Behind The Scenes of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’

Last TV season I was turned on to a wonderful blog about the hit TV show “Grey’s Anatomy,” called “Grey Matter.” It’s updated weekly by the writers of the show. The posts are written by a different writer each week and he/she focuses on how the show came about.

It’s great insight to a great show. There’s so much information in each post and it bridges the gap between writer and viewer.

Did you watch last week? *spoiler alert*

There are scenes in television that I think are brilliant. It’s usually because of the writing. The last episode of “Grey’s Anatomy” has Meredith pouring her mother’s ashes into the surgical sink. Meredith kept wondering where to spread Ellis’ ashes. Where would she want to be? The surgical sink is just brilliant. It’s where Ellis spent all of her time. She gave up time with her husband, with her daughter, to be at the hospital with her lover (the Chief) and her love, surgery. It’s perfect because it’s sad. It’s sad to see the remains of a person, a mother, someone who saved lives, to be poured down a drain. But Ellis was a sad person, living a sad life. The writer, Krista Vernoff, wonders if we got it.

She says:

“And my favorite scene, maybe ever, is the one in which Richard and Meredith put Ellis to rest in a surgical sink. I hope, I hope, I hope you all got this. I hope so much that no one found this disrespectful.”

As I watched it, I too wondered if people got it. But I think that’s what good writing is about: Write and see if people get it.