New post will go up tomorrow...
Shonda should have a new blog entry tomorrow. Enjoy tonight's show!
Stay tuned...
Hope you all enjoyed last night's episode! Stacy's blog entry is on the way...
“Great Expectations” for Eric Buchman (and his blog)
Original Airdate: 1-25-07
I got a call at midnight last night from my Mom. From the East Coast. So it was 3am where she was. She watched the show. Went online. And waited. And waited. And waited. And called.
She wanted to know where my blog was.
She called again this morning. No blog.
Just got an instant message from her 15 minutes ago from her. Asking about the blog.
My point… I know ya’ll are a little frustrated at the lack of a blog. But no one is more frustrated than my own mom, so you don't need to worry about punishing me because I’m surely going to be grounded the next time I get back to Florida.
The thing is, I just don’t know where to begin. There’s just so much I want to say.
Do I start by saying how thankful I am for this opportunity? I just can’t thank Shonda enough for this. And many, many thanks to Krista, Mark, Allan, Tony & Joan for guiding me through the process with such care. To Stacy for being such a rock on set. To Debora and Kip and Zoanne and Harry & Gab for their input in the script. To Carolina for easing all my fears and offering such great advice. Television is a very collaborative medium, and I’m so fortunate that my first time was with such a talented and generous and considerate writing staff.
Or do I start with what a hypocrite I am? I’m the guy who posts the blogs the writers write, so I’m the guy who harps on all them for not getting in their blogs in a timely manner. And even though I've done two blogs in the past (this one and this one), this IS my first time writing about an episode with my name on it. And I finally get where their brain freeze is coming from. (but don’t worry, I’ll still harp on them!)
Or do I start with the stuff I know you all want to know about? You see, for the first two seasons, I was the guy who read every comment. Every. Single. One of them.
And I know what you really want to know…
And you don’t want a recap of what just happened in last night’s episode.
You want to know what happens next.
You want to know how Cristina and Callie respond.
You want to know if Derek finds out about all the proposing and is inspired to ask Meredith to marry him.
But you know I can’t tell you that. Because as you can see in the above, I love my job. And if I told you, I’d get fired. My parents threatened to disown me if I didn’t tell them. And… I still didn’t tell them. I’ll be eating take-out for Thanksgiving this year. But at least I’ll still have my job.
Anyways… I can’t really start out with any of those things.
So I’ll start with… sex.
Let’s talk about George having a lot of it. We needed to show George grieving in a new way for Grey’s. We didn’t want to repeat any beats of Izzie’s grief. And because we knew we had to build to that proposal, we wanted to have George burying his grief in Callie. And in a way that would bother his best friend Izzie. We also wanted Callie to feel some remorse. She finally got George, but not in the way she wanted. She’s gotten his body, but the underlying relationship isn’t there anymore. So what does all that add up to? Make George a sex machine and it’ll bother his friends, pain Callie, and be VERY different from Izzie’s mourning.
Let’s talk about the fact that Cristina and Burke are probably still having a lot of sex, despite their silent situation. In early versions of the script, we actually wanted to show just that -- Burke and Cristina having great sex, but not saying a word. Silent sex. It works in theory, but in execution (on broadcast television) how the hell do you show two people having sex, and know they’re enjoying it if it’s completely silent. You can’t have silence on television. Unless it’s for dramatic effect… waiting for a verdict on Law and Order. Or for comedic effect. The awkward but brilliant silence of The Office. But silence during sex? On TV that usually conveys boredom.
Wait a second, I just remembered something. I can’t start with sex after all. My mom is reading this.
So let’s start with…
Richard and Adele. Richard finally goes to the board and officially got his retirement going. Which gets the race for chief going. Which gets all our attendings acting like children. Which gets the Nazi back. Which leads him back to Adele’s… only to be turned away at the door. Poor, poor Richard. Does this mean the race is over? All that was for naught? Wait – I can’t talk about the future. Crap. Okay, moving onto the next topic…
So let’s start with…
The fact that this was my first time.
And how thankful I am that I did it with people who were so gentle and considerate, and wanted to make sure I was completely satisfied by the experience.
Wait a second. Sounds like I’m talking about sex again. Um... Okay then… moving on…
So let’s start with…
The Amish. Yeah, we had Amish characters fly on an airplane. But I’m told that’s okay under such dire circumstances. Their daughter is 3000 miles away and she’s sick! But wait – I don’t want to upset any Amish people reading this, so I probably should move on…
(possibly interesting tidbit: first day of shooting, a member of the crew, Ryan Blank, walked up to me to say that his father was Amish, and that he just happens to be in town for a few days… an amazing coincidence. we immediately set up a meeting with his father and our researcher and director and that’s how the Pennsylvania Dutch wound up in the episode. Mr. Blank made a CD of him saying the lines, and the actors memorized it and rehearsed it on their own. And I think they did a great job… even though I still have no clue what they were saying)
Okay. So let’s start with…
Meredith and Derek!
Finally. They're a topic with no more taboos. I possibly can’t ruin when they’ll get back together, because they got back together 5 episodes ago. (or 6 depending on how you count “back together”). On the surface, their story in this episode isn’t very complicated. They had a fight that -- compared to past Meredith and Derek fights -- was barely anything. I mean, remember when Derek basically called Meredith a whore? But this was their first fight as a real, honest-to-goodness couple. And even though it was a minor fight, it’s very revealing for Meredith. She’s not used to fighting with someone and having them come back. We know how things are with her mom. We know her dad left even before she had a chance to ever fight with him. We can now picture every boyfriend she ever had leaving after just a couple weeks, if she didn’t leave first. This is probably the longest relationship she’s ever been in. And the first with someone she feels a genuine connection with. We might know Derek will come back – but she doesn’t. The scene at the end between them is actually a milestone of sorts for her. She has to admit just how new to all this she really is. The woman with a habit of getting drunk and having sex with inappropriate men – is finally in virgin territory.
You know, that’ll be good title for a novel. “The Virgin Whore” I wonder if that’s been done yet… Just googled it. Crap. It’s not a book, but it’s a cocktail made with vodka, tequila, cranberry and apple juice, food coloring, and lime kool-aid. And you know what? Meredith might actually like that, considering her fondness for tequila.
Okay, I’m off on a tangent… That’s not a good sign. Means I need to pick a topic with more going on… hmm…
Let’s start with…
Alex and Addison. Ouch. That’s all I can say. I watched the episode with a group of friends, and when Alex says “you’re my boss, what was I supposed to do?” (when he explained why he kissed her back in the last episode) – it stung the entire room. We all felt what Addison feels in that moment. But what’s most painful about that scene? Not that Alex effectively shut Addison down in such a cold and direct manner. But that it seems like such a waste of chemistry. When they went into that closet, the last thing we wanted to see them do is pour water on their fire. Okay, I’m getting frustrated just thinking about it. Not a good topic for me.
So let’s start with… Well, what’s left?
Mark Sloan?
Can I just say that Eric Dane, who plays Mark, is like the nicest guy ever? During the read thru for the episode, he paid me my first compliment ever as a writer (from a professional actor). Sara Ramirez got to a line I wrote in the Izzie-Callie hallway scene (a line that never made it to air actually), and she totally sold it. And Eric looked up and said “way to go, Bucky.” And what had been an incredibly nerve-inducing experience, all of a sudden became very relaxing. My nerves went away. I was able to enjoy the remainder of the read thru.
Hopefully the excised line will wind up on the DVD. I can’t tell you what the line was, though, because ABC Standards and Practices requested its removal. In fact, I can’t really talk about those network matters at all, so I guess I should choose another topic…
So…
Let’s start with… the opening credits!
Did you notice that Marti Noxon is now in the opening credits!!! Yes, Buffy fans, THE Marti Noxon. Or as we like to call her. TV’s Marti Noxon. And you know what’s even better than having her here as a consulting producer for the rest of the season? Her writing an episode. And you know what’s even better than her writing an episode? Her writing and episode WITH Shonda. And you know what’s even better than all that? (wow, I’m beginning to sound like game show host slowly revealing some big prize) Them writing an episode you can see in less than a month! Wait a second – Shonda is telling me that I’m revealing too much. I can’t say anymore, and I’ve already said too much.
Darn…okay then… I guess there’s only one thing left for me to say…
So let’s just start with the closing.
Thank you all for watching last night’s episode. Thank you for reading this blog. I hope you enjoyed the episode almost as much as I enjoyed working on it.
Oh, and thanks, Mom, for being so patient!
(even if you’ve been IMing me all day while I’m busy taking notes in the writers’ room)
It's coming!
Don't worry, a new blog is on the way! But in the meantime, if you can't wait to comment on last night's appendix-bursting Mark-staying Denny-riffic episode -- feel free to do so below...
Some thoughts on Meredith, Derek, and faith...
"Save Me"
Original Airdate 5/15/05
Two more episodes from season 1 will air tonight. The first episode was written by the ultra-talented Mimi Schmir, who also wrote season 2's episode "Let it Be." You might remember "Let it Be" because it includes the single most memorable Meredith-Derek moment in the whole series -- when he's behind her in the elevator, only inches away, trying with all his might not to touch her because he's already chosen to stay with Addison. Meredith: "I miss you." Derek: "I can't." It's a painful moment not just for them, but for every viewer rooting for them.
On the other hand, when "Save Me" first aired last year, it had no such painful moment. It had the exact opposite. The big scene at the end between Meredith and Derek -- the one where we see his trailer for the first time -- is romantic and sweet and refreshing. No pain to be found.
Throughout the episode, Meredith wants to know more about Derek. They're finally in what looks like an actual relationship -- but she doesn't even know where he lives. What his family is like. What kind of music he listens to. Nothing. Who is this guy who's been waking up next to her in bed for a week?
And that leads up to this great Meredith and Derek scene. (here's the actual page from the script)
EXT. FIELD - NIGHT
Derek and Meredith walk through the field. The stars are out. He marches her up to an Airstream trailer which is parked on the grass. Its lights are on.
MEREDITH
Where are we?DEREK
Shut up. -- My mother's maiden name is Maloney.
I have four sisters, eight nieces and five nephews.
I like coffee ice cream, single malt Scotch and
occasionally a good cigar. I fly fish, I cheat when I
do the Sunday crossword puzzle and I don't dance
in public. My favorite color is blue. And not that
light blue. Indigo. The Sun Also Rises? Favorite
novel. The Clash? Favorite band. This tiny little
scar by my nose? That's why I don't ride motor-
cycles anymore. And I live in that trailer! And
all this land is mine and I have no idea what I'm
gonna do with it!! That's it, that's all you've earned.
For now. The rest...well, the rest you'll have to
take on faith.
Beat. He searches her face. Hopeful. Waiting to see what she'll do.
MEREDITH (V.O.)
Once in a while, people may even take your breath away.
She holds out her hand. He takes it.
MEREDITH
Nice castle.
And they go inside.
MEREDITH (V.O.)
That's what you have to believe.
Shonda tells us that Grey's Anatomy is about fairy tales. That scene could be the end of one. In an episode about Faith, Meredith finally learns to have some faith of her own. Faith in Derek.
However, that faith is tested in a later episode, "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head." When Derek takes Meredith back to his trailer, he tells her just how badly Addison hurt him, why he had to leave New York, and what Meredith has meant to him since he arrived ("You were like coming up for fresh air," he says).
And remember what Meredith says? "That's not enough."
And remember how you shouted at your screen "NOT ENOUGH?!? HOW CAN THAT NOT BE ENOUGH!?!?"
The above scene is why Meredith says that.
"The rest...well, the rest you'll have to take on faith."
That is why this scene is so painful to watch now -- just as painful as the elevator scene in "Let it Be" -- because we know what "the rest" is.
Not only did Derek not tell Meredith about Addison, but he told her everything except that, and then asked her to have faith in him.
And when Meredith takes his hand, she's believing in him.
And then in the next episode the fairy tale comes crashing down.
I don't know about you, but if that were me, I'd have trouble ever trusting that man again... Just something to keep in mind, not just as you rewatch the episode tonight, but, well, as you watch every episode that comes after (including those for this upcoming season).
-Eric
You've got questions, we've got answers...
As some of you have already discovered, Shonda took the time last weekend to answer many of the "frequently asked questions" that have been posed to her over the last few weeks. You can find the new FAQ here:
http://abc.go.com/primetime/greysanatomy/faq.html
It's a work in progress that she hopes to keep updating as the season progresses, and definitely worth checking out.
From Eric Buchman, NOT the writer of "Make Me Lose Control"
Originally posted on 10/9/05
January 18, 2005. That's when the writers first convened to outline this episode. There's probably something to be said about a gestation period of nine months, maybe a metaphor to something else that can be conceived, developed, and delivered in that same period of time, but I don't know what that could be. What I do know, though, is that Krista Vernoff wrote this episode, she did so in a very short amount of time, and she did it while simultaneously producing a pilot of her own for ABC. This is the second episode Krista wrote, the first one being "Tomorrow Never Comes" (you might remember it as the episode with the patient with the 70 pound tumor). You'll be hearing from Krista in a few weeks, actually, when her third episode airs. But for now, Krista asked me to say a few words about this episode since she's already very busy at work writing & producing her fourth episode.
The writing of every episode of Grey's Anatomy begins with a theme. Sometimes that theme is dictated by our characters, where they need to be at a given time during the season, and other times the theme is dictated by the types of medical cases we want to include. From the onset, this was to be the episode when Ellis is checked into the hospital, when Meredith finally loses control of her secret. Once we figured this would also be the episode when Cristina's secret surfaces in the most dramatic way possible, the theme of "losing control" crystallized on its own. It was a natural fit since we're still dealing with Richard's loss of control over the hospital, not to mention the complete lack of control Derek has over his situation. Add to that a patient who can't control her own face - the blushing girl - and you've got multiple storylines all strung together by a singular, barely visible thread.
What's most interesting about this episode, though, aren't the changes made early on, during the writing and shooting, but the changes made much later. Of the four first season episodes carried over to season 2, this one probably needed the fewest tweaks to make it fit the beginning of a season, rather than the end of one. But we did continue to work on it, and the most noticeable change actually involves the blushing girl, Kelly. Originally, her story wasn't just about a woman undergoing a complex surgical operation to conquer her blushing problem. The way it was written and shot, Kelly was a hemophiliac with the blushing condition. But she hid her hemophilia from the hospital staff because she knew they wouldn't perform such a risky operation on a patient who could very easily bleed to death.
The story was dramatic. It had an interesting question - at what point do you risk your life just to be normal. It had a twist. But it didn't feel right. The twist complicated the plot, yes, and even offered a great act break (to keep you tuned in during a commercial, to see if they can save her or not), but it didn't add anything to the emotions of the characters. In fact, it made the patient less sympathetic because she essentially lied to the doctors. It turns out the story was more compelling when told straight-forward, without the twist. So in editing, any reference to hemophilia was removed, and the result is a story that feels more genuine in its emotions.
My job with the writers isn't to write. I'm more like an apprentice, here to observe and assist the writers and the writing process. And learn. And that was a great lesson for me - learning that in the world of drama, sometimes less truly is more.
