Debora Cahn on "Wish You Were Here"...

Original Airdate: 1-8-09

Cristina and Meredith are fighting.  I hate it when they fight.  They’re so damn miserable.  You’d think maybe they’d enjoy it.  Worthy opponents, squaring off.  Throw down of the century.  But no.  Not even Cristina, who usually relishes the opportunity to tear anyone a new one, seems like this is just eating away at her soul.  Where’s the sense of fun?  Of sport?  Can’t they try to get into the spirit of it?  No.  They both look kind of oxygen deprived.  And that’s really what it’s like.  You go through something like surgical residency – it’s a program designed to almost kill you.  Like boot camp, but it goes on for years.  How do you get through it?  For Mer and Cristina, you survive by having a person by your side – minute by minute, trauma by trauma.  Someone who will make you laugh when you have part of a dead person’s lymph node in your hair.  Someone who will tell you your attending’s a brainless chinless douche bag when he’s just spent twenty hours explaining why you’re a moron.  Someone who’s in it with you.  And without that someone – it’s just torture.  The days are grueling.  The work is relentless.  The satisfaction is nonexistent.  It’s miserable.  Without your other half… it’s like breathing without the oxygen.  But Mer’s got Derek, shouldn’t that help?  Not really.  It’s not the same kind of other half.   He’s there for her when it’s all over, but he’s not in it.  He may remember what it was like to be a resident, but probably it’s like women who go through labor.  It sucks just badly enough that something in your brain makes you forget.  It’s hazy for Derek, the days in the trenches.  He’s probably grown a little nostalgic about it.  He can’t remember what it was really like. 

And Owen… wouldn’t it be great if Cristina had Owen to turn to?  Sure, he’d be like Derek – not a replacement for Meredith, but still.  He’d be something.  Wouldn’t we all feel a little better?   So why can’t he get his damn act together?  Why is he so damn hot and cold all the time?  Why?  He’s big and strapping and gorgeous and brilliant and capable and strapping and gorgeous, why is he such a basket case?  Cristina doesn’t trust people.  She just doesn’t come to it naturally.  But here he is, holding out a hand, or at least a cup of coffee.  She decided to let him in… and every time she comes to him in a moment of need, he’s totally checked out.  Don’t you want to just smack him upside the head? 

And while we’re smacking people upside the head… CHIEF RICHARD WEBBER.  WHAT THE @#$%?  I think that’s the real problem, for everyone, on this particular day.  The Chief has checked out.  He’s on strike.  Gone.  It’s like the center of gravity stopped pulling, and everyone’s about to slip off the face of the planet.  Bailey, for a change, is the only one who really notices what’s going on.  But there’s not a whole hell of a lot she can do about it.  He’s known his hospital dropped to #12 for weeks.  But he never really looked at it.  Never really felt what it meant.  It was a number somewhere on a chart.  It sucked, but it didn’t change anything.  Right up until Jordan Kenley dropped dead on a patient’s bed (that poor traumatized child) and the Chief discovered no good pediatric surgeon wanted to come here and take his place.  Devastating.  The Chief’s never experienced anything like that.  He never had to ask, never mind beg, surgeons to come to this hospital.  They were clamoring at the door.  And now… people don’t want to work here?  Add him to the list of people who are trying to walk the halls without oxygen.  Except he had the good sense to lie down, in a dark room, and put a Do Not Disturb sign on the door. 

And Derek.  Saving the life of a serial killer.  When all he can do is look in the guy’s eyes and imagine the face of the man who shot his dad. 

And Mark Sloan… Mark Sloan who could always find happiness, or at least some brief gratification, in an on-call room, with pretty much anyone, but certainly with Callie, Mark Sloan is falling, hard, for the Littlest Grey.  And his conscience, which has always been buried pretty deep, won’t let him have her.  He betrayed Derek once.  It was a biggie.  And he can’t do it again.  Despite the fact that Lexie’s trotting around him like a happy puppy.  He can’t go there.  Won’t.  Talk about lack of oxygen…

People are having a really crappy day. 

Except Izzie.  Who couldn’t really be happier.  So she hangs out with a dead guy, it’s a detail.  She’s got the two loves of her life by her side.  And they’re kind of getting in a pissing contest with each other, where the best way to win is to impress her in the sack.  Or in an exam room.  Really anywhere with a horizontal surface.  So she’s a friggin whack job, she’s having a great time.  And Alex, who thankfully has had enough crazy women in his life that Izzie’s confession about seeing dead people strikes him as pretty close to normal… Alex is cool with it.  That’s the nice thing about being raised by a boozer and a junkie, it takes a lot to flip you out. 

So… to the skeptics… to those who wonder why we let this woman spend her time with a dead guy,  A DEAD MAN, WE SAW HIM DIE, WE’RE REALLY QUITE SURE HE’S NOT THE KIND OF PERSON YOU SPEND TIME WITH… It makes her happy.  And she’s the only one who is.  She wished he were here.  And her wish came true.  That’s supposed to make you happy.  It often doesn’t.  Be careful what you wish for, and all that.  But sometimes it does.  Sometimes it makes you really happy.  So he’s dead.  Why get bogged down in the details?

Comments

[Edlyn]

I really enjoyed the show. I especially enjoyed the funny dance scene b/w Meredith and Derek!

[Native New Yorker]

I really enjoyed this episode. I thought that it was tightly written. The character development was great. The acting was excellent. Seeing Meredith and Cristina show their pain without speaking. One example was the scene in the operating room. You could see that Meredith's words hurt
Cristina deeply. Sandra Oh showed this beautifully with just her eyes! I hope that these two are able to mend their relationship.

I also like that we finally found out something about Derek's background. Wow what a revelation. I hope that there is more to come. I am also hoping that the pattern in past seasons won't happen here. Few Meredith and Derek scenes, episodes with them together, then a break up. I hope that we will continue to see the growth in their relationship. This means that they can have serious disagreements but able to work through them together.

Everything else in the episode was also excellent. Doesn't Bailey always tell Izzie not to get too involved with her patients? Doesn't Bailey do that with her patients? Especially the kids. (Can't wait to see where this is going.)
Sloan and Callie really funny. I am anxious to see how Sloan grows. (If he was going follow Lexie, couldn't he have been more discrete?) Callie's evolution will also be interesting. Now it is clearer why Sadie was written into the show. We found out more about Meredith through her. The Chief's statement to Derek is lesson to us all about the work/personal life balance.

Again great episode and excellent blog!

[Janet]

I must admit, I was not excited to watch last night's episode. It has appeared to my daughter and me, who have watched Grey's religiously since it started, that this season is the weakest. The characters were just not that interesting, and please, don't even get me started on the Dead Denny. I turn away every time I see him on the screen, and he is one of my favorite actors!
However, you have redeemed yourself. The serial killer story was a bit over the top, but otherwise the writing was crisp and we actually enjoyed watching. Thanks - I hope this means that Grey's is back as the gold standard.
I would love, however, to see Mer a little less one-dimensional. She seems to be a hard character for people to write for.

[jesseee]

snap top comment: sloan and callie = best characters atm. and nothing hardly ever never is written about callie ever. is it because sara ramirez is so absolutely amazing that her acting in scenes and callie's pschye dont need explaining? that is a valid response, because she is frickin hilariously awesome and mindblowingly hot - but itd be nice anyway. once one time.

[Julianna]

Love Mark & Callie!.

[Nikki]

Sloan and Callie are just too perfect together as buddies!!! I LOVE IT!! I want Christina and Mere to get through this though. :( And that poor boy, when Alex signed his MakeAWish form, I about lost it. Way to start the season off!! But can you all stop with the previews for next week that leave me screaming at the TV about something that wont happen for ANOTHER 7 days, lol!

[Melissa]

Great blog, pretty great episode last night. Props to EP and SO for playing this fight (however painful it might be for the viewers) as well as they play best friends!

[Canada Loves GA]

The first episode i have enjoyed in a while. Why, because we actually had Mer/Der screen time and found out more about them. It has been a long wait.Thanks.

[mnb]

Absolutely, LOVED Der trying to cheer Mer up at the end by dancing and being silly! Thanks for the scenes!!! Callie and Sloan have great chemistry and I love their comiserating.

[mary mary]

Thanks for the ending, Mer and Der dancing together was just so sweet. Please kill Denny for good. It's kinda making the show jump the shark.

[No Denver]

This was a really good episode. Loved the initimacy of Derek and Meredith in bed for a quickie, dancing at the end and in the middle just when she says his name in front of the patient.

I don't like Meredith and Cristina fighting. It throws the show off a little. I wonder what happened in Amsterdam with Sadie. I hope that you don't have Meredith say she is sorry to Cristina. I don't think she did anything wrong.

The Chief needs to step up his game. He is acting like a baby.

A little tidbit about Derek's Dad. I would have thought after that information, Derek and Meredith would have talked it out some.That was disappointing.

Thank you for NOT going to Denver with Lexie and Sadie. I know Mark and Lexie had sex and probably Callie and Sadie too. But thank you for NOT showing either. Mark and Callie are great together. Sexy and funny. I wish they could be the couple.

I liked Arizona. Anybody who pushes back Bailey is a tough character. She would be such a better additon to the show that Dr. Dixon.

Hoping to see Dr. Wyatt again.

[Ava]

Thank you thank you for such a great episode. it was the first one all season that I really LOVED and couldn't take my eyes off of!

Meredith and Derek were amazing....they are really growing and maturing and it's so nice that we got to see more of that this week. my heart broke for Derek telling mer about his dad. I never expected that!

[Tiffany]

I thank you so very much for great increase of Mer/Der screen time. I did find it odd that Meredith didn't know about Derek's dad before this. I know their communication skills are something to be desired but really after all this time? What do they talk about at home?

I think some strain on Mer and Cristina's friendship was to be expected but this fight is going on too long and for stupid reasons. It's time to stop acting like they're in junior high.

However, I can't just sit back for the ride on this Dead Denny mess. It's not believable at all, no matter how it will be explained.

I feel bad for Alex. He always get the raw end of the deal with women.

Speaking of which, how is it that Lexie is so great in bed if Alex didn't even remember sleeping with her last season?

Also, I find it funny Izzie has a birthday but there's no mention of her actual age.

[J Kat]

I want Alex and Izzie together and Denny gone, that hasn't changed, even though I like Denny but he's dead. its still not normal, no matter how many times you guys mention it in your blogs, it hard for us tom accept.

Izzie and Alex are my favorite couple, before that it was Burke and Cristina, obviously thats done, so please, please I hope Alex and Izzie find happiness with each other very soon. Please.

[JJ]

Great episode. Loved it. Love the Izzy/Alex/Denny thing. I GET IT!!!! I am enjoying it. Ignore the nay sayers.

[Nikki]

LOVED the episode. FINALLY! The Meredith and Derek scenes were "swoon worthy" this is exactly what we've been asking for, so THANK YOU! They are amazing together and I love how much they have grown.

I hate that Mertina are fighing but the scenes are amazing.

Love "Mexie" they are so adorable together.

Eric Stoltz is an amazing additon to the cast. I've always loved his work either behind or in front of the camera. I'm concerned what his involvement with MerDer will be. I can't imagine him interfering on a romantic level and I hope to god that he doesnt get the urge to slit Mer's throat.

You've restored my love for Greys and I think thank you enough for that.

Can you write every episode? Maybe even add some more hot MerDer scenes?

P.S. I attended the People's Choice Awards and it broke my heart that both PD and Greys did not win, especially since I came across the map to see you win!

[Amanda M]

Seriously? Seriously? While I feel this episode was a return to the better days of Grey's, dead Denny keeps keepin' on. Come on Grey's Writers. Come freaking on! :(

[tj]

love what you are doing with mark sloan and lexie - they are rising to the material. and PD had some great moments - you wrote him as a cute dorky guy, finally.

however, can i gently suggest that we need more plot and less choppy cutbacks between 100 characters. this epi would be of no interest to people who didn't already care about the characters. it was hard to follow and a bit heavy handed (sorry bc I like your work debora).

hanging in there.

[No more!]

NO MORE DEAD DENNY. He's ruining the show. Loved his character while he was alive, but jeeze. This is just getting bad.

I love the program! But I am frustrated by the Christina and Mer situation, it is like the writers decided that since they promised not to break up MER/DER they have to break up Christina and Meredith.. Get them back together for crying out loud! We miss their dynamic. ENOUGH of Izzie and Denny! I fast forward through these scenes, they are annoying!

[stilldisheartened]

"People are having a really crappy day" - these are your fans that are hating the dead Denny, Sadie and Lexie and Mark. Just in case you were wondering.

[Chelsea]

Thank you for finally writing an episode I like.
Its definitely been a while.

I love Bailey and how she is the one to see the Chief in his time of need. She deserves more responsibility. Because Bailey sees everything. And she's the best.

Mark and Callie are also great. Those two can work the comedy like its nothing. I love it! But I do hope they get over their silly little obsessions soon. Because thats what both interns seem like-- obsessions. Not real relationships like the one they've formed together.

ps. Alex is amazing and is quickly becoming one of my fav characters. Nice work!

[Audrey]

I'm really a little tired of the Denny ghost. He is nice to look at but I think the fantasy has gone too far.

[Barbra]

Best episode in a very long time! Take out the Denny crap and it was almost perfect. Loved the Mer/Der scenes but please, no more Dempsey dancing!

[Sara]

So he’s dead. Why get bogged down in the details?

Uh, because he's dead.
And what was wrong with her being perfectly happy with Alex?