Bill Harper On "Rise Up"...

Original Airdate: 11-6-08

Since this week’s episode has much to do with  dead people who won’t stay dead, I thought it might be appropriate to start with a story about some dead people: 

When I was a teenager, I visited my sister at college, where she was studying to be a physical therapist.  She told me to meet her in a lab, and (purposefully, I think) gave me zero advanced warning that what I’d be walking into was a gross anatomy lab -- a room full of dead bodies.  Surprise.  Ha.  Good one.  I went through what must be the Five Stages of Seeing Unexpected Corpses: 1. Shock,  2. Revulsion,  3.  Unease,  4.  Gnawing concern about the fragility of my life,   5.  Worry for this dead stranger in front of me, curiosity about how he got here, why he wasn’t buried, who his family was, how his hands got so calloused...   Anyway, lots and lots of feelings, and all in about four seconds.  Plus, the smell was weird.  But suddenly, I swear, all of it was replaced with one feeling:  Fascination.  As four students worked over the open stomach cavity of a grey-green male cadaver, I was struck by how quickly it became just that to me -- a body, not a person.  I felt like I understood the detachment that doctors must need to do their jobs.  The ability to save lives --  and the daily threat of losing them -- must be enough to paralyze you if you don’t detach a little.   If you don’t de-personalize.

(Sorry, I know I’m already sort of well into this blog, but I feel this weird, nagging impulse to introduce myself, since we haven’t met.  I’m Bill...longtime fan, first-time writer, first episode of Grey’s, first blog.  Ever.  Hi. Very happy to meet you.)

That detachment shows up all over in this episode.  The first Solo Surgery’s about to be awarded, it’s a huge deal, a huge honor, so our doctors are fired up to learn, to prepare, to win it -- and their interns are being neglected by their teachers -- everyone’s getting a little crazed, a little...detached. 

Lexie assembles her league of unclaimed bodies.  But Alex literally body-snatches them and pretty soon all of the residents are using them.  And I mean using them.  They’re so consumed with practicing procedures (and, in some cases, their lunch) they lose track of the fact that these are actual people they’re cutting into.  Of course, it takes Bailey to snap them back, to demand for these bodies the respect they deserve.  Sadly, it all lands on poor Lexie, who, from the beginning was the only person who showed those cadavers anything like respect.  (I love her little speech thanking them for being there).  No wonder she joins her basement band of self-doctoring interns. 

Meanwhile, George works heroically away on his “patient.” Stan (played by iStan -- truly the most amazing, state-of-the-art trauma patient simulator there is out there).  The idea behind these simulators is that they can create a scenario so realistic that doctors actually feel the stress of a real-life trauma.  And by the end Stan becomes more of a person than he has a right to be (thanks partly to the Chief).

The poor beating victim, on the other hand, becomes less than human. Alex and Cristina have turned him into a grab bag of procedures to practice on, losing track of the person to the point where Owen completely snaps.  Owen, ironically, has spent the entire day trying to depersonalize himself.   He’s fighting so hard to not connect, to keep it professional, to keep Cristina at arm’s length.  It must be a reaction to what we learned last week - losing his entire unit, being the sole survivor.  If anyone ever wanted to detach, if anyone wanted to flee from being human, it’s Owen.  And it builds in him all day, until it explodes.

I think my favorite scene might be the one when Cristina finds Owen and realizes maybe the only way to break through, to really communicate, after learning of his tragedy, is to tell him this incredibly intimate story of her own.  Sometimes the most tragic and defining experiences can create a shorthand between people.   They just understand it in a way that no one else would.   (OK.  I’m flat-out fascinated by Owen and Cristina. They seem to skip steps that most of us have to go through when we meet someone.  They’re all surprise kissing and tragic-life-story-trading.  No small talk, really. I can’t wait to see what happens next between them.)

So, the doctors must detach, but as Bailey and Owen point out, you can’t let the Person become nothing but The Patient.  Everybody is “somebody’s somebody.”  This peculiar opportunity that doctors have to cross the line between life and death and back again -- well, it would make me crazy.  For most of us, Death is the finish line.  For surgeons, it can be just another hurdle. 

And death isn’t the end for a lot of people in this episode.  Meredith and Cristina learn that, unearthing all those diaries of Ellis’s, trading them like best-sellers, learning from her brilliant past.

There’s poor Mr. Bullard who’s so prepared for his wife’s death after such a long illness, only to find that, when it comes down to it, he’s not prepared at all.  He has to bring her back.  And poor Bailey, who’s obviously working so hard to keep her own marriage alive, and sees the ideal of what she’s after in the Bullards.  To stop trying to save her, to stop working, to give up on the ideal goes against every instinct she has, as a doctor and as a person. 

But come on.  If were going to talk about people coming back from the dead.  If we’re talking resurrections...Come on...

Picture this:  You’re a fan of the show.  Then the dream of a lifetime comes true and you get to  work on the show.  It’s your first episode, and Shonda says to you:  “This is the one where Denny comes back.” 

He is, as Callie says, Seattle Grace Legend. And his re-appearance opens a whole can of worms:  People forget that’s how we met Erica Hahn.  I admit, ever since Erica Hahn showed up for her first day of work I’d wondered, in the back of my mind, how much she knew of what went on here the night of that heart transplant.  I knew if she didn’t know, and she found out, it would blow up.   And it does -- In one day her whole world is rocked.  Her work, this hospital, her relationship, nothing is what it seemed.  Upside-down.  And poor Callie is playing catch-up.  Not knowing where it’s going.  Or where Erica’s going.

And Izzie.  Poor Izzie.  It is, as Meredith says, a lot of Denny for one day.  But she figures there must be a reason that her patient --  Denny’s former rival for the transplant heart -- is here, (played by Tom Verica, an amazing actor, who, you may notice, frequently directs our show as well) and that he’s in Denny’s old room.  And that Denny is wandering the hallways!  And staring at her with his big, sad Denny eyes.  This must be how she can finally, once and for all, can lay him to rest.  Right?   I love how her fear and concern over seeing her dead boyfriend, there...in the room, is replaced with that incredible, final sadness of realizing that he’s not.  That he’s gone.  Gone for good. 

Or is he?  Denny...seems to have other plans.  As for what happens next between them, I can’t say.  I can just say this...

...It’s not over yet. 

Comments

[Felicia]

Okay, is Patrick Dempsey leaving the show and no one told us? Because there is no mention of Derek and what he just went through in that episode (or was it just a coincidence that he performed CPR on the woman he loved just like Ed did, and just a coincidence that Meredith talked about her near death experience?)

I'm so glad that Shonda and the writing staff are excited about Owen Hunt, and Owen and Cristina, because I'm not. I watch this show in great part because of Meredith and Derek, and the less I see of them, the less Grey's Anatomy is must see tv.

[yrol]

wow !

mer and der screen time was less than 30 seconds ? i cant believe ! ! !...

how about next week ? do they still have at least 30 sconds

really..shonda loves merder and merder fans....

thnx SHONDA !

[hannah]

I LOVE MER DER...pls more scenes and story line for them...love cris and mer too but pls give some storyline for merder...

next epi its mer and sadie ( merdie)..pls cut short cris mer scene..im looking forward for mer and sadie story line but pls give us MORE MERDER scene.

[Lynn]

Great Episode. The writing has been fantastic this season. There has been some complaining about a lack of Merdith and Derek, but I love how it's not always all about them. They can be normal(ish) with out all of the drama for a little while. There are other lives to explore! The chemistry between Cristina and Owen is electric. I also loved the scene where she shared her tragic story with him. Also, I'm normally not an Izzie fan, but she starting to win me over. Welcome Bill!!!

the writers don't want to show Merder together. I theorize that Shonda's new rule for the couple in Season 5 is.....
NO Meredith and Derek together for more than 90 seconds, per episode....thnx for that SHONDA RHIMES !

This episode is absolutely a rubbish!...SORRY !

[Lane]

Kevin McKidd and Sandra Oh rocks my world. There are no words to describe my adoration for this pairing.

The true powerhouse couple of Grey's Anatomy.

Bill, thank you for this wonderfully written episode!

[fan]

Earth to writers!!!

WHERE DID MERDER GO???????????

Do we still have a merder ???

Do we know that they are still together / still have a flame?????

NOOOO.. we viewers do not have any of those answers because we only get 30 seconds of merder!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

what happened tonight seriously!!

i'm disappointed!!!

[Rob]

I don't understand how people can react about having only 30 secs of Mer & Der... The show is bigger than them, I could go with a full season without these 2. Alex, Christina, Bailey can carry this show with out MerDer... This show is so much deeper than those 2, in fact thir storyline is the cheeziest... Even Calleigh & Hahn's angle is better... Anyways... 'Love the show, 1 of the best on TV... Keep on writing excellent TV...

[AMI]

Welcome Bill, your episode was amazing.
Thanks...I was getting worried that the passion was gone but between Mark's episode and yours...I see there is still hope...I see parts of what I fell in love with in S1 and S2.
I have to say though, a little disappointed in the Mer/Der department. We were expecting them to have more couple time so we see what kind of relationship they can have rather than remember all the non-couple time of the past.
Love Izzie/Alex...hopefully all this Denny stuff doesn't lead to Izzie leaving. She's great on her own and amzing with Alex.
I love Sloan and I hope he gets more meaningful and fun storylines

[hi]

Thanks for the 1 minute of Mer/Der screentime!!!

[kim]

I am getting so tired of waiting for the Mer/Der of it all. Why can't the writers be allowed to please the audience?

[MerDer52fan]

I am really beginning to despise this show. Enough of Christina and Meredith. Enough. Enough. Enough. Where are Meredith & Derek? It just does not make sense. There could be so many good scenes with them. I just do not understand it. It pains me. Another week of wasted anticipation for Meredith & Derek together. I think the whole season their total together time has been maybe 3 minutes. And that might be a stretch. I have so totally had it.

[Ellie]

wonderful episode---the Bullards plus Izzie and Denny's heart-guy made me cry!

I also agree--Christina and Hunt are a really fascinating new pair--big thumbs up!(plus I think Derek could really use a Christina break!!)

Izzie and Alex--and the bouquet of corpses-awwww!! I really hope you guys keep this couple around, I loved Denny as much as anyone but I'm an Izzie moving on with Alex fan!--It seems like they have so much to share with each other--I can't wait for their "Tragic-story shring" phase!

[Lisa]

Denny! Thank you so much for brining Denny back. I am still so sad he's gone. Great episode, Bill. I couldn't quit crying - even after the show was over. Watching that poor old man leave the hospital alone was heartbreaking...

[Tammie]

As I am sitting here reading the commnents and getting ready to write my own comment, Snow Patrols song comes on. The one from the episode at the end of season 2 where Denny dies and Izzie is laying there with him. I am a little freaked out about that!! So here is what I have to say...I think this episode was brilliant! Shonda has always said she has had a plan and I can not wait to see what this all means for Izzie. In all the scenes where Denny has appeared to Izzie, he has never spoken. Until now. He has spoken to Meredith, but never to Izzie. To all of the people out there who are so concerned about no MerDer scenes, please give it a rest. This show is not all about Meredith. Shonda has a plan and I have faith in that plan and I trust that plan. I have never lost faith in this show, not from day one. There is a reason for Denny, from his first appearance to his appearance last night, there is a reason. This show is amazing and yes, I knew that one day the whole mess about the heart thing would come back. It was just a matter of time. The writers are not dissapointing this year. Way to go!! Thank you!

[Elly]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I'll take all the Denny you can throw at me!!!!! Keep him coming!!!

[MryAnn]

Powerful episode!! Great story telling.... laughed, cried, everything a good story should do to you.
Congrats, Bill, you did it!!

[tets]

I WANT MORE MERDER!

[katherine]

Hey, thanks for a great blog! And for a great episode.

I just want to offer a little bit of encouragement. Many of the posts I've read so far complain because there isn't more MerDer screen time...that's okay with me. Maybe not okay with everyone, but I don't mind it not always being about just them. I'm invested in the SHOW, not just two characters. You guys have written characters with such depth that I want to know about them, I want to see them interact with each other, see who they really are. I loved how Christina was so open with Owen and how we're seeing Alex learn to own up to his feelings. I love the relationship between Callie and Mark and how with her it's more than what he usually has with a woman. I could go on and on, but really there's not enough room.

You guys are doing a great job and I'm really enjoying this season. My husband even watches with me! Keep up the good work.

[Kristen]

Best episode since season 2! I love Denny and will take him any way I can get him! Excellent writting!

[lexzie]

Why are you trying to break izzie and alex now that they are soo happy? geez.. ENOUGHH with Denny.. yes yes i get it, he's tall and big and all kinds of handsome.. BUT ENOUGH! Is this the big love story you have planned for her? do you want her seeing dead people now for the rest of her life? I really hope with all my heart this all thing you havle planned out will onl bring Alex and Izzie together.. i seriously, i need to believe so

[Jaslynn]

I've GIVEN UP on Grey's Anatomy. Well I don't know if there's a Grey's Anatomy, because last night actually felt like IZZY'S ANATOMY. There's barely any Meredith and Derek on the show at all. You've really lead us on writers, but I'll be watching something else from now on.
I've been watching Grey's for 5 season's straight and I really hate to make this decision, but every time I watch I'm just disappointed. There are no good episodes anymore like those in season one, it's a shame really. So good luck, because your really going to need it. It looks like a lot of fans have given up (ratings are down), you promised Meredith and Derek together and all you've given us in return is nothing.

[Nikki from MD]

Meredith and Derek deserve to be more than bookends.

I'm borrowing a quote from my friend, The writers have turned what once was the hottest couple on tv into the most boring couple on tv. It's a waste of the incredible EP/PD chemistry. It's the reason most of us fell in love with the show.

There are many ways they can still be together and be HOT at the same time. If you need suggestions, please don't hesitate to ask us.

I think all of us MerDer fans are convinced that the writers, especially Shonda, hate us. They don't even warrant more than 10 seconds of screen time per episode nor a mention in a blog. I fear the next episode, we'll blink and they will be gone.

Since your new, I will apologize for being so blunt, but maybe this will make you realize what we ALL want. I know there is an ensemble cast, and it's a great one, but the main couple, the core.. NEED MORE.

So many important issues were addressed in this episode, I thought for sure this would open the flood gates for them to actually talk about it in the end, and what do we get? A lousy kiss on the cheek.

There were some really good parts to the show, and I will comment again, once I wrap my mind around the fact that we may never get what we want for our couple. This is not what we were promised or what we deserve.

I'll be back, and hopefully nicer next time.

[Nana]

Ok... Great episode... But Meredith and Derek? Seriously??? Is their time together going to be reduced to 1 second with Sadie coming next week? Is it some kind of punishment for wanting them to be a couple? We've never even seen them on a date! Like, you know, dinner with real food, waiters, big chunks of carbs in a basket?
And this codependency between Meredith and Cristina is getting disguting!!

[Amanda]

I have to say that I am loving Dr. Hunt. He is such a new and refreshing character. I'm excited to see where his relationship with Cristina will go. It's sure to be EXPLOSIVE!

On the other hand, enough with the Denny storyline. Let the poor guy go. I seriously hope this doesn't lead to Izzie goin all crazy and what not. Alex has dealt with enough crazy and is FINALLY making some progress. It's bad enough that he came 2nd to Denny and the preview makes it seems as if he has to help Izzie deal with the memory of Denny. Hopefully, it doesnt go that direction. I'm so NOT feeling it. I've been pulling for an Alex/Izzie reunion for a long time. I would love to see this couple make it work!

I really would like to see more of George as well. I was a HUGE fan of George up until season 3 when he sorta lost something about him that was so likeable. I want old George back!!

I love this show and think it was an amazing episode! Well done..