Grey's Anatomy: An Unauthorized View from the Other Side
by Anne Dawes & Helen Dina |
|
Inside the View
Like all Grey’s Anatomy fans, we are eagerly awaiting the return of the final five episodes of Season 4. As with many other fans, we are also surfing for Grey’s Anatomy news, lurking on message boards, and reading blogs about Grey’s Anatomy. In doing so, we have noted that some fans are seeking feedback from other fans to help them gain a better understanding of what is written in the book. Since this book was written as a fan's guide to the show, we wanted to provide a few of our own tips that might be useful in helping fans get the most from the book.
1. Reading this book should be a journey of discovery. We have introduced information from about 20% of the series with the hope that the 20% we have discussed in detail will open the doors to allow readers to discover what they will in the remaining 80% of the series. Ours is but one of many views through the kaleidoscope. You may well see something else. That’s okay, and we hope you do! If you do, come back and tell us, and tell others, so that we can all continue to debate and enjoy this fascinating series.
2. Watch your DVDs! It is virtually impossible to follow the progression of the chapters if you haven’t seen nearly every episode from the first 3 seasons. Even if you have seen all of the episodes, each episode of Grey’s Anatomy is packed with content, and you may have forgotten portions of some episodes. In some chapters, it might also be helpful to watch the referenced episodes again after you have read the chapter. “Bring the Pain” (2.5; Chapter 6), for example, mirrors content from the pilot episode while also foreshadowing many events in Season 2. After you have read the chapter, several scenes in “Bring the Pain” (2.5) should seem obvious in their mirroring of scenes from “A Hard Day’s Night” (1.1) and other scenes should be more easily recognized as foreshadowing events in Season 2. We provided examples of both mirroring and foreshadowing in our chapter on “Bring the Pain” (2.5), but you will see many others we did not mention if you watch the episode again (Grey’s Anatomy is a gift that keeps on giving!).
3. Because each episode of Grey’s Anatomy is so packed with content, we have tried to use examples as a means of illustrating or explaining certain concepts that often recur. Once the example has been presented, we hope readers will recognize other examples of it in the same episode, later episodes, later story arcs, and in later chapters. Once we have introduced the concept, we will often reference it again in later chapters without further explanation. Thus, you may need to refer back to Chapters 2, 3, and 4 to refresh your memory on the structure of the series (parallel episodes and nickels in the tables), the symbolism introduced, and the types of metaphors that can be used within episodes and over a series of episodes (eg, in story arcs).
4. Often times, we have cited a relevant quote as an example or as evidence that a particular theme or concept is in play in a particular episode. Every example of quoted text is spoken in dialogue, spoken in the voiceover of the episode being discussed, or is included in the lyrics of a song featured in the episode. When you return to your DVDs, pay closer attention to what is being said in the voiceovers and to the cue of lyrics during the episodes. The voiceovers and lyrics are meticulously timed to convey additional information to the scenes they play over.
5. If you are questioning the structure of the series or the definitions presented for symbolism, look for examples that can confirm or refute what has been presented. The structure of the series (Chapter 2) predicted the commitment between Meredith and Derek at the end of Season 4. It also predicted the reintroduction of “really old guy” in Season 4. The metaphors discussed in Chapter 5 predicted the new, but now postponed, relationship between Sandra Oh and Joshua Jackson in Season 4.
Patrick Dempsey said in September 2007 (USA Today) that Derek and Meredith were “treading water” at the beginning of Season 4. Does that ring a bell for the stated symbolism of water in Chapter 3? What about Shonda Rhimes’ statement (Newsweek, October 2007; Chapter 13) that “if you swim hard enough, and you pay enough attention, you create something great.” Similar to the midseason arc of Season 3, Derek and Meredith were treading water until 4.11. Through the end of Season 4, they will have to make the decision to sink or swim (they appear to be sinking just now). “If they swim hard enough, they may create something great.” Shonda Rhimes is clever. Watch for the use of the symbolism defined in Chapter 3 in public statements made by Shonda Rhimes or other actors about the series.
Those are a few of our tips. We hope they were helpful. We may return here from time to time to update this page as we garner additional feedback from those who have read the book.
Posted 15 April 2008
|
Update 28 April 2008
Now that Season 4 has resumed with “Where the Wild Things Are” (4.12), we’re back with a few additional hints to help readers explore this episode relative to information presented in the book.
The episodes and themes that will be mirrored in Season 4 are based on the 3 episodes cited on page 25 of the book. Did you see any of those episodes mirrored in “Where the Wild Things Are” (4.12)? In what episode did you first hear “If you hear hoof beats, think horses not zebras?” Who was the first “medical mystery” patient Meredith diagnosed with a brain tumor and what was the theme of that episode? Which episodes contained the theme of commitment in Seasons 1, 2, and 3? Did you see scenes from those episodes mirrored in “Where the Wild Things Are” (4.12)? Which episodes contain the mirrored scenes of Meredith returning to Derek at the end of the episode to advance their relationship? In the coming episode, what episode contains the mirrored scene of Meredith and Derek shaking hands to agree to advance their relationship and what is the theme of that episode? If you can answer these questions, check the tables in Chapter 2 to find the parallel episodes that were mirrored from Season 2. Did you spot the mirroring from the appropriate episodes in Season 2?
From the chapter on symbolism, why is Rose frequently seen eating candy and why does she tell Derek she prefers a box of chocolates to flowers? Why is Derek standing in the elevator when he tells Mark he could (eventually) “become serious” about Rose? What happens to the validity of that statement when Derek steps off the elevator? What is intended by the lyrics “What a day to welcome a baby. And to begin breathing.” (“What a Day,” Greg Laswell) that accompanies Meredith’s final scene when she agrees to begin talking about her relationship with Derek?
Is Izzie continuing “the slippery slide down the same chutes that defined her during Season 1” (p. 53)? Is she “half blind” to the ramifications of her actions on her career (depicted in her final scene with the Chief) or is she “half-witted” in thinking it won’t really matter (her scene with Dr. Bailey)? Does she display a child-like optimism? Is she performing unnecessary procedures without the informed consent of her patient? If Izzie needed to “evolve” into a better person and physician, where would she begin from? Perhaps she would begin by recognizing and addressing those recurring flaws from Season 1 after having been “drop-kicked back to the starting gate” at the end of Season 3 (Chapter 13).
Those are a few hints from the first returning episode of Season 4. Check your tables and watch your DVDs! The mirroring, symbolism, and parallels continues each week through May 22.
Update 24 May 2008
So, Season 4 has now completed. We thought we would return to provide some food for thought to help pass that long summer hiatus and add some new information to reinforce how the content of the book can aid in understanding the show. Since the season finale concluded a multi-episode metaphor that began after the conclusion of the writer’s strike, discussing that metaphor seemed an appropriate place to begin a discussion of some of the Season 4 content.
Shonda Rhimes was considerably more liberal this season in identifying her use of metaphors and it should have seemed obvious to those who have read the book that Derek and Meredith’s clinical trial was a metaphor for their relationship. As discussed in the introduction to Chapter 5, the metaphors used in Grey’s Anatomy can be quite complex; they can exist in different planes of time, and they can included multiple characters, episodes, and story arcs that transcend seasons. All of those elements were present in the multi-episode metaphor of the clinical trial that concluded in the finale of Season 4.
To understand the metaphor, break the clinical trial down into individual cases. Each case is a temporal metaphor for the state of Meredith and Derek’s relationship in that episode. If you look a little closer, however, you will note that the individual cases are also metaphors for the progression of Meredith and Derek’s relationship over the first four seasons. As with our general approach in writing the book, we will provide some examples that detail the basic structure of the metaphors. We would like you, the readers, to go back and think about what has been said in the book. If you search out the rest of the examples that complete the individual metaphors to lead you to the completion of the larger metaphor, the content therein will provide substantive proof of the accuracy of the symbolism defined in the book and the essential elements of the major story arcs described in the book.
The first case in the clinical trial involves the return of mama bear to reclaim her baby bear after it has been touched by one of two brothers. One brother dies a slow and agonizing death as he loses his sense of self and his rebound girl along the way. The second brother has his “guts ripped out” by mama bear after she returns to reclaim her cub. Identify the four characters mirrored from Season 1 in this case and use your knowledge of symbolism to define the baby bear at the center of the story.
The second case involves the two gay soldiers who must conceal their relationship from the rest of the world. Their relationship is defined by the policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” The soldier with the brain tumor eventually decides he is willing to die alone, without the comfort of the love of his life, who is in the room right next door to him. What did Doc, the dog, represent in the Horse’s arc in Season 2 (Chapter 7)? Where was Derek, the love of Meredith’s life, when Meredith chose to risk her life by putting her hand on the bomb in Mr. Carlson’s chest in Season 2 (Chapter 8)? In this case in Season 4, which character returns to mirror George as “the witness” in the midseason arc of Season 2 (Chapter 8)?
The third case involves the Cinderella story (Chapter 14) of the woman who leaves her shoe behind just before boarding the cruise ship to return home. Although the woman reaches out to her new found Prince Charming, he does not “show up” in time, and she eventually dies alone. Which characters represented Cinderella and Prince Charming in Season 2 and what was the symbol of the missing shoe at the end of Season 2? When did Derek fail to “show up” in Season 3, and what was the result of his failure to show up for Meredith? Who does Jane Doe/Ava/Rebecca represent in Season 3 and why does Rebecca Pope play such a prominent role in the Alex’s storylines near the end of Season 4? Follow the chronology of the clinical trial cases to place the progression of Derek and Meredith's relationship in the clinical trial metaphor. There is one case per season but there is some overlap between seasons.
The last case in the clinical trial is the most complex and you must consider several elements to put the metaphor together. Because the last case is the key to the larger metaphor, involves multiple characters, multiple seasons, and foreshadows the predicted outcome of Meredith and Derek’s relationship at the end of Season 4 (Chapter 2), we don’t want to give it all away with a few hints in a single paragraph. Rather, we would like you to consider what was presented in the first three cases, think about the events of the second half of Season 3, analyze Meredith and Derek’s relationship in the first half of Season 4, and put those pieces together to complete the larger metaphor.
The information to complete the larger metaphor is all there; you just have to look for it. Shonda Rhimes, as always, was masterfully clever in providing the clues you will need to complete the metaphor. Keep in mind that there are several related metaphors playing out in parallel. Identify the individual metaphors first. Once you have found them, watch the scenes again, dissect the dialogue, listen to the music, and watch the interactions between Derek and Meredith very carefully in the last scene of the finale. The last scene in the finale was a masterfully executed summary of major events in the larger metaphor. Take your time, look for the clues, talk to other fans, and put it all together. It’s all right there waiting for you to discover.
And, here’s a final reminder of Shonda Rhimes’ use of media outlets, including the writer’s blog, to convey information to her fans. Do you recall her request to fans to “leap with her” at the end of Season 3 (Chapter 13)? Shonda rewarded those fans willing to leap with her in Season 4 and she acknowledged us in the final patient case in the Season 4 finale. Did you catch the reference?
Happy hunting and have a great summer!
|
|