Shonda Rhimes on "The End of the Beginning"
With last night's fourth season finale, "Freedom," creator and executive producer Shonda Rhimes feels she's brought Grey's Anatomy full circle at last.
Here are excerpts of her thoughts on this two-hour episode - which should go down as one of the most memorable in Grey's Anatomy history ...
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So that was Season Four.
Right after we finished filming the finale of Season Three, I sat down with the Grey's Anatomy writing staff and I pitched them the last scene of Season Four.
That's how I do it. I start at the end.
When Season Two concluded, I pitched the image of Cristina tearing off her wedding dress and crying in Meredith's arms. For this season, I knew I wanted more hope.
I knew I personally NEEDED more hope.
So I pitched Meredith Grey standing on Derek's land in a field of candles telling Derek where the living room could be, where the kitchen could be, where kids could play.
Because I wanted them together. I HATED them being apart. It made me sad. It made me sad in a way that was bad for me and for everyone around me.
In the season finale, "Freedom," Meredith Grey finally "got there."
But I also knew that, in order for Meredith Grey to stand there in that field of candles, she had to get there. On the inside. Now I'm not an oogey inside person. I don't do warm and fuzzy and I certainly don't believe in therapy.
For other people, it's fine (yay, therapy!). For me, not so much. I write - that's how I deal with my insides. And Meredith, she performs surgery. That's how she deals.
But in order to get her to a place where she could stand in that field of candles, Mer needed a little help. Professional help. Which shocked my writers. 'Cause they know how I feel about therapy.
But I knew something they did not. Something I'd been keeping to myself for four seasons. Which was the fact that Meredith sat on the kitchen floor in a pool of her mother's blood after her mother attempted suicide.
See what I mean about me not being warm and fuzzy?
Nothing warm and fuzzy about pools of blood. Which is why I kept that to myself. When you say things like that in a writers' room, people tend to look at you funny. People tend to suggest that YOU need therapy.
So I kept it to myself. For four long seasons. I didn't even tell Debora Cahn, the writer of the episode in which Meredith CONFESSES her mother's suicide attempt to Dr. Wyatt. Not until the last possible second.
We'd have these discussions about Deb Cahn's episode in the writers' room where everyone would ask "Shonda, what is Meredith going to TELL Dr. Wyatt in this last scene? WHAT?" And I'd be all, "I don't know. Stop talking about it." And they'd sigh and shoot each other these looks.
They love me but still, there were looks.
I'd like to point out that it is RUDE not to tell details like that to your writing staff. It is cold and withholding, to use therapy-speak.
But I just couldn't do it. Because of two things: one, while I had pitched Meredith all whole and healed in a field of candles, I wasn't sure I could get to a place where I BELIEVED that Meredith would ever go to the field.
And two, I love Ellis Grey. Love her. Even though she is dead.
I think she is fantastic. And I couldn't figure out, couldn't fathom, what a mother says to her child when she is bleeding to death on the kitchen floor from self-inflicted wounds. For a long time, I felt like anything she would have said to a five year old kid in that moment would make her a monster.
Because I have a five year old kid. And I can't imagine doing something so horrible and damaging to her. What do you say to your child at a time like that? Why is your child even there? How do you redeem yourself in that moment?
Continue reading Shonda's thoughts the show's writers' blog ...
May 23rd, 2008 10:00 AM
all i can say is way to go shonda!!!
as always...
Grey's Rules!! SERIOUSLY!!!! :)
May 23rd, 2008 10:18 AM
Shonda Rhimes...you are my absolute hero.
MERDERRRRRRR<333333
May 23rd, 2008 10:29 AM
WAY TO GO CHRISTINA! I am so glad that she put hauhn in her place and webber backed her up I have my christina back yey
the episode was really good and I can't wait to see the next season great job Shonda and Co.
May 23rd, 2008 11:19 AM
Sorry Shonda, I don't agree (totally) with the other comments. For one thing, I felt that the story coming full circle happened a bit too fast. The parts I loved were that Hahn (worst character on the show--unattractive physically, emotionally and socially)--finally got her comeuppance. Why would this nasty self-centered doctor be allowed to carry on this way when she's supposed to be mentoring and teaching young doctors? How could you (writers) treat Christina, the strongest and most capable resident, like such a spineless wimp all season? Glad to see her back on her game. The Chief was also great in that story arc, as he finally took notice of how Hahn was absolutely destroying a great doctor with her nasty-ass attitude. As far as the kiss and developing relationship between Hahn and Callie, I don't buy it. Not because they're lesbians, I mean, who cares??? But because Callie, who is gorgeous, smart, funny and good, would NEVER be attracted to that ugly witch. I never understood how McSteamy could recite his lines about how "hot" (????) Hahn is, and keep a straight face. McSteamy and Callie wouldn't be caught dead with the likes of Hahn. She is hideously unattractive in every way.
My second issue concerns the Izzie/Karev/Ava story. I personally love Karev, (even tho you made him into the meanest prck this season) and thought he had tremendous chemistry with Izzie, especially after Denny's death. I hated Ava and her whole storyline, and we have all been waiting thru 3 seasons to find out more about Karev's horrible childhood, etc. But the story seemed so rushed in this final episode, with the dramatics concerning AVa's suicide attack, I'm sorry, it just seemed like you started a novel and really took a lot of time and effort with the setup and then had 2 pages to wind everything down. I thought it would have had more impact if AVa had stabbed Alex with that cleaver, and then tried to cut her own wrists.....and Izzie could have come to help them both. Mer/Der---don't get me started. Derek is a complete wimp---In the first 15 minutes he tells her that they "kill things together" and suddenly at the end, everything is hunky-dory??? I think your writing on this show over the past 2 seasons shows your utter contempt for women and your viewers. To think we could be so cheaply bought (which, judging from early returns, some of us apparently are cheaply bought). I'm glad Mer/Der are back together but I don't like the way it was done, I think it is not plausible and Derek needs to examine his own problems before Mer can accept him back into her life.
May 23rd, 2008 11:38 AM
when is SEASON 5 going to air? :D:D
there is another season right?
May 23rd, 2008 11:51 AM
So much hype about the season finale, and I was not impressed, just as I've not been impressed at all with the entire season. Grey used to be one of my all time favorite shows, which is why I kept watching through the mediocre episodes, agonizing over how they've been killing my favorite characters with these ridiculous storylines.
At least Meredith and Derek are back together, I think. It looks like they just want to wrap the show up in a hurry and be done with it. Truly dissapointed.
May 23rd, 2008 11:54 AM
i'm so so so glad the finale was amazing because honestly this season has made me feel despair and want to cry every week with the meredith issues, the hahn beating up christina for no reason, the christina taking it... BUT finally it was gone! i do feel like it could have done with coming like 3 episodes ago and then we could see like the consequences of everything that happened BUT thank god we have a season 5! the candle house was AWESOME and i swear i couldn't stop crying through the whole 2 hours so i am a 2 thumbs up for this week! yay!
May 23rd, 2008 12:03 PM
how can you be disapointed???
i know everything was wrapped up a lil fast but i think its about time things regained order!
it was a fantastic finale
kudos
May 23rd, 2008 12:10 PM
i totally agree with natalie :)
May 23rd, 2008 12:31 PM
I am confused about the end!?! Is Derek going to come back or stay with Rose? Is Meredith pissed because he left her to talk to Rose when she needed him so badly at that moment? Is Rose going to end up pregnant from sleeping with Derek? I can't wait for nest season:)