Debora Cahn on "Brave New World"...

Original Airdate: 10-16-08

To the dermatologists of the world:  We love you.  We really do.  We think you do fine work.  Important, difficult work.  Life saving work.  We all love you here at Grey’s Anatomy, and we’re a little concerned that you might not take tonight’s episode in the spirit it was intended.  Light-hearted!  No lack of respect!  We kid, and we kid from love!  I thought it was all going to be fine, and then I heard, one by one, that every Grey’s writer had made an appointment with their dermatologist this week, BEFORE the episode aired.  Everybody wanted everything checked before we pissed off every dermatologist in the land. When one writer did it, I thought it was cute, and a little paranoid.  But when the emails started pouring in… “Going to be 10 minutes late this morning, have appt with my dermatologist,” well, then I started getting worried.  We love you, dermatologists.  Please don’t hurt us.  See, it’s Cristina that thinks surgery is harder.  Not us.  CRISTINA.  When the writers of “The Shield” portray junkies calling police officers “f-ing pigs,” it’s not the writers who think they’re f-ing pigs, it’s just the junkies.  Right?  Cristina.  Yang.  Don’t hate us.

A word about diaries.  When you find your mother’s diary, don’t read it.  DON’T READ IT.  I tell you this from experience.  I found my mother’s diary.  Not really a diary, a suitcase full of stuff she wrote for a writing class, but one of the assignments was to keep a journal, and my sister said DON’T READ IT and I read it, and I’m telling you.  DO NOT READ THE DIARY.  If they thought you should know, they’d have told you.  And so I say to Meredith:  Good on you for not reading it for a whole episode.  And I say to Cristina:  Lay off.  She doesn’t want to read it, don’t tell her to read it.  And I say to Derek:  When you find the mother’s diary in the back of the closet under a pile of magazines, LEAVE IT UNDER THE PILE OF MAGAZINES.  But even more importantly, I say this to the diary keepers of the world:  What the hell are you thinking?  You really think nobody’s gonna find that thing?  You really think that the box in the back of the closet is a secure location?  That an old sweater and a pair of long underwear’ll throw everyone off the trail?  You’re dead, and your poor child/spouse/best friend is tasked with going through your stuff, and they see the box with the sweater and the long underwear, and they think, I’m not going to touch that pair of long underwear, it’s clearly a box of old winter clothing, let’s just close it up again and bring it right over to Goodwill.  No, people.  Anyone who hasn’t had a lobotomy is going to move the long underwear aside, and find the diary, and read it.  And let me tell you, that little tiny lock can be picked with a bobby pin.  If you feel you must put your feelings on paper, destroy those pages once a year.  If you feel you must have a way to reconnect with your younger self, run the bonfire once a decade.  And when you find yourself visiting an oncologist or cardiologist with some regularity, take it as a sign to THROW OUT THE DIARIES. 

Ellis Grey.  What were you thinking?

I know, you wish I were talking more about the episode.  And the characters.  Problem is, I’m in the middle of writing episode 511, and my head is totally in the middle of the season, so if I started talking about the characters, I’d inevitably wander into what’s going on with them in the middle of the season, and that’s the kind of thing that REALLY pisses Shonda off.  So I’m gonna stop.  Sorry.  That’s it.  Dermatologists and diaries.   

Comments

[Disappointed Fan]

Ok, let me start with a compliment. I LOVE the direction you are sending Meredith and Derek in. Letting them talk about things. The last moment in the show between them was beautiful, sweet, touching, hot, all the things I miss from Meredith and Derek. Please keep them on this path.
Now for the not so happy part of my statement. I am a relationship person, House would not be House without House and Wilson, Bones would not be Bones without Brennan and Seeley, Supernatural would not be Supernatural without Sam and Dean. You get the point, i am a relationship person. You have yet again reduced Merder to nothing more than bookends. Why do you guys do this? The moment at the end with them? AWESOME! Why can't we see more of this with them? Why do you find it impossible to actually SHOW them in a relationship. I watch for Merder. Don't get me wrong, I like other characters, but without Merder it becomes one of those shows that I would catch if I passed it on the tv, but Merder is what keeps me coming back for more punishment week after week. Please let us see these two actually in their relationship. I guess I just don't understand why it is so hard. Get Cristina to back off of her mean poisonous words and let Merder live!

[More fav5]

I really liked the episode, good job! Just one thing... could you give more screen time for Mer/Der together?? They have 1 minute per episode and frankly, it's not enough. You always do this, when they are not together they have lot's of screen time and when they are, they are just bookends... I like what you are writing for them, but a little more would be nice, and not just for sweeps.
I would also like to see more of the original cast. Don't get me wrong, I like Callie, and Hahn is ok, but I don't care that much about them, I would prefer if you focused on the original cast. I am hearing you are going tobe adding now cast members, just please, don't steal more screen time of the original ones.

[Cathy]

I loved George this episode, especially with the little boy

[Rachel]

Alex and Izzie!! Alex and Izzie are so happening. FINALLY!! Thank you! I seriously love you right now.

[MerDer52fan]

Thanks alot for the 2 minutes (if that) of Meredith and Derek.

I am so sick of Meredith and Christina always together when it should be Derek and Meredith.

I give up.

[Amber]

HI-LAR-I-OUS Episode!

That's all I have to say for now.

Luvs...

[Nikki ftrom MD]

Okay, maybe you guys should think about writing the blogs immediately following the episode that you write.

I was all prepared to come in here and give you love, but I gotta tell ya, that blog..well, it definitely wasnt good.

So what are you saying? Is Mer going to become even more twisted after reading her mother's diary? Great...

Well, I thought the episode was very different, I loved the dermatolgist spin even the sign on the trailer at the end.

The Callie/Hahn/Bailey scenes were hilarious! Loved the medical cases!

You know were going to complain about the lack of MerDer time but you did make up for it in the end! The last scenes were beautiful! and THANK you for finally giving us a kiss! We still need the passion between them. That's what made us fall in love with them.

Great work, but please, since you are writing ep 11, when you are finished? work on that blog!

Great work! Keep it up!!

[HollyS]

Excellent episode!!!! I wish the pillow was a little smaller, but that's it. Loved it all! This episode was like it was pulled from Season 1/2. You guys rock! Keep up the good work! Simply fantastic.

I thought this was a fantastic episode! It was so funny and I'm really glad George is getting back on his game. And GO IZZY!

Great job this week!

[MrsB]

Seriously....I keep hoping my favorite show will get better with each episode. I don't know why...Maybe because I was told you were "raising the bar"? Well, last night's episode was terrible. Enough with Christina always giving Meridith bad friend advice...We only see Meridith and derrick for what three minutes per episode now?!! Don't you get it, some of us love the show because of Mer/Der but no we get silliness sitting in the dermatology wing - way too long....The only beacon of light was Bailey, as usual. her face speaks volumes.. On second thought George was pretty great working with the kid...Other than that, one of the worst. Your ratings are dropping...The responses to your blogs are down...We are trying to tell you had a great show and then a good show and now a show bordering on ridiculous.More Meridith and Derrick as mature adults. Send Mer back to dr. Wyatt and have her take Derrick with her. Get to the bottom of Alex and Izzie - are they a couple or just friends? Bring Owen back so Christina can be a surgeon again and not encouraging Meridith to read her mother's diary...and for the love of life give Lexi a back bone. Next week I'll watch on dvr...No sense rushing home anymore.

[sarah]

im not gonna lie...best episode of greys anatomy in a very very very very very very very very very very very long time well done!

[Karen]

Loved this episode! The old banter is BACK! And Bailey -- she's BACK! Loved the Va-jay-jay speech.

And Alex... interesting! Still, Izzy, take your drink at the table and walk away from that trainwreck.

Can't wait for next week.

[Vaela, Iceland]

Thank you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you SO much for the episode!
I laughed so hard I nearly peed my pants again and again and again.

I´m from Iceland and unfortunately we don´t have a lot to laugh about these days, your show is a beacon of light in this dark age..

So Thank you!

[Melinda]

Well, I can say FINALLY, I loved this episode. I finally foundmy it factor. I love the dialog between bailey and torrez and bailey's facial expressions. I loved the whole derm. escape.And how Cristina and Mer. escapes to Der. trailer. Last night I remembered why I fell in love with the show. Can't wait for the next episode.

[Melissa]

Loved.This.Episode.

Dermatology- hilarious.
Bailey's face during Callie's speech and Bailey's speech about Africa-hilarious. George and the boy seeing the wrong surgery-hilarious. I also loved Derek with Alex and Izzie and loved how you wrote Meredith MUCH BETTER. I get that she should still be dealing with issues, but thank god she toned it down a bit and was able to function without harping on the issues IN EVERY SCENE. Happy to see her and Derek talking about things and showing some forward progress. I know people will complain that the progress is not fast enough, but it seems realistic, and even as a shipper I'm glad that their relationship is not the focus of the show.

I thought the epi was entertaining and witty. LOVED IT!

[Candace]

I used to like this blog a lot but I'm getting a bit fed up of the writers being so engrossed in writing the later episodes that they can't talk about the one that just aired. I get it- you're busy and important and trying to create brilliance. I miss the days of Shonda actually discussing what just aired instead of a token entry that shows that writer KNOWs she's supposed to blog but can't really be bothered because there are more important things to do. I have more important things to do that watch the show and yet I do it because I love it. If you love to write, blog writing is easy. Seriously....seriously!

[Liza]

I have been a fan of this show since the birth of it and have just absolutely loved it but there comes a time when we all need to grow up and I have not seen this in any of these characters. You could understand their character and behavior as interns but they are residents now and they still act like "interns" and even the veteran residents are starting to display the same characteristics. The chief seems to be the only one who has been granted maturity on staff. These are DOCTORS for goodness sake so why are they all still living with each other? Why is Derek and Meredith still playing this love-hate game? Are any of the new interns characters going to turn into something other than just following behind residents that teaches then NOTHING? They all need a life and I think the writers are missing something with the developing lesbian relationship...it may should have been Christina and Meredith and poor Derek is just holding on waiting for Meredith to come around and see he has always been around and it just does not seem to be happening. It's getting a little boring and predictable.

[Cara in NJ]

This episode was great!!! I don't know which scene I laughed harder at, Christina in the Dermatology dept, George with the young boy in the OR, Izzy telling Alex hshe was going to shoot his a** off, George rounding up Mer, Izzy and Christina in the Dermatology dept, Bailey and Callie talking about going to Africa!!!! All of it!!! Wonderfully funny. It made my night!!!
Also, I am so glad that George passed his test. He needs to be with the others. I feel like balance is being brought back. They are all together again... LOVE IT!!!

[Joanne]

Loved George's work with the young patient...especially their interchange after going into the wrong operating room.

Dislike Lexie's constant mooning over George.

Can't believe that Derek needs all this space in Mer's house when he used to do just fine in a trailer.

Alex has gone back to being a creep from season 1. Get over Ava/Rebecca already.

LOVED Bailey's talk with Callie about the va-jay-jay...just love Bailey! More Bailey please.

Definitely enjoying this season.

Oh, and my dermatologist's office NEVER looked like that!

[mnb]

So I get on here weekly to read the blog after the episode has aired. It is my insight to what the writers were thinking and so on. This week was great. It had a lot of humor, and I loved laughing with it. It is disappointing that the blog didn't go into the episode when it was the perfect episode to go into.

[stephro]

great episode! but I have a question...
I noticed that Derek has told Meredith that he loves her in the past two episodes, but Meredith has never said it back- in fact, I don't think she has said it since Addison was around. It sort of seemed like she started to say it to him last night, but then Derek started talking again...
are you doing this on purpose? or am I just noticing the things that are so miniscule that they have no need for any concern?

[sg]

Love the show, loved the comedy of the dermatologists. I'm to burn all my personal papers tonight. I used to think they would be insights into our family history, now I know they are my guilt trips for my kids and husband...instead I think I'll leave love notes to them!

[JNB]

Clearly I love Grey's or I wouldn't be reading the blog and I also love the blog but seriously? Nothing about the episode at all? It was a good episode and I would've liked to hear more about it, not just the diary (though your observation about throwing away diaries once you are regularly visiting oncologists is hilarious in a 'i'm going to hell for laughing at that' way).
We had some laugh out loud moments (Bailey and Callie talking about the 'motherland') that I want to talk about. I know you acknowledged that you weren't talking about the episode, but that doesn't make it right for me. Do better next time please and thank you :-)

[dixiefrog]

I feel duped. All you can write about are derms and diaries?? I come to this blog each week to update my friends and I with the between-the-lines information. I realize you guys are busy. However, maybe someone else should have written this. Even when Shonda posts and is short, she will follow up with another post. Highly disappointed, but enjoyed the light heartedness of the show last night.

[Katie G.]

any chance of this blog getting written in advance, like right after the episode is written, and just not published until after it airs? I am missing the character insight . . .