"In the Midnight Hour" From the Writers' Viewpoint

Grey's Anatomy writer Joan Rater, who authored last night's episode, has posted some thoughts on "In the Midnight Hour" on the show's official writers' blog for the fans.

Below is an excerpt, with a link to the full column at the bottom ...

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Okay, it’s a little crazy to try to take out an appendix. I get that. I think Lexie and Sadie and all the interns get that. IT’S CRAZY TO TAKE OUT AN APPENDIX!

But here’s the thing – it’s the middle of the night. And an appendectomy is the easiest surgery. And they’ve seen them done. And they’ve done them on the practice dummy, iStan.

And they’re competitive and feel like their residents aren’t letting them do anything and, I think it bears repeating … it’s the middle of the night. When all things are possible.

It’s not the middle of the night as I write this, but it’s late, 11 pm, and I’m feeling like maybe I’ll wake up early and exercise before work.

I probably won’t, cause like … um … I never have … but it’s late and under cover of darkness … all things feel possible. Which brings me to Izzie.  

I’ll get back to the interns because more needs to be said – THEY TOOK OUT SADIE’S APPENDIX! - but Izzie … Izzie just touched Denny - talking, breathing, right here in her bedroom Denny – and she’s just sitting there at the beginning of the episode wondering what’s going on, it’s not possible that he’s here, because he died, but he’s here and he’s talking and now he’s walking toward her and now he’s unbuckling his belt and ….

Crazy. Unreal. Impossible.

But I think Izzie is thinking that tonight she’s going to let this be possible. In the confines of her room she’s going to let this be real. But it’s complicated and scary.

She and Alex are finally good, really good and so what is this, why is Denny here, why can’t she just move on? And I think she thinks she will - tomorrow, in the morning, as I’m exercising, she’ll be all moving on and stuff, but tonight ….

Tonight why can’t she just let miracles happen, turn off her scientist brain and just be in that moment, the two of them, finally alone together?  And by the way, I don’t think she thinks it’s cheating on Alex.  I really don’t. Because Denny’s dead.

Whatever this is, whatever he is, Izzie knows this isn’t real, she KNOWS that, but it feels real and she just … closes her eyes and, you heard the sounds coming from the room, as Meredith said, it sounded kinda porny, so whatever’s going on with the dead guy, the sex is good at least …

But by morning, in the light of day, when appendixes have been removed and you realize you can’t stay in your room with your dead ex-boyfriend forever, she chooses Alex and it’s sad as she looks at Denny who seems sad, but he gets it, after all he’s “here for her …”

Follow the link to continue reading Joan Rater's blog ...