On the surface, Grey's Anatomy is a hit medical drama that is still taking television, and subsequently social media, by storm even after 11 seasons. After dedicating my life to this show for a month, I see now that it is an incredible and profound creation. Here are some ways in which Grey's is so good that sometimes watching it feels like you're actually going into cardiac arrest.
1. The dreamy boys
Derek Shepherd. Mark Sloan. Alex Karev. Jackson Avery. King among men, every single one of them. I don't believe there has ever been anything like this assembly of male actors in the history of television. Before I started watching Grey's Anatomy, I used to hate hearing the terms "McDreamy" and "McSteamy." Now, these superficial nicknames are a part of my everyday vocabulary. Because I get it. I get the hype... I get the fascination with the beauty of the Grey's men. And while it's so fun to look at them and watch them in action, it's also a little agonizing isn't it? Because men like that... they do not exist.
2. The incredible acting performances
Without the stunningly convincing character portrayals, this show wouldn't be near as effective in ripping my heart out. Having gotten through almost 6 seasons in less than a month, I am still often left breathless at each acting performance in every episode. The crying is real, the anguish is real, the joy is real, the ambition, the passion... This show was brilliantly cast. Don't even get me STARTED on Dr. Bailey (Chandra Wilson). Never has there been a dialogue that didn't seem genuine, or a scene that didn't seem well-practiced. The talent is so authentic that you feel what these very complex, dynamic characters feel... which is sometimes too much to handle.
3. The music
There are a million things Grey's Anatomy gets right, and the soundtracking in each episode is on the top of that list. I will never forget the moment I heard Kanye's "Street Lights" from 808s Heartbreak played while Cristina and Owen kissed in the boiler room and Izzie assisted on Karev's first solo surgery. The music seriously never fails to surprise me. Snow Patrol, Regina Spektor, Two Door Cinema Club, Ray Lamontagne, Santigold, Ben Folds, Tegan and Sara, Bon Iver.... like, just go ahead and kill me (and then donate my body to medical research at Seattle Grace). Each track fits each situation, each mood, and each feeling too perfectly. It makes the show all the more profound by enhancing all the 'feels.'
4. The incessant death
If you are a human and you do not live under a rock, you probably know that every character in Grey's Anatomy dies. Which is mean. And cruel (screw you, Shonda Rhimes). This hurts so badly because it's so easy to get invested. After a little while, these Seattle Grace employees are your friends. When George wrote "007" on Mer's hand, you felt your gut drop just like hers did.
Rhimes created these eccentric, complex characters to provoke each other, grow each other, and balance each other. We watch them develop personally and professionally, and somewhere along the way, we find the doctor that we most identify with. That is why it hurts so bad as Rhimes takes a 10-blade to our hearts by killing them all off.
5. The hard-hitting depth
This isn't Scrubs. This isn't House. This isn't ER. It's deeper than that from the get-go. Sometimes it's humorous, sometimes it's gory, and sometimes it's feel-good, but ultimately, it's heavily profound. I mean, who wants to talk about death? No one, but Grey's Anatomy hashes out the ethics and politics of death and medicine in a very thoughtful way. The plot focuses on dating, sex, and scandal in the professional world while some young, eager interns are trying their best. This is what hooks audience members, and this is why we can relate to it. But Grey's takes it to the next level by not just making it relatable, but applicable and thought provoking.
