Mark Wilding on "Let The Truth Sting"...

The truth.  We like to think there’s only one version of it.  Namely, our own.  But then someone else comes along and they insist on giving you their (generally wrongheaded) version of the truth.  The truth is…there’s all sorts of truths.  The varnished truth.  The unvarnished truth.  The naked truth.  Half-truths.  Whole truths.  And what we finally addressed in this episode.  THE PAINFUL TRUTH.  The kind of truth we don’t always want to hear. 

We all have these ideas of ourselves – of how we are – so when somebody else actually weighs in about us, well, it can be a shock.  I’m going to quote the Scottish poet Robert Burns right now because I’ve always wanted to quote him and I couldn’t really figure how to cram this quote into a birthday toast or a Thanksgiving speech or a piece of wisdom I might pass on to my kids – who wouldn’t want to hear it anyway (that’s my painful truth).  Also it might lend this blog a little more class.  “If only God, the gift he gee us/To see ourselves as others see us.”  Yes, even famous Scottish poets wrote about the painful truth.

Anyway, just about everyone at Seattle Grace has to face the painful truth about themselves in this episode.  Bailey when she has to stand in front of Callie and admit that she’s been having trouble with the pecking order of things.  Callie, who is, my God, hiding from the truth because she can’t bear to hear what she just KNOWS is coming.  Okay, she doesn’t know one hundred percent KNOW, KNOW but she suspects and that’s enough to drive her underground – into the Residents Lounge.  Anything to avoid her cheating husband…

How about Lexie and Meredith?  Meredith’s served a painful, unwelcome dollop of the truth when Bailey tells her that she hasn’t said a kind word to her sister since she arrived at Seattle Grace.  And after that fact settles on Meredith, she decides she has to give Lexie the painful truth about her mother.  Meredith has been so cold to Lexie – in Lexie’s mind at least – that it’s even got her to wondering about the level of care that Susan may have received on the last day of her life.  And that scene where Meredith sits down with Lexie and starts to lay out the facts of her mom’s death – where we see Lexie finally getting the painful truth – well, let’s just say it’s one of my favorite scenes in the show.

A couple of my other favorite scenes involve Izzie and Charlie.  Shonda said she wanted Grey’s to go in a happier, lighter direction this year.  And I think this story was the kind of thing she had in mind.  A patient who wants to die, is in fact DETERMINED to die and…it’s funny and kinda heartbreaking.  And here’s a behind the scenes tidbit.  We hired the actor Jack Axelrod to be Old Guy last year.  The idea was that his room would be the place where our interns could occasionally go to study or eat.  We put Jack in a semi-coma so our gang would essentially have their own private lunch room/study hall. 

During the course of last season, we used Jack to lie in the bed and, well…just lie in the bed.  And he closed his eyes and he would shift in bed, make an occasional mouth sound and he was very good at it.  When we decided to wake him up from his year long sleep, we knew Jack was a professional actor, we just weren’t sure how good a professional actor he’d be.  At least I wasn’t.  But, my God, he was a TERRIFIC actor.  I LOVED him sparring with Izzie.  He was funny and ornery and straightforward and yet compassionate as Charlie.  Especially when it came to telling Izzie the painful truth.  That married men will string you along.  That they’re not always in the habit of telling you the truth.  And as much as Izzie didn’t want to hear what Charlie had to say, she came to appreciate him, even seek him out.  He became her friend.  And frankly, Jack was so good in the part that for a brief, fleeting moment, we even thought maybe we should keep him around.  But in the interest of good storytelling, we just couldn’t.  Which really kinda hurt…

Then there’s the subject of their sparring.  George.  Who starts out determined to tell Callie the painful truth about himself and Izzie but his interaction with Connie and her friends – sometimes the truth can be TOO painful – makes him reconsider, then finally dive in and tell Callie that he slept with Izzie.  Wait until you see him deal with the consequences of that next week.  Allan Heinberg wrote a very funny, very moving episode.  So even if you missed this episode, tune in to that one!  It’s great!

Mark and Derek also trade truths with each other.  Mark has to remind Derek about the truth of his relationship with Meredith.  That maybe he’s fooling himself and she won’t ever be all whole.  And Derek returns the truth-telling favor when he scolds Mark and the Chief for being foolhardy in trying a way too experimental surgery on Connie.  Although, he softens the blow in that same scene when he reminds the Chief to tell Adele the truth about why he wants to move back in.  That he misses her, that she’s all he can think about, etc.  Which is, truth be told, vintage McDreamy.

Finally, we get to see Bailey give our big truth-teller, Alex, the truth.  That there’s a reason we don’t listen to interns – it’s dangerous.  And then if finally falls to Alex to unload on the world’s oldest intern, Norman.  Ed Hermann is great in the part (wait until you see him next week, he’s hysterical).  Ed plays Norman as nice and avuncular and such a sweet soul.  However, despite his advanced age, the truth is Norman has a lot to learn.  After all, he’s still an intern. 

And, as we’ve discovered over the last three seasons, what can be more painful than that?

Comments

[dave]

love the Old Guy! Wish u guys didn't kill him.....and i like the lighter/funnier side of Greys mixed with memorable moving/touching scenes....no soapy and dragging drama plz.....great job!

[Sheri]

First, thank you for getting this blog up so quickly. I'm sure I'm not the only one who appreciates it!

Second, thank you for the best episode of Grey's Anatomy in a really long time! I LOVED it!

I love that Bailey is coming to terms with the Chief Resident situation and wanting to work as a team with Callie.

I LOVE that Meredith really is growing as a person. It gives me hope for her character and for Meredith and Derek as a couple! The scene with Mer/Lexie at the end with Mer explaining Susan's last day was so amazing, beautiful and heartbreaking. I love that Mer told Lexie she was fond of Susan.

I'm also really glad that Derek is not giving up on Meredith! It all feels very promising to me!

I could go on and on about how great this episode was, but I'll just end by saying thanks again for this one!

[Anne]

Can Izzie finally get a little happiness and requited, at least semi-lasting love, please? I'd rather it be with an even slightly reformed, humanized Alex or McSteamy. but I'll even take George for Izzie if he can treat her better and more compassionately, less 'it's-all-about-what-I and Callie are going through," and more "yeah, you've stood on the sidelines desperately wanting for long enough for me to at least give you sincere reassurances."

Izzie, our rock star who kicks ass in so many ways. She overcomes her "model" reputation, stands up to Bailey by the end of episode 1, puts Alex in his place w/ the Dr. Model stuff, and does brain surgery with a power drill! But the painful Denny saga is only the most notable of her short-end-of-the-stick story lines.

Izzie has a mom who used up the money Izzie herself saved up waitressing for college. She overcomes teen pregnancy, giving up a daughter who now doesn't even want to meet her, a trailer trash background, and puts herself through med school debt free. Yet instead of getting rewarded for her determinedly positive optimism and compassion, she gets dumped on.

Izzie gets cheated on by Alex (after he can't seem to get it up for her), the ends up not only losing Denny, her fiancee who she thought was the love of her life, but being partly responsible for his death! Thought she'd find comfort in Alex, who was so sweet and tender toward her, so heart-achingly poignant in saying, "Iz, a man who loves you like that wouldn't want you to do this to yourself," as he scooped her up and cradled her to him... what happened to that?

George? suddenly being the man she loves, seriously? or for shock value and unexpected, unpredictablity? seriously??
At this point I don't even care, I just want to FINALLY get to see Izzie catch a break! Her and Mer and Der, please!

and why is Alex such a world-class jerk at times? When do we finally get his backstory? where'd his humanity go?

[Amy]

Callie and Mark <3

Callie and George were great together when George needed a woman like Callie.

But now they've CHANGED as people. Change is a good thing remember? Now they don't fit together as well anymore.

I'm not pro nor anti Gizzie. I just want O'Callie over.

[Suzanne keller]

More Meredith and Derek happy, fun, light-hearted moments, PLEASE? My friends and I are losing patience which will soon be losing interest (as a self-defense mechanism)...

And will we ever get Alex's backstory?

[Joyce]

This epi was really, really great. I am pro-GIZZIE, but it was kinda painfull to see Callie this way. I am not sure if GIZZIE will really happen. And in a way it makes me wonder if GIZZIE is even a good idea. Despite the fact there is a Callie in the picture.

I missed MerDer-time. I really, really missed it. I was hoping to the last minute that there would come a MerDer-scene. I haven't seen the promo for next week yet, but as far as I can understand from the comments here, there is some suggestion about Der/Lexie. DON'T. Please be so wise just NOT to go there.

I am almost begging you to let MerDer happen. Please. Let them happen for once.

Loved Izzie/Charlie. Loved Bailey/Alex (loved them last week too!).
Loved Mer/Lexie, this was really needed. Mer made a right decision by sitting down and talking with her. About Susan.
And how I loved Christina and her remarks. "Couldn't find his L-VAD-wire?" Oh my God, that was so funny! "Find your own fake emotion!"

Anyway. Very, very, very nice epi.

But give us MerDer!

[Lisa]

Mark, first of all let me tell you I think you are an amazing writer, I've loved all of your episodes, and this is not against you.

But.. SERIOUSLY?? That's all we got on MerDer? We're getting back to S3, they didn't have any movement at all, and no screentime.

Izzie, please please please, can you make her like she was in S1 and most of S2, she has become so annoying, oh! and Christina was so selfish today .

I love this show, and I'm so dissapointed I'm speechless.

[Vy]

Rest in peace, Really Old Guy. I will miss you.

[christel]

patrick Dempsey said he would like to see Derreck marry meredith...Shonda, Mark, listen to him please !!

[i.i.]

Shonda, enooooough with the alex and ava. It's just embarrassing. He misses Addison not Ava, we all know he misses Addison, this Addisex denial thing is just ridiculous, and frankly a little bit creepy for someone who's intimately familiar with censorship – what's next, an Addisex Denial Conference? You gave us this great story and now you're pretending it never happened. He should at least be missing her as his mentor is all I'm saying.

[Where's the surgeries? and the nurses]

The love plots thickens and it's getting ridiculous! I thought this was a medical drama.. its starting to verge on soap opera. I enjoyed this episode but it's still lacking the razor sharp wit and writing from the first two seasons.

Oh and enough of Meredith and Derek.. it's like beating a dead horse.

[Paulo]

Thank you.
Thank you.
Just Thank You.
Finally, a episode worth watching, finally a writer who know's how to write a coherent sentence, who actually gave us some insight to the characters, who wasn't acting like a 14-year old (yes Shonda, I'm looking at you), Mark, you have given me and countless of other people hope. That's what we needed, hope.

[jenna]

Good Eppy. Now if you could put mer/der back together and happy you might save ALOT of fans

[MerDerTrueLove]

I hate what they're doing to Meredith and I hate what they're doing to Mer/Der. This ghost that they have right now is not the Meredith we know. That sneak with them in the supply closet has left me in pain and furious. I can understand Derek's pain. Meredith is taking it too far. She's now sneaking around to shield Cristina? From what? Cristina could care less. As a matter of fact Cristina is playing her.

With 401 I leaped onto Shonda's boat and slapped myself for ever doubting her. After the premiere I was doing the slide because Shonda surprised us all because she showed Derek getting it. She showed that verbally they said they were broken up but their actions spoke louder than the words. The love was there. Her blog and podcast backed it up. It was a rocky road but we were gonna get growth. Mer/Der were going to be ok. Meredith was going to face her problems. We got spoilers saying they would flourish and grow closer. NE was giving us the proposal. 108 WINTERS. YAY!!! Now the rug is being pulled with the simple words 'potential love interest" and "the relationships will get closure so new ones can begin." STRETCHER NEED TO BE PICKED UP FROM THE FLOOR.

Shonda Rhimes is a brilliant writer with so much talent. As a woman and a woman of color to rise as far as she has makes my heart so d@mn proud because she broke the barriers of a male dominated Hollywood. So I expect so much more and better from her in the treatment of Mer/Der when the chemistry and the potential are there. I expect better treatment of the Meredith character with the talent of EP. I get it its her vision, it's her story and she's leading the journey. Who am I to question her? I even make excuses and explain certain things to swallow them and accept them and move on. But the pain has become physical. Yes it's just a tv show. It's just a tv show. It's there for enjoyment. Why am I whining? BECAUSE SHONDA IS JUST THAT D@MN GOOD TO HAVE ME HERE CRYING OVER FICTIONAL CHARACTERS!!! AND I HATE THAT I SOUND LIKE NANCY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kelly]

Loved, loved, loved McSteamy. I adore his scenes with Derek, they're the best part of the show. About time someone outed George on his idiocy, glad it was Alex, who rocks.

Gizzie stuff has become so annoying that I want to scream everytime they're on screen. How much more selfish and bitchy can Izzie be? And the same applies to George, who also has no spine, but that's nothing new. Take that relationship off my screen ASAP and bear in mind it will take you a VERY long time to redeem both characters.

And please, let Derek be happy with someone else. He was much better this episode without Meredith than he ever was with her around. Meredith saying something because Bailey smacked her is not real growth to me, but better than nothing. Derek needs to stand up for himself, glad he started to but it's not enough. He needs to tell Meredith off.

I'm very happy a new love interest for Derek is coming up. Him and Meredith don't make sense anymore. Let him be happy with someone else, at least for a while.

[Tara]

This episode was simply phenomenal. There is really not much more to say than that. THANK YOU for getting back to the things Grey's does best! I loved pretty much every second of this episode and cannot wait for next week. I hope things blow up deliciously for George and Izzie next week, even if I'm rooting for them to make it long-term.

[Thomas R]

Some good things some bad things. Bailey and Christina are pretty much always good. They're the best on the show. Callie was also pretty good, more on that later. I like that you had the actor who played the guy in a coma be the same as awake guy. I never paid much attention to how "really old guy" looked so I think you could've gotten away with any elderly actor doing Charlie, but good consistency in not doing that.

On the Gizzie thing. I still don't really like them as a couple, but at this point George's marriage should break up. It's just bad for Callie to be in a marriage with a man who loves someone else and considers their marriage a mistake. I don't even believe in divorce, but I don't see how that's something that can be "fixed." It's almost fodder for an annulment. I hope she doesn't get in a "cage fight" with Izzie though as that's too silly. I am slightly hoping that Callie's father screws with George's head a bit though as I think he'd be the type to defend his "little girl" that way. Also the actor who played her father can do menacing quite well.

[Isobella]

Oh my, Grey's is going amazing right now. Wow, i loved this episode very much. My family and I sat and watched and laughed like crazy. Really old Guy was hilarious, and i really liked his interaction with Izzie, and her effort to properly say good-bye. The end was just so in your face, i loved it. I wanted to see more so badly, i cannot wait until next week.

This show is brilliant again, and of course you cannot please everyone, but I'm there. I also have to say that it made me more content without focusing on Meredith and Derek at this point in time, because honestly, the show is not all about them. Yes, it is Meredith Grey, but there are many characters with important stories, and theirs is just one. Her journey this season hopefully will be growing up, though her actions toward Lexie at the end of this episode were surprisingly mature. All the complaining about Meredith and Derek is ridiculous. You're doing a great job and a little VARIETY will not kill anyone. CHANGE.

Anyway, great job, i cannot wait to see Callie's reaction to the whole George/Izzie thing.

I'm loving Bailey again, last season it almost seemed like she was lost but now she's found and back into action as the old Bailey!

Lovin' it!

[Amanda]

That was THE BEST Episode of my beloved Grey's since Season 2!!! It was the Grey's of old and I am so, so, so, happy about that. Loved the feel and the vibe of the entire episode. Thank You so much!!!

[Katherine Marie]

All I can say is that I'm happy Grey's is getting better. I thought I'd have tos top watching, but after last night's episode, things are coming together.

Still don't like the MerDer situation.
Still don't like Gizzie/Callie situation.

But things ARE progressing.

[Lena]

Excellent episode! Finally!! Thank you

[K]

Gizzie is LOVE. MerDer is LOVE.
Bailey is LOVE.
Alex...not so much.

[Sal]

ALL ABOUT MEREDITH AND DEREK FOR ME!!!!

That's my truth!

[Lisa]

you do realize that I saw more of Alex sticking a needle in somebody's eye ball thta I couldn't even watch than I saw of your two leading characters together? That is what happened in season 3, Mer/Der were pushed to the side and we are all recovering from the depression of season 3

[GraceKay]

I thought last night's episode really had the light feeling of season 1; while still touching on some serious topics. I loved it. Laughed at loud a few times. Hoping for more Mer Der but happy to have a light episode that could make me laugh while still moving the storylines forward.