Krista Vernoff on "Holidaze"...

Original Airdate: 11-19-09

“Do not waste yourself in rejection; do not bark against the bad, but chant the beauty of the good.”

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I read that today in a friend's Facebook status update.  Yes, I was Facebook lurking as a means of procrastination just like I was tweeting as a means of procrastination.  And yes, Shonda did publicly tweet-reprimand me, which I took with a grain of salt seeing as she had tweeted 20 times in the prior ten minutes. 

What was my point here? 

Oh, the Emerson quote.  

It made me pause. 

It made me breathe. 

For a brief moment, I was overcome with gratitude, not only for Emerson’s wise words, but for people who take the time to tweet and facebook-post inspirational quotes that get me to pause the incessant cycle of thoughts that spiral through my brain every day. 

"Do not bark against the bad, but chant the beauty of the good."

Doesn't it make you breathe a little differently, just for a minute?  That quote is my gift to you today, just as it was a gift to me. And seeing as the theme of tonight's episode was Gifts, it seems appropriate. You know what the biggest gift of tonight's episode was? 

Sara Ramirez singing Silent Night a capella while Chandra Wilson acts her ass off at the dinner table. Moments like that, gifts like that... 

They make me love my job even more.  In my lifetime, I have never seen a more powerful performer than Sara Ramirez when she sings live. I hope someday you get to see her, but until then, this was a little taste.  It was Shonda's stroke of genius -- her little Christmas gift to me, I like to think, although really, she probably intended it as a gift to all of you. Still, I am grateful. The other gift of this scene is that I got to write Bailey's words and put them on television. Those words were important to me. Without getting too personal, I will admit that there are some things going on in my life that mirror some of the things going on in Bailey’s life.  If you’ve read this blog before, you know that we writers frequently cull from our personal lives to come up with the stories we tell on the show each week. (As I write this, Joan Rater is in the writer’s room, dramatically performing some of her favorite moments of life with Tony Phelan – and our writer’s assistant Austin is frantically trying to keep pace and write it all down. And Bill Harper is doing funny accents, which is really neither here nor there.) My point is, I tend to rape and pillage my own life to bring you drama every week. In this episode, for example, when the girl talks about hiking the Inca Trail? That’s because I hiked the Inca Trail, so I know how to describe it.  (I’m averse to research so anytime I can just write what I know, I choose to.) And when Bailey defends her decision to leave a marriage that was no longer feeding her soul? That was no longer an example she wanted to set for her young child? I’m not getting too personal here, but I’m saying, I was happy to be able to put those words on TV. Bailey doesn’t need to be berated by her dad, see? Cause Bailey? Beats the crap out of herself way harder than anyone else ever could.  But it was nice, the way her Dad came around in the end. And I think he was right that Bailey should’ve called and told him about her divorce.  

Okay, what else can I tell you? I’d like to give you behind the scenes tidbits from the shooting of the episode, but I had the damn flu the whole time it was shooting so I was barely there. Oh! I know! Let’s talk about the fact that we did a holiday episode without Izzie! The Twitterers have been berating us for weeks – how COULD you, they ask? Izzie LOVES the holidays! To you, I say, dude… I know. I feel your pain. I wrote the last holiday episode. I remember vividly when Izzie helped Alex study for his exams because, “It’s what JESUS would freakin’ DO!” I remember when she and George and Meredith lay beneath the Christmas tree, soaking in the lights. I missed her like crazy in this episode and you know who else missed her? Even though he didn’t talk about it? Alex. That’s why he wouldn’t sing Christmas carols in the surgery. That’s why he didn’t show up for dinner at Meredith’s. It breaks my heart, the way she left him, and that she didn’t show up for the holidays. I think he thought she might. Because Izzie LOVES the holidays. But she didn’t and yeah, it sucks.  

But we’re not barking about the bad, we’re chanting the beauty so let’s talk about the Chief/Arizona/Owen Christmas jam! I have to admit, I have never loved dailies more, ever. I must have watched them sing that song for 20 minutes straight.  Those dailies were truly a gift during my flu-ridden misery. They lifted my whole heart up and made it feel all floaty and giddy for hours. I hope the scene did the same for you.   And since we’re chanting the good… Can we talk about the hot hot hot HOT Owen Cristina kissing??? Oh my God, I’m like a fan girl, I can’t help it.  And how ‘bout the scene where Owen whispers into Teddy’s mouth, “I’m in love with Cristina.”  I wrote it. I pictured it. But when I saw it? I seriously threw up a little in my mouth. It was SO brutal – and what was so brutal is that Owen didn’t mean to be brutal. He clearly loves them both. Which is…impossible. And devastating. And BRUTAL.   I mean it – how could Teddy not love him? Playing guitar one minute, torturedly whispering into her mouth the next… How that will all play out, I do not know. I mean it, I don’t know. We’re a little behind in the writer’s room. But I’m as excited as you are to see how it all goes down! 

There’s so much more in this episode – Mark Sloan becoming the sexiest Grandpa on TV and Meredith making a deal with the devil and Arizona and Derek and Mark paying their own hard-earned money to save the life of a very sick little boy. It made my heart happy, that story. And so did the story of the woman living without a heart for all that time and surviving. Both of those were our gift to you, to send you into the holiday season with hope and optimism.  My friend Peter called me today and when I said, “How are you?” He said, “I’m trying, actively, to renew my faith and my hope and my joy and my optimism. They’ve all gone missing, which is not okay with me.” I love Peter. I love that when his faith goes missing, he doesn’t sit and feel sorry for himself. He goes turning over rocks and stones, looking for it. He prays and he calls friends and he says out loud what he’s feeling. Which, in itself, demonstrates that his faith is not as far away as he imagines. That’s the feeling I hope this episode left you with. That miracles are possible…That a simple song can lift your spirits…. That speaking your truth, or opening your checkbook, or offering a simple apology or making an attempt to understand another’s point of view can turn your whole day or your whole year around. That life doesn’t always happen the way we hope or plan but that that doesn’t matter. How we  greet what life throws our way is all that matters. “Do not waste yourself in rejection; do not bark against the bad, but chant the beauty of the good.”   Happy Thanksgiving. And Merry Christmas. And May There Be Peace on Earth. 

Comments

[lothiriel]

Thanks you for making Mark and Lexie stronger and not weaker because of "the child" ! I love them together & we deserve more cute moments between them, just saying LOL XD

[Una Lauren]

Ok, that episode kinda freaked me out. Because Grey's Anatomy has never ever disappointed me...I've always loved every single episode. But this one...it was like a non GA of all GA episodes. Mer was cooking? That was odd. The Sloan grandpa thing...it didn't stick, didn't shock, it was all forgettable, actually. There was something missing in this episode, it was like the characters were not longer the same. Ok, Mer is no longer dark and twisty, I get it, and I'm glad...people have to move on indeed. But isn't she too shiny? Love is good, but it was never supposed to be her only priority...she doesn't seem to fear the crisis that comes with the merge...she has never bonded with the new residents, she is just all smily all the time. That's getting really boring. Not that we want her to be unhappy and dark again, but we long for more action - be it good or not. Christina and Owen...there's chemistry missing as well - too much drama. Now, Izzie's history could be better written as well. Why didn't you show Alex mad or sad or alone? It was like he left or something. We were not able to feel for him bc we barely saw him.
I really didn't enjoy this episode. Usually, I hardly blink while watching GA but this one didn't catch me...I felt sleepy, I felt bored, I thought the characters were losing their essence. I will be waiting for the next one, hoping it will be GA's good (and this is REALLY good), and not another exception.

[Jessie]

You could have spoke more on the Chief and Meredith because that was the main attraction of the episode for me (Apart from the Cristina and Owen hottness, please don't ruin them!!). Is Mer is denile or is she avoiding again? Because he's clearly an alcoholic and instead of dealing with that she's defending it.

[TJ]

It's sad that I have to come on here and read the blog to explain to me what happened during the episode. When that happens then the writing is failing.

Alex missed Izzie and that's why he didn't go to Meredith's for Christmas dinner? He was invited and not forgotten? He wasn't working that night like Callie? He also was hoping she'd show up for the holidays? That's good to know but unfortunately I never saw any of that onscreen and that's a big problem with the show! I don't know if you didn't write any scene(s) for that or if the scene(s) got cut but SHOW don't TELL me in the blog! I didn't need a big scene for any of that. It would've been enough if we saw Mer invite Alex and him looking a little sad saying he might not go because he felt miserable and didn't want to infect all the happy people. Remember the Meredith-Alex scene in the Thanksgiving episode in season 2 where Meredith didn't want to show up for Thanksgiving dinner because she was so unhappy? Well, we should have gotten something similar to that except Alex is the unhappy party. It would've been fitting and I think we needed to see Alex feeling down because this would've been his and Izzie's first Christmas as a married couple and they should be celebrating the fact that they even got to Christmas when only a few months ago Izzie's fate seemed to be an eminent death. Heck, even a passing comment from someone mentioning how sad Alex has been or Meredith saying that he misses Izzie and wasn't in the mood for Christmas dinner would've been enough. With the lack of Alex in the entire episode, no one mentioning where he was and how he's been doing, Cristina being and insensitive bi**h towards him (really, Cristina has been a horrible friend to Alex ever since Izzie left - if we can even call her a 'friend'. He never threw Burke in her face when she was abandoned by him so why can't she show him the same consideration?), I honestly thought no one likes him or cares about him so he has to spend the holidays alone drinking away the pain. 'Cause really, Alex is going through such a difficult time and no one has been supportive towards him except the Mercy Wester Reed (but she's a stranger and doesn't really count) and Meredith in the last episode. The writers have really dropped the ball for some great, touching friendship scenes. Not only that but Izzie being MIA could've been the opportunity to focus more on Alex as an individual and not as part of a couple or as a support for Izzie. The season has been disappointing in that sense and I don't want to watch these new characters while the originals get pushed aside.

[Riss]

First off, I didn't know that was Sara, but her voice is truly beautiful. And that's one of my favorite Christmas songs. Awesome!

Oh, and yikes, Cristina/Owen drama was off the charts today. Literally covering my eyes (mostly) for the Owen/Teddy scene. Gasped (or something that resembles a gasp) when Owen said he had liked her back in the day but she never gave him a hint. What a hot mess this is! I don't blame Teddy one tiny bit for loving Owen (hell, I love that guy!)...but it tears me up seeing her mess with C/O. I was so worried that Teddy and Owen would kiss (that would be when I would vomit in my mouth)...and I'm so happy that he said that he loved Cristina, basically right in Teddy's face. But there's something there, and it. bugs. A lot! It's hard to watch as a C/O diehard. Then again, if messing with them means we get hot on-call room make-out scenes as well as that freakin' awesome kiss at the end...I might just be able to deal.

I have an new storyline proposal: we have Cristina and Owen just make out all the time. Because they are GOOD at it. Seriously...wow. Like seriously, who taught that McKidd guy how to kiss?!

[Serena]

A shame that you didn't give us anything in the episode on where Alex or Izzie was during the holidays. What a missed opportunity. This show is getting hard to watch without the gorgeous, raw chemistry of Alex and Izzie. They absolutely make the show for me, and without them, the void is staggering. Please fix this quickly.

[Gingernu]

Thanks for your gift to us Krista! You wrote some definitely wonderful scenes. LOL at you being the fan girl of the hot, hot, hot, HOT Owen Cristina kissing. Think you forgot another HOT in the four hots you wrote! As wonderful as they were, I'm in awe and a little devastated by the awesomely acted scene between Owen and Teddy. Guess this is what Shonda, Sandra Oh etc. mean by "bittersweet". One puzzling thing, I thought this love triangle SL was supposed to be something we hadn't seen before? I mean Derek loved Addison before he loved Meredith, Owen loved Teddy before he loved Cristina? Hmm. Hopefully, he figures out that the love he had for Teddy was more about the bonding you get when thrown together in extreme circumstances, and not the kind of cupid's arrow love he got when he first laid eyes on Cristina. I have faith ;-) that this will all be settled by episode 24!! Yes, (Greys) life doesn't always turn out the way we hope it will, but we fans will either greet it with open arms or start a revolt.;-) Christmas carols in the surgery, C,O, T and J standing ouside in the snow with the heart girl- ah, that is what christmas is all about.
Thanks for trying to gift us faith! Hopefully no more flu for you in Santa's sack. :-)

[Sue]

And here I thought the theme was about Dads ... from Sloan finding out he was one and struggling with that, to Bailey standing up to hers, to Mer's dad who was the one to point out the flaws in the Chief who is trying to be a dad to Mer, to the very short but subtle scene with the grieving dad losing his child ... doesn't matter, loved it and all the messages

[Cindy]

If Owen loves teddy so much they should both leave NOW and go back to the dessert.

Cristina deserves a man who loves her and ONLY her.

period.

[tvsb]

loved the Holidaze episode, hated to see owen torn between teddy and cristina. but the owen that teddy knows and the owen now who loves cristina is not the same. please keep owen and cristina together and let teddy move on. owen and cristina forever!!!

[Amber]

Ahhh loved this ep! Mark and Lexie were awesome and sloan is so funny :D Callie and Arizona great as usual! But so happy Mark and Lexie good! Best couple EVER!

[melissa]

this episode was okay i think it was to much for just one it should have been spread out over like two or three episodes. there also wasn't enough calzona interaction and there really hasn't been since they said the i love yous! that really needs to change! Shonda if you are reading this could you please have more interaction between calzona. thanks for finally having Sara sing in an episode she sounded great. i loved the scene between Owen and Teddy that was great acting!

[Dorothy]

I have never commented on a blog before this, but I had to share this: That gave me chills after reading it and it did help me raise my hopes and remember that though the holidays can be stressful, they are also magical. Thank-you.

[where's the return counter?]

I want to return that gift. It was AWFUL. Seriously, that was the worst ever. I was appalled. I want that 48 minutes of my life back.
Also, you scheduled the stupid crossover the same night as the GA return in December just to trap GA fans into watching more of Addison. Not gonna work for this fan. It's now erased from the dvr and I will watch the good parts somewhere online. I won't give my rating for this contrived ploy of Shonda's. PrP is weak and if it can't stand alone, then let it die. Quit making GA fans suffer.
This show has lost all appeal.
Mark's sl was horrid. He is so not a sexy grandpa but a weak pathetic man. Lexie...please for the love of holidays, send her somewhere we never have to hear her simper again. Bailey? How have you managed to ruin her? Thatcher? Throw HIM under a bus.
Mer covering for The Chief? What? You want us to hate her as much as Izme? Seriously? Mer is way smarter than that. Way to annihilate her character again?
No Merder communication? Thanks for that. Everyone knows Shonda hates Merder and this is further proof.
Calzona is just sad. It's a wilting dying poinsettia.
Owen? He's lost it. His jerky movements and eating Yang's face creeped me out. I can't stand it any longer.
Krista, you need to take a step back and get control. This was your worst ever.

[Margaret]

Hi Krista. What an amazing episode. It was so beautifully and honestly written. Every moment was a gem. But, that KISS. It took my breath away. Owen and Christina are electric. I went to bed thinking about that kiss. I woke up thinking about that kiss. I can't wait to get home and watch that kiss again. I have decided I am asking Santa to send me an Owen Hunt for Christmas! Oh, to have just one kiss like that............

[Cynthia G]

A have been a faithful watcher/physician since the start, who wrote in here for the first time several weeks ago positively about your mistake in the emergency room episode, thinking that the old great Grey's was returning.

Last night's episode was the worst yet, total soap opera material: the Chief drunk in public?!? ,a girl without a heart outside!, Owen suddenly professing love after ignoring Christina for weeks, Sloan with a pregnant daughter!!.
Bah Humbug! So much for your holiday special.

[nyrunningmom]

I have already watched the dinner scene a few times to focus on different parts of that scene each time. I have been fortunate enough to here Sara sing live on Broadway! That was indeed a gift and her acappella Silent Night was lovely. I'm not the kind of fan that disects each scene, I'm a mom that escapes each week for one hour and really enjoys it. THANKS!

[Stacy]

Nothing on the Chief's storyline? I thought there'd be something on how he's basically buying Meredith's silence. Although I was definitely confused on why he was drinking egg nog in front of all those people when he obviously wants to keep it a secret.

[Disappointed]

The Thanksgiving and Christmas episodes of Grey's Season 2 are one of my favourite tv episodes of all times, but this one was a big disappointment. It was too rushed, the feeling is gone and there was no magic.
- I love Meredith, she is my favourite, but is this the only story you can come up with for her? Her family issues fot the 18th time? I want her to be a strong woman and an amazing doctor, I don't want to see her going back to keeping things from Derek and pushing him away.
- I read Mer and Der were going to get a storyine together now that EP is back. Will this be before the season finale? I hope we get to see some kind of communication between them because what you are showing us is not working for me.
- I miss the feeling of the interns being a group.
- Cristina and Owen: I don't get them, and your definition of hot is my definition of unwatchable.

The rest, all very blah.
I don't know what the problem is, somtehing is missing from this episodes, but, please, fix it. soon. Maybe you need new people, with new ideas, or old people, with better ideas, but do something, you can write great episodes when you want so I don't understand why this season is so disappointing.

[tanja:)]

it was a nice episode. not very intense, but nice.

there's just something i'd like to know: you're going from thanksgiving all the way to new year's in this episode - does this mean the next episode will air in january? i sure hope not!

[mary]

Please please please put Sara's Silent Night on Itunes. That would be a gift to us all! What a beautiful version!

[Kim]

Is Owen a player or does he just fall in and out of love fast?

Ugh, how can he love two people? They should both leave. Teddy and Owen. They can go have Mcarmy children and Cristina deserves someone who will love her and not another person. She deserves more than Hunt and his silly games.

[Jill]

Absolutely Loved this Episode!

Bailey and her dad was heartbreaking and wonderful all at once!

Loved Owen and Cristina but despise the triangle! The actress that plays Teddy is so one note, just don't like this character as a doctor and definitely don't like her messing with the O/C romance. Was so happy that Owen addressed her, even though it was emotional, I was so happy that he told her in the peak of the emotional confrontation, "I am IN LOVE" with Cristina!

The ending scene where Cristina goes looking for Owen was an absolutely wonderful and passionate! When Cristina started to tell Owen she is not oblivious and her voice started to crack as she continued to talk, my heart was breaking and started to tear up! Then Owen reacted with his heart and passionately kissed her and declared that he wants to be with her and LOVES HER! Thank the lord! Cristina and Owen's chemistry is so HOT! The passion and love jumps off the screen! This couple has the kind of passionate love that is rare!

Now for the triangle, Owen has declared who he loves NOW, and don't want to see any more Teddy fawning over Owen or vice versa (that book should be closed and move forward)! There is so much to do with Cristina and Owen to keep rehashing the same stupid triangle setup! Please stop because at the moment I hate Teddy and am going to have a hard time EVER liking her even just as a Cardio surgeon!

[Melissa]

Owen Hunt should have let Cristina finish what she was trying to say. All he does is kiss when he's panicked. Not that I don't mind the hot kissing, but I would have loved to see what Cristina had to say. We need to see them communicate more. Talk about stuff like um I don't know BURKE ot kissing JACKSON or kinda loving TEDDY.

[andrea]

Amazing episode. Was this the first one where no one (other than heart donor) died? I feel like it was. Exactly what I needed to get into holiday spirit cause it's been lacking this year.

Bailey. Is. Awesome.

Owen/Cristina/Teddy - OUUUCH. It hurts to watch but the acting and writing is so amazing and beautiful.

No-heart girl and nosebleed boy? I don't think I have ever prayed so hard for a happy ending for patients. Best gift ever, seeing both of those work out.

Mark and Sloane, at the end, where he hasn't spoken to her, but is able to hold her while she cries? That's being a dad. There's hope. Even if she is a little vapid-seeming.

Two throwaway moments that were perfect: 1 - When nosebleed boy's surgery is successful and Lexie and Meredith hug - it's so nice seeing how far these two have come.
2 - Midnight kisses through surgical masks? Perfect! Loved it!

Great episode!! A++!