Joan Rater on "I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked"...

Original Airdate: 1-21-10

It’s raining here in LA!  Raining! For days and days it’s been raining and it hardly ever rains here so we’re all just walking around cold and wet saying “How about this rain” a lot.  What does this have to do with tonight’s episode?  Nothing!  But I can’t talk about anything these days without first talking about the rain.  So … moving on …

Derek is now Chief!  Actually he’s just the interim Chief but the way he went about getting there is what I’d like to start with.  Richard is drinking again.  Richard is a recovering alcoholic who’s been sober a long time and the fact that he’s drinking again … Derek feels torn, between supporting his old friend and wanting to protect the hospital from a man who’s fallen off the wagon. At the beginning of the episode we see that Derek has realized that in order to be a friend to Richard, he has to go to the Board.   Because along with the drinking comes the lies and the poor judgment.  This is about more that just a friend who is struggling with sobriety, it’s about the hospital, people’s lives …  Meredith sees it differently.  She says the Chief was drinking but promised Meredith he would stop.  And she trusts him, he wouldn’t lie to her.  And, more importantly, she didn’t confide to Derek the surgeon about Richard's drinking, she confided to Derek her husband.  There have to be lines drawn, boundaries … and when Meredith screams, “Post it!”  Derek backs down.  The post it wins, so Derek her husband urges her to at least think about what’s best for the hospital.  

What I love about this scene, besides the fact that the actors played it brilliantly, is that it shows how they’ve matured.  This is a real grown-up argument.  Meredith isn’t running away, getting all dark and going to Cristina for help getting out of her marriage.  She’s staying and fighting.  Professional/personal boundaries are tricky to negotiate for couples who work together (I should know since my writing partner is also my husband, hi Tony) and Shonda really wanted to see our couples be couples this year.  Grow, mature, try to be happy.  We really want to show that struggle, that in the midst of the ugly argument, you can still love the person and find them sexy, which is why I loved it that Derek got all turned on by Meredith in the course of the argument.  

Now … the scene where Derek pours Richard a drink.  We talked about that scene a lot.  Derek doesn’t trust Richard and now Richard is going into a very difficult surgery and he’s bringing Meredith with him.  And promising her a procedure that Bailey says she’s not ready to do.  Derek can’t let that happen.  So he goes and confronts Richard.  Tempts him.  He pours the drink and dares Richard not to drink it.  It’s a little bit cruel, but Derek feels that it’s justified, in the scene where he asks Owen what he should do.  Owen gives him the go ahead, if someone’s fighting dirty, it’s okay to fight back dirty as long as you’re doing it for the greater good.  And when Derek leaves Richard’s office it’s like both he and Richard know Richard is powerless over the alcohol.  Derek is saying he sees Richard.  Richard may be able to fool Meredith, but Derek sees him.  And Derek now knows what he has to do.  He has to convince Meredith to go to the Board.  And so he tells her that if he becomes Chief he’ll hire back Izzie.  He makes her choose between Izzie and the Chief.  

And of course he knows that she’ll choose Izzie.  He’s playing a big game of chess and it’s like he just said checkmate.  It’s about doing the right thing.  It’s about ends justifying the means.  But it’s also about ambition.  

The theme of this episode was exposure but when I watched it being shot I realized it was really about ambition. Derek wants to be Chief; Meredith wants to do a procedure that she knows she isn’t ready for; Cristina wants Teddy to stay.  Years ago I was trying to be an actor and I remember one day in acting class we were talking about a character’s motivation and my acting teacher said there are really only two things that motivate people:  sex and ambition.   Every choice can be boiled down to one or the other. I remember being really struck by that and I’ve thought about it over the years, and in a way I believe it. I mean, of course we do things for other reasons -- we do things for our kids because we love them, and if you’re like me you do things out of guilt.  And for donuts.   But when Derek and Meredith lay in bed at the end of the episode and she says she understands why Derek did what he did, she doesn’t like it but she gets it.  She’s ambitious too.  It’s bittersweet and true.  I like that.  It was a crappy day.  She didn’t like what Derek did.  But she’s here, in bed, telling him.  She’s a grown up.  

What else … oh yeah, Cristina.  Cristina blurts out that she’d choose surgery over Owen.  Which, let’s face it, is very Cristina.  When we were first discussing this story we had a knock down drag out fight in the writers’ room – if you had to choose your love or your art, which would you choose?  And some of us came down on the Cristina side, and some of us came down on the Izzie side – that in the end love is all that matters.  Cristina felt in that moment, faced with Teddy leaving, that she couldn’t have both, she had to choose.  And she chose surgery.  Because it’s who she is.  And without surgery, without becoming the absolute best surgeon she can be, Cristina feels that she would cease to be herself.  It’s only in that moment in the surgery on the opera singer when Teddy chooses to risk his life in order to save his art that Cristina realizes that for all of her shock and judgment, Teddy gets her.  And Cristina is unwilling to keep apologizing for who she is.  

And when Cristina challenges her, Teddy goes and gets drunk.  And spills her guts to Owen.  I love that Teddy never liked Beth, Owen’s former fiancé.  Teddy telling Owen what Cristina said, that Cristina was willing to trade him for Teddy … I love Teddy in that scene, she loves Owen, she knows he wants a family someday and he’s with a person that will always choose her work over love.  And she needs Owen to know … the Owen/Teddy/Cristina triangle is so interesting – Cristina loves Owen, but she also loves Teddy, Teddy loves Owen, Owen loves Teddy but is in love with Cristina … it’s cool to watch these characters struggle with all the conflicting feelings …

And speaking of struggle … Alex and Izzie.  He tells her he’s done.  Izzie getting the clean scan back gives Alex the freedom to leave.  Because he never would have left her when she was sick, he’s a good guy.  And I’m not saying that Alex ever consciously thought, I can’t leave her while she’ s sick, but now that she’s not, now that she seems like she’s going to get better, it just comes to him.  He deserves more.  He’s a good guy and he deserves more.  We talked about the fact that Alex grew up in a pretty dysfunctional family and he was probably in a lot of bad relationships where he wasn’t a good guy, so he had come to believe it.  But loving Izzie showed him that he can be good, is good.  So it was a little gift.  And when he tells Izzie he’s done, he’s not bitter or angry, he’s just done.  Justin Chambers plays Alex and there’s not a sweeter guy on the planet so it’s always been funny to me how well he plays an asshole.  But I like that we get to see more depth in Alex.  

Callie getting the chicken pox and being isolated and itchy is stolen from Shonda’s life.  She told us this hilarious story of being quarantined in college with chicken pox and almost losing her mind.  Be careful what you say in the writer’s room cause it will end up on TV … I love Arizona lying about having had the chicken pox and you don’t really hate her for lying because you can tell she really cares about Callie and she just doesn’t want the sexy part of their relationship to be over.  She’s not sure she’s ready for itchy scabs and whining … and thank God for Mark who gets in bed with Callie and rubs away her pain.  

And how about just when Lexie feels relieved because both she and Mark cheated and now they’re even – except that Mark doesn’t see it that way, he can’t believe she cheated … he’s all worried about his daughter and Lexie was having sex with someone else!  Of course so was he, but that’s not the same thing … 

Okay people, I have to go.  I could ramble on and on but it’s stopped raining and I need to dash back to the writers’ room before it starts up again.  We’re working on the final bunch of episodes for the season and they are good …  so GOOD … yep they are GOOD!  But I can’t tell you, so whatever.  I can tell you though that the next episode was written by the talented and very pregnant Stacy McKee …  and that we get to see Derek’s first day as interim Chief … 

 So stay tuned … and stay dry.  

Comments

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THIS EPISODE WAS FANTASTIC!! The entire cast was awesome and I enjoyed all the storylines.

But what I REALLY want to talk about is Cristina and Owen. The scene between Owen and Cristina at the end of the episode made me fall in love with Owen all over again. That scene reminded me why I became a C/O fan to began with. The passion was very reminiscent of their early relationship!

Owen is older and has seen life and death in war. I believe him when he says there's more to life than surgery. Cris is still in the early stages of her career so naturally, she's all surgery crazy. When she fully grows up, she'll realize love is just as important as her ambition. Having a man like owen in love with her means she really CAN have both, love AND surgery.

[WalaBridget]

I thought this was a good eppy.I enjoyed seeing MD struggle as a couple as a huge fan of them I always complained about the lack of them so I'm glad they have something and I like this SL and I wanna where is it going overall.
I agree on the AI part I do agree Alex deserves better and this coming from a person who always loved AI.I LOVED the Mark and Callie scenes THANK You for them ...
Now I really wish you guys would let a MerDer sex scene without interpretation for this fan girl pretty please LOL

[RA]

AMAZING episode. this was the best episode this season for me.

I loved seeing Meredith and Derek all grown up and even though they don't agree they get it at the end.

Ellen Pompeo was amazing las tnight. She made it for me. Meredith Grey was superb. She got hurt A LOT. and I love dhow she handled it all. can't wait to see next week.

I still think Bailey owes Meredith an apology.

[Maddie]

This was really a great episode! Bravo!

[Amy]

The whole episode was amazing BUT the reason why I love GA was in the first 10 minutes with Mer/Der, Bailey and Derek on the bridge and with Mark.

[Kat]

First let me just say that Mark Sloane is a big fat hypocrite, but I get it. He had Lexie on a pedestal. He was the manwhore, she was good and sweet. Finding out that she is human was a shock. Having said that, I hope she tells him off.

I love watching Meredith and Derek fighting like grown ups. Refreshing.

I also liked that the show didn't go with the obvious Teddy/Owen sleeping together route last night. I loved Owen calling Christina on her crap. Yes, she is acting in character, but CRAP.

[Megan]

What about the people who want more Mark and Lexie time!!?? i LOVE them as a couple and there both in love!!!!

[Linda]

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this episode!!!

Thank you for giving us S5 Owen again1 That last scene with Cristina and Owen was epic C/O! Love this couple! I look forward to them as a couple finding the balance of life, love and career! Owen is SO good for Cristina! And she truly does love Owen, when does Cristina leave 10 messages for anyone besides the one she loves and is concerned about! Yes, Cristina and Owen do MATTER!

[Megan]

I LOVE MARK AND LEXIE TOGETHER!!!AND MARK IS BEING STUPID I MEAN THEY BOTH KNOW THEY BELONG TOGETHER!!!I THINK MARK WILL RELIZE HE IS BEING STUPID AND GO BACK TO LEXIE!!!

[Kim]

Great episode...but is Izzie gone for good??

[Lissa]

Ah, I love how you always do a parallel with the patients and what our characters are going through at the moment, so it was nice. And loved the fact that Owen and Cristina managed to work things out.

Well, I think Lexie was really hurting when she did what she did. And so was Mark, I don't think one did something worse than the other. Ah this is sad :( I just hope they can figure things out, too. Even if it takes longer than expected.

It's going to be torture to wait until feb 4th.

[Ellen]

Wow, so Alex was only sticking with Izzie because she was sick. Hm, I think you may have forgotten about his "I love you" speech to Izzie in S5 which he gave BEFORE he knew she had cancer. He told her he loved her and wasn't going anywhere.

You guys have pushed this fan one too many times. Tonight was my final episode. Good riddance.

[LMSO]

I want to thank Joan for writing a strong episode and an insightful writer's blog. I find it interesting that the theme of the episode was "exposure" and I completely agree that in reality both ambition and choices were key elements. I could go on and on but I'm going to make a choice myself and talk about my favorite characters, Owen and Cristina. I love watching them deal with complex problems like adults and like a true couple. And this episode was epically romantic for them. Thank you!

How much do I love "There's No Way in Hell I'm Going to Let You Throw Me/Us Away" Owen? What a man. Here's the Owen Hunt we know and love. The one who gives Derek rock-solid advice (yay, bromance!) and the one who turns cliche and expectation on its ear and sticks by Cristina despite what she told Teddy. How much do I love that there was no hesitation on his part...that he went straight to Cristina and let her have it with both barrels. That he shows her how much he loves her by refusing to walk away. Love is a verb. That he fights for her and for their relationship. That he knows Cristina isn't perfect...she's dark and twisty. And he loves her anyway. He's not going anywhere. And that's huge for Cristina.

And how much do I love Cristina? It was interesting to me that while others [Meredith,Jackson (!)] couldn't see how there had to be a choice made at all, Cristina could only see two options(she's like that sometimes): her love (Owen) or her art (surgery). I think you managed to walk the line here very well. You make a good point that being a surgeon is who Cristina is at her core, despite her love for Owen. Having said that, how remarkable was that last scene with so many emotional transitions in just a few seconds? Cristina has clearly been worried/frantic that she hasn't been able to reach Owen. Then she's both relieved and irritated when he shows up at her apartment. The first time he kisses her she immediately senses that something is off and then the realization hits her: He knows. Teddy told him. But instead of walking away and leaving her, Owen chooses to fight for her and for them. The look on Cristina's face as she realizes that he's not going to leave her, how much she loves him and how much she's put at risk with the whole love/art thing? Breathtaking. And when she pulls him in for that kiss with the tears in her eyes? Kill me now. It's both scorching hot and achingly tender simultaneously. The memory of that kiss will sustain me for the next two weeks.

I'm very, very excited because I feel like Owen and Cristina had a turning point last night and I truly can't wait to see what comes next. Hopefully, they will be facing life's challenges together, because they are meant to be together for the long haul. I believe they will get their 40 years and when neither one of them can cut any more, they will still have each other.

One last thing. I loved the Cristina/Meredith scene. The Twisted Sisters (thank you, Owen...LOL) really rocked that scene. Everyone needs their person.

Thanks for the episode. I feel like I'm just flying right now. Looking forward to the rest of the season. Keep dry.

[Sara]

I hardly ever see what is in the screen, what is on this blog. I in no way saw that Alex knew that it was time to let go of Izzie because she was now fully in remission. He has loved her since season 2. It makes no sense. I know that KH is in maternity leave, but still. Anyway, I loved his speech because he had stuck with her during her illness and did everything right during this time in their relationship, and she basically said that her career was everything she had. What about him? Anyways, hope that KH comes back and Iz fights for Alex for once and not the other way around

[orangeena]

Few characters can be realistically written and not at their core be driven by self-interest, first and foremost; tonight's ep really brought that. Tonight it seemed almost everyone manuevered, struggled, moaned, or came to grips with what was important to them or what they really wanted - obviously MerDer, Arizona, Christina -the opera patient, even Bailey who wanted her surgeries noticed. Amidst all the great acting, I appreciated the times when a few words spoke volumes - "I choose my gift" ......"we're the same"

You've made light of this in your blog but..... the good man in a storm, one of the true moral compasses of the hospital, the girlfriend who has been the model of constancy and support lies because she doesn't want chicken pox to take away the sexy time?? Certainly the here-to-now almost perfect AZ has faults and flaws, but that seemed like a situation for months ago in their relationship. I get that she finds Callie stunning and doesn't want that besmirched, but after all they've been through, the point was made long ago that she finds her stunning in the midst of everything else in their lives. The resolution was lovely and it was a great vehicle for Sara R to relive Shonda's college cpox experience, but the incongruity was offsetting.

A really good episode - I appreciate so much that you & fellow writers are laboring to bring in new and fresh layered storylines which promote not only pleasure but examination of the relationships and dynamics of all our lives through the GA characters. Thanks.

[kk]

I can't believe that Derek went to the Board instead of first confronting the chief and letting him resign. That is what a friend would do. McDreamy is not a McFriend.

[Sunny]

Alex grew a pair after (nearly) six years, that was good.

Of course, it all adds up to the same. For a season that's supposed to be about couples being couples, it's staggering how little we actually see of couples being couple-y. Sure, we see all the details of their demise, but none of the good stuff.

[astrobot702]

I agree... derek did what needed to be done without compromising his relationship which he values above all things. Derek has definitely been a great influence in Meredith, I think that can be also said about Derek. When Derek and Addison separted he was seeking ambition as a form of escape. I don't think that relationships can stunt people however Derek and Addison have both grown so much it's pleasant.

Mark has grown iintensely and that is due to the fact that his relationship with Lexie was healthy. So of course he resents her actions, he realized how valuable a person she is and was broken to find that his Lexie had shattered the ideal image he had of her. She however used sex as a form of escape but I'm sure she find her way through it.
Mark was willing to 'gift' himself a new life in LA and probably should, since Addison 'gets' him, but he challenged that notion by returning to Seattle to make his relationship work, which a noble thing for any person to do.

Izzy has come through a lot, she battled and won her life back, only to find it that it will be very different from what she had expected. She, in the end lost her love, which for now is immeasurable to her. However it was apparent that Alex and Izzy will have more issues to sort through.

Owen was the real hero in all of this. Teddy and Christina both are very different people ( I LOVE TEDDY BTW) But both seemingly treated Owen very differently, and almost were willing to barter Owen in different ways. Owen however always sees through conflict and has consistanly stood for what he believes. He clearly loves Christina, and he clearly sees that the conditions are worsening at SGH. He gave Derek the answer he needed and declared to Christina that surgery or not he was going away...

AWESOME WRITING!!!!!!!!!!

So

[Stacey]

This was one of my favorite episodes - ever. It was funny and dramatic and wonderful. Thanks!

[Natalie]

Arggghhhhh NOOOOO!!!!! That was the most unsatisfactory way EVER to make Izzie leave again!!! She has to come back, at least to have better closure on this whole thing!! I don't agree with Izzie's actions of leaving Alex with nothing but a note, but Alex wouldn't even be Alex now if it wasn't for Izzie in the first place. Plus Izzie forgave Alex for a lot of things before and I thought it was kinda unfair that he didn't cut her some slack for her (admittedly rather stupid) actions this time, especially considering that she was probably not recovered from the emotional turmoil of having cancer, almost dying, and then losing her job with the merger and all that. UGH. PLEASE PEASE PLEASE at least give us a better resolution to A/I! A/I fans have waited since Season 2 for them to be together that it's almost like a slap in the face if it were to end this way. :(

[GermanIzziefan]

So, I'm a little bit shocked. I really thought that Alex had forgiven Izzie until I saw their final scene. Which really broke my heart. I mean, I get that Alex has grown up now and I totally see that he's a good guy. But I can't see that he doesn't love Izzie anymore. Yeah, maybe she overreacted, when she just went away, but I can imagine that being sick with cancer, having lost the best friend AND getting fired makes you crazy sometimes. AND if Alex is such a good guy now, why doesn't he see that running away was just a kneejerk reaction (or whatever it's called oversee)? Doesn't he love her anymore?? They always seemed so perfect. I mean, the have children (in a cup). I thought you didn't forget about them?!
Anyway, refusing Izzie, bright and shiny Izzie,who really believes in true love and who we so missed, was NOT being a good guy.
Seriously, telling her that he finally sees that he is a good guy and that she helped him and he so loves her? And then telling her that he deserves better? Better than shiny, optimistic, fabulos Izzie? And that he hates her?? I really think that he should look at it from Izzie's point of view, too. How she felt. AND how she's feeling now. You could say that he really used her and now that he knows that he's more than Evil Spawn he dumpes her.
Anyway, I don't think IZZIE deserves THIS. Being dumped from a guy, whom she forgave a million times and who can't forgive her for this one little mistake.
Just wondering what happened to my real favorite couple of all times.
Hope, we all get soon further information, cause I think there's so much more to figure out than this little monologue from Alex.
Hoping.... and not forgetting about THE CUP!!

Anyway, Best Wishes from Germany!!!

[Sophie]

Well technically Mark and Lexie didn't cheat. *wink wink*

You know, usually I watch because of Mark and Lexie, but I was getting into everyone's storyline last night.

Meredith and Derek. Hello married couple, how do you do? I love it.

Callie/Arizona? They're such a solid item. They're so happy though, I expect them to a hit a bump in the road soon or something.

Alex/Izzie? Can Justin Chambers be nominated for an Emmy because he's has been a rockstar this season, as he was in the last as well.

Back to Lexie/Mark for a second. That last scene with them was kind of heartbreaking in a way. It was like watching them break up all over again. In a way I understand Mark, but let's be honest, Lexie was hurt too. Mark chose Sloan over her, umm...I think it's a fair trade, don't you think? Hurt people do stupid things. What are you gonna do?They're in pain. And just because she broke up with him doesn't mean it hurts any less.

Gotta admit though. "He makes everything look sexy." And Lexie admitting she loved Mark, well that kind of made up for the cloud of rain that has been following them lately. But every cloud has a silver lining. Ah, that's my rain reference for the day.

[Katrina in Ohio]

I really love this show and have watched every episode from the beginning. I've laughed, cried, agonized and suffered right along with the interns, but lately something is missing. Something big. Oh..I know what it is. The friendships. Everyone is coupled up and enjoying relationship bliss but nobody is hanging out and having fun anymore. They don't meet for lunch and joke the whole time. They don't meet in the hallway and commiserate anymore. They don't hang out at Joes and cry in each others beer. They don't dance anymore. Please, please, please, bring that aspect back. It's how we connect to them. Oh and while I'm making requests....can we please see MORE of McBlueEyes from Mercy West? He's delicious and needs more screen time. STAT.

[Redivycub]

Thanks for writing a real blog. It was enjoyable. I only disagree with one thing though. Meredith was FAR from mature in this episode. She was nothing more than a petulant child who wanted her way instead of what was for the good of the hospital and the safety of the patients.

BTW, LOVED that Owen told Derek that he calls M and C the Twisted Sisters. Classic.

[Angielam18]

Wow, Mark. Hypocrite much!