Zoanne Clack (with Pete Nowalk and Shonda Rhimes) on "Shiny Happy People"...

Original Airdate: 5-13-10

Pete and I wrote this episode.  Two people writing an episode of Grey’s doesn’t happen very often, except with our married writers Tony and Joan.   So the news is…

Pete and I got married and became a writing team!  

Okay, that’s a total lie.  We just got teamed up because it was the end of the season and we were all tired.  It was nice to split the work…

Sorry to interrupt.  Pete here.  I just want to go on record that I would be happy to marry Zoanne.  Cause she’s amazing and awesome and smart and A DOCTOR.  And if I were into the ladies I’d have put a ring on that finger a long time ago.  Just saying.  Okay, shutting up now.  I’m currently trying to break episode 704 – yes, the fourth episode of season 7 – so I need to go.  Back to ZoZo…

The two of us were put in charge of the pre-finale episode.  The episode right before the finale. How do you write the set up episode for the GAME CHANGER?  We thought we’d start by seeing our characters have some fun.  Or at least feign having some fun.  I mean, technically it’s a party, right?  Fun!  Okay, it’s a lame “meet and greet the Chief” party.  It probably shouldn’t even be called a party… more like a work function.  But there’s much juicy info to be gleaned from the party.  For instance, Alex and Lexie are a couple.  A couple couple.  At one point when we were writing they were going to sneak away from the party and upstairs to make whoopie (as it was called on great 70s game shows like “Match Game PM” and “The Newlywed Game”) but that got cut (although it doesn’t mean the sentiment wasn’t still there).  Wonder if that will last considering Mark’s end-of-episode proposition?  

Also?  Cristina agrees to move in with Owen.  Through all the angst, all the PTSD, all the choking – Cristina wants to make this work.  She’s all in.  Until life happens and kills her bliss (more on that later).  What else… Reed wants to play in the big leagues by hitting on Mark.  Who had just hit on Callie.  Who was watching Arizona.  Who was trying not to watch Callie.  Cause Callie still wants so badly to be with Arizona…and that kiss in the elevator pretty much said the same for Arizona – such a bittersweet moment.  Wonder how they’ll figure out this mess.  Stay tuned.

Not at the party? Bailey and Ben.  Oh Ben.  Ben with his smile and charm and clothes…off.  Woohoo!  (I second this Woohoo.   Yes, it’s Pete again.  Back to work.  I swear.)  Mostly it was good to see Bailey having some fun for a change.  But then she catches Ben flirting with some chickadee named Liz.  Oh Ben… do we believe him or not, ladies?  I want to believe him.  I want to believe that his A-game is the only game he’s playing.  I want to believe that Bailey will get her happiness, if such a thing even exists.  

(Shonda here.  Pete was interrupting so I thought I might as well take my turn.  I wanted to say this: when they first pitched me this Ben flirting story, it ended with Bailey finding out that Ben was playing the field, that he thought he and Bailey were not exclusive and so he felt he could flirt with whomever he wanted.  Bailey was heartbroken.  So was I.  Because I love Ben deeply and I’m a single mother and Bailey’s a single mother and we single mothers need to believe that the Bens of the world are out there.  So I marched into Pete and Zo and I said, “BEN IS GOOD.  BEN LOVES BAILEY.  BEN CAN NOT BE A DOG!”  Okay, I hollered it like a crazy person because I’d been up all night worrying that the Bens of the world do not exist.  And because I’m the boss, they said okay.  I’ll stop interrupting now and let you get back to Zo.  Bye.)

When we first started this episode, the theme was “happiness.”  Simple, right?  Who doesn’t think about their own happiness at least once a day?  Well it turns out happiness ain’t so simple.  We read all this research on the topic and the big headline is that we all have to make our own happiness.  Annoying, right?  But the evidence is undeniable.  Statistically, amputees are as happy as lottery winners.  The guy who decided not to play drums for the Beatles says it was the best thing that ever happened to him.  The point?  Good freaking luck finding your own happiness.  It’s this idea that actually became our theme – how we all try to be happy, constantly searching for it, faking it even, just in case it actually decides to show up.  

On to something that made everyone on the set very happy…  

Demi Lovato.

Do you know what a big deal Demi Lovato is?  When the show’s publicist put out a press release that she was going to be a guest star newspapers across the country picked it up the story.  When Demi tweeted about it, it got posted on every blog, entertainment magazine, and internet site out there.  The week before she came to our show, I read about her in not less than two tabloids (we keep them around the office… very important to research our industry daily…ha!) and saw her on American Idol.  So you get it by now.  DEMI’S A BIG DEAL!  And she was AMAZING in this episode.  A complete natural.  What she could say just with her eyes (which was very important for this role) was remarkable.  And it wasn’t an easy role to play, especially considering she was a little starstruck herself.  Apparently she watches Grey’s every week with her mom and to actually be here on the set with McDreamy and the crew was like her own dream come true.  So that’s added pressure.  But she was uber-professional and prepared and all-around awesome.  Big ups to Demi!

Demi’s story gave breath to Alex, both professionally and personally.  Alex knows crazy.  Between his mom, Jane Doe/Ava/Rebecca, and Izzie, he’s had his fair share.  Actually more than his fair share.  Way more than any one man should ever have to deal with in one life.  So he gets Demi’s character from the start.  He uses his gut instinct to save this girl from a life of misdiagnosis.  His gut is also telling him that he should be with a nice, normal girl for a change.  He can do the girlfriend thing, all he has to do is commit to it, make it happen. Just like he saved Demi from being committed herself… 

Now on to the star I personally grew up watching:  Marion Ross.  And by personally I mean she was on my TV every Tuesday on ABC on Happy Days.  I tried so hard not to call her “Mrs. Cunningham” but it was hard.  And she was an absolutely lovely person.  Also lovely?  Alan Mandell, the actor who played Betty’s long lost love Henry.   Cristina wasn’t so enthralled with these love birds.  Because listening to them talk about their tragic, unrequited love – as well as Richard going on about how much he misses Ellis – just made her doubt Owen.   

Okay, we all know it, Cristina and Owen have a complicated relationship.  In fact it’s what makes us love writing about them.  They love each other, but that doesn’t mean both of them don’t have feelings for other people.  Or that they can just decide to shut those feelings off.  And Cristina gets this.  She believes that Owen loves her, she just isn’t okay if he also loves Teddy.  And watching Henry and Betty reconnect made her think long and hard about whether or not Owen was contemplating looking backwards  – to this woman who had been such an important part of his life so long ago.  Not that Owen would ever stray.  He loves Cristina, he’s just a little tortured.  He’s trying to figure it out and was hoping he would never have to confront his feelings for Teddy, but Cristina (with a little help from Mer) is forcing him to do just that.  So now he has to make a choice.  Cristina or Teddy.  Or will one of them make the choice for him…?  

On to Meredith.  She was in a tough spot in this episode.  She knew something she shouldn’t have known and it forced her to be cryptic with Cristina.  Problem is, Mer and Cristina don’t do cryptic.  They’re our twisted sisters.  Real.  Blunt.  Painfully honest.  And we love em for it.  But in this situation Mer needed to take some lessons from her burn patient Amber, who finally forced her best friend to stop with the positive affirmations and start getting real (time to stop being polite and get real!).  Enough with the happy face, Amber basically says, cause life’s not all happy all the time just because you say it is.  And having to pretend otherwise is just exhausting.   So Mer went to Owen and forced the issue.  Girl’s got balls, there’s no denying that.  Oh, BTW, we don’t in any way advocate texting while driving!  That was a joke.  Don’t do it.  (Yeah.  Ditto.  --Pete)

Okay, that concludes your public service announcement from Grey’s Anatomy.  But before I sign off, here’s a final word on next week’s season finale:  Strap on your seatbelt.  Prepare to have mind blown. Cause it’s gonna take you on the ride of your life… (intrigued yet?)

Comments

[Lilly]

Teddy, who isn't an real carido god, just another sub-par surgeon, could never compare to a woman as brilliant as Ellis Grey.

[Jelly Belly]

Good episode, but please, I'm begging all of you writers/producers to finally let Cristina dump Owen. Hasn't she gone through enough with this guy? The Cristina I know would have dumped him earlier in the season before the triangle started when he just stared into space after witnessing Cristina's anguish of losing her job. Enough's enough. I'm imploring you to set Cristina free of Owen and Teddy. Thank you.

[Lisa]

Loved this episode!

I am so glad that Meredith told Cristina about her suspicions because it got Owen to talk with Cristina! It was difficult but at least it is out there! Owen loves Cristina and I hope he is able to reconcile his past and present but unfortunately the SF looks like might make his PTSD worse. Or at least having a few others join him in his PTSD counseling!

I did love Cristina and Owen in the Cocktail scene. Cristina has come so far and she truly loves Owen. I really hope once they get his PTSD under control, they do move in. I love this couple because of all the angst (minus the triangle) and their passion for each other. They look so amazing in that sccene!

[Ana]

Congratulations on your marriage! LOL.

I really enjoyed this episode. It was well written, deep, and tackled some issues that were getting on everyone nerves.

I wish I could care more about Owen but I don't. I love Cristina and she deserves really great stuff. I hope she gets it soon.

My love for Mer will never end. I love how she pushed Owen and Cristina to deal with their situation and still be able to stand up for Derek. (Side note: House plans? YAY! That alone made my night).

I like Alex and Lexie as a couple. I truly felt for Mark's declaration at the end but for now, I think Alex suits Lexie better. For now.

Every time that Alex has a breakthrough in medicine makes me smile and Demi surprised me. Nice story.

Can't wait for the finale. Especially after that promo. Really great work this season!

xoxo

[Linda]

Love Owen and Cristina and hope they are able to make it through this rough patch and come out stronger together. I love that they fight like a real couple!

[Kelly]

Justin Chambers did a great job and I was actually impressed with Demi Lovato. Also Chyler Leigh was great. She has such an expressive face. I like it when Alex solves a case and Lexie gets to use her brilliant mind. I get sick of Meredith and Cristina always saving the day or getting to be kick butt in the or. I get sick of that and then people still complaining about Lexie getting to be smart or Alex getting a case.

Also I am really torn between Lexie/Alex and Mark/Lexie. Mark's been awful all season but made up for it alittle with his end speech. Just wish they would address communication and being a team as part of the reason they broke up not the annoying little sloan.

[Cynthia]

So Mark went from sleeping with Reed and propositioning Teddy for a threesome to basically proposing to Lexie the next day? Mark is such a joke. Lexie is insane if she falls for that. Between his baby fever, midlife crisis, manwhoring - he needs to grow up quite a bit still before anyone can take him seriously.

If Alex gets hurt once again because of this Mark/Lexie nonsense, I will not be happy. He's my favorite character and I'm more than tired of him getting crapped on all the time. Hasn't the poor guy been through enough, not only in the last year but throughout his whole life?! Give Alex a break already. He deserves to be happy for once - happiness that lasts longer than 1 or 2 episodes.

[Grace]

The episode was great! Loved see everyone dressed up at the cocktail party.

Meredith was doing her best to protect Cristina, so I was glad she told Cristina. But she also messed with Cristina's head. She was seeing things that were not there. Owen loves Cristina and vice versa. Now everything is out in the open it can be dealt with and move on. I really need there to be a "me and Owen" at the end of the SF.

[nyla]

Mer and Cris are love! BFF4E and all that jazz. :)

Alex and Lexie are growing on my every week - and Zo mentioning how Alex should be with a normal girl for a change, totally! That's one of the many reasons why Mark's declaration at the end left a sour taste in my mouth ... Alex and Lexie are just getting started, and Mehxie was anything but good - that relationship always seemed awkward, forced, and just "off". Now that you've thrown Alex into the mix ... I really hope we get to see that develope.

The Calzona journey has been done real well and is very interesting. But why, WHY, tease us Mallie fans? Mark and Callie are sex on a stick ... if Arizona can't hack it, no biggie ... Callie + Mark - soul mates.

Next week looks redonkulous!!! WOW! Can't wait.

[nyla]

darn it, I mean =!!! Callie and Mark EQUAL soul mates.

lol

[Karen]

What a revelation tonight that Teddy is a trigger for Owen, explains a lot! Owen doesn't love Teddy, he is confused by her because she is wrapped up in his past with bombs, dead people, etc. No love there. At least he is sure of his love for Cristina because hopefully that is what will pull him through his fight with PTSD!

[MRR]

So the past few weeks have all been about Callie and Arizona for me. So I sat through tonight's episode impatiently waiting for a scene with both of them. And there it was at the end! I feel so bad for both of them! I really, really, really like this storyline even though it's kind of heart breaking. Oh and Callie's earlier scene- when she said she just wanted Arizona to change her mind- I said, "Me too" out loud. Although I totally respect her decision to not want to.

Okay, but the scene before that? Mark and Lexie!! Favorite couple on the show! I had seriously given up hope on them and when Mark said HUSBAND, I freaked out. I mean, I was already freaking out before that, but oh my gosh! Even if Lexie doesn't pick him, that scene was just so... I loved it. A lot.

Okay, so then I watched it a second time because I like to do that since I'm usually always half watching the first time because I'm waiting for my favorites to pop on screen and see the continuation from the previous week.

Good episode involving the cast. I love each and every one of their storylines at the moment.

And the promo for the finale... Holy moly!!! It looks insanely amazing!

[Lynette]

Hi Shonda...blah blah blah, you have been going on for weeks and weeks about how "explosive" of a finale you were going to have...and blah blah blah....you always have explosive finales....so duh, didn't think it would look any worse than it ever does.....and then I saw the preview. And all I have to say now, is that is why I hate season finales! All the angst, all the drama! Don't you ever just want your people to be happy? Can't they ever just get what they want? Der/Mer are together! And Happy! and Mer looks like she's going to be prego! Can't Christina find her happy with Owen, or his with her? Would so like Christina to be happy for a change....she's been unhappy for a long time. HATE Season Finale's because of the cliff hangers! Live can be angsty enough already, want to watch my show and have fun with it and ESCAPE for an hour! Not have a whole week of angst (or a whole summer) after watching the season finale!!! Shonda, you do this to me every year! Every year it's angsty and I hate the direction you seem to be going....but then you bring it back up to where I love it and am just so happy! So I will continue to love and trust you with my favorite show! Haven't watched a show regularly like Grey's in 10 years before I started with Grey's (5 years ago, missed season 1) so I will say that is a big thing - that I will never intentionally ever miss an episode of Grey's! It is literally my #1 favorite show and I can't pick a favorite song or movie or book to save my life! But Grey's is number 1!

Okay, have gone on long and long in this one - but I haven't posted a comment in over a year I belive (or even longer) mostly because I trust and love you guys and just enjoy watching. By the way, though Private Practice was sad with the loss of Dell, otherwise extremely happy with everything else that happened and happy that it wasn't a huge cliff hangery season ending, like last years (last years sucked because I was currently prego again, and it was my 4th c-section! Too much to take with watching what happened to Violet!) But wanted to let you know that I thought you did an awesome job with the characters on PP, and with Maya and the baby storyline. So sad about Dell.

So I will wait a week (with that preview video with the flying bullet stuck in my head!) and I will watch. And I will trust and hope that you will make it all okay. It's gonna be tough on me, but I trust ya Shonda. You've done an awesome job so far, even when I don't agree with everything you've done along the way (I totally mean with decisions about the characters...hello, Gizzie!) but you've always brought it back and given me so much to love!

Good night!

[Erica]

Tonight's episode confirmed for me why I love Cristina and Owen so much! The first scene was sexy and wonderful. I love that Owen knows to give Cristina time to think about things, but bam she didn't need time she knew what she wanted and said yes!

Even though I wasn't thrilled with Meredith meddling, it was for the best! Meredith is on star list forever since she just moved this triangle business along and forced it to be dealt with and the opportunity to flush it for what it really is. It is so obvious after Owen and Cristina's argument that Teddy is a PTSD trigger. Even though it was a rough thing to hear he didn't know how he felt about Teddy, it was obvious it wasn't in a loving way like he feels for Cristina but a reminder of the nightmare he had experienced.

The season finale seems very scary but I hope by the end Owen realizes how much he needs Cristina and deals with his past.

[BornAgainFan]

Yes I'm intrigued and I will be really disappointed if Owen and Christina are still estranged at the end of the finale.

This was a good episode. I am getting a little sick of Mer's return to arrested adolescent behavior. You writers seem to think she's being great, looking out for Christina but I think she's being kind of a selfish, know it all, controlling jerk who needs to grow up.

If you do insist on getting Owen and Teddy together I hope you'll make it a disaster next season as it certainly would be in real life. The last thing he needs is to be stuck in his PTSD world with Teddy. He needs a Christina, not a mirror image.

Love Bailey's romance. Can't see what Lexie would see in aging pretty boy Mark when she has Alex. Of course good old Mer is sticking her nose into that too. Since when is she the relationship expert?

Saw the bullet go into the heart area of a white coat. Hope you aren't killing off a fave.

Hope you won't have Callie and Arizona get back together if Arizona really does not want a baby. What would be the point? They'd wind up making each other miserable.

It's been a good season. I know how finales go but hope this one isn't too over the top soapy because the return to story lines that seem more natural to the characters instead of just one thing after another thrown against the wall has been very refreshing after a couple of pretty silly seasons.

Drama and trauma,OK. Mix and matching every relationship just because? Not so much. Guess we'll see next week.

[B]

Please stop hurting Alex. Now. Alex is awesome, and if Lexie goes back to Mark (which she obviously wants to do) Alex will be hurt again. Why do you keep hurting him? Stop it. Now.

Really good episode, but I mean it about Alex. Oh, and Ben better be a good guy, because Bailey doesn't deserve hurt, either. How long has it been since she was truly happy? Don't hurt her, either.

[GreysFan4Ever]

Absolutely!!!

[Andrea]

Oh my god this was such a GREAT episode. It really was. I'm happy Meredith is keeping her word to Derek. I really feel for Christina, ugh that whole relationship is just....bleh. I loved it but I'm getting upset at Owen, I was a big fan at first now he needs to make up his damn mind already, it's not right. ARIZONA AND CALLIE OMG be still my heart =( that was just, tears lots of tears, you really pulled at the heart strings on that one, starting with Mark and Lexie then to them it was just ugh. So good. It's like I can feel their pain okay. I FEEL IT. haha. Great job.

[Hannah]

lovely episode guys...
cant wait to see whats going to happen next week...

especially with callie and arizona XD "MFEO"

but really awesome episode guys

[Andrea]

So intrigued !! I can't wait !

[Lynnie]

Meredith is a selfish, self-centered, judgmental, smug brat. All of this "I know for sure" about Teddy garbage combined with that self satisfied smirk when Cristina showed up at her house made me sick. Sure, why don't you show Cristina your plans to build your house with your fake husband and your potential babies to Cristina, who unhappily just decided not to move in with the love of her life. Look at me, and how great my life is! Oh, and there's a room for Cristina, too. Yay! Even better than getting a dog, right? What's that? Empathy? Oh, I don't know what that is. But my life is great, right?

Meredith has never once apologized for any of the ridiculous and awful things she has said and done; it's always on Cristina to come to her. I know the real love story is supposed to be between Meredith and Cristina, but they have the most jacked up, unhealthy relationship of anyone on this entire show, and that's saying a lot. It's wrong, and it makes me sad for Cristina.

As for Cristina and Owen, I love them. That being said, I have no idea what the point of this entire season has been. This must be a record of what 28, 30 episodes in a row of angst and unhappiness for them? What I would give for just one single episode where there isn't a third party smack in the midst of their relationship. I know, you'll say there wouldn't be a show without everyone all up in each others' business, but could we just give it a rest once in a while? First with them, it's the train wreck that is Teddy, now Meredith is interfering? Watching their story line this season is like beating your head against a brick wall till you are too numb or too dumb to care anymore. I've surely given myself brain damage because I keep watching even though it makes me miserable. The worst is that next week's episode will either be too little, too late for redemption of this story, or they'll be done altogether, and I'll have to give up entirely and just try to remember why I loved Cristina and Owen so in the first place. And I obviously loved them a lot to bother to write a whole letter to you about them, even though I think it is just some hapless hard working intern who sorts through these posts to make sure they have no foul language. I don't think anyone really seriously reads these or cares what we think.

As for the other characters, I'm just so frustrated that it's hard to concentrate on anyone else. Alex is awesome, Lexipedia is sweet, Callie and Arizona are heartbreaking, Mark is skeezy, Teddy is awful and Derek is nondescript. Whatever.

I want to love this show. I really do, but I'm not sure I have it in me anymore. I shouldn't come out of every episode sad and frustrated and wondering why I keep doing this to myself.

[Jenna]

AWESOME EPISODE- LOVED EVERY MINUTE!!! :) Thanks guys!!!

(Please don't take anybody's life next week...I can live without a crazy finale as long as nobody else dies! Well...I wouldn't miss Reed or Charlie a bit but otherwise! Just say no to death...)

[Lisa]

I appreciated the fact that Mer and Derek are planning the house, altought I would have liked to see how they both decided to do finally go for it. I guess it happened along the other 1,865,123 talks and things that happen to them off screen.

I loved how Mer respected Derek and didn't tell Cristina, while still acting like a good friend to her, and forcing Owen to do it. Yay Mer! And I'm glad she told Cristina she has a room in her house for her. Of course she would, they're BFF, and I love that Mer doesn't let her out, but I see it as a part of you're always be there, but I need my room for me and Derek. Double yay for Mer!

[Famous Artist]

Okay. Okay. Okay.
So, I loved Miranda taking Ben's hand in the elevator. And I loved it that we saw Christina cry. There were so many parts to love. But ever since last week I basically started piecing all the parts together to think about what is going to happen next week, and so I am nervous already. Nervous Nervous Nervous. I hate to admit it but I get really nervous when I don't know what is going to happen. And I was sure that I knew what was going to happen on Private PRactice and you fooled me, so I am really nervous.
SO. Right now I just want to thank you for this episode because it was filled with all kinds of Grey's magic. It has been a great season, and I was so glad to see that MerDer are actually building the house. I wasn't sure why they were having a party, but I guess people don't need a reason unless you are like me.
But so far it has been a great season and I so glad that there is a lot going on in the world right now so that I won't have to spend my whole life worrying about the final episodes.
So, all of you....Pete and ZoZo and Shonda... Thanks so much for great television. And for blogging about it in such an engaging way.

[Kelly]

Thank you for an awesome episode!! Hands down the best hour I've spent!!
At first, I wasn't too thrilled about the "long-lost love" plot but it was sweet :) I loved how Ben isn't a bad guy (well I hope he isn't) because Bailey deserves some fun and love. Seeing her heartbreak moment broke my heart. Oh, one last comment, thank you for having Callie tell Mark to go for Lexie!! I love the Lexie/Mark coupling and it would be great to see them together. It was a little predictable but I was really looking forward to that moment when Mark (or Lexie) confessed and the dialogue was beautiful!!
Once again, thank you!