderful.

But please.

*Please*.

If you're going to do *Top-10 lists*, learn how. It's a completely separate comedy writing skill.

Step one: *Descending numbers*.

[Shannon]

Here's the question! Someone asked Shonda how Addison knew about Meredith and she answered Richard called and told her. But it really seemed, when Richard woke up from his surgery & saw Mer & Der all tender and touching & crap, and Mer came in to check on him & he warned her, that he was just finding out...or am I wrong? Has he been waiting to say something until now to Mer, but knew all along? I hope this gets answered!!!! I LOVE that Burke told his friend about the baby and his wife. That's what makes Burke...Burke! Maybe none of us would do it, just let the family be happy kinda thing, but Burke would never let that thing slide and that's what makes this show so great!

[Norma]

Slogan:

Making every penis a healthy penis...????

If you can't write an entire episode with that as your theme... you're not trying.

[Sue]

I have been wearing out my season 1 dvd while waiting for season 2 to come out. Also enjoying the reruns of both seasons. My husband and I were in FL visiting his parents and watched an episode that had us giggling at the beginning about what was coming. Gotta love TV like that!

In the frequently asked questions, Shonda writes that Richard called Addison about Derek and Meredith being together - that he likes Addison and wanted to look out for Meredith. Didn't Richard see MerDer for the first time when he came out of anesthesia after surgery? How could Addison have gotten to Seattle that quickly? Don't know if you can answer, but was curious.

As for McDreamy, my rational self knows that he's an adulterer who can't be trusted, but my female self just thinks he's totally hot and can't wait to see him again.

[Morgan]

No!! Not you too! The number 2 reason George could have syph is because of "The Lost Children of Rockdale County"!! Ahh! (I, obviously, am from Rockdale County). Just ahh, years after the "scandal" the documentary came out, and though it seemed like a nod during the show, I now I have confirmation!!
Done now..

[anna from atlanta]

THIS IS IMPORTANT: After looking at the video clip of the NY&Co. fashion shoot with Ellen and Patrick, there was a noticible sun spot over PD's right eyebrow that has not been there in any of the episodes from Season 2. It may have appeared while he was filming in Central Park for his new movie. At any rate, please make him go to a dermatologist and have it frozen off, as these type of spots can be pre-cancerous. People with fair skin and blue, green or grey eyes have to be careful about any sun exposure. We don't want ANYTHING to happen to McDreamy, so it may take a push from you guys to get him to have someone look at it. Please pass this on, from a devoted fan, old enough to be his mother.

[SBrclymom]

ok, i give in. i have to make some comments. i loved the syph episode, was one of my MANY favorites, especially when george yells at alex "you gave me syphillis!!" and tackles him in the locker room.

is it just me, or does anyone else think addison looked like cruella de ville when she first came up to MerDer. i hated that scene (though it was perfectly done and written!). it just broke my heart! especially the way derek wimps out (though i love him!!) and all he says to meredith is "...i'm so sorry".

i think george and olivia are a better fit. i want mer and der together, but hate for addison and the vet (or mark) to be written out. and OF COURSE i want denny and izzy to be together alive! (and i want world peace and all that!!).

i thought the music during the finale where derek is dancing with addison and "looking" at meredity did an incredible build up for the scene to come!!

i still think izzy deserved an emmy nomination for her scene after denny died. and i was so proud of alex for lifting her up and letting her cry like a baby, showing he did have a sensitive side! that show really showed how far those interns have come!

all of you writers are so great with all the scenes, making them entertaining and incredible (and sometimes incredibly torturing (is that a word?)! keep up the great work!! look forward to season 3, though im a nervous wreck about how you're going to start the season with all that happened last show?? please be a dream sequence????????????????? (and denny's still alive) -maybe his wife shows up! would that be a hoot! then izzy could have had the dream, wishing he were dead!! JUST KIDDING!!

[Danielle]

ER did do an episode with an STD. Don't know if it was Syph or Gono, but Dr. Carter did the deed with a skank and ended up with it. Carter ran tests on himself and when the tests came back from the lab, someone posted them on the bulletin board for all to see.