Shonda Rhimes on "What a Difference a Day Makes"...

Original Airdate: 5-7-09

Okay.  So…100.

100 episodes.

Which means I was so tired last night that I forgot to blog.  But I’m blogging now.  I’m here now.

First, a warning:  this is our last blog of the season.  It’s also our last podcast and today will be my last tweets of the season. 

We’re going dark, people.

Why?  Because next week’s episodes (two in one night) are so explosive and cliff-hanger-y that we, the writers, have all agreed that we can’t even talk about them.  For fear of giving anything away.  We honestly can’t say a word.  But know that we are proud.  Of the episodes.  And of you.  For sticking with us.  For 100 plus episodes.  For going through the good and the bad.  For having faith in us.  And our characters.  We thank you and we appreciate it.  There are not words to express how much we appreciate it.

So this is the last you will hear from us until next season.

What can I say about the 100th?  Well, there was a wedding.  Which made some of you cry and made some you mad.  There was Denny.  Which made some of you cry and some of you mad.  But mostly, there was a point.

I had a point!

That happy woman you saw?  Doing her solo surgery and smiling at the Chief?  The one giving her wedding away with warmth and joy?  THAT WAS THE SAME WOMAN WHO TRIED TO DROWN HERSELF.  That was our dark and twisty girl.  All grown up.  Whole.  Healed.  FOR REAL.  It was a day I never thought we’d see (well, I did think it but…hell, you know what I mean).  For once, Mer is the calm one. The happy one.  The one who is fine.  For once, Mer is whole and healed and happy.  She doesn’t have a problem other than the Chief peeking over her shoulder during her solo surgery.  She is excited about her marriage.  She is calm.  She doesn’t need her eyebrows shaved off to be numbed into the submission of marriage.  She is fine.

That is shocking, I think.  So I’m going to say it again.  SHE.  IS. FINE.

That was my point.  After 100 episodes, Meredith Grey is grown up.  She is the thing her mother wished for her.  She is extraordinary.  Because, to get past the crap of your past?  To move on?  To let the past go and change?  That is extraordinary.  To love?  Without fear?  Without screwing it up?  That is extraordinary.  It makes me happy to see her happy.

Now, Izzie’s got some problems.  Her tumor is back.  And she is scared to death.  But the thing is, Alex has grown up too.  Look at him.  Standing at the altar and saying those vows like a man.  He’s grown up.  And the two of them are married.  Which is unbearably sad because you know and I know the wedding wouldn’t be happening if it wasn’t clear that Izzie is maybe going to die.  But he’s become a man who can step up.  And I love him for it.

I went up to the editing room when the show was being editing and I saw my first images of Izzie lying in the hospital bed bald.  And I started to cry.  And I said to Susan Vaill, our brilliant editor, I said, “Ummm…I think Izzie is really sick.”  And she hollered at me “YOU MADE HER SICK!!!!” 

But here’s the thing.  Until I saw my Izzie, bald and pale and wheezing in that bed…I mean, she’s sick. She’s really sick.  And I didn’t see it coming.  My brain got ahead of my heart on this one.  It hurt my heart to see her so sick.  The magnitude of one of our own, that sick, it was shocking to see off the page and on the screen.  She’s sick.  She’s really sick.  And now I’m a little scared.

In this episode, Denny comes back.  Not as her boyfriend.  Not as the guy she hallucinates having sex with.  No.  Denny comes back as death.  Death with a capital “D”.  Did you notice the black clothes?  The way he speaks sparingly?  He’s death.  He’s death standing over her.  I kept chanting the Emily Dickinson poem --- “because I could not stop for death, he kindly stopped for me”.  That’s Denny.  I gotta admit, I’m crossing my fingers that he goes away.  Because, as much as I love Denny (and y’all know how I love him), I want him to get out of there.  Like Bailey says “YOU TELL DENNY TO GO HOME.”  Because I don’t want Death to get Izzie.

Did you see George follow Owen’s advice and  go where he was needed?  Right to Izzie’s side to help her down the aisle?  He wasn’t the hero.  He was on the team.  He went where he was needed.  And Lexie?  Saying “you’re breathing?”  One of my favorite moments ever.

And Callie?  Oh my god, do I love Callie.  And I love her with Arizona, a whole healed person in her own right.  There was something so painfully poignant about Callie admitting that she is broke.  That the relationship is no longer on equal footing.  That she feels like she is in over her head because her father disowned her and cleaned out her bank account.  I love that Arizona says “I like the girl who has the sandwiches.”  I like that they make me feel hopeful about love.   Callie deserves a little happy.

Owen and Cristina are still in pain, however.  I am rooting for them and you should be too.   He’s a good man, that Owen.  He’s good for Cristina.  And, if they can get past the choking, maybe they will make it.

But I’m coming back to Mer and Der.  Happy.  Completely and totally happy.  Which is rare for anyone.  But shocking for Meredith and Derek.  They really are soul mates. And they really are perfect for one another. 

I had a point.

So, what’s left?  The final two episodes.  Will Mer and Der get married?  Will Izzie live?  Will Owen and Cristina get together?  What’s going to happen to Bailey?  To George? To everyone?

There’s a point to that too.  You watch and you’ll see.

Thank you.  From the bottom of my heart.  For all 100 times you’ve watched.  For all 100 more you watch in the future. 

I’m grateful.

Comments

[Kristen]

I've never commented, but I need to say that the 100th was one of the best episodes! I am a Mer/Der fan, but I am not disappointed. Eventhough they gave their wedding away, they ARE HAPPY! And the only way they could be in the place to give up their wedding day would be if they were happy. I loved the episode eventhough I was in tears.

[Sarah]

"There’s a point to that too. You watch and you’ll see."

No thanks, because I'm sick of Izzie's Anatomy.

[Lauren in Seattle]

I have a feeling that MerDer will get married next week . . . just a feeling.

[Megan]

I thought it was GREAT!

[Erin]

My fav moment was the exchange between Lexi and the lone survivor from the colege car accident--"You're crying" ; "You're breathing". I thought it was so lovely, and touching. Really well done.

[Franx]

Please, please, don't kill Izzie.

[sarah]

Meredith Grey isn't the lead actress again. Your precious Izzie is. Worst episode ever. Kill Izzie and I will return to watch it.

[Grace]

Just can't stop crying. So far the latest episodes are all fantastic!
Looking forward to ur next week's final performance!
I hope Izzie won't die!!!!

[Lisa R]

I have been hooked on Grey's since the first episode and I thought the 100th was fantastic. I liked the wedding and solo surgery juxtaposed with the horrible accident killing all those college students. (Although I cried almost this whole episode). I am so happy to see Mer finally grown up and whole and healed. I think it is the best thing this show has done. It's exquisite and as a viewer who has watched for so many years it is extremely GRATIFYING!!!! BTW the scene with her and the Chief last episode where he says sorry was incredible and just perfectly done. I love Der and Mer in this 100th episode. They are clearly so in love and moving forward and healthy. It is great. Alex saying those vows was just wonderful--to see his transformation as well. I cried uncontrollably at that. And the end where he says, "My wife is hot" was great. You guys have really outdone yourselves this season. This season is better than this show has ever been--very powerful. I like that George is doing trauma--it makes perfect sense. I am rooting for Cristina and Owen too. Sandra Oh and Kevin McKidd have amazing onscreen chemistry. Plus I think Owen is a much better fit for Cristina then Burke ever was. Next season I would really like to see a lot more focus on Sloan and Lexie though because they are beyond adorable and very intriguing! And I just want to say please don't kill Izzie just for Alex's sake. He's been through enough. And lastly I will say that the thing that keeps me coming back to this show is that the characters have TRANSFORMATIONS. They are not always the same, dealing with the same issues again and again, they actually GROW and CHANGE and that is what makes your show so damn great and I so admire that as writers you are not afraid to do that. Thank you for this show and thank you for the best season yet!

[Janice in Illinois]

Cried throughout this one -and of course, all the planning was for IZZIE's wedding! (But honestly, you strain credibility just a tad by putting Izzie in a Meredith-sized dress.)
And please, since MerDer have gotten this far, let them get really legally married by the captain of a ferryboat or something.
Those wedding vows of Alex's? What do you want to bet those will be paraphased in real weddings all over the country this year? Yes, indeed, marriage makes you accountable to someone other than yourself. Too few married couples realize this.
With all the drama of the wedding and those poor college kids and the new tumor, I admit the Calzone bit was rather distracting. I was so caught up in the rest, and it just didn't seem to fit.
All in all, a better season once you stopped paying attention to those idiot interns, none of whom should be doctors (Lexie excepted), and cut back on the Denny stuff. That was interesting initially but enough already...
Waiting with bated breath for next week! Will George and Izzie stay? I always thought Alex (another child with no one to advocate for him) would end up in peds, not Bailey. But Bailey's ok, too!

[Whatever]

Once more disappointed. The whole thing with the college kids seemed to be just filling up time - didn't know enough about them to care if they lived or not. Making the viewers wait for the wedding that had when previewed and advertised for weeks. 15 minutes left and then a rushed wedding. They confirm the tumor and Izzie is suddenly so weak and on her death bed? Didn't even seem like the characters were at the same hospital. Huge trauma in the ER and Webber is standing over Mer? Derek, Bailey not helping in the ER? This episode was a mess.

[Jenna]

Alright, all you Mer/Der fans that are angry that they didn't get their wedding...do you not realize what a beautiful gift they gave Izzie? Izzie, who may not live? They gave Izzie (and Alex) something they both really needed. Doing it made Mer/Der happy. You see, Mer/Der, they have their entire lives ahead of them. They have a definite future. They have the house and the babies and the plans. Izzie and Alex...not so much. So they gave them both a solid, precious memory. Something not to be forgotten by anyone in their lives. Beautiful. I knew it was coming, but it was still beautiful.

I am personally a Gizzie fan, but I have accepted that they will never be a couple. Izzie and Alex are happy together. They make each other smile. Alex has grown so much and I think Izzie is the reason for so much of it.
Now, I have a sneaking suspicion that if Izzie dies, Alex will be putting those fertilized eggs to use somehow. Curious to see what happens there.

I do believe Izzie will die. The whole bring-someone-back-from-the-brink was done with Mer already. Someone, a MAIN character, will need to die at some point to create that circle Shonda (and I) love so much.

Loved the s/l with the students in the car crash. I thought it was brilliantly done, especially the speech and the zippering of the bags. Very powerful. Very well-written. Finally. I have wanted to care about the patients all season and finally I'm able to do so. Well, the little girl from the last episode got me too, I must admit. But before then, emotionless. So thank you, writers, for bringing back the medicine.

Now, let's repair Owen/Cristina. I love them. LOVE them. Cristina wants it. She wants it so bad. When she took the hammer to that ceiling fan, I cheered. I cheered through my tears. Please bring them together. That love cannot go to waste.

Okay, I need to stop typing now because I'm crying and crying in a legal office isn't accepted very well, especially when it's about a TV show. But I want to say thank you for a wonderful 100 episode ride. I plan on watching every episode again from season 1 to last night's before next week's season finale. Wish me luck.

[Huh?]

A love letter to the fans?? yeah to Izzie and Alex Fans - To promote this as a MerDer-Wedding - GREAT IDEA to get to the top of ratings, but as a MerDerFan since the very beginning I'm mad as hell. My expectations for next weeks episodes: Maybe, just maybe, a minute of Screentime and the long awaited wedding? But I really don't know how you are able to squeeze this in between all the Izzie-Drama. Please prove me wrong...

[T.T]

I thought this episode was Great and loved every minute! Can't wait until next week !! *side eye to all the folks who are hating on last night show*

[Tina B]

I must say that I was a little disappointed in the episode. I have seen all 99 previous episodes, and this one didn't "grab" my attention like the last few episodes. It was too predictable. I am looking forward to the season finale next week, and hope that the season ends with some surprises. I loved seeing some of the "old" Mark, thinking about himself, and the "new" Mark, enjoying the wedding with Lexie. I hope season six starts, and stays, strong.

[An Alex/Izzie Fan]

Thank you for the beautiful Alex and Izzie wedding. I am truly grateful for last night's episode.

[Sarah]

It failed tooooo much Izzie and toooo much Callie&Arizona.

I get that Mer is healed and MerDer are all soulmates. BUT I WANT TO SEE IT. Not hear about it on your blog. SHOW ME. Make the show balanced again and not ALL IZZIE'S ANATOMY.

I just want her to die already because i'm sick of her and of Denny. Please Denny take her away!

[tld]

THANK YOU Shonda and crew! I cried too - several times. I am sad for the season finale but can't wait to see where you take us next season. Such a great season...and the cast you've put together this season is just amazing. Thank you for believing in Sara and Jessica and the whole cast. Lots of talent there! You've changed my life for the better.
xo

[Liz]

Was not a landmark 100th. I expected so much more than that. Very disappointed. You are capable of much more. Where are those little Grey's moments? You have again forgotten what made Grey's a hit show. Not a love to the fans. You all should be ashamed of what you put out for your big 100th Landmark.

[Gail]

Couldn't MerDer have had a little airtime together? I knew they'd be screwed out of their wedding. I miss those days where they used to light up my screen instead of seconds passing in jam packed of crap episodes. Bring back the GOOD pleease.

[Mary in OV]

BRAVO! I love all Grey's writers, but you can always tell when Shonda has grabbed the reins.

I'm a little bit verklempt that you are going all radio silence on us for and after the finale. Seems kinda cheap and sleazy when I am sure you could blog about the weather in LA and we would all come and sit at your knee ... there is always something you can relate about an epi, even the season finale. Even if it's just to gloat! But that's your call.

Things that disturbed me about last night include ALL the carnage with the kids in the SUV. I know you are probably loading the scales with DEATH in hopes of clouding Izzie's immediate future, but geesh - one izzie = 7 students???

Death with a capital D aside, the ep was perfect. Pitch and tone, sad and happy, heartbreaking and uplifting. After 5 seasons, you have driven home with a vengeance why it is called GREY's Anatomy. EP really is luminous in many of her more difficult scenes... most involve the Chief, her only real authority figure either professionally or personally. He makes an excellent foil but she chews up every one of her difficult scenes. She is on par with the GREAT Sandra Oh, who is the other WORLD CLASS actor in your stable.

Plotlines were all wonderful last nigt with the series regulars... I love every pairing you have given us this season... Calizona is bright and fresh and in perfect balance. I wasn't initially a big Lexie fan when she was new, too wishy washy, but both Big and Little Grey have matured beautifully this season and nice to see a sisterly thing really take hold.

I've always loved the no-nonsense chemistry between Iz and Alex - it seems so unforced and natural - all light and dark and heart and head combined in one couple. For that reason only, I hope KH really does return. I dont think she deserves to return, but as Mer said at the end of last week, redemption arrives when you say sorry and mean it. I hope she has been redeemed.

Poor George/TR. So young to just want to go off and do theatre. OK whatever.

Shonda, you da woman!!! Keep us on the edge and in our seats for many seasons to come!

Have an inspiring SUMMER!

[S.Hill]

This was a great episode! I love seeing Meredith all happy, strong and complete. Meredith is no long the child of a legendary surgeon, but instead Meredith is becoming everything that her mother was not, a loving, caring person who can think of someone other than herself and also be an extrordinary surgeon.

I am a true Izzie fan, but this season I have also became a fan of Meredith because she is no longer the dark and twisty doctor but instead the strong and confident person to whom all of her friends turns to.

As a loyal fan, please keep writing this great show and I will always watch because I love how each character has evolved over the years.

P.S. Please do not let Izzie die, because I would love to see Alex and Izzie happy.

[Gail]

WORD to this:

My biggest concern is that you shamelessly pimp out Mer/Der in the promos and the website, and especially for this 100th episode, and then don’t deliver. It may not be illegal, but it is certainly unethical and immoral to set up a charity to promote their wedding. Real people sending in real money to real charities for a wedding for fictional characters and an event that didn’t happen. Did ABC legal sign off on this?

[ugh]

die izzie die. go into the light with denny. GAG ME. horrible epi. way to advertise w/ merder just to get attention for izzie. sucked. am done.

[kaila]

NO MER DER WEDDING NO GA.I'M SORRY I DON'T SEE MORE GA.