Grey's Anatomy writer Stacy McKee, who authored last night's episode, has posted her thoughts on "These Ties That Bind" on the show's official writers' blog for fans.

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

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Hahn isn’t dead. But she IS gone. And Callie Torres is feeling it - sort of. Callie’s diving into work. She wants bones to break, skeletons to build, SOMETHING to keep her from thinking about Erica. Erica played an unbelievably important role in Callie’s life; Erica’s relationship with Callie has completely redefined how Callie sees herself. That’s something you can’t undo.

Erica’s departure has left Callie with this big gaping hole that she has no idea how to fill. Callie had just started to figure out her own feelings, her own identity and now - Hahn’s gone. Without a goodbye. Whether or not Callie and Erica were ever soul mates, you can’t deny that they played irreplaceable roles in each other’s lives. The heartbreak that Callie is feeling is very very real.

And very very private until – she starts to cry, and cry and cry and cry, in the OR, over the bones that she built from scratch. She’s crying for all the loss and heartbreak and sadness she hasn’t allowed herself to feel yet. Which is why it’s lovely that Callie’s friends - Yang, Sloan, and even Owen Hunt - recognize the moment for what it is and try to give her the privacy she needs.

Callie isn’t the only one feeling a lack of connection.

It’s clear that Owen is having difficulty adjusting to life at SGH. He calls in Derek and Mark for help, then disregards their concerns about his patient. I love watching Owen’s face when he’s listening to his patient’s story, about how somewhere along the way the patient just lost the ability to connect.

It’s clear that it resonates with Owen, and it’s only after that moment that he really becomes receptive to Derek. And I think that it’s because of that moment that Owen goes in for that kiss with Cristina… Owen doesn’t want to lose his ability to connect with other people. But, obviously, he’s having some difficulty connecting gracefully – that kiss isn’t soft or romantic.

It’s a little desperate - at least at first.

Follow the link for the full writers' blog entry ...

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