More from Shonda on the Season Premiere Episode “Time Has Come Today”…

Original Airdate: 9-22-06

(A word to our Canadian friends: you may not want to read this if you don’t want to know what happens.  I’m sorry.  I’m so so sorry that happened to you guys.  We can’t wait for you to catch up with us next week.  Also, I know many spoilers are being posted out there in web-land about next week’s episode but, you should know, we won’t be posting them here.  I can’t control what happened but I’m not gonna add to it in any way…)

So, it’s good to finally be able to TALK about the episode instead of NOT talk about the episode.  I have been dying to discuss this with you all and find out what you think.

This episode for me was really a chance to deal with the things that had been haunting me all summer.  Especially Izzie.  I’d been pretty worried about her, you see.  She was in such pain when we left her.  And let me tell you, I watched that final scene in Denny’s room where she wouldn’t get out of the bed more times than is probably normal for someone who WROTE the thing.   I couldn’t help it -- Katie Heigl’s amazing performance sucks me in every single time. 

Anyway, I was worried about Izzie.  And I knew that she was going to really be suffering when we see her again this season.  But I wasn’t sure how to make it clear that she was grieving without having a funeral.  And I really didn’t want a funeral – I see them on TV and they never have the impact that a real funeral does.  They never have that surreal, horrible sinking feeling you get when sitting at the funeral of someone you care about.  There’s a distance to a funeral with TV for me.  You sit at a funeral and you find yourself re-living all these moments in time and regretting things…

Which is why this episode is about time.  And being stuck in a moment.

So Izzie is stuck.  On the bathroom floor, unable to bring herself to move.  Because taking off that dress?  Means Denny is really gone.

George and Derek are stuck in the locker room, quarantined.  Where they end up discussing the merits of love and saying “I love you.”  George and Derek are the last two people you’d expect to connect but, here, in this situation, they do.  And I think a wonderfully unexpected parallel is drawn between George and his feelings for Callie and Derek and his feelings for Meredith.

Bailey is dealing with Omar who is stuck in a room alone, grieving for his wife.  And she’s feeling all the guilt in the world over what happened to Denny. 

Meredith is stuck at home.  Taking care of Izzie and feeling trapped by what happened with Derek.

And Addison is walking around with a pair of black panties in her purse.  Stuck with a group of teenage girls and their parents who won’t claim a newborn baby found in a trash can.

Everyone is stuck.  And everyone, EVERYONE, is plagued.  By the past. 

The flashbacks were something I’d been wanting to do for a while.  I really felt that we needed to see Addison and Derek and the moments after he discovers her in bed with his best friend Mark.  Because what Addison did to Derek is SO much worse than what happened between Meredith and Derek in that exam room at the end of the season.  I wanted us to remember that she betrayed him long before he betrayed her.  And that Addison herself is suffering over her choice to have an affair.

I also wanted very badly to reveal the first moment Meredith and Derek meet.  It is the night before the interns’ very first shift.  And if you remember the first episode of Season One, there was a mixer that night.  And there’s Meredith – with her (as George described in the pilot) “black dress, slit up the side, strappy sandals” in the bar.  And she meets Derek.  And they are so fresh with one another, it’s all so new.  There’s none of the baggage that they have now.   I just love when Meredith says “so if I know you, I’ll love you?” so SURE that she never will.  That he’s just another guy.  And when Derek asks Meredith what her story is, she says “I’m just a girl in a bar.”  And we KNOW that she’s not – we know about her mother and her daddy issues and her soft spot for sleeping with inappropriate men.  But here, she’s just a girl.  And Derek says he’s just a guy.  But, unlike the first episode of Grey’s Anatomy, we know about his wife.  And we just saw his pain at discovering Addison’s infidelity.   And this is the “split second”, the moment they meet, that has changed the course of their lives forever.

It was a conscious choice on my part to not show Burke until the end except for the flashback at the mixer.  Because I wanted you to watch the episode and either a) pine for his presence or b) forget about him – until Cristina walks into his room at the end of the day.  Then I wanted the power of what he means to Cristina to overwhelm us when he asks her how she is and then she begins to cry. 

“Don’t ever die” is one my favorite Cristina lines ever.  Look at how much she’s changed since that night at the mixer.

Richard and Ellis and Adele – the relationships are changing.  You only (purposely) get a taste of what’s to come in this episode but I think it is a potent taste.  To have Adele walk out on the Chief…what is he gonna do?

And finally, I just want to talk about Callie and her “high school with scalpels” speech:  Y’all know how much I love Callie.  And how much I love how she loves George.  It was really fun to be able to give her these words because it is what I’ve been saying is part of the premise for this show all along – these people are socially stuck in high school because they’ve been science geeks for so long. 

Okay, my brain is fried from the stress of hoping people watched the premiere so I’m going to stop writing now.   Maybe I’ll write more later after I read your thoughts.

Thank you for watching.  Thank you for checking back in with us.  I’ve gotta get back to work so you all have some more episodes to watch!!!

Comments

[Megan]

I LOVED it GREAT show!!!!!
My hopes are up for Mer/Der!!

[Michelle]

I totally agree with you that what Addi did was worse, but some people actually prefer her to Derek.

But I'm not one of them, so his I love you speech and me and my whole dorm squealing...GREY'S IS BACK!

[sarah]

Thank you! Thank you for this show of messy and imperfect people that I love so dearly, for the flashbacks, and for being true to these characters. Izzie on the bathroom floor made so much sense to me. And Addison? Addison breaks my heart. Again, thank you for this show.

[Texas Mom]

I loved the show, I thought that going back cleared made everything real and not just a story that had been told. Great work and can not wait til the next one

[Sheri]

I Loved this episode YES MER DER... thank you thank yo!!!

I missed Adison finding the panties, did that happen last season or the begining of this season?

[Beth]

Cristina's line to Burke at the end was perfect because in those 3 words is how i feel about my husband. It was great. Thanks for another great night...i love callie too...she is a perfect dose of a person who speaks what she thinks

[Jenny and Camille]

Shonda.....All we can say is that we love you! And the flashbacks. It was a great way to open up the season as well as an amazing way to thank the die-hard fans (us, of course). What can we say? We love Grey's Anatomy. You are truly a genius. We're going to watch season two right now. The parallels last night with stopping time were unbelievable. We love how you do that. By the way, we are HUGE Addison fans. Her flashback wih Derrick was definitely the most emotional and the best. Also, the last scene with Burktina was absolutely wondeful. What a great couple. And we thought the Christina-Burke flashback was hilarious. Keep up the excellent, incredible work!

Love,
Jenny and Camille (best friends)

P.S. Can you please get a fan phone? That would be amazing. And tell everyone we say hi!

[Crissy]

Wonderful show! Keep up the great work!!

[Gina]

I can't tell you how awesome it is to see when you've posted something new. It's almost like getting another episode! I am so excited for the season!!!

[Raechel]

Shonda,
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! I was so happy to see Kate Heigl in this show...and the flashbacks were fantastic. I also loved the parallel to the first episode with the shots of the OR...BRILLIANT. Now if only we didn't have to wait a whole week til the next episode...

[Melita]

you rock! an so did this episode! seriously!

[Kim]

Oh my god, i've been waiting for the moment where Derek finally tells Meredith that he loves her, and all i have to say is your an amazing writer and i hope for more scenes like theses in the future!

[Lisa]

I cannot say how much I love this show. It really is where I go to feel good. Okay, um, my husband loves the show too. How many shows are out there when the wife and husband LOVE it??? My phone was ringing off the hook this morning with - OMG! Did you watch Grey's? Thank you thank you thank you for this fantabulous show!

[Dana]

I LOVED the entire eppisode. Every second was pure joy! The whole Izzy laying on the floor was a mastermind! The Mer/Der connection seems stronger than ever. I can NOT tell you enough how much I enjoyed it. Thanks for not disappointing this loyal fan!

[safiya]

I love the show i've always hoped that mer/der will be together.I do love Kate walsh but i don't like addison
anyways ill keep my hopes up

[addicted to greys]

loved the episode Shonda, loved the flashbacks, Derricks showing some integrity, all of the character development. You are the best!

[Lyndsey]

Shonda, I loved this episode! And I was worried, would Grey's have the same wonderful, insane effect it had on me last year and the year before? I usually lose interest in a show around season 3...but this episode had me misty eyed, made me gasp, and I actually cried like a baby when Christina broke down at the end. For all the haters that said they didn't like it, they obviously don't know what they are talking about. The moment where Derek tells Mer he loves her...thank you for that moment! Please don't let her make the same poor choice Derek did. The moment at the end with Izzy and Mer, where the dress comes off, it was a special moment. I hope Izzy can move on too. And the moment where Christina loses it, and Burke, obviously moved, touches her hair, that just destroyed me. I love Burke and Christina, but I love them together more. And I love how Christina is letting Burke in little by little. I can't wait to see more! I'm so glad George didn't tell Callie he loved her. He's not ready, but I hope he is soon (ish). And I hope she waits for him. And Please, let us see some nice Alex again, he deserves to be a little happier this season! I cannot wait to see what happens next to these wonderful characters! Thank you for a great opening night!

[Janie]

Thank you.

[CJ]

I cried when derrick told meredith he was in love with her and then I flashed back on Callie's Highschool speech? Did anyone else feel like it was the first time Meredith ever really heard I love you from anyone? Really let it hit her? I cried for her and for izzy and Cristina, but mostly for her because it felt like she finally felt lovable in that moment.

[Sandi]

Yesterday was my birthday and I thought the season premiere was agreat gift. But I have a bit of a McDreamy thing going on in my life and when he said, I'm in love with you, I've been in love with you forever...that was the true gift. Thanks for making my birthday great. Patrick Dempsey said those words perfectly. I hung on every one.

[Kristi in Connecticut]

I waited so so long for this episode, and even longer for Mer/Der to get back together, knowing that this is what they both want, which is why I'm so upset about this "you've got a choice to make Merdedith" thing. What do you mean she'sgot a choice to make? There is no choice. She loves Derek, she's always loved Derek and McVet is nothing but a what-if. Please, the next episode should not be about Mer debating who to choose, it should be about her proactive, finally, absolutely choosing to be with Derick and trying to figure out how to make it happen with integrity and respect for thier TRUE love. Somewhere deep inside Mer is a mature, responsible adult dying to get out and I hope she springs forth this season. If she even pretends that she's considering staying with McVet, I;m going to turn off my televison and deprogram my TIVO. Because that would be dishonest. She loves Der, he realized he loves her now and that it wasn't so valiant after all to try to hold things together with Addison. They should now focus on extricating themselves from their miserable paths and pursue happiness.

That said, I adore Addison and I want to her happy too. Is that possible???

Rembember in the episode with the quads when Addison told Izzie she shows talent for her field? It should be Addison who comes to Izzie's career rescue. Addison is pragmatic enough to know talent when she sees it, she should appeal to Richard on Izzie's behalf, and since she knows the pain of love so well, she shoudl be Izzie's new mentor. Woulnd't that just suit Mer well -- to loose someone else she loves to Addison???

Great Job, Shonda. Glad you're back. If word of mouth is anythign for this show, you cna count on me!!

[Sandra]

Just want to say Thank you so much for this show!! it never dissapoints!the messages are so real and deep that it makes me reflect on my own life...PLEASE don't throw too much obstacles between Mer and Derek!! They are the perfect couple and I want them to be happily together!!!

Der lost his chance with Mer when he picked his wife. That was his chance, he has only been leading her on since then. She has been on a rollercoaster because of him and he is with his wife and she is all alone. Now that she finds potential love in McVet, he feels threatened? He has no right to feel that way. I really hope Mer wises up and forgets Der, Finn hasent lied to her about a secret wife (that we know of...) Mer just keeps going back to Der so he can kick back down again. She needs to think of Mer and what is good for her. Who is good for her. Who can she trust to be there later when things get tough again (things always get tough). Der is not that guy. If he was, he would have stayed with his Wife and tried to work it out. He is a runner.

[Suzanne]

I love it! I cannot WAIT for next week. You're awesome Shonda!!