Season 20 of "Grey's Anatomy" begins with a dilemma that long-time fans will find familiar. After sneaking out of a disciplinary meeting, duo Simone (Alexis Floyd) and Lucas (Nico Trejo) suffer a medical emergency and end up trapped in an ambulance.
Clearly, the new interns are continuing the legacy of their predecessors.
"Do you think your class was not as bad as this one?" Dr. Bailey (Chandra Wilson) asked Meredith in the March 14 episode, and Meredith listed the original Various illegal activities of the organization. "Look at me now," says successful Meredith (Ellen Pompeo), who is on the verge of being cured of Alzheimer's. But as her mentor jokingly urged, "Remember how you got there."
That's a key theme in the new season of Grey's Anatomy , which new showrunner Meg Marinis describes as a "back to basics."
"Sometimes, when you go through big moments at work, you have to remember, why do I like this and why did I start this? " she told Buster. “It’s about looking back and remembering why you love what you do.”
Marini, Grey's since 2006 A production assistant to a writer, she took over the new role after Krista Vernoff left last year. She takes the helm in exciting moments of reset. Season 20 is the first without Pompeo as a series regular.
"She's still very invested in the show. She's still doing voiceovers," Marinis said of Pompeo's iconic monologue. "Now that (Meredith) has this role of this medical superstar, it's fun to see her interact with the new characters. She's their idol."
Meredith isn't the only Grey's icon to appear in the hospital halls this season. Below, Marinis talks about Arizona's return, Easter eggs, and a nerve-wracking Season 11 storyline.
What specific era are you hoping to capture in the play?
In season one, Meredith and all of them were interns. I love telling stories with my interns. Attendance shouldn't always screw up, but interns can, and it's really fun to write about.
Looking back, were there any storylines that made the writers' room particularly tense?
Oh my gosh, yes. When we broke up with Callie and Arizona. I thought we were going to be chased down the street. Because they are an iconic couple. This was my experience, they had a 30 day break but they didn't end up together. I mean, Twitter hates me. It was the right story at the time, but I remember the feeling in the room. Like, we're going to do this, but it's going to be really hard.
Speaking of Arizona, can you talk about the decision to bring Jessica Capshaw back this season?
We haven't seen her in a long time. When it was pitched in the writers' room, it came together with a story that really made sense. All the stars aligned. It's great to have her back. Just hearing Jessica's laughter on stage felt like she had never left.
What are your favorite memories of working with Shonda Rhimes?
She was always happy to share her excitement for a story. It would be late at night and she was doing post-production work, and she would pull me, the public address announcer, into her office and say, "Listen to these three songs with me and help me choose which one to play in Act Five." ". You're like, oh my god.
How has Gray changed over the past 20 years?
Well, medicine has changed. The stories we told about Alzheimer's 20 years ago, we don't have those treatments anymore. The workplace is different too. I think 20 years ago you would hear horror stories about people throwing instruments. I don't hear these stories anymore when we talk to real doctors. I mean, I wish it were different in the hospital, but at least in our hospital, it's different.
And then we have the power dynamic. That's not to say we don't do [Doctor Dates with a Top Man] anymore, but the show calls attention to how it can cause problems.
Grey's has a lot of guest stars. Do you have a fondest memory working with them?
The most memorable guest star for me was Geena Davis. I was in awe from start to finish. Beanie Feldstein loves the show so much - she's a bigger fan than anyone - she was running around the set, excited to be there. In season four we have Jurnee Smollett, and she's so adorable.
I hear you're Gray's Encyclopedia. Can you share any Easter eggs fans should look for in rewatches?
There was an episode in season six where Jackson and April had just joined. The class merged from Mercy West and they were all treating a woman who was near death from smoke inhalation. There were many people around the bed trying to save her. We always try our best to provide them with medical business, so it seems that the doctors are very busy. But there's an overhead shot - I laughed at this with Jesse Williams - but it looks like Jesse is just tucking into the sheets and doing nothing. This is something I laugh about a lot.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
