Stacy McKee on "Golden Hour"...

Original Airdate: 2-17-11

It’s 6:48 am.  And I’m late.  Well, technically I’m on time, but I’m late for me because I really wanted to get here early to fix myself a giant cup of hot hot hot steaming black super hot coffee.  To wake me up.  And help me function.  And also, because it is unseasonably chilly for Los Angeles and I don’t do chilly.  --But First Rehearsal is supposed to be starting at this very moment and I’ve only just now parked my car so I forego the coffee and, instead, book it to Stage 7 to get to the first rehearsal of the very first scene of our eighth day of shooting on my latest episode of Grey’s. 

It’s a special episode – for all sorts of reasons, especially because it’s an episode that has Meredith Grey, aka Ellen Pompeo, in all but six of its scenes.  Which is fantastic and cool and unprecedented for this series and… a headache.  The headache being that because Ellen is in every scene, she has the weight of this entire episode resting on her shoulders.  And she wasn’t feeling well when we wrapped last Friday night.  Which could mean bad news for all of us if she fell sick over the weekend (which would be entirely possible since she’s been living on set with the rest of us for over a week now and, let’s face it, set is basically just a Petri dish full of head colds and stomach flus and sore throats waiting to pounce and attack.) So, I’m worried about Ellen and the fate of this entire episode, and that’s giving me a headache – or, maybe the headache is from my lack of coffee but either way – I make it to Stage 7, just in time for First Rehearsal.

We rehearse the scene privately with (basically) just me, Rob (our fearless director) and the cast.  It goes smoothly, with a few minor questions from Rob and Ellen, which I answer (hoping I even make sense as I’m barely coherent before there’s coffee in my system) and then it’s time for an open rehearsal with all of the crew.  We go through the scene again, throw down marks, then Ellen and the other actors head off to get changed and beautified while the stand-ins take their places and I hunker down in a corner with my script to do a quick rewrite of the scene we just rehearsed.  

It’s not a big rewrite, because I don’t do that – I won’t rewrite scenes the day they are shooting; I think it’s bad form – but this is a minor change to a line that clearly wasn’t working because the timing of the scene plays out differently in person than it did in my head when I wrote it. 

That happens sometimes.  It’s one thing to envision a scene in your head, but when it comes to life right in front of you?  It takes on a life of its own.  Sometimes things don’t work.  And sometimes, if you’re lucky, they work so so so well.  Just the other day, we shot the scene where Derek walks in on Bailey in the on-call room, and – obviously – I knew it was going to be funny, but actually seeing the look on Derek’s face and hearing the scream escape Bailey’s mouth?  Possibly one of my favorite moments in all of Grey’s history.  Which is saying a lot, as I have a lot of Grey’s history.  You do realize, don’t you, that this is the very first time in seven seasons Bailey has EVER used an on-call room for anything other than sleeping?  And don’t get me started on the Derek/ Meredith elevator scene we shot that same day… Again.  I knew it was going to be fun to watch – but it was even better than I could have imagined.  And dirtier.  If, you know, you have a dirty mind like me.

But this scene I’m rewriting now is just a little tiny change.  I give the script changes to Nicole, our script supervisor; I swing by hair & makeup to let Ellen know about the changes (since they include some changes to her lines) and while I’m there, I listen carefully to see if I hear any raspiness to her voice or congestion in her head.  Nope.  That’s good.  She seems perfectly healthy.  Someone nearby sneezes, and I shoot them a nasty look.  Then, almost as instantly as I shoot the look, someone else sweeps by with disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer.  Excellent.  I’m confident our leading lady is in good hands.  Ellen and I share a few quick baby photos (her daughter and my daughter are around 6 months apart) and then I hurry off to the writers’ bungalow because I want to make sure Shonda has dailies to watch from the night before. 

I’m about halfway to the bungalow when I get a call that Rob wants to show me a scene up in editing.  The bungalow will just have to wait.  I turn around and head back to editing, by way of craft service, because my head is now pounding and my left eye is starting to twitch which is a sure sign that I need some coffee.  SOON.

So I head past craft service (where a guy with a knife in his head is pouring salsa onto a breakfast burrito) and I make a beeline to the coffee station when – seemingly out of nowhere – appears Linda, our Grey’s Anatomy medical guru.  She’s in a state.  One department says one thing and another says something else, and what she really needs to know is just how much blood DO I want to see on Knife Guy’s shirt which, by the way, should really have been changed into a hospital gown by now.  For the record.  Is what she says.  So I say, sure, he can be wearing a gown in this scene, and less is more, with the blood, please, especially right now, before I’ve had any coffee or even thought about breakfast -- and that’s when I realize, I have, in my decaffeinated fugue state, already walked all the way upstairs to editing, where Rob has his scene cued up and waiting.

So I sit down and watch a rough cut of a scene and as I watch…  I’m a little bit struck by just how different and cool this episode is going to be. 

We’ve been able to be really inventive, to think outside the box.  Take the clock motif that runs throughout the episode, for instance. Once you start looking for the clocks, you kinda can’t stop.  They’re all over the place in this episode.  One of my very favorite examples is when Mer and Teddy are hurrying onto the OR Elevator, and as Meredith pushes the elevator button in the distance, the camera racks focus onto a clock displayed on a monitor in the foreground.  SO COOL.

I was also able to tell five different patient stories in this episode, when we generally only tell three, maximum.  And not only are there five patients, but somehow they all manage to intersect with Meredith, in a really satisfying way.  Each one makes an impression on her.  Even the story inspired by my 2 year old nephew, who broke his femur late last year and spent six weeks stroller bound with two full leg casts.

And then there’s Meredith.  This is her episode.  An hour in the life of Meredith Grey. 

It’s always been fascinating to me --  How do doctors fit everything they fit into one day?  What would a sliver of their day actually look like?  We don’t see it on our show a lot, but the reality is, doctors DO juggle more than one patient at a time.  And they do make room for their personal lives in between all that multitasking.  We all do, don’t we?  We carry on multiple conversations and handle multiple interactions and tackle multiple to-do-lists all the time…

So what would it look like if we were doing all that, only one of the big things on our to-do-list was “Save Patient’s Life?” 

Meredith’s version of multitasking deals with life and death.  And yet, in so many ways, it’s just another day at the office.  She’s juggling patients and catching misdiagnoses and scrubbing in on emergency surgeries and she’s losing a patient. All in one little hour.  She lives through the ups and the downs of life and death, and then it’s time for her to turn around and do it all over again.  Because that’s what you do if you’re a doctor.  You may go through hell and you may look death in the eye and you may be reminded of your own mortality or failures or insecurities… but then you have to shake it off.  Put it behind you.  And continue on with the rest of your day.  Move forward.  Go treat your next patient.  Because after this hour, comes the next, and the next, and the next…

And this scene, the one we’re watching right now, it encapsulates all of that.  It’s Meredith and Cristina at the nursery, looking at the babies.  Those of you who are die-hard Grey’s fans know that the nursery is the place where Meredith goes when she needs a little comfort.  We haven’t seen it in a while, but this seemed like the absolute perfect moment to bring it back.  Especially in the wake of how Meredith and Derek have been struggling to get pregnant this season.  There was no more appropriate place for Meredith to seek comfort in this episode than here.  Looking at all the cute cute babies.  (Plus, and you may have already figured this out about me, but I have – apparently – become a SUCKER for cute babies myself.)  The scene is perfect.   So perfect, I even (for a moment) forget I still haven’t managed to get back to that damn coffee station.

Rob gets a text.  They are ready to shoot downstairs...  So we bid farewell to David (the editor) only first, I take a quick moment to oooo and ahhhh over his newest baby photos (David’s son and my daughter were both nicknamed Blueberry in utero.  Which means, I’m sure, they have some deep cosmic connection.) And then it’s time to head back down to set to take our seats at video village just in time to begin shooting the scene we rehearsed almost exactly an hour ago.  “Rolling, background and… ACTION!”  First shot, 8:03 am.

And there you have it.  (Approximately) an hour in the life of me making an hour in the life of Meredith Grey.

And all before my morning coffee.

Comments

[Andi]

This episode absolutely ruined anything I loved about the Cristina/Meredith friendship. How dare you and the writing team completely undermine the friendship between Cristina and Callie? Meredith is a selfish, horrible person for asking Cristina to not be the godmother to Callie's child and I'm done with the character of Meredith Grey. She's a horrible friend to Cristina and she would make a horrible, selfish mother. She doesn't deserve children and she certainly doesn't deserve to have entire episodes devoted to how selfish she is and how everything has to be about her. I don't care if it is 'Grey's' Anatomy, you have just pushed my mild irritation towards the main character into full blown hate. Screw Meredith Grey and the writing staff for creating such an awful character that we're supposed to root for.

[anne]

Well the writing of this episode was amazing and even though it may not be perfect episode it is one that was so well written and interesting I'd watch it again. Bravo!!!

Absolutely loved the Meredith focus on this episode and her organization and management of ER was awesome. She did the best she could with the resources she had and caught things that could have slipped by (stroke, heart guy and possibly chiefs wife...). It does seem a bit odd that there did not seem to be many doctors in the ER or available operating rooms though but it did add to drama and allowed Mer more screen time. For example couldn't Christina have been in on heart surgery? Her surgery was cancelled and she could have helped out in ER. Sadly I think this is probably likely reality in most hospitals - staffing issues in ER and waits. Felt for her having to tell the wife that the guy with a heart issue died but she handled that really well. I continue to think her dark and twisty past gives her more strength to deal with bad stuff than most can cope with (but not to say she doesn't understand or feel the emotion). But I hope that she continues to find joy and happiness in her life as well to balance it all.

Loved Derek and Merediths impromptu elevator date for her fertility shot. Cute, fun, flirty and appropriate if she ever gets pregnant from help in an elevator - it is their special place. I'm in no rush for them to have a baby next year is fine with me. They deserve a miracle baby. However I'm sure worried about Merediths eyes that they showed in the preview for next week!

Touching scene with Mer and Christina near babies - means even more than it did when she did that with George after tough times -considering she wants a baby now. Gives her hope in dark moments and reminds her why she is taking shots. I really liked Christina in this episode - she deserved chips after her day but some nuts may have been a better choice - go for a snickers bar for some energy or a smoothie - they should have a smoothie protein machine in cafeteria there.

The heart patient - wow - come in with heart pains and end up dead. If Altman had not been there his chances would have been nil - as it is his odds were slim when they went into OR and all because they did all the right tests. The knife patient - he is lucky if not stupid.

I was happy to see the scene with Alex and the child in surgery and he gave up his tickets to make get this kid fixed and more comfortable. Loved it when he asked about his fave color too. Yea Alex! Now that is dedication - and may win him the girl he likes too as she saw what he did. I did wonder though why Callie didn't look at the kids leg when she came to see the chief's wifes wrist. Or Arizona when she was down there- oh right she was in surgery...

I do wonder if the talk the Chief had with Meredith will haunt him for a while... I'm sure he will pay more attention to his wife's behavior. He looked worried when he put her in the car. I'd mention it to Derek if I was Meredith.

Wasted screen time - Teddy and her husband/date talks.

But again excellent episode overall and a good summary about what can happen in that golden hour...

[Ana M.]

Stacy,

You are one of my favorite writers and tonight you proved why. This was brilliant. All around brilliant. Mostly because it was all about the real reason Grey's exists: Meredith Grey. EP was beyond awesome and incredible (please make sure she knows that!). It was just really really great.

The elevator scene was really funny and dirty. I was expecting a whole different thing but not even the outcome made it less great. Loved it.

Thank you Stacy for giving us the best episode of S7. Thank you!

[MERDER!]

LOVED THIS EPISODE! It was absolutely perfect!! That MerDer elevator scene was something else! ;-)

[Steven]

STACY YOU ROCK! This episode was AMAZING! It is definitley in my top 10 favorite episodes of grey's anatomy!

I really like the relationship between lexie and jackson! And I'm starting to really like the relationship between Teddy and Henry! And of course, I LOVE Ellen and Cristina's relationship!

I immediately thought of the episode when George and Meredith are in the nursery back in season 1!

THIS EPISODE ROCKED!

[Kate]

Love the way you approached the blog.

This was by far the best episode of the season. An absolute stand out. I know it's a lot to ask of Ellen Pompeo, but we'd love to see her in 42 minutes every week. The more Meredith, the better. and this is the first time in a long time i felt attached to the patient stories, which is ironic considering they were short lived and chaotic.

First time all season i've felt that Cristina is Meredith's person. I've really missed their interaction this season. I've also been missing MD and I love the scene they have in this episode.

I hope every episode of greys is like this one. The more meredith the better. Less of teddy's love life and more of her being a kickass teacher would be nice too.

[Jenna]

Can I just say...This is one of my favoritest episodes ever! I felt like it looped back with so much of the first season moments! The Pilot episode when Meredith freezes on Katie Bryce, look at her go now, managing the whole ER like a champ! :) And you mentioned the nursery scene but that scene was perfect and again, it loops back to Episode 2 when Meredith and George keep going up there and then at the end, they are all up there and Mer says George and Izzie can move in. It brought George and Izzie back for just a moment for me and I loved it. Also, loved the lots of patients and Alex, geez I love him a little more every week. Great moment in the elevator and with Bailey in the on-call room :) GREAT episode! Thank you. I'm going to stop now because it's becoming too obvious just how obsessed with this show I am and it's a little bit embarassing :) (WHY is this your last episode?? You write this wonderful episode and then you say it's your last one??)

[Kacey]

Great episode! It was totally refreshing. It felt like an 'old school' Grey's episode and reminded me of why I liked this show to begin with. The patient stories were interesting, the character interactions flowed nicely, and Bailey in an on call room was funny because I know it's very "unBailey-like." Kudos, you did an awesome job!

[Jane]

I wasn't a big fan of all the Meredith in the episode or the real time aspect of it but I guess it's better than another episode full of the awful Callie/Mark/Arizona baby story, Meredith/Derek baby drama or anything featuring Jackson, Teddy, April, Owen or Mark. Yeah, I can't stand those characters or story lines that feature said characters. I've gone from watching the show live to watching it days later because I'm not remotely interested in the Baby-Palooza this show has become or all these new characters.

The highlight of the episode for me was Alex and Alex/Lucy. I love that Alex gave up on the game to treat the little boy who had been in pain. I also have to say that Lucy Fields is BY FAR the best and most interesting character that has shown up on this show in about 4 seasons. I think Alex and Lucy have tons of chemistry and sexual tension which is something that has been missing on this show for a long time and something that made this show so fun and sexy in the first few seasons. Lucy is exactly the type of woman Alex needs and that I've always wanted to see him with and it really sucks that Rachael Taylor isn't going to be around for long but lame characters like Jackson, Teddy and April were made regulars. Alex deserves/needs a feisty, sexy, strong woman who will STAY and make him happy. And while I'm at it, what Alex/Justin Chambers deserve most is a great story line that showcases what a great, complex and compelling character Alex is and allows Justin to showcase what an amazingly talented actor he is. It's really sad and frustrating to see how much Alex/Justin is being wasted and unappreciated and I thought I (and you - the writers) should show him some love and support.

Best,
Jane

[Sara]

Hi Stacy,

First of all, I would like to thank you for your blog. As a longtime fan of the show, I always find it interesting to have background on the whole process.

I would also like to thank you for this episode. I stopped watching a couple of episodes back, I was disappointed with the lack of focus on Meredith. So, when I heard that you were doing a Meredith Grey episode, I just had to tune in. I also felt compelled to comment on your blog, because I usually come here with complaints, you see. Not today though. You pulled me right back in. Fantastic writing, you had me run the whole gamut of emotions. Great job!

I would also like to congratulate Ellen Pompeo, she did an awesome job. The expression in her eyes and face, well, just fantastic. She lights up the screen. She really is the heart and soul of Grey's Anatomy.

Please, more Meredith centric episodes.

[allibeth]

I actually think that this was a really interesting episode. I think it took Meredith's power away and made her realize her own weaknesses and vulnerabilities. I commend the writers for taking risks when writing the episode-- that's what pushes the envelope for good TV. Meredith isn't perfect and this episode showed that with compassion. Well done!

[MRR]

Way too much Meredith in it and not enough of everyone else, but it wasn't horrible or anything. Just boring for me since Meredith isn't on my list of favorites.

Can I just say I freaking LOVE Lucy? I wish you guys would keep her. She's quickly becoming one of my favorites, but I'm trying not to let myself like her, because I don't like getting attached to things that don't last. Just like I'm trying not to let myself like Callie/Arizona/Mark's unborn baby too much. I don't want to bawl my eyes out if you guys aren't going full-term with it.

Which, by the way, I like that storyline. Especially how Arizona fits into it. Biology doesn't define a family, love does. So it's nice to see that happening.

Absolutely dislike Jackson and Lexie. And by dislike, I mean hate. Like, I see them on my screen, and it puts me in a bad mood. Especially after the "Share a Moment" commercial this week where April walks in and Lexie's in the shower with I'm going to guess Jackson. It would be nice if Mark and Lexie could have an actual CONVERSATION. It's like the same thing as last season.

I should add that even when I complain about storylines, I look forward to every Thursday between 9 and 10. Okay, well I didn't last week because I was pissed off about Jackson/Lexie, but Shonda's tweet gave me hope, so now I'm holding on to that. Anyways, my point is to say thank you to you (and everyone else) who writes the show.

[nyla]

great ep! so nice to have the "Grey" in Grey's Anatomy front and center.

*The Mer/Der elevator scene was hilarious - and dirty ;)
*Love that Bailey is finally joining the on-call room club. Eli is FINE!!!
*And even though Cristina is bowing out for Mer's sake, I still think that the idea of Callie having asked her to be godmother is pretty awesome. :)

[So Happy]

Dear Stacy, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. That's the Meredith & Derek that we haven't seen for so very long and certainly all of this season. That was absolutely the best episode of S7. Mer/Der were like they should be instead of the crappy Der he’s been for the last 14 episodes. Mer was fantastic and awesome and any other word to describe how brilliant she was. Meredith and Derek rocked and that elevator scene was the best. Patrick and Ellen can play that like no one else can and you can just feel the "dirty." I loved it. The sounds and gestures he makes while he's giving her the shot are truly awesome. Ellen & Patrick really nailed it & I actually liked Cris tonight. We finally got an episode that ROCKED. THANKS. Wish we could lots more like it. You're the best.

[Grey Area]

This is the old Grey's. FINALLY! You guys out-did yourself! I had faith that you would push the useless characters aside and let the Grey shine sooner or later! I adored every single scene, second and story in this episode.

You have reminded me of why I watch Greys. FOR MER!

[T Newton]

Omg. Stacy I love your writing. I just realized that you wrote merder's elevator scene in season 5...i laughed soo hard during this episode. I mean one of the best episode this season by far...i don't have to tell you how much I loved merder elevator scene...you really put your heart in this one...

Waiting for next week :)

[PamelaJaye]

Before I even finish reading I'm going to stop right here and say - your baby is 6 months apart from Ellen's.Younger than Ellen's? Your baby was the cause of Seattle Med.
My goodness you are - rats i'm tired - full of energy, energetic, AMBITIOUS - that's the word - this year!
Not only do I admire that, but I really loved these two eps. (and the one where the students were shot).
Such a great season. And it's so great to see Mer actually working - a lot - juggling it all. She's so good at her job. And the guy just had heartburn. And I said, oh crap! it's a dissection! But it was good that he died cause someone had to. Everything couldn't be peachy the whole hour.
Thank you for this, and the other and I am going back to read more (and thanks for not letting anyone mess with Ellen's hair)

[PamelaJaye]

and darn - there's more: I love the play by play of your day and the behind the scenes - in this case.
Way more fun than the leeches on Timothy Bottoms' nose.

[Melissa]

Best episode of the season, hands down. Thank you for finally putting Meredith front and center where she belongs. This is my favorite episode in a long time, and one of the best in the series for me. I loved that a lot of focus went to the original cast, and Meredith and Derek, the core couple. I wish Grey's could be like this every week. Thanks, Stacy!

[Pamela]

we haven't seen it in a *while*??
It was episode 1.02!
We haven't seen it since, that I recall. But I love the call-back. And I loved the ep. And I loved reading Your hour in the shooting of...
It's hard to be original in season 7. Thank you for this and Seattle Med and thank everyone else for the greatness that is Season 7.(and I loved the Chief, in the Twitter episode, actually acting like a Chief rather than a Twit. Oops. that pun was unintended. but it's staying.)

[Enforce]

Wow. Awesome, awesome blog. Thank you so much for taking us behind the scenes with you. So, coffee? That's the reason my left eye has been twitching? Dang Starbucks! I swore I would not get addicted...
Great writing as always...

[Amy]

The more I think about this episode and last weeks episode, the more I love tonights episode. ...does that even make any sense? haha. I am going a research study for my college third year writing class about Grey's Fans so I was just reading all the comments from last weeks episode and it was kinda making me angry about that episode that i originally didn't think was that bad...but it was. Tonight on the other hand, after having all of the drama of last weeks episode in my head, it was sooo nice to just pull away from the whole Callie/Mark/Arizona drama for a minute and just enjoy some good grey's anatomy. watchin' Meredith and the doctors do their thing. AND you actually stayed true to the characters, which has been soo lost in the past few episodes. Anyway, I actually wasn't sure how I would like tonight's episode coming into it because as much as I love Meredith, Arizona [had...pre-baby drama] always been my favorite character so I didn't know if I would care about an all Meredith episode, but it was like a breath of fresh air! Loved it. Thank you Stacy...and i enjoyed the hour in an hour :)

[Shirley]

Stacy, it's so nice to finally hear someone refer to Ellen as the leading lady, because she is and she rocks and I hope you tell her that. Also to finally see Cristina get out of her selfish, self-centered, self-absorbed mode and show some compassion for Meredith, after Meredith spent the last 14 episodes taking care of Cris was long overdue. It was so refreshing. And the twinkle in the eyes and on the faces of Derek and Meredith is something we haven't seen in ages. That episode absolutely rocked and I can't thank you enough for it.

I loved the last episode you wrote, "These Arms of Mine..." since I loved Boston Med and I loved your take on it. Your blogs are the best as well because they give us a great behind the scenes view of what's happening.

You write the best Mer, the best Mer/Der and the best Cris. As soon as we saw Mer looking at the babies in the nursery, we were immediately taken back to Season 2 and realized how much Mer has grown since then.

Thanks for a fantastically awesome episode and hope you'll write more really soon because you are the BEST.

[Jenna]

Brilliant. Sheer brilliance! That was the Grey's that I love, you nailed it Stacy! I can't say enough about this episode. It has everything that makes Grey's great. The focus on Meredith...FINALLY....just made my night. You, my dear, deserve a lifetime's supply of high quality coffee after that. You rocked it up one side and down the other.

Cris/Mer - so glad she was going off to tell Callie no. It's just weird that Callie asked her (Callie who said 'Cristina sucks with kids.')

Mer/Cris in front of the nursery was so touching, so moving...epic. This is why they are the best friendship on any TV show.

I'm getting on board with Alex and Lucy, they were cute.

The Chief needs someone to light a fire under his butt about his wife (and the way he speaks to people that are trying to help him. Ah well, at least he can't blame Mer...she tried to warn him).

Teddy/Mer in the elevator had me glued to my seat....there are no words to describe how intense that was.

Mer/Der elevator scene has become one of my favourite moments for them ever. Hilarious! So adorable and funny.

Bailey - you go girl! Enough said.

Derek's face when he walked in on Bailey...priceless!

Lastly, please pass on a sincere congratulations to Ellen Pompeo. She was outstanding in this episode. In every scene, she brought her A-game, and considering how much work she must have had to have done for this episode, she's a legend. A real leading lady.

Grey's is back, and I'm thrilled. Well done Stacy, this was simply outstanding.

[Andrea]

I liked the episode. Lexie and Avery, bleh. Avery is annoying. Love Lexie though, her and Mark belong together. I was a little angered at Meredith being kinda selfish over the whole godmother thing. That sucks for Callie, and yeah that would be a damn awkward conversation. Anyway, Meredith is a great character, I enjoyed seeing her up front. No Callie/Arizona this episode, they are my favorite couple but, this little break was nice. The moment something seemed off with Adele broke my heart a little. Seems as thought some interesting stuff is coming up. Looking forward to next week.