Bill Harper on "How Insensitive"...

Original Airdate: 5-6-10

When Shonda told me, “I think we should have a 700-pound patient come to Seattle Grace,” the first thing I thought of was Patient Sensitivity.  

We’d already discussed the idea of putting our doctors, infamous for their irreverence and dark humor, their ruthless and clever nicknaming of patients, into a lecture on Patient Sensitivity, and this seemed like the perfect patient to tie it to.  Then, I started researching Bailey’s lecture, looking around for the kinds of things that hospitals actually recommend for doctors to do and say, and I found it really telling that almost every program I could find was aimed toward sensitivity to bariatric – obese -- patients.  That’s partly because obesity is an epidemic in this country – more than one-third of Americans are considered clinically obese – and the medical community is racing to catch up.  And also because, sadly, obesity is often called society’s last acceptable prejudice.  So sensitivity to these patients apparently needs to be taught, stressed and re-stressed.

So we knew, with the arrival of this patient, we would explore patient sensitivity.  And also see what sensitive areas these doctors could have exposed along the way.  

In terms of insensitivity to patients, I think historically it’s been a dead heat between Alex and Cristina.  So it was fun to realize that Alex, who might be the least sensitive person among them, could be the one who actually breaks through Bobby’s armor of jokes and the layers of despair that got him to this point, and helps him to see the good guy inside, the way his wife does. It’s the thing Alex has been learning about himself all season.  And in turn, it helps Alex move forward, saying goodbye to Izzie for good.  How big a step is he taking with Lexie, kissing her like that in front of the whole hospital, taking her hand?  Not sure – but in Alex terms, it looks like a giant step to me.  

And on the other hand...Derek.  Arguably the hospital’s most sensitive doctor, Derek utters perhaps the least compassionate thing in the episode.  It’s shocking, and instantly regrettable. Very Un-Dreamy.  I’ll say I had a hard time with this coming out of his mouth, and I wrote it.  But what Richard tells him is true, the job of Chief can eat away at you, transforming even the most caring surgeon into a callous bureaucrat. And Derek’s clearly having one of the worst days of his Chiefhood yet.  That’s Derek’s continuing struggle, and when Mr. Clark comes back to sue him, Derek spends the whole episode wanting to do what he knows is right, to reach out to a broken man, to help, to heal, but he’s backed into a corner where his only job is to be factual, clinical and unemotional.  Add to that the burden of all this sensitive information he has to control, and he and Meredith are in the same trouble they were in season one.  Only now it’s worse -- their relationship doesn’t just affect their own jobs, it can potentially affect the whole hospital. 

Then there’s Cristina. She has to be forcibly shoved into Patient Sensitivity, only to find this little girl who cracks her open and reveals her most vulnerable spot.  Cristina’s forced to make the girl her patient, because she’s uniquely qualified to see Kelly through what was her most painful experience.  I love the moment in the elevator, when she makes the choice without actually knowing why she’s making it – out of pure gut protective instinct.  And, for my money, Cristina does the kindest, most compassionate thing she could do for a child– she lays it all out honestly and without sugar-coating it.  It’s only when Jackson says it out loud to her, makes her acknowledge the truth, that Cristina’s own dam breaks and she has to let it out.  Surprisingly, she chooses Owen over Meredith, to comfort her.  

This was an interesting twist.  I think it’s unusual for Meredith and Cristina to find solace in someone other than each other.  But here, Cristina needs something from Owen that she has given to him – she’s seen him through his darkest hour, when his pain has come back to haunt him.  He knows what this feels like, and knows what to do – how to just ride it out.  And similarly with Meredith and Derek:  He’s too fed up with parsing his words and being straight jacketed into a person he’s not, Meredith knows the only thing she can say is “I love you.”   She’s smart enough to know that sometimes a guy just needs to shut up.  Or hit something.  Like a few golf balls.  

OK, now we have to talk about Callie and Arizona.  They have become pretty much my favorite couple, the ones I could count on.  I want them to stay together, but it’s unavoidable. Callie finds her own sensitive spot in this episode.  She’s vulnerable  -- not to the come-ons of an attractive patient -- but to the sense of possibility it represents to her.  And that’s something she will never get from Arizona.  Because Arizona simply does not want a kid.  It is, as they say, a dealbreaker.  As much as I hate this break up, I have to say I love this break-up, because it feels like something many of us have been through, when we realize that the one thing you’re not getting in a relationship is just important to you as the hundred things you are getting.  I’m sorry it had to happen.  And if you're as sorry as I am, I'll just say this...keep watching! Anything can happen -- and you might find yourself pleasantly surprised!

A couple of random notes on the process I found interesting along the way...

Jerry Kernion, the actor we were lucky enough to cast as Bobby, was an incredible trooper, withstanding up to four hours of getting into fifty pounds of latex each day to play the role, and then endured that blazing hot suit for hours on the set, smiling and joking the entire time.  And all that latex didn’t hinder his incredibly charming and heartbreaking performance.   Thanks again, Jerry. 

Cristina and Kelly’s card game:  We talked in the writer’s room about how it’s often easier for kids to take in big, important, monumental information when they’re not looking at you -- when they’re concentrating on something else.  So I came up with the idea to have them play Slap Jack, which is a card game I play with my own kids. When I went online to make sure my family wasn’t playing by some insane rules we’d invented ourselves, I was surprised – and a little chilled -- to learn that there’s an alternate name for the game Slap Jack.  It’s also called Heart Attack.

Kelly’s Mom:  Was originally conceived as Kelly’s dad, suffering from a sudden heart attack.  But Shonda thought it would be a good way to get out the information that heart attack symptoms in women present very differently than in men, and often aren’t recognized for what they are.  Some women have been sent home from the ER with an antacid, when they were actually in cardiac arrest.  I know we said it in the episode, but it bears repeating!     

That’s it for me for this week, and for this season – but you’ve got two more incredible nights of Grey’s before we go... and trust me, you don’t want to miss them.  If you’re a Demi Lovato fan, you’ll get a treat next week.  And then the FINALE.... I know, we’ve all said it, but... holy crap, don’t miss the finale.  

Thanks for watching!

Bill  

Comments

[westwood]

Good call on presenting heart attack symptoms in an informative way. Thank you.

Also thank you for addressing the obesity storyline. If it serves as a wake-up call for just one person letting their health slip away in that fashion, then you have done something truly amazing. This show may actually have saved a life is either of those two (subtle) messages hit home.

On a less serious note, you broke my heart today. Ah, Callie and Arizona. Please, please, please stitch it back together for me.

[Lila]

Great work tonight!

Things are so much better things are when Teddy is barely around and you give someone as talented as Sandra Oh something to do. Meredith was great. I hated the way Owen treated Meredith. Jackson is a keeper. Teddy, Reed, Percy, and April can all leave.

[Grace]

Not a lot of Teddy taking up screentime = best episode in a while.

[Faith]

My heart just broke during the Callie/Arizona scene. Wow, can JCap and Sara act. I haven't actually gotten *that* upset over a couple on TV since Izzie/Denny in the season 2 finale. Well done, very well written. I can only hope that they find their way back to eachother, and soon, because Callizona are amazing and I can't bare it when they aren't together.

[Linda]

Tonight's epi was one of my favorites this season! Thank you Bill!

I loved Alex with bariatric patient! Loved seeing the growth in him. The cafeteria scene was also great and sad!

Also, loved the Mer/Der interaction.

But what absolutely made the episode for me was Cristina and the little girl! The moment she choose to stay with the little girl instead of going into surgery was mind blowing! Cristina choosing compassion over surgery, say what?! And the way she interacted with the little girl was so compassionate and moving! For me another great milestone was that when she finally need to let it out she asked for Owen, not Meredith! LOVE THIS! This is exactly the thing I loved about S5 CO, they are there for each other in the difficult moments and are able to let their tough exteriors done and expose their vulnerable sides to each other! This is what has so many CO fans addicted to them, I hope we get to see more of this!

The other thing that made this episode great was there was minimal Teddy and no April!

[Lisa]

Great episode!

Why does Sandra Oh not have an Emmy already? Sandra Oh knocked it out of the park.

She was amazing tonight with the little girl, just WOW! My favorite scene was the last one with Owen. Their is a special magic screen bond between Kevin McKidd and Sandra Oh, they barely say two words and the emotions just pop off the screen! The way Cristina is able to let down her emotional walls to Owen is just mind blowing and pure love! I hope next week is time for Owen to let down his emotional walls and let Cristina know what is bothering him! It will hurt at first, but I am sure they will get through it with this kind of love!

[Anne]

I judge an episode on a few things - would I watch it again?, is there humor, drama and a bit of romance?
I wouldn't watch this episode again. It was pretty depressing overall. Parts were just hard to watch like the widower throwing comments at Derek.

Derek as chief did have an awful day and it was hard on him. But he handled it better than I could.

Of course I wished Derek had gone home with Meredith after the rough day but I think the Derek Mark scene was perfect. It is good to do something mindless and physical when stressed and with a good friend. Then he can go home to Meredith. Being chief - well I hope he can give it up soon (willingly) so he can just be a doctor again and husband and friend. He has the skills to be chief but I think he realizes that he'd rather be a doctor. I felt for Meredith in this one accused of telling what Derek told her and having being chief work against their marriage. I hope confirming their love for each other helped them over a difficult day and know that no matter what happens good/bad that they will have each other at the end of the day. That is kind of why I wanted them to meet at home even if they didn't go home together. A hug would be nice too... I'd need a hug after a day like that or a Dr Shepherd interlude like last week in the boardroom.

I am hoping Owen has the courage to tell Christina about what he did talk about to Derek re: Teddy or he will be up a creek with Christina.Christina was good with the child and Alex speech to the patient was what he needed to hear.

I know there is a big thing about the finale but frankly I don't need a big thing - I don't need a shake to your boots kind of finale. A good story will do.

[Anne]

Oh and one more thing - love lots of Derek Shepherd on screen oh I do believe me - can't get enough but can we please see Dr. Shepherd operate once in a while. I like him in the operating room as well.

[Julie]

Great episode, Bill!

This reinforces just how much better episodes are when the Fab 3 are front and center and they're the ones carrying the storylines with all the other characters supporting THEM.

As much as I'm disappointed at Alex and Izzie ending, I'm happy to see Alex move on. Alex was great this episode and I love how he's the one who has the courage to be honest with Bobby and say what he needed to hear. It's Alex direct, honest and tough love approach that I love so much and that makes him such a great doctor! Although I'm not completely on board with Alex and Lexie yet, I thought it was great that Alex took the step in finally signing the divorce papers he had been holding on to and kiss Lexie in front of everyone. That was one hell of a kiss! It even left me breathless... jealous. Ha!

It was good to see Cristina's past and the death of her father be touched upon. The scenes with the little girl were touching but I still hate Cristina's relationship with Owen. I've never liked him or the relationship but this season has made he HATE him. Cristina deserves better than that and I really hope she dumps him.

The cafeteria scene was all kinds of wrong with the sex talk but all kinds of funny! I loved it and I hope we'll get more scenes of the Fab 3 (+ Lexie, I guess) just hanging out and talking like that. It's one of the main things I miss from the previous seasons - the interns/residents hanging out and bonding.

Last mention, I liked the Callie and Arizona break up scene. It felt real and not over the top. I actually like the couple but the break up really makes sense.

Once again, great episode. This season is done but I hope the writers can see that the show works better when the Fab 3 aren't being sidelined which unfortunately happened way too much this season especially in Alex and Meredith's case.

[Andrea]

Callie/Arizona =(((((((((((((((((((((
You all sound very hopeful for them in the near future. So I'm trying to be as well. But that was so sad.

[Leez]

This was one of the best episodes this season.

LOVED the Cristina story. SO was more amazing than usual - she alone makes it worth watching. She can create chemistry with anyone and had me buying in a potential hook-up with Jackson even though I loved Season 5 Owen, who's been MIA this season. I still hope he will come back soon but if not, maybe she can have a little fun with Jackson.

Loved that there was so little of Teddy...yeah!

Actually buying into Alex & Lexie together for the 1st time.

Thought Callie had way more chemistry with the patient than with Arizona all season - they have more of a BFF vibe than a love-couple vibe.

Loved the lunchroom and classroom scene - great to see the originals together. They still have great chemistry.

Thank you for this great episode....I've waited a very long time for the GA that I love to come back. Please also let SO know she is fantastic.

[Sam]

Thank you for finally giving Alex more to do (it's about time!!!) and for writing him in character. It made no sense the way he treated Lexie in the last episode when he's never acted that way with her. It's good to see him growing and trying to move on but I'd prefer someone else instead of Lexie for his love interest (but heck NO to Teddy or Reed or April). Lexie is a bit boring and reminds me of George a bit too much with the stuttering. Alex seems more of the type to fall for strong, confident, fiery women with a soft side much like him. Think about that during the hiatus. ;-)

[christine]

Finally an episode that focused on the core characters: Alex, Cristina and Meredith! It felt more like the show I fell in love with and have remained faithful to for 5 years. I have lost some interest in the show this season because of so much focus on the newer characters in detriment of the originals.

Honestly, I couldn't take more Owen, Teddy, Mark, Sloan, Callie and baby drama. The less I get of all those characters, the better in my book.

[Sally]

Good episode. Nice to see the core cast front and center again.

Liked mer/der's storyline. I enjoy a bit of drama between them. It was realistic and not everything is hearts and roses for them, but they still love each other.

Sandra Oh is amazing. Wonderful performance.

Also, nice to see Alex doing something.

Love Jackson. He is a keeper.

So nice to NOT SEE TEDDY all over the place. Really don't care about the triangle or how Owen feels about her. It was great to see christina away from that nonsense. I hope teddy doesn't come back. Really sick of her character.

[B]

Great writing in this episode, and great performances. I cried a few different times. And actually had to look away a couple of times - from the pain of Bobby's condition, and oh, breaking bones!

I loved the speech by his wife in the cafeteria. I wanted to applaud her. Maybe the doctors joke inappropriately to relieve stress, or maybe they are so removed that they are that cold, I don't know, but I was really glad for that woman's speech.

Sigh. Cristina and Owen; Callie and Arizona - both broke my heart.

Derek looks like he really wants to give the chief's job back to Webber. I think he should. I don't want there to be problems between him and Meredith! I love their relationship.

Can Alex be happy now, please? He has earned it. And it's nice to see his honesty with patients has remained intact, though now it comes with some respect rather than just thinking he's right about everything.

Again - terrific writing. I'm very curious about the season finale!

[Judy]

Wow, what a turnaround! As much as I hated last week's episode, I LOVED this one! And here's why:

Alex was awesome to the Nth degree. Not only did we see the irony of Mr. Insensitive being the guy left on the obesity case, but he got that incredible conversation with Bobby at the end. And signing off on Izzie, kissing Lexie in public - that was terrific.

Loved the awkward cafeteria scene with the french fry and hamburger, and the irate wife. Classic GA goodness with great, snarky humor.

Loved Derek's ordeal and how it was handled this week. I really felt for him.

Loved Mer being torn between keeping her mouth shut and protecting her friend.

Loved Owen setting confidentiality barriers with Derek. And may I say he looked very hot doing it?

ADORED Cristina and the little girl in every way possible. There was so much growth in her choosing to babysit rather than scrub in on the surgery, and then in explaining patiently and kindly to her what happens when a parent dies.

I really enjoyed Jackson this episode.

Most of all, I loved Cristina asking for Owen, and the way he went in there thinking he was likely to get nailed, but still just walked in to whatever was waiting. Loved his being there for Cristina. That hug said so much, and this is why I just don't buy that he's truly conflicted about Teddy. What these two have is just too special to break up in some dumb triangle.

I didn't love Callie and AZ breaking up, but I'll be interested to see how you handle it further. I can't believe this is really the end for them.

All in all, I'd say this episode was stellar in a way I haven't seen in a while. Let's hope the rest of the season continues this way!

[Lisa]

William,

First of all, thank you for a very light Teddy episode! Yay you!

Second, thank you for giving us the first scene where both Mer and Der say I love you. I love how Mer gets Derek and knows that that's the only thing she could say in that moment.

On the last blog I commented on how curious I was to find out how Der was going to react to being called a killer, in comparison to last season's, and it was wonderful to see how he's not wasted bating beer cans on the land, but getting out his desperation on golf balls with his best friend. I missed this too. Glad to see they still go to each other (Mark to Der last epi, now this). :)

Meredith. Sigh. I don't think there's a way that you could make her more amazing. Even when we didn't see her much again (Yeah, even when I love and admire Ellen, I'll NEVER get over the lack of Mer this season), I loved that she only wants the best for her friends. Even when she is Izzie's friend, she is preoccupied about Lexie's feelings. And about Cristina. It was interesting to explore the conflict that being the Chief's confidant entails, even when I wasn't psyched that it had to do with the triangle (why does everything has to revolve around it=), and even when I would always say, "OF course tell your friend" it has to come a time when Mer choses Derek over Cristina, so I'm glad that at least today she respected her "husband". I also loved that even when she isn't very fond of Owen right now, she got him to Cristina. Cristina should take a page of Mer's book to know that it's okay to let your person go to her loved one too. Loved that Mer respected that and let her, I'm sure Cristina wouldn't.

So on to my other fav: Alex! Love the guy, and well, even when we might not be so happy about it, he needs to move on. Clearly, there's no way back, and I'm glad that he's doing it. I wish we'll get to see more of his inside conflicts.

Last, but less important. I need to express my dissapointment over the fact that very big information about Derek's past was revealed on PP. See, I don't watch the show, and I'm not interested on it. So I couldn't believe when I heard such a relevant thing from Derek's past wasn't revealed on GA. I think it explains how much about so many things about him and brings a lot of insight about his character. What about fans who won't know this because, getting real, there's a small numbers of fans who read tv blogs where we can get that info?
I'm asking you to please incorporate that to Grey's. It needs to be mentioned. I'm very dissapointed and pissed about it.

Thank you!

[Lisa]

HA! I meant, last but NO less important on my post. (About Derek's info) ... LOL.

[Kelly]

You broke my heart today, poor C/A but we'll just have to stay tuned and see how the story plays out. I just keep thinking about the amazing acting we're going to get from Sara and JCap. Thanks for a great episode... even if the ending was heart breaking. :( Lol.

[CC]

omg, seriously breakin my heart with Calzona! Wow, that was just so so sad. And so wonderfully acted (as much as I hated to see them split, have to admit, great scene!). Ugh, the girls pull on the heart strings here big time! How does this get fixed? Please tell me it does! And that it gets fixed before the season ends! Anyway, really well done episode, besides breaking up my fav couple and all... You've got exactly 3 episodes left to do some magic with them k? Pretty please? Seems pretty clear that Callie can't live without a baby, looks like the only solution here is for Az to break and go with the baby flow. I totally get and support the decision not to have kids, just not when that decision breaks up adorable Calzona! Let's go AZ, baby time!

[Sara]

i cried, at the end of this episode, when arizona and callie broke up. they were my favourite couple (besides merder), so i sincerely hope that all the talk that, this is just a kink in their relationship and that they'll make it, is true.

so i didn't really like seeing derek all anti-dreamy, but i guess that was to be expected with all that's going on with him. so i do hope that derek gets back to his mcdreamy image soon, and maybe has some cute babies with mer??

i also loved that thís wasn't another teddy/cristina/owen centered episode and i thought the cristina and the little girl storyline was really good, very touching.

ok, so who's left.. right lexie and alex. i'm not really a fan of them so i'm still hoping for a mark/lexie reconciliation. but i liked the part where alex was convincing that bobby to choose for the surgery.

i have another question.. what exactly happened to mark's grandson? did he or did he not give him up? because i thought that wasn't reall clear..

ok so here is a summary of my hopes:
1. Merder mcbabies (+mcdreamy back)
2. calzona sorting it out and getting back together
3. mark and lexie back together
4. i don't really want teddy out of the picture, because she makes cristina happy with the surgeries and the teaching and all that, but i don't like the idea of her and owen, so please just stick with the whole crowen thing

sorry, this post is getting way way to long, but i have one final thing to say; i really loved the episode, perfectly balanced, not to much of anything. so this was my way to long comment, see you guys next week! -x-

[Shannon]

Bill,

Thank you for such a powerful episode. Amazing stuff. Cristina's story in this episode was wow, just, wow.

Storytelling is such a fundamental human need. As a lesbian, I so often feel left out, unrepresented, misunderstood, stereotyped, ignored. I didn't fully realize how exhilarating it is deep down in the soul to be reflected honestly and openly through characters treated by writers as normal and as simply equally human as the rest of humanity until Callie and Arizona stepped onto the stage together and side by side.

I cried tonight for them. Cried maybe a little bit for me and how much they've meant to me. That I care so much is just damn good storytelling.

Thank you for that gift you gave through your words. And thank you to Sara and Jessica for such honest, pitch perfect, raw portrayals of how heartbreakingly same lesbian true love is to all the great love stories ever told regardless of sexuality.

Bravo!

[loth]

again nothing abt mark and lexie!!! I need them, how unreal and unfair is ti for us to see alex fall in love wth lex when he was so in love with Izzie, and this is bcoz KH left since Shonda said Iz/al would have been 2gether again.. Want mark and lexie !!

[yeagreys]

This was a pretty good episode. I loved Christina with that little girl. I wasn't to happy when she asked for Owen over Mer though.
The Callie and Arizona break up floored me. I'm not naive, we all knew it was coming but OMG!!! It was the most heart breaking yet sweet moment. I pray that they make it through this. Every great couple has to have their share of trials, so with a sigh we have to accept this, for now.

[ALEXIZZIE]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE I BEG OF YOU! BREAK UP LEXIE AND ALEX! THEY MAKE A TERRIBLE COUPLE! AND IT IS SO OUT OF CHARACTER FOR ALEX TO SIGN THOSE DIVORCE PAPERS SO EASILY! I understand that Katherine Heigl isn't coming back but alex jumping into another relation demeans everything that he shared with izzie! You guys are brilliant writers but this is a huge mistake!