Grey's Anatomy writer Jenna Bans, who authored last night's episode, has posted some thoughts on "Sympathy For the Devil" on the show's official writers' blog for the fans.

Below is an excerpt, with a link to the full column at the bottom ...

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I like to pretend [doctors] have all the answers to explain every possible anomaly of the human body, that they learned all these answers in a very popular med school course called “THE ANSWERS!” Sadly, this is not the case. There is no such course.

And so they graduate and become doctors without having all the answers. They learn how to use good judgment to get close to the answers ... and then they guess. And sometimes they’re right. And sometimes they’re wrong. And sometimes it’s too close to call, which brings me to...

Meredith Grey’s judgment as a doctor.

Man, was it tested thoroughly tonight. When adorable serial killer Eric Stolz makes his argument, that this dying kid needs organs, that he is a match for said dying kid, and that he is about to be lethal injection toast in a mere five days, Meredith sort of ... agrees.

As much as she doesn’t want to agree with a serial killer, as much as Derek makes a very good argument that the guy’s trying to screw the system and it’s not their job as surgeons to help him do it ... she still agrees. Because a kid is dying.

Because Bailey, unflappable Bailey, is out of ideas and seems utterly broken by that. Because perfectly good organs are going to waste. So she betrays Derek and the oath she took to do no harm, and she does harm.

She does harm for what she tells herself, is the greater good - and she helps a patient try to kill himself. Which is why I love Mer in this episode – agree with her or not, she makes a bold, consequences be damned, choice in the end.

She just can’t help doing what she thinks is right even if it seems so, so wrong. Even if it comes back to bite her in the ass HARD in the next episode – and by the way, I can’t wait ‘til you all see what happens, because it is truly awesome.

She does this because, like Carolyn Shepherd points out to Derek at the end, she doesn’t just see things in black and white, she sees the grey.

Carolyn Shepherd has arrived.

Nothing was more fun on set than to watch Tyne Daly become Derek’s mom. Because she did BECOME Derek’s mom. She was tough and no-nonsense and I don’t blame Mer for being scared out of her mind. I’d wear an absurdly high ponytail too if Carolyn came sniffing around me, checking me out, making sure I was good enough for her son.

Follow the link to continue reading Jenna's blog ...

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