Completely unashamed to be up to date on all four of Ms. Rhimes' current hit television series, I have to give endless credit to this woman. Between Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder, she has created these worlds that viewers still feel completely immersed in. In all four shows we identify with favorite characters and invest in their journeys, which in some cases have spanned thirteen, yes thirteen, seasons. To be as intelligent, creative, and honestly crazy enough to keep bringing the world shows full of drama, scandal, death, and love, it amazes me that one woman has held the reins and guided our helpless emotion all over the place for years. Props to you, Shonda.

First off, with Grey's. I mean where do you start with this. Though at first we all thought we'd just be getting a weekly dose of cute doctors, elevator hookups, and riveting medical cases, Rhimes had so much more in store for us. You can't even go a few episodes at a time at some points in the series without a death, major accident, or very, very personal breakup. I mean Shonda knows how to make some good TV but geez, our hearts over here. From the bomb explosion, to the ferry boat crash, to Denny Duquette, to George's bus crash, to the shooting, to the plane crash, and many many more. The Grey's cul de sac of Shondaland is very familiar with death. And each of us have that one in particular that made us absolutely hate her. I couldn't count on both of my hands how many times following a major characters death that I vocally said, "Shows over, she killed it (not in a good way)." But every time she knew how to reel us back in, with someone getting married or having a kid or giving us another ferryboat-like episode. And still, I continue to watch, no matter how pissed she makes me or her now putting my favorite character through a tough time. Ms. Rhimes is too good for me to miss out on a new episode; I just have to see what she comes up with next.

And of course with Grey's Anatomy comes Private Practice. If it hadn't been for Cristina Yang, this series would rank slightly higher on my favorites list. A bigger Addison fan than a Meredith one, Private Practice was the chapter of Grey's I was missing. While Shonda still puts the same gruesome dagger into this show, it almost feels more relatable than a typical Grey's episode. She ingeniously intertwines the two shows too, having Addison go to Seattle and be in episodes that she was in on Grey's. And the ending, gosh, it just made you feel like all your favorite people were at the best part of their life. The feelings got me in this one and in my biased, Addison-favoring mind, I wish she'd kept it going as long as Grey's has gone on.

So, Scandal. I started this one because who doesn't love Law and Order coupled with a strong female lead and political drama. Ms. Rhimes truly created one of her best characters in Olivia Pope: fashionable, demanding, intelligent, mischievous, independent, and self-motivated with a bit of spice. In a way, I think Shonda threw herself into this one. In this series, we realize that Shondaland actors and actresses bounce around between her shows, and we love it. Plus she gives us the perfect mixture of villains to hate every season, sometimes realistically inspired. It's really amazing how she so flawlessly transitioned from the medical world to the political one, accurately depicting and conveying each.

And in the latest hit series, How to Get Away with Murder, the title brings out that side of Shonda we get to see in all her series, but amplified by like ten. Everyone jokes that Shonda kills off characters in Grey's, but her characters do it for her in How to Get Away with Murder. The concept of having the intelligence to cover up a murder is super freaky in retrospect, but Ms. Rhimes makes it seem doable, like it's everyday work. I guess in a way, for her it is, at least when it comes to Grey's. This one really brings out her crazy side, but honestly the plot altogether just makes her seem crazy genius. With Annalise Keeting (aka Viola Davis, the perfect cast) running a law firm and teaching law students how to cover up their and her friend's murders, I mean the show is full of twists and cliffhangers. Still every episode makes us want to watch the next to see if what we thought was even close to right (though it usually isn't). I wonder how many people decided to be lawyers because of this show.

Clearly, I could go on and on into every episode and how it makes Shonda Rhimes so incredible but we already know what part of each series really drew each of us individually in and for that, we will always thank her. I blame her for every Netflix-binge and for making shows so good that when I'm bored I decided to rewatch them. So Shonda, thank you for Grey's, PP, Scandal and HTGAWM, because honestly TV wouldn't be the same without your incredible contributions.