Damage Case (episode)
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The second season of the American television
medical drama A medical drama is a television show or film in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment. Most recent medical drama (film and television), dramatic programming go beyond the events pertaining to the chara ...
''
Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into se ...
'' commenced airing on the
American Broadcasting Company The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American commercial broadcast television network. It is the flagship property of the ABC Entertainment Group division of The Walt Disney Company. The network is headquartered in Burbank, Cali ...
(ABC) on September 25, 2005, and concluded on May 15, 2006. The season was produced by
Touchstone Television The second incarnation of Touchstone Television (formerly known as Fox 21 Television Studios) was an American television production company that is a subsidiary of Disney Media Networks' Walt Disney Television owned by The Walt Disney Company. It ...
, in association with Shondaland production company and
The Mark Gordon Company The Mark Gordon Company (formerly The Meledandri/Gordon Company) is an American production company owned by Mark Gordon. It is notable for their output, including feature films, like ''Speed'', many of Roland Emmerich's films Gordon produced like ...
, the
showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also th ...
being
Shonda Rhimes Shonda Lynn Rhimes (born January 13, 1970) is an American television screenwriter, producer, and author. She is best known as the showrunner—creator, head writer, and executive producer—of the television medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'', it ...
. Actors
Ellen Pompeo Ellen Kathleen Pompeo (; born November 10, 1969) is an American actress. She is best known for her role on ''Grey's Anatomy'' as the titular Dr. Meredith Grey. One of the world's highest-paid actors since 2017, she has made multiple appearances ...
,
Sandra Oh Sandra Miju Oh (born July 20, 1971) is a Canadian–American actress. She is best known for her starring roles as Rita Wu on the HBO comedy '' Arliss'' (1996–2002), Dr. Cristina Yang on the ABC medical drama series ''Grey's Anatomy'' (2005 ...
,
Katherine Heigl Katherine Marie Heigl ( ; born November 24, 1978) is an American actress and former fashion model. She played Dr. Izzie Stevens on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'' from 2005 to 2010, a role tha ...
,
Justin Chambers Justin Willman Chambers (born July 11, 1970) is an American actor and former model. He is best known for his role as Dr. Alex Karev in the ABC television drama ''Grey's Anatomy'' from 2005 to 2020. Born in Ohio, he went to Southeastern High S ...
, and
T. R. Knight Theodore Raymond Knight (born March 26, 1973) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Dr. George O'Malley on the ABC medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'' (2005–2009, 2020), which earned him a nomination for the P ...
reprised their roles as
surgical Surgery ''cheirourgikē'' (composed of χείρ, "hand", and ἔργον, "work"), via la, chirurgiae, meaning "hand work". is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a person to investigate or treat a pat ...
interns
Meredith Grey Meredith Grey, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a fictional and titular character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', which airs on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States. The character was created by series pro ...
,
Cristina Yang Cristina Yang, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.S. is a fictional character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', which has aired for over 16 years on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States. The character was crea ...
,
Izzie Stevens Isobel Katherine Stevens, M.D. is a fictional character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', which airs on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States. The character was created by series producer Shonda ...
,
Alex Karev Alexander Michael Karev, (né Evans), M.D., F.A.C.S is a fictional character on the ABC television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', portrayed by actor Justin Chambers. Introduced as a surgical intern at the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital, Karev eve ...
, and
George O'Malley George O'Malley, M.D. is a fictional character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', which airs on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States. The character was created by series producer Shonda Rhimes, a ...
respectively. Previous main cast members
Chandra Wilson Chandra Danette Wilson (born August 27, 1969) is an American actress and director. She is best known for her role as Dr. Miranda Bailey in the ABC television drama ''Grey's Anatomy'' since 2005, for which she has been nominated for the Emmy ...
, James Pickens, Jr.,
Isaiah Washington Isaiah Washington IV is an American actor and media personality. Following a series of film appearances, he came to prominence for portraying Dr. Preston Burke in the first three seasons of the series ''Grey's Anatomy'' from 2005 to 2007. Wash ...
and
Patrick Dempsey Patrick Galen Dempsey (born January 13, 1966) is an American actor and race car driver. He is best known for his role as neurosurgeon Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd in ''Grey's Anatomy''. He had early success as an actor, starring in a number of fil ...
also returned, while Kate Walsh, who began the season in a recurring capacity, was promoted to series-regular status, after appearing in 7 episodes as a guest-star. The season continued to focus on the surgical
residency Residency may refer to: * Domicile (law), the act of establishing or maintaining a residence in a given place ** Permanent residency, indefinite residence within a country despite not having citizenship * Residency (medicine), a stage of postgrad ...
of five young
interns An internship is a period of work experience offered by an organization for a limited period of time. Once confined to medical graduates, internship is used practice for a wide range of placements in businesses, non-profit organizations and gover ...
as they try to balance the challenges of their competitive careers with the difficulties that determine their personal lives. It was set in the fictional
Seattle Grace Hospital ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into se ...
, located in the city of
Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
. Whereas the first season put the emphasis mainly on the unexpected impact the surgical field has on the main characters, the second season provides a detailed perspective on the personal background of each character, focusing on the consequences that their decisions have on their careers. Throughout the season, new storylines were introduced, including the
love-triangle A love triangle or eternal triangle is a scenario or circumstance, usually depicted as a rivalry, in which two people are pursuing or involved in a romantic relationship with one person, or in which one person in a romantic relationship with so ...
between
Meredith Grey Meredith Grey, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a fictional and titular character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', which airs on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States. The character was created by series pro ...
,
Derek Shepherd Derek Christopher Shepherd, M.D., F.A.C.S., also referred to as "McDreamy", is a fictional surgeon from the ABC medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'', portrayed by actor Patrick Dempsey. He made his first appearance in the pilot episode, " A Hard Day ...
, and
Addison Montgomery Addison Adrianne Forbes Montgomery, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.C.O.G is a fictional character who appears as a supporting main character on the ABC television series ''Grey's Anatomy,'' and as the protagonist of its spin-off ''Private Practice'' playe ...
, this being the main arc of the season. Also heavily developed was the storyline involving Izzie Stevens' relationship with patient Denny Duquette, which resulted in high critical acclaim and positive fan response. The season kept its original airtime from the previous season, taking over ''
Boston Legal ''Boston Legal'' is an American legal drama and comedy drama television series created by former lawyer and Boston native David E. Kelley, produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for ABC. The series aired from October 3, 2004, t ...
'' time slot at 10:00 pm on Sundays, while airing as a lead-out to the already-successful ABC series, ''
Desperate Housewives ''Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama soap opera television series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Marc Cherry, Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from Octobe ...
''. It contained 27 episodes, out of which 4 were originally produced for the first season. In addition to the regular episodes, 2
clip show A clip show is an episode of a television series that consists primarily of excerpts from previous episodes. Most clip shows feature the format of a frame story in which cast members recall past events from past installments of the show, depicte ...
s recapped previous events of the show, both narrated by
Steven W. Bailey Steven W. Bailey (born July 1, 1971) is an American actor. Bailey is best known for taking on the character of Steve Williams in the TV show ''My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance'' in 2004, and for playing the recurring character of Joe, a bartender ...
in his recently introduced role as Joe the Bartender. " Straight to Heart" aired 1 week before the winter-holiday hiatus ended, recapping the most memorable events of the first season and the first-half of the second. "
Under Pressure "Under Pressure" is a song by the British rock band Queen and singer David Bowie. Originally released as a single in October 1981, it was later included on Queen's 1982 album ''Hot Space''. The song reached number one on the UK Singles Chart, ...
" aired before the twenty-third episode. The season finale was conceived as a 3-part story-arc, the first of this kind in the series, and was scheduled to air on 2 consecutive nights. The show ended its second season with 21.07 million total viewers and a 6.9 ratings share in the 18–49 demographic. The season opened to high critical acclaim, as most agreed on a significant improvement in storylines. The season saw numerous cast and crew members receive awards and nominations at ceremonies like the
58th Primetime Emmy Awards The 58th Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, August 27, 2006, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on NBC at 8:00 p.m. ET (00:00 UTC) with Conan O'Brien hosting the show. The ceremony attracted 16.2 million viewers, 2. ...
and the 64th Golden Globe Awards. Katherine Heigl and Chandra Wilson were the cast members with the most nominations for their portrayals of
Izzie Stevens Isobel Katherine Stevens, M.D. is a fictional character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', which airs on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States. The character was created by series producer Shonda ...
and
Miranda Bailey Miranda Bailey, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a fictional character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy''. The character was created by series creator and producer Shonda Rhimes, and has been portrayed by actress Chandra Wilson since the ...
, respectively. The series was chosen in the top 10 for several 2006 "best of television" lists, including ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'', ''
San Jose Mercury News ''The Mercury News'' (formerly ''San Jose Mercury News'', often locally known as ''The Merc'') is a morning daily newspaper published in San Jose, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is published by the Bay Area News Group, a subsidiar ...
'', ''
TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...
'', and ''
Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by parent company, '' Tribune P ...
''.


Episodes

Each episode of this season is named after a song.


Cast and characters


Main

*
Ellen Pompeo Ellen Kathleen Pompeo (; born November 10, 1969) is an American actress. She is best known for her role on ''Grey's Anatomy'' as the titular Dr. Meredith Grey. One of the world's highest-paid actors since 2017, she has made multiple appearances ...
as Dr.
Meredith Grey Meredith Grey, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a fictional and titular character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', which airs on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States. The character was created by series pro ...
*
Sandra Oh Sandra Miju Oh (born July 20, 1971) is a Canadian–American actress. She is best known for her starring roles as Rita Wu on the HBO comedy '' Arliss'' (1996–2002), Dr. Cristina Yang on the ABC medical drama series ''Grey's Anatomy'' (2005 ...
as Dr.
Cristina Yang Cristina Yang, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.S. is a fictional character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', which has aired for over 16 years on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States. The character was crea ...
*
Katherine Heigl Katherine Marie Heigl ( ; born November 24, 1978) is an American actress and former fashion model. She played Dr. Izzie Stevens on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'' from 2005 to 2010, a role tha ...
as Dr.
Izzie Stevens Isobel Katherine Stevens, M.D. is a fictional character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', which airs on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States. The character was created by series producer Shonda ...
*
Justin Chambers Justin Willman Chambers (born July 11, 1970) is an American actor and former model. He is best known for his role as Dr. Alex Karev in the ABC television drama ''Grey's Anatomy'' from 2005 to 2020. Born in Ohio, he went to Southeastern High S ...
as Dr.
Alex Karev Alexander Michael Karev, (né Evans), M.D., F.A.C.S is a fictional character on the ABC television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', portrayed by actor Justin Chambers. Introduced as a surgical intern at the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital, Karev eve ...
*
T. R. Knight Theodore Raymond Knight (born March 26, 1973) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Dr. George O'Malley on the ABC medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'' (2005–2009, 2020), which earned him a nomination for the P ...
as Dr.
George O'Malley George O'Malley, M.D. is a fictional character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', which airs on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States. The character was created by series producer Shonda Rhimes, a ...
*
Chandra Wilson Chandra Danette Wilson (born August 27, 1969) is an American actress and director. She is best known for her role as Dr. Miranda Bailey in the ABC television drama ''Grey's Anatomy'' since 2005, for which she has been nominated for the Emmy ...
as Dr.
Miranda Bailey Miranda Bailey, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a fictional character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy''. The character was created by series creator and producer Shonda Rhimes, and has been portrayed by actress Chandra Wilson since the ...
*
James Pickens Jr. James Pickens Jr. (born October 26, 1954) is an American actor. He is best known for his starring role as Dr. Richard Webber on the ABC medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', and for his supporting role as Deputy Director Alvin Kers ...
as Dr.
Richard Webber Richard Webber, M.D., F.A.C.S is a fictional character from the ABC medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy''. The character was created by Shonda Rhimes and is portrayed by actor James Pickens Jr. since the start of the show in 2005. ...
* Kate Walsh as Dr. Addison Montgomery-Shepherd *
Isaiah Washington Isaiah Washington IV is an American actor and media personality. Following a series of film appearances, he came to prominence for portraying Dr. Preston Burke in the first three seasons of the series ''Grey's Anatomy'' from 2005 to 2007. Wash ...
as Dr.
Preston Burke Preston Xavier Burke, M.D., F.A.C.S is a fictional character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', which airs on ABC in the United States. The character was created by series producer Shonda Rhimes, and was portrayed by ...
*
Patrick Dempsey Patrick Galen Dempsey (born January 13, 1966) is an American actor and race car driver. He is best known for his role as neurosurgeon Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd in ''Grey's Anatomy''. He had early success as an actor, starring in a number of fil ...
as Dr.
Derek Shepherd Derek Christopher Shepherd, M.D., F.A.C.S., also referred to as "McDreamy", is a fictional surgeon from the ABC medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'', portrayed by actor Patrick Dempsey. He made his first appearance in the pilot episode, " A Hard Day ...


Recurring

*
Sara Ramirez Sara Elena Ramírez (; born August 31, 1975) is a Mexican-American actor and singer. Born in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Ramírez moved to the United States at eight years old, eventually graduating with a fine arts degree from the Juilliard School. R ...
as Dr.
Callie Torres Calliope Iphegenia Torres, M.D. is a fictional character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', which airs on the ABC in the United States. The character was created by series' producer Shonda Rhimes, and is portrayed by ...
* Brooke Smith as Dr.
Erica Hahn Erica Hahn, M.D., F.A.C.S is a fictional character from the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', portrayed by actress Brooke Smith. Hahn was a recurring character through the show's second and ...
* Kate Burton as Ellis Grey *
Steven W. Bailey Steven W. Bailey (born July 1, 1971) is an American actor. Bailey is best known for taking on the character of Steve Williams in the TV show ''My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance'' in 2004, and for playing the recurring character of Joe, a bartender ...
as Joe, the Bartender *
Chris O'Donnell Christopher Eugene O'Donnell (born June 26, 1970) is an American actor and former model. He played Charlie Sims in '' Scent of a Woman'', Chris Reece in ''School Ties'', D'Artagnan in ''The Three Musketeers'', Jack Foley in the drama film '' C ...
as Finn Dandridge *
Loretta Devine Loretta Devine (born August 21, 1949) is an American actress, singer and voice actor. She is known for numerous roles across stage and screen. Her most high profile roles include Lorrell Robinson in the original Broadway production of ''Dreamgir ...
as Adele Webber *
Jeffrey Dean Morgan Jeffrey Dean Morgan (born April 22, 1966) is an American actor of television and film, best known for playing the character Negan in the AMC horror drama series '' The Walking Dead'' (2016–2022), for which he has received critical acclaim. He ...
as Denny Duquette


Notable guests

*
Eric Dane Eric William Dane (born November 9, 1972) is an American actor. After multiple television roles in the 1990s and 2000s, which included his recurring role as Jason Dean in ''Charmed'', Dane was cast as Dr. Mark Sloan on the ABC medical drama tel ...
as Dr. Mark Sloan *
Sarah Utterback Sarah Utterback is an American actress, most notable for her role as Nurse Olivia Harper on ABC's medical drama series ''Grey's Anatomy''. She is also a film and theater producer. Life Utterback attended New Hampton High School in New Hampton, ...
as Olivia Harper *
Kali Rocha Kali Michele Rocha (born December 5, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for portraying Karen Rooney, the mother of four Rooney children and school's vice principal, in the Disney Channel sitcom '' Liv and Maddie''. She has also co-written ...
as Sydney Heron *
Tsai Chin Tsai Chin may refer to: * Tsai Chin (actress) (born 1933), actress from Shanghai, also known as Irene Chow * Tsai Chin (singer) (born 1957), Taiwanese singer {{Hndis ...
as Helen Yang * Jeff Perry as Thatcher Grey *
Mare Winningham A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four y ...
as Susan Grey *
Laurie Metcalf Laura Elizabeth Metcalf (born June 16, 1955) is an American actress. Often described as a character actor, she's known for her complex and versitile roles across the stage and screen. She has received various accolades throughout her career sp ...
as Beatrice Carver *
Jillian Armenante Jillian Armenante is an American television and film actress, known for playing the role of Donna Kozlowski on the TV show '' Judging Amy''. Life and career Armenante was born in Paterson, New Jersey, and grew up in Wyckoff, New Jersey. Her ...
as Mindy Carlson *
Brian Kerwin Brian Kerwin (born October 25, 1949) is an American actor who has starred in feature films, on Broadway, and television series and movies. Life Kerwin was born in Chicago and raised in Flossmoor, Illinois. He has three siblings: Anne, Dennis, an ...
as Holden McKee *
Jesse Plemons Jesse Plemons (; born April 2, 1988) is an American actor. He began his career as a child actor and achieved a career breakthrough with his major role as Landry Clarke in the NBC drama series '' Friday Night Lights'' (2006–2011). He subseque ...
as Jake Burton *
Tessa Thompson Tessa Lynne Thompson (born October 3, 1983) is an American actress. She began her professional acting career with the Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company while studying at Santa Monica College. She appeared in productions of '' The Tempest ...
as Camille Travis *
Monica Keena Monica Keena (born May 28, 1979) is an American actress. She made her film debut in '' While You Were Sleeping'' (1995), and a lead role as Lilliana "Lilli" Hoffman in '' Snow White: A Tale of Terror'' (1997). She later starred as Lori Campbe ...
as Bonnie Crasnoff *
Kym Whitley Kym Elizabeth Whitley is an American comedian and actress. She is best known for her roles on television sitcoms, such as ''My Brother and Me'', '' Sparks'', ''Animal Practice'', ''The Boondocks'', ''Young & Hungry'', ''The Parkers'', ...
as Yvonne *
Katherine LaNasa Katherine LaNasa (born December 1, 1966) is an American actress, former ballet dancer and choreographer. She starred in films ''Jayne Mansfield's Car'', '' The Campaign'', and ''The Frozen Ground''. On television, LaNasa had a leading role in the ...
as Vera Kalpana *
Cress Williams Cress Williams (born July 26, 1970) is an American actor, known for his roles in ''Prison Break'' and '' Close to Home''. His most recent roles include Mayor Lavon Hayes on The CW series ''Hart of Dixie'' and the title character on The CW's ''Bla ...
as Tucker Jones *
Anjul Nigam Anjul Nigam (born December 15, 1965) is an Indian-born American actor, producer, and writer. Early life and education Nigam was born in Kanpur, India. He is a graduate of Cheshire High School in Cheshire, Connecticut and the New York Universi ...
as Dr. Raj Sen *
Robin Pearson Rose Robin Pearson Rose is an American film and television actress. Filmography Film Television References External links * * Robin Pearson Rose
- Geffen Playhouse American film actresses Year of birth missing (living people) L ...
as Patricia Murphy *
George Dzundza George Dzundza ( ; born July 19, 1945) is an American television and film actor. Early life and education Dzundza was born in Rosenheim, Germany, to a Ukrainian-Jewish father, Roman Dzundza, originally from Kalush, Ukraine, and a Polish-Jewish m ...
as Harold O'Malley *
Tim Griffin John Timothy Griffin (born August 21, 1968) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 20th lieutenant governor of Arkansas since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he previously was the United States Attorney for the Eastern Dist ...
as Ronny O'Malley *
Greg Pitts Greg Luke Pitts (born January 21, 1970) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Drew in the film ''Office Space''. Career He has taken bit roles in films and television series, including ''Grey's Anatomy'' and ''Sons & Daughters ( ...
as Jerry O'Malley *
Mary Kay Place Mary Kay Place (born September 23, 1947) is an American actress, singer, director, and screenwriter. She is known for portraying Loretta Haggers on the television series ''Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman'', a role that won her the 1977 Primetime Emmy ...
as Olive Warner *
Christina Ricci Christina Ricci ( ; born February 12, 1980) is an American actress. Known for playing unusual characters with a dark edge, Ricci predominantly works in independent productions, but has also appeared in numerous box office hits. She has receiv ...
as Hannah Davies *
John Cho John Cho (born Cho Yo-Han; June 16, 1972) is an American actor known for his roles as Harold Lee in the ''Harold & Kumar'' films, and Hikaru Sulu in the ''Star Trek'' rebooted film series. Early in his career, Cho also starred in the Asian Ame ...
as Marshall Stone * Mandy Siegfried as Molly Grey *
Kyle Chandler Kyle Martin Chandler (born September 17, 1965) is an American actor. Making his screen acting debut in a 1988 television film, '' Quiet Victory: The Charlie Wedemeyer Story'', Chandler's first regular television role was in the ABC drama '' Hom ...
as Dylan Young


Production


Crew

The season was produced by
Touchstone Television The second incarnation of Touchstone Television (formerly known as Fox 21 Television Studios) was an American television production company that is a subsidiary of Disney Media Networks' Walt Disney Television owned by The Walt Disney Company. It ...
, currently
ABC Studios ABC Signature is an American television Filmmaking#Production, production studio that is a subsidiary of Disney Television Studios, a division of Walt Disney Television, which is part of the List of assets owned by The Walt Disney Company#Disne ...
, in association with ShondaLand Production Company and
The Mark Gordon Company The Mark Gordon Company (formerly The Meledandri/Gordon Company) is an American production company owned by Mark Gordon. It is notable for their output, including feature films, like ''Speed'', many of Roland Emmerich's films Gordon produced like ...
. Shonda Rhimes returned as the series' showrunner and executive producer. She also continued her position from the first 2 seasons as one of the most prominent members of the writing staff.
Betsy Beers Betsy Beers (born 1957) is an American television and film producer whose credits include ShondaLand's ''Grey's Anatomy,'' ''Scandal,'' ''Private Practice'', ''How to Get Away with Murder'', ''The Catch'', ''Station 19'', '' For the People'', and ...
,
Mark Gordon Mark Gordon (born March 14, 1957) is an American politician who has served as the 33rd governor of Wyoming since January 7, 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as state treasurer; then-governor Matt Mead appointed him ...
,
Mark Wilding Mark Wilding is an American television producer and screenwriter. He was nominated for two Emmys for his work as executive producer on the series ''Grey's Anatomy'', and won a Writers Guild of America Award for Best New Series as a writer on the ...
, and
Rob Corn Robert L. Corn is an American television producer and director. Corn has produced 61 out of 62 episodes of medical drama series ''Grey's Anatomy'', of which he has also directed thirty. Previously, he was also a producer and director of several ...
returned as executive producers, along with
James D. Parriott James D. Parriott (born November 14, 1950, in Denver, Colorado) is an American writer, director, and producer, with his own self named production company. Career He created the series: '' Voyagers!'', '' Misfits of Science'', ''Forever Knight'', ...
,
Peter Horton Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...
, and
Krista Vernoff Krista Vernoff (born October 25, 1971) is an American television screenwriter, executive producer and director. She is best known for running the television medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'' (2007–11, 2017–present) and its spin-off ''Station 1 ...
, who have been in this position since the inception of the series. Parriott, who also served as an episodic writer, left the series at the conclusion of the season.
Joan Rater Joan Rater is an American television producer and screenwriter. Her most notable work has been for the medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'', for which she has served as writer, producer and supervising producer for over fifty separate episodes. She is ...
and
Tony Phelan Tony Phelan is an American television screenwriter, producer and director. He is married to television producer and screenwriter Joan Rater. Phelan is best known for his work on ABC's ''Grey's Anatomy'', for which he has been nominated for two Emmy ...
continued to serve as co-executive producers, with Rater being a supervising producer as well. Stacy McKee, who would be promoted to co-executive producer for the third season, returned to the series as a producer and a member of the writing staff. Having written 3 episodes for the first season, Rhimes returned as a writer for 5 episodes. Parriott, Vernoff, Phelan, Rater, Wilding and
Mimi Schmir Mimi Schmir is an American television producer and screenwriter. Her most notable work has been for the medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'', for which she has served as producer, supervising producer and writer for over thirty episodes, and the legal ...
were the most prominent members of the writing staff, with Parriott, Phelan, Rater, Wilding, Clack writing 2 episodes and Schmir producing the script for 3.
Gabrielle Stanton Gabrielle Gail Stanton (born in South Orange, New Jersey) is an American television writer and producer. She is known for her work on the ABC series ''Grey's Anatomy'' and ''Ugly Betty'', for The CWs ''The Flash'', and for Syfys Stephen King adap ...
and
Harry Werksman, Jr. Harry M. Werksman Jr. is an American television screenwriter and producer. Biography Harry Werksman was born Pittsburgh and grew up in Palm Springs before leaving to attend St. George's School in Newport, Rhode Island. He then attended Northwest ...
worked together for the writing of 2 episodes, after having written 1 episode for the series in the past. The season includes the first episode to be written by
Zoanne Clack Zoanne Clack (born July 14, 1968), also known as Zoanne Arnette, is an American television producer, writer, story editor, actress, and medical doctor/consultant. Clack's most notable work has been on the medical drama series ''Grey's Anatomy'', in ...
, who would become one of the series' main writers, as well as a co-producer and executive story editor. Other writers include
Kip Koenig Kip Koenig is an American film and television producer and screenwriter. Koenig's most notable work has been on medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'', for which he has served as supervising producer and consulting producer for dozens of episodes, and h ...
, Blythe Robe and Elizabeth Klaviter. Executive producer Peter Horton returned to the series to direct 5 episodes for the season, after writing 2 episodes in the second season.
Rob Corn Robert L. Corn is an American television producer and director. Corn has produced 61 out of 62 episodes of medical drama series ''Grey's Anatomy'', of which he has also directed thirty. Previously, he was also a producer and director of several ...
directed 2 episodes, whereas Adam Davidson is credited for writing 3 episodes, his last ones in the series. Among the other directors are
Wendey Stanzler Wendey Stanzler is an American film editor and television director. She was co-editor and associate producer of Michael Moore's documentary ''Roger & Me'', in 1989. She also co-edited Moore's only fiction film, ''Canadian Bacon'' (1993). Stanzle ...
,
Mark Tinker Mark Tinker (born January 16, 1951) is an American television producer and director. Tinker was an executive producer and regular director on the HBO series '' Deadwood''. Prior to ''Deadwood'', Tinker served as a director/producer on ''NYPD Blue' ...
,
Jeff Melman Jeffrey L. Melman (born May 18, 1947) is an American television director and producer. Melman has directed for several present-day network television series. More recently Melman has directed episodes of ABC's ''Grey's Anatomy'', ''Private Pract ...
,
Jessica Yu Jessica Lingmin Yu (born February 14, 1966) is an American film director, writer, producer, and editor. She has directed documentary films, dramatic films, and television shows. Yu won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject in ...
,
Lesli Linka Glatter Lesli Linka Glatter (born July 26, 1953) is an American film and television director. She is best known for her work on the AMC drama series ''Mad Men'' and the Showtime series ''Homeland'', for which she's received eight Primetime Emmy Award nomi ...
,
Michael Dinner Michael Dinner (born May 20, 1953) is an American director, producer, and screenwriter for television. Biography Prior to his TV career, Dinner was a singer-songwriter and recording artist for Fantasy Records, where he released two albums, ''The ...
, Dan Minahan,
David Paymer David Emmanuel Paymer (born August 30, 1954) is an American actor, comedian, and television director. He has been in films such as ''Mr. Saturday Night'', ''Quiz Show'', ''Searching for Bobby Fischer'', ''City Slickers'', ''Crazy People'', ''St ...
,
Julie Anne Robinson Julie Anne Robinson is a British theatre, television, film director and producer based in the United States and United Kingdom. She is known for her work on ''The Catch (TV series), The Catch,'' which she developed and executive produced with Sh ...
,
Tricia Brock Patricia Elaine "Tricia" Baumhardt (née Brock; born July 7, 1979) is an American contemporary Christian singer-songwriter raised in Dillsboro, Indiana. She is best known as the lead vocalist of the American Christian rock band Superchick. In 2 ...
, and
Seith Mann Seith Mann (born 1973)"March 14, 2007...At 33, the D.C. native is one of the youngest African Americans directing television dramas" is an American film and television director. He directed ''Five Deep Breaths'' and has gone on to direct for ''The ...
.
Danny Lux Daniel Scott “Danny” Lux (born June 5, 1969) is an American composer who has contributed music for television and film productions. Film credits include '' Halloween: Resurrection'' and ''Stolen Summer'' (both in 2002). TV series credits incl ...
continued his position as the main music composer for the series, while Herbert Davis, Tim Suhrstedt and Adam Kane served as the season's
cinematography Cinematography (from ancient Greek κίνημα, ''kìnema'' "movement" and γράφειν, ''gràphein'' "to write") is the art of motion picture (and more recently, electronic video camera) photography. Cinematographers use a lens to focu ...
directors. Susan Vaill and Edward Ornelas resumed their positions as editors, joined by Briana London, who left the series after 9 episodes. Linda Lowy and John Brace, responsible for the casting since the beginning of the series, returned as casting team members. After the departure of Laurence Bennett, the production design team was taken over by Donald Lee Harris, with Amy B. Ancona and Brandee Dell'Aringa joining for 10 episodes each. The series' set decoration crew was led by Karen Bruck, whereas the costume design department was led by Linda M. Bass, who would leave the show at the conclusion of the season, following her being replaced by Mimi Melgaard. The make-up department was led by head Norman T. Leavitt, along with assistant make-up artist Brigitte Bugayong. The special make-up effects team consisted of Thomas R. Burman, Bari Dreiband-Burman and Bart Mixon. Arleen Chavez was the key hair stylist for the second season. Other makeup artists that contributed in the third season were Vincent Van Dyke, Allan Holt and Christopher Payne. The series production managers were unit production manager Carla Corwin and post-production supervisor Joy Ramos, who both depart from the series at the conclusion of the season, being replaced by unit production manager Jeff Rafner, production manager Chad Alber and production executive Tim Herbstrith. Second assistant directors since the inception of the series, Laura Petticord, Shawn Hanley and Chris Hayden returned to the series for the second season. The art department consisted of construction foreman Bob Huffman, set dressers Stacy Doran and Bruce Purcell, leadman Joseph W. Grafmuller, property master Angela M. Whiting, labor foreman Verne Hammond, art department coordinator Angela Trujillo, construction coordinator Curt Jones, set designer Yvonne Garnier-Hackl, stage foreman Tom Talley and paint foreman Alex Thompson. Joining the art department were set painter Shelley Adajian and assistant property masters Andrew Allen-King and Jeanne Bueche. However, the 3 new additions left the series after the production of the season finale, being temporarily replaced by Nicole Dome and T. Scott Elliott, who joined the team for 2 episodes. Sound editor Anthony Toretto, additional foley artist Mark McBryde, foley mixer Stacey Michaels, production sound mixer Brydon Baker III, foley artist Noel Vought, boom operator Kevin Maloney and sound re-recording mixers Todd Langer, Don Digirolamo, Pete Elia and Kurt Kassulke, the original members of the sound department, all returned for the second season. Production sound mixer Veda Campbell also returned, but departed after 4 episodes into the season, whereas assistant sound mixer Douglas J. Schulman was added to the crew for the first 10 episodes of the season. Joining the production team in the sound crew were boom operator Kevin Maloney, sound mixer Cameron Hamza, Robert Marts and Mick Davies, with both Marts and Davies leaving the show after 2 episodes. The special effects team, which was led by coordinator Jason Gustafson, consisted of make-up artists Anthony Julio, who had been part of the production crew since the beginning of the series, and special effects foreman Ken Rudell. Part of the visual effects team were computer graphic artist Richard Also, visual effects supervisor Rick Cortes and matte artist Kristin Johnson. Whereas Cortes and Johnson joined the crew close to the season finale, Also was the only member of the visual effects team to have been in the crew since the beginning of the series.


Writing and filming

The season was primarily filmed in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
,
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. Fisher Plaza, which is the headquarters building for the media company
Fisher Communications Fisher Communications was a media company in the United States. Based in Seattle, Washington, the company primarily owned a number of radio and television stations in the Western United States. It was the last company in the Seattle area to own ...
and Fisher's
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
affiliated Komo radio and television stations for Seattle, is used for some exterior shots of Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital, such as
air ambulance Air medical services is a comprehensive term covering the use of air transportation, aeroplane or helicopter, to move patients to and from healthcare facilities and accident scenes. Personnel provide comprehensive prehospital and emergency and cri ...
s landing on the Komo Television newscopter's
helipad A helipad is a landing area or platform for helicopters and powered lift aircraft. While helicopters and powered lift aircraft are able to operate on a variety of relatively flat surfaces, a fabricated helipad provides a clearly marked hard s ...
. This puts Seattle Grace conveniently close to the
Space Needle The Space Needle is an observation tower in Seattle, Washington, United States. Considered to be an icon of the city, it has been designated a Seattle landmark. Located in the Lower Queen Anne neighborhood, it was built in the Seattle Center f ...
, which is directly across the street from Fisher Plaza, the
Seattle Monorail The Seattle Center Monorail is an elevated straddle-beam monorail line in Seattle, Washington, United States. The monorail runs along 5th Avenue between Seattle Center and Westlake Center in Downtown Seattle, making no intermediate stops. ...
, and other local landmarks. However, the hospital used for most other exterior and many interior shots is not in Seattle, are shot at the VA Sepulveda Ambulatory Care Center in North Hills,
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. Most scenes are primarily taped in
Los Feliz, Los Angeles Los Feliz (, ; Spanish for "The Feliz amily, ) is a hillside neighborhood in the greater Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, abutting Hollywood and encompassing part of the Santa Monica Mountains. The neighborhood is named after the Feli ...
, at the Prospect Studios, and the set occupies two stages, including the hospital pieces, but some outside scenes are shot at the Warren G. Magnuson Park in Seattle. Several props used are genuine medical supplies, including the
MRI machine Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to form pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes of the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and radio waves ...
. Prior to being cast,
Sara Ramirez Sara Elena Ramírez (; born August 31, 1975) is a Mexican-American actor and singer. Born in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Ramírez moved to the United States at eight years old, eventually graduating with a fine arts degree from the Juilliard School. R ...
was seen by ABC executives, in her
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
performance of ''
Spamalot ''Spamalot'' (also known as ''Monty Python's Spamalot'') is a musical comedy with music by John Du Prez and Eric Idle, and lyrics and book by Idle. It is adapted from the 1975 film ''Monty Python and the Holy Grail''. Like the motion picture ...
'', which garnered their attention. Due to their admiration, the network offered Ramirez a role on any ABC television series, of her choice, which ultimately led in her choosing ''Grey's Anatomy''. Ramirez further explained that at her initial audition, the producers liked her, and had intentions to add her to the show, but did not know whom to cast her as. She also said she was in awe of how the executives said, "Pick a show, any show!", a statement she deemed rare. Ramirez's character was given recurring status in the second season, having been conceived as a love-interest for George O'Malley. At Torres' initial appearance on the show, she was disliked by fans, due to her getting in the way of O'Malley and Grey's relationship. When asked of this, Ramirez said: "You do run across a lot of people who are extremely invested in that storyline. Obviously, I've heard some negative stuff." Discussing Izzie Stevens' relationship with Alex Karev, Katherine Heigl described her character as naive enough to believe she can save him, assessing that: "Even when Alex was a complete dirtbag to her, she forgave him and gave him another chance. And he really screwed her over." Writer Stacy McKee described Izzie's moving on from Alex to patient
Denny Duquette ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into se ...
as "
karma Karma (; sa, कर्म}, ; pi, kamma, italic=yes) in Sanskrit means an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptivel ...
", as Alex previously treated Izzie badly, yet as he begins to realize his true feelings, he is forced to watch her embark on a romance with Denny, regarded by her as "undeniably handsome and totally charming." Series writer Blythe Robe commented on Izzie and Denny: "I love the way Izzie lights up when she’s around him. I love their relationship because it's so pure and honest and completely game-free." Writer Elizabeth Klaviter noted at this time the way Izzie "seems to be sacrificing her reputation because of her feelings for Denny." When Izzie deliberately worsened Denny's condition to move him up the transplant list, series writer
Mark Wilding Mark Wilding is an American television producer and screenwriter. He was nominated for two Emmys for his work as executive producer on the series ''Grey's Anatomy'', and won a Writers Guild of America Award for Best New Series as a writer on the ...
questioned the morality of the actions, asking: "Is Izzie bad for doing it? Is she tremendously irresponsible? She cut the wire for love so does that make her action understandable?" Series creator Shonda Rhimes discussed costuming choices in the scene which saw the interns gather around Denny's deathbed, explaining: "Meredith and Cristina and Alex and George and Callie are all dressed, not for a prom, but for a funeral. Everyone in dark colors, everyone dressed somberly. As if they were in mourning. Only Izzie is in happy pink. Only Izzie looks like she didn't know this was coming." Peter Horton, expressed that his plan of developing
Chandra Wilson Chandra Danette Wilson (born August 27, 1969) is an American actress and director. She is best known for her role as Dr. Miranda Bailey in the ABC television drama ''Grey's Anatomy'' since 2005, for which she has been nominated for the Emmy ...
's character, Miranda Bailey, was to focus on the similarities between her and the actress, noting that "there's not a mean bone in her body, but she's solid and steady, like a rock." Wilson herself noted a significant evolution in her character's personality, noting a transition from the cold attitude that was characteristic to her in the past, to a maternal outlook on her interns. She also noted a number of similarities between her and her character, describing how considers
Miranda Bailey Miranda Bailey, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a fictional character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy''. The character was created by series creator and producer Shonda Rhimes, and has been portrayed by actress Chandra Wilson since the ...
an alter-ego of hers, rather than someone living inside her. Wilson also assessed that being a real-life human is what makes Bailey an appreciated character: "She gets to be flawed, she gets to be tired, she can be cranky, she can be grumpy." Showrunner Shonda Rhimes explained that the idea of Miranda Bailey having a child was developed after Chandra Wilson had already been pregnant for 6 months. Cast member Kate Walsh deemed Wilson's portrayal of her character "sweet and wonderful", naming her a professional: "She makes you be a better actor, just by being there." She also described her performance during her character's labor as "heart-breaking, tender, powerful and wonderful", noting how she managed to transform the strong character into "a weak woman, struggling to fight the unusual situation." Fellow cast member James Pickens, Jr. described Wilson's portrayal of Miranda Bailey as "a breath of fresh air, literally and figuratively", also noting how the force she delivers is mainly due to the start of her career being in theater. Horton also described the production process of the 2-part story arc, which he stated to have been planning since the beginning of the series. He stated that the plot of the episodes had to "fill the demands of the
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
", which was scheduled to air in the same night: "We really wanted something different and Shonda himescame up with the idea of this bomb, that we found simply outstanding!" Visual effects supervisor Scott Milnex noted how "breaking down the story boards was really the key to getting all the departments to work together." He also assessed that the necessity to use
Primacord Primacord is a brand of detonating cord used in blasting. The registered trademark Primacord was originally owned by the Ensign-Bickford Company; Ensign-Bickford sold the trademark to Dyno Nobel in 2003, who manufacture it in their Graham, Kentuc ...
, an element they had been trying to avoid, for the explosion scene proved excessively dangerous, and was ultimately replaced with wood and clothing material. He described the filming process by emphasizing the transition from
mannequin A mannequin (also called a dummy, lay figure, or dress form) is a doll, often articulated, used by artists, tailors, dressmakers, window dressers and others, especially to display or fit clothing and show off different fabrics and textiles. Pr ...
to the real actor: "When we filmed it, there was a moment, a fraction of a second, when we changed the body with the actor."


Casting

The second season had 10 roles receiving star billing, out of whom 9 were returning from the first season. All the actors who appear as series-regulars portray physicians from the fictional
Seattle Grace Hospital ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into se ...
, specialized in
surgery Surgery ''cheirourgikē'' (composed of χείρ, "hand", and ἔργον, "work"), via la, chirurgiae, meaning "hand work". is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a person to investigate or treat a pat ...
.
Ellen Pompeo Ellen Kathleen Pompeo (; born November 10, 1969) is an American actress. She is best known for her role on ''Grey's Anatomy'' as the titular Dr. Meredith Grey. One of the world's highest-paid actors since 2017, she has made multiple appearances ...
acted as
Meredith Grey Meredith Grey, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a fictional and titular character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', which airs on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States. The character was created by series pro ...
, the
protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
and the
narrator Narration is the use of a written or spoken commentary to convey a story to an audience. Narration is conveyed by a narrator: a specific person, or unspecified literary voice, developed by the creator of the story to deliver information to the a ...
of the series, a surgical
intern An internship is a period of work experience offered by an organization for a limited period of time. Once confined to medical graduates, internship is used practice for a wide range of placements in businesses, non-profit organizations and gover ...
who struggles to balance the difficulties of the competitive career she has chosen, with her troubled personal background.
Sandra Oh Sandra Miju Oh (born July 20, 1971) is a Canadian–American actress. She is best known for her starring roles as Rita Wu on the HBO comedy '' Arliss'' (1996–2002), Dr. Cristina Yang on the ABC medical drama series ''Grey's Anatomy'' (2005 ...
portrayed highly competitive intern
Cristina Yang Cristina Yang, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.S. is a fictional character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', which has aired for over 16 years on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States. The character was crea ...
, who suffers a
miscarriage Miscarriage, also known in medical terms as a spontaneous abortion and pregnancy loss, is the death of an embryo or fetus before it is able to survive independently. Miscarriage before 6 weeks of gestation is defined by ESHRE as biochemical lo ...
just as she starts accepting her upcoming motherhood.
Katherine Heigl Katherine Marie Heigl ( ; born November 24, 1978) is an American actress and former fashion model. She played Dr. Izzie Stevens on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'' from 2005 to 2010, a role tha ...
played intern
Izzie Stevens Isobel Katherine Stevens, M.D. is a fictional character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', which airs on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States. The character was created by series producer Shonda ...
, in a continuous struggle to be looked upon as a doctor, not the model she used to be.
Justin Chambers Justin Willman Chambers (born July 11, 1970) is an American actor and former model. He is best known for his role as Dr. Alex Karev in the ABC television drama ''Grey's Anatomy'' from 2005 to 2020. Born in Ohio, he went to Southeastern High S ...
acted as
Alex Karev Alexander Michael Karev, (né Evans), M.D., F.A.C.S is a fictional character on the ABC television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', portrayed by actor Justin Chambers. Introduced as a surgical intern at the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital, Karev eve ...
, who begins to develop an emotional side of his personality, after being introduced as arrogant and selfish.
T. R. Knight Theodore Raymond Knight (born March 26, 1973) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Dr. George O'Malley on the ABC medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'' (2005–2009, 2020), which earned him a nomination for the P ...
played the role of intern
George O'Malley George O'Malley, M.D. is a fictional character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', which airs on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States. The character was created by series producer Shonda Rhimes, a ...
, whose insecurity and lack of self-confidence evolve due to his unshared feelings for Meredith Grey.
Chandra Wilson Chandra Danette Wilson (born August 27, 1969) is an American actress and director. She is best known for her role as Dr. Miranda Bailey in the ABC television drama ''Grey's Anatomy'' since 2005, for which she has been nominated for the Emmy ...
portrayed surgical resident and brilliant
general surgeon General surgery is a surgical specialty that focuses on alimentary canal and abdominal contents including the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, appendix and bile ducts, and often the thyroid ...
Miranda Bailey Miranda Bailey, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a fictional character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy''. The character was created by series creator and producer Shonda Rhimes, and has been portrayed by actress Chandra Wilson since the ...
, the mentor of the five interns, whose rudeness and cold attitude earns her the nickname "The Nazi." James Pickens, Jr. portrayed Seattle Grace Hospital's Chief of Surgery,
Richard Webber Richard Webber, M.D., F.A.C.S is a fictional character from the ABC medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy''. The character was created by Shonda Rhimes and is portrayed by actor James Pickens Jr. since the start of the show in 2005. ...
, whose relationship with Meredith Grey's mother, which occurred 21 years ago, threatens to ruin his marriage.
Isaiah Washington Isaiah Washington IV is an American actor and media personality. Following a series of film appearances, he came to prominence for portraying Dr. Preston Burke in the first three seasons of the series ''Grey's Anatomy'' from 2005 to 2007. Wash ...
played the role of
attending physician In the United States and Canada, an attending physician (also known as a staff physician or supervising physician) is a physician (usually an M.D. or D.O.) who has completed residency and practices medicine in a clinic or hospital, in the speci ...
and
cardiothoracic surgeon Cardiothoracic surgery is the medical speciality, field of medicine involved in surgery, surgical treatment of organs inside the thoracic cavity — generally treatment of conditions of the heart (heart disease), lungs (pulmonology, lung disease) ...
Preston Burke Preston Xavier Burke, M.D., F.A.C.S is a fictional character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', which airs on ABC in the United States. The character was created by series producer Shonda Rhimes, and was portrayed by ...
, who learns that Cristina, with whom he had a sexual relationship, is pregnant with his child.
Patrick Dempsey Patrick Galen Dempsey (born January 13, 1966) is an American actor and race car driver. He is best known for his role as neurosurgeon Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd in ''Grey's Anatomy''. He had early success as an actor, starring in a number of fil ...
portrayed attending neurosurgeon
Derek Shepherd Derek Christopher Shepherd, M.D., F.A.C.S., also referred to as "McDreamy", is a fictional surgeon from the ABC medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'', portrayed by actor Patrick Dempsey. He made his first appearance in the pilot episode, " A Hard Day ...
, whose relationship with intern Meredith Grey has been the focal point of the series since its inception. Although originally conceived as a guest-star with a 5-episode story arc, Kate Walsh decided to extend her contract following positive reviews from critics and fans, resulting in her getting promoted to series-regular status. Being the first addition to the original cast from the first season, Walsh began receiving star-billing in the seventh episode of the season, portraying obstetrician-gynaecologist and world-class neonatal surgeon Addison Montgomery Shepherd, who comes in Seattle seeking reconciliation with her estranged husband, Derek Shepherd. Numerous supporting characters have been given expansive and recurring appearances in the progressive storyline.
Sara Ramirez Sara Elena Ramírez (; born August 31, 1975) is a Mexican-American actor and singer. Born in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Ramírez moved to the United States at eight years old, eventually graduating with a fine arts degree from the Juilliard School. R ...
appeared in a 9-episode arc in the season, portraying orthopedic surgical resident
Callie Torres Calliope Iphegenia Torres, M.D. is a fictional character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', which airs on the ABC in the United States. The character was created by series' producer Shonda Rhimes, and is portrayed by ...
, introduced and developed as a love-interest for the character of George O'Malley.
Steven W. Bailey Steven W. Bailey (born July 1, 1971) is an American actor. Bailey is best known for taking on the character of Steve Williams in the TV show ''My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance'' in 2004, and for playing the recurring character of Joe, a bartender ...
is introduced in the recurring role of Joe, the Bartender, often being portrayed as a confidant of the surgeons of Seattle Grace Hospital.
Chris O'Donnell Christopher Eugene O'Donnell (born June 26, 1970) is an American actor and former model. He played Charlie Sims in '' Scent of a Woman'', Chris Reece in ''School Ties'', D'Artagnan in ''The Three Musketeers'', Jack Foley in the drama film '' C ...
portrayed
veterinary physician A veterinarian (vet), also known as a veterinary surgeon or veterinary physician, is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, vet ...
Finn Dandridge, who became a love-interest for Meredith Grey. Renowned surgeon Ellis Grey, Meredith's mother, who is suffering from
Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...
, continues her recurring role from the first season, being portrayed by Kate Burton. Brooke Smith portrayed
Erica Hahn Erica Hahn, M.D., F.A.C.S is a fictional character from the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', portrayed by actress Brooke Smith. Hahn was a recurring character through the show's second and ...
, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Seattle Presbyterian Hospital, who is revealed to have been a rival of Preston Burke ever since they attended medical school together.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan Jeffrey Dean Morgan (born April 22, 1966) is an American actor of television and film, best known for playing the character Negan in the AMC horror drama series '' The Walking Dead'' (2016–2022), for which he has received critical acclaim. He ...
appears in 6 episodes throughout the season, portraying patient
Denny Duquette ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into se ...
, who begins a relationship with Izzie Stevens, but ultimately dies following an unsuccessful heart transplant surgery.
Loretta Devine Loretta Devine (born August 21, 1949) is an American actress, singer and voice actor. She is known for numerous roles across stage and screen. Her most high profile roles include Lorrell Robinson in the original Broadway production of ''Dreamgir ...
acted as Adele Webber, Richard's wife, who is revealed to have been aware of her husband's affair since its inception. Other guest-stars include
Sarah Utterback Sarah Utterback is an American actress, most notable for her role as Nurse Olivia Harper on ABC's medical drama series ''Grey's Anatomy''. She is also a film and theater producer. Life Utterback attended New Hampton High School in New Hampton, ...
in the role of nurse Olivia Harper, love-interest of both George O'Malley and Alex Karev,
Kali Rocha Kali Michele Rocha (born December 5, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for portraying Karen Rooney, the mother of four Rooney children and school's vice principal, in the Disney Channel sitcom '' Liv and Maddie''. She has also co-written ...
portraying fifth-year resident Sydney Heron, who replaces Miranda Bailey temporarily when she takes a maternity leave, Jeff Perry portraying Meredith Grey's father, Thatcher Grey,
Mare Winningham A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four y ...
in the role of Susan Grey,
Tsai Chin Tsai Chin may refer to: * Tsai Chin (actress) (born 1933), actress from Shanghai, also known as Irene Chow * Tsai Chin (singer) (born 1957), Taiwanese singer {{Hndis ...
in the role of Helen Yang Rubenstein, Cristina's mother, Mandy Siegfried portraying Molly Grey Thompson, Meredith's half-sister and
Tessa Thompson Tessa Lynne Thompson (born October 3, 1983) is an American actress. She began her professional acting career with the Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company while studying at Santa Monica College. She appeared in productions of '' The Tempest ...
portraying Camille Travis, Richard Webber's niece,
Christina Ricci Christina Ricci ( ; born February 12, 1980) is an American actress. Known for playing unusual characters with a dark edge, Ricci predominantly works in independent productions, but has also appeared in numerous box office hits. She has receiv ...
portraying
paramedic A paramedic is a registered healthcare professional who works autonomously across a range of health and care settings and may specialise in clinical practice, as well as in education, leadership, and research. Not all ambulance personnel are p ...
Hannah Davies, and
Kyle Chandler Kyle Martin Chandler (born September 17, 1965) is an American actor. Making his screen acting debut in a 1988 television film, '' Quiet Victory: The Charlie Wedemeyer Story'', Chandler's first regular television role was in the ABC drama '' Hom ...
in the role of Dylan Young, head of the
bomb squad Bomb disposal is an explosives engineering profession using the process by which hazardous explosive devices are rendered safe. ''Bomb disposal'' is an all-encompassing term to describe the separate, but interrelated functions in the militar ...
.
Eric Dane Eric William Dane (born November 9, 1972) is an American actor. After multiple television roles in the 1990s and 2000s, which included his recurring role as Jason Dean in ''Charmed'', Dane was cast as Dr. Mark Sloan on the ABC medical drama tel ...
, who would be promoted to a series-regular in the third season, appeared in the eighteenth episode, portraying
attending physician In the United States and Canada, an attending physician (also known as a staff physician or supervising physician) is a physician (usually an M.D. or D.O.) who has completed residency and practices medicine in a clinic or hospital, in the speci ...
,
otolaryngologist Otorhinolaryngology ( , abbreviated ORL and also known as otolaryngology, otolaryngology–head and neck surgery (ORL–H&N or OHNS), or ear, nose, and throat (ENT)) is a surgical subspeciality within medicine that deals with the surgical a ...
and
plastic surgeon Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction or alteration of the human body. It can be divided into two main categories: reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. Reconstructive surgery includes craniof ...
Mark Sloan, Addison Montgomery's former lover, whose affair with her is presented as the reason behind the estrangement of her husband, Derek Shepherd.


Reception


Ratings

The first 5 episodes of the season were initially planned to be within the first season with the episode "
Bring the Pain "Bring the Pain" is a song recorded by the rap artist Method Man. It is the first Single (music), single released from his debut album ''Tical (album), Tical''. Comedian Chris Rock named his 1996 tour and television special "Chris Rock: Bring t ...
" as the season 1 finale. According to Rhimes, after airing the ninth episode of the show, the ratings, the time-slots and the really great audience meant that they have to end the season with that episode, and the
cliffhanger A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode or a film of serialized fiction. A cliffhang ...
with the coming of Derek's estranged wife fit perfectly. The season received high critical acclaim, and it performed better than the first season. Due to the success of the first season, ''
Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into se ...
'' took over the Sunday night timeslot along with ''
Desperate Housewives ''Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama soap opera television series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Marc Cherry, Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from Octobe ...
'', replacing ''
Boston Legal ''Boston Legal'' is an American legal drama and comedy drama television series created by former lawyer and Boston native David E. Kelley, produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for ABC. The series aired from October 3, 2004, t ...
''. The second season averaged 21.07 million viewers, making it the highest-rated season of the series to date. It was ranked #5 in the 2005-2006 television season. The season also includes the series' highest-rated episode, "
It's the End of the World "It's the End of the World" is the 16th episode of the second season of the ABC series, ''Grey's Anatomy''. The episode was written by series creator Shonda Rhimes and directed by co-executive producer Peter Horton. This episode is the first of ...
" which was watched by 37.88 million viewers.


Critical response

The season opened up to high critical acclaim with many critics calling it "one of the best shows on TV" and was included in the top 10 for numerous "best of television" lists of 2006. Emily VanDerWerff of ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' called the show a "Pokémon" and "one of the best TV shows around, burning through plot points at a furious clip, swooning romanticism, at embracing the kind of deeply-earnest, intensely-felt romance that made the show’s relationships so great. Meredith’s famous "Pick Me, Choose Me, Love Me" speech is corny, to be sure, but it's got tremendous rhythm and absolute conviction... season 2 of ''Grey's'' was a comet." Todd Gilchrist of ''
IGN Entertainment ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and Mass media, entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San ...
'' expressed hope in the further development of the series, noting the complex backgrounds of each character as being the series' focal-point. He noted that the ensemble, composed of "countless comely females and enough strong, competitive males" remains outstanding in primetime, being iconic, due to the vast interpretations regarding the main cast. Whereas Gilchrist acknowledged that the show gives the impression of it being only for women, he stated that he can attest to its universal, equal-opportunity appeal, assessing that the show "explores the medical world with both a sense of testosterone-fueled intensity and estrogen-laced sensitivity" and deserved to have viewers from both genders, championing its merits. In response to the bomb story-arc, he called the 2 episodes "juicy", while assessing that they "followed a storyline that not only explained the series up to that point, but featured all of the characters in their more-or-less purest from." Gilchrist provided an outlook on each character, describing Grey as a "prodigiously talented but insecure surgeon, waylaid by her love for attending Derek Shepherd", while stating that Yang, "an aggressively-ambitious intern" lacks knowledge on any topic, except medicine, comparing her to boyfriend Burke, described as her opposite. In response to George O'Malley's storyline, he noted how his sensitive personality constantly results in difficulty in his path to becoming a proper surgeon. He also expressed excitement in the doors opened by the previous season's cliffhanger, seeing the arrival of Montgomery (Walsh) as "certainly speaking to the show's focus on relationships over the nuts-and-bolts of being a surgeon", while praising Rhimes for continuing to "merge those disparate elements in the way that does, or at least should be a source of enthusiasm for both men and women, creating an atmosphere both professional and intimately personal, often at the same time." Noting the realism in the writing for the series, Gilchrist stated: "It's as if Rhimes & Co. harnessed the sublime and the mundane of our daily experiences, that strange sense of drama that emerges from even the most unimportant daily conflicts, and it transported it on a world that is legitimately fraught with life-and-death decisions." However, he expressed disappointment in the end of the second season, which he deemed surprisingly less strong, compared to the "powerful" first-half and the "immaculate" first season, describing Stevens' "awkward and self-destructive" relationship with a patient as a way to "slow episodes to a screeching halt with maudlin and painfully-underdeveloped turns towards melodrama", while expressing the predictability of Duquette's death. Gilchrist stated in response to Stevens' development in the last part of the second season: "Izzie's descent into abject hysteria, which followed her season-long sanctimoniousness about everything, actually made me want something terrible to happen to her too." He described how some episodes were not among the show's strongest, noting that the some plot-lines created poignancy, and connected in an unfamiliar way. The reviews have stood the test of time and the season still remains a huge critical favorite. ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' reviewing the tenth season of the show acknowledged that, "the second season is still the show’s best season to date." The site added, "I do want to talk about what season 10 could learn from what I believe is the show’s best season to date: season 2." calling in all the signature elements of the show that it did the best with listing all the best moments from the season, "the elevator", "the walkway", " Joe’s bar, " Meredith's "Pick Me" speech." and the "memorable patients" adding, " I want 2 people stuck on a pole ("'' Into You Like a Train''") or 2 Amish best friends having to say goodbye, and I want those stories to be given ample time to resonate. More than anything, I want them to affect our doctors in heartbreaking and beautiful ways." Eyder Peralta of ''
The Houston Chronicle ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...
'' was critical of Izzie's ethics in cutting Denny's LVAD wire, writing that she "should not be practising medicine" and stating: "That's the reason I don't watch ''Grey's Anatomy'', anymore, because the super-hot blond chick can make an earth-shattering, fatal decision and she doesn't get canned." Regarding the second season, Kevin Carr from ''7M Pictures'' said "Rhimes really just put ''
Scrubs Scrub(s) may refer to: * Scrub, low shrub and grass characteristic of scrubland * Scrubs (clothing), worn by medical staff * ''Scrubs'' (TV series), an American television program * Scrubs (occupation), also called "scrub tech," "scrub nurse," o ...
'', '' E.R.'', ''
Sex and the City ''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy, romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO. An adaptation of Candace Bushnell's Sex and the City (newspaper column), newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the ...
'' and even a dash of ''
The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pac ...
'' in a blender and poured out ''Grey's Anatomy''." Also in regard to the second season, Christopher Monfette of ''IGN TV'' said " ..The second season of this medical drama expertly wove its signature elements of complex relationships, whimsical banter and challenging life-lessons - all to a montage-fetish, indie-rock soundtrack."


Accolades

In 2006, the series won the Golden Globe for Best Drama Series.
Sandra Oh Sandra Miju Oh (born July 20, 1971) is a Canadian–American actress. She is best known for her starring roles as Rita Wu on the HBO comedy '' Arliss'' (1996–2002), Dr. Cristina Yang on the ABC medical drama series ''Grey's Anatomy'' (2005 ...
won the 2005 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or TV Film and the 2006
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series The Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series is an award given by the Screen Actors Guild to honor the finest acting achievements in Dramatic Television. Winners and nominees 1990s 2000s 2010s ...
for her portrayal of
Cristina Yang Cristina Yang, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.S. is a fictional character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', which has aired for over 16 years on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States. The character was crea ...
in the show's second season.
Ellen Pompeo Ellen Kathleen Pompeo (; born November 10, 1969) is an American actress. She is best known for her role on ''Grey's Anatomy'' as the titular Dr. Meredith Grey. One of the world's highest-paid actors since 2017, she has made multiple appearances ...
and
Patrick Dempsey Patrick Galen Dempsey (born January 13, 1966) is an American actor and race car driver. He is best known for his role as neurosurgeon Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd in ''Grey's Anatomy''. He had early success as an actor, starring in a number of fil ...
were also nominated for the Best Actress in a Drama Series and Best Actor in a Drama Series respectively at the 63rd Golden Globe Awards. In 2006, casting directors Linda Lowy and John Brace won the Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series. The ''Grey's Anatomy'' cast won Best Ensemble in a Television Series at the 2006 Satellite Awards. At the
Screen Actors Guild Award Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1952 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...
s, the cast was nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.
Isaiah Washington Isaiah Washington IV is an American actor and media personality. Following a series of film appearances, he came to prominence for portraying Dr. Preston Burke in the first three seasons of the series ''Grey's Anatomy'' from 2005 to 2007. Wash ...
was awarded Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series at the
NAACP Image Award The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...
s in 2006.
Krista Vernoff Krista Vernoff (born October 25, 1971) is an American television screenwriter, executive producer and director. She is best known for running the television medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'' (2007–11, 2017–present) and its spin-off ''Station 1 ...
received an
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series is an award presented annually by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It was first awarded at the 7th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony, held in 1955 and it is given in ...
nomination for the sixth episode of the season. The
sixteenth The 16th century begins with the Julian calendar, Julian year 1501 (Roman numerals, MDI) and ends with either the Julian or the Gregorian calendar, Gregorian year 1600 (Roman numerals, MDC) (depending on the reckoning used; the Gregorian calendar ...
and seventeenth episodes of the season secured writer
Shonda Rhimes Shonda Lynn Rhimes (born January 13, 1970) is an American television screenwriter, producer, and author. She is best known as the showrunner—creator, head writer, and executive producer—of the television medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'', it ...
a nomination for the
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series is an award presented annually by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It was first awarded at the 7th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony, held in 1955 and it is given in ...
in 2006.


DVD release

The second season was officially released on DVD in Region 1 on September 12, 2006, almost 2 weeks before the third season premiere which aired on September 21, 2006. Under the title ''Grey's Anatomy: The Complete Second Season – Uncut'', the box-set consists of episodes with
Dolby Digital Dolby Digital, originally synonymous with Dolby AC-3, is the name for what has now become a family of audio compression technologies developed by Dolby Laboratories. Formerly named Dolby Stereo Digital until 1995, the audio compression is lossy ...
5.1 surround sound and
widescreen Widescreen images are displayed within a set of aspect ratios (relationship of image width to height) used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than t ...
format. It also contained extras available only on DVD, including extended episodes, interviews with cast and crew members, footage from behind-the-scenes and unaired scenes cut from the aired episodes. The same set was released in Region 4 on January 10, 2007, 4 months after its original release in the United States, whereas its first release date in Region 2 was May 28, 2007, being made available first in the United Kingdom. The UK set contained the last 22 episodes of the season, due to the first 5 being released on the first season DVD.


References

* * *


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Grey's Anatomy (Season 2) * 2005 American television seasons 2006 American television seasons Grey's Anatomy seasons