#OH AND CRISTINA MY BELOVED.

[ineffablecabbage]

Watching episodes where Benton yells at people I don't particularly like is chef's kiss. Yes, baby, get him. Carter and I both approve.

Well, Carter's ... busy right now, but kick his ass.

[murrodrew]

if u hate her u will die and go to hell

[redrocketpanda]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...

hey - absolutely always okay to ask me about my favourite characters (or favourite anything's). I haven't unboxed them for some time and am frankly excited to wave them in everyone's faces again (though picking a top 10 is hardddddd - this could very easily have been a BNHA/HQ/JJK list but I restricted myself to 1 character per media)

Bakugou Katsuki (BNHA) - beloved boy, loml, star in my sky, etc etc. forever #1 of any + all lists. I adore grumpy characters who find themselves caught up in being loved into character growth by their friends, but I think the main reason he's my #1 is that I see a lot of myself in him. I too was a very angry young person with a superiority complex who went on a journey into letting others in, allowing myself to experience joy and love, and dismantling ideas of perfectionism. I don't think I'll ever truly let the pricklyness or slight god complex go though

Bokuto Koutarou (Haikyuu) - beloved boy #2 because who doesn't love Bokuto??? We are all rendered weak in the face of his endearing and endless puppy energy. I love how loving, optimistic and tenacious he is. Oh, and let's not talk about how relatable some of his other qualities are (prior to watching HQ I almost verbatim quoted a complaint Bokuto makes in a completely different context). love himmmmmmmm

Sarah Harding (The Lost World) - One of two of my biggest role models as a child/teenager. I wanted to be like Sarah so bad and had also wanted to work in animal behaviour in part bc of her. She's completely badass, and as an adult I also have a newfound appreciation for how she handles communicates + asserts her boundaries in her relationship with Ian

Padme Amidala (Star Wars) - The second of my biggest role models as a child/teenager. Leia didn't grow on me until I was older, but I was obsessed with Padme. I feel like the fandom + Episode III does her dirty, but to me I adore how intelligent, caring and assertive she is. I studied politics at college because of her!

Gojo Satoru (Jujutsu Kaisen) - Possibly my favourite of all of the shitbags that I love. I remember desperately pleading with myself to not fall on my face for Gojo during the first episode of S1 and made it until the credits... Why do I love him? He's heinously obnoxious, self-assured, hilarious, extremely powerful, and a complete walking disaster of a man.

Cristina Yang (Grey's Anatomy) - I don't watch Grey's Anatomy anymore but I used to be obsessed with it. I still own S1-6 on DVD and have very fond memories of it. I always loved Cristina for her blunt directness, self-belief, intelligence, and approach to friendships/relationships. Plus, my best friend in college identified me as a 75% Cristina/25% George personality so Cristina has also been very dear to my heart for that reason lmao

Achilles (The Song of Achilles) - It wouldn't be me if I didn't include Achilles on a list of favourites. I named my dog after Achilles because I love him so much and joked to my (poor) boyfriend that if we ever have a kid together, their middle name should be Achilles. Madeline Miller's depiction of Achilles is my favourite and love him for very similar reasons to Bakugou tbh. Give me a man filled with unbridled pride and arrogance with god-like physical prowess and I'll probably love them forever (plus also, ow my heart)

Kassandra (Assassin's Creed Odyssey) - *heart eye emoji* but fr I have such a fondness for Kassandra. She's the perfect mix of stoic big buff lady, hilariously sarcastic sense of humor, and absolute heart of gold. I love her characterisation and think she's such a fantastically written character. Plus... I want her to pick me up and cuddle me so bad

Lilo (Lilo and Stitch) - I think it's a tragedy that Lilo is often forgotten due to not being a Disney princess bc she is honestly such a wonderful character. Lilo and Stitch is one of my favourite movies, and I admire how resilient, loving, eccentric and curious Lilo is

Xandri Corelel (the Xandri Corelel series) - The Xandri Corelel is one of my favourite sci-fi series and that is, in part, bc of Xandri herself. She's the first autistic woman I encountered in sci-fi and I adored how the series explores how her autism is what makes her an excellent head of xeno-liaisons. She's also bisexual and polyamorous so even further brilliant rep for me, and tbh is just a great character all round

I tried not to write an essay but it's really hard when I could talk about these characters all day but hopefully this was vaguely fun/interesting for people to read And in case anyone is interested some of my other favourite characters who didn't quite include the top 10 include: Jirou Kyoka (BNHA), Kirishima Eijirou (BNHA), Itadori Yuji (JJK), Nishinoya Yuu (HQ), Tanaka Ryu (HQ), Kuroo Tetsurou (HQ), Miya Atsumu (HQ), Zagreus (Hades), Moana and Rapunzel (Disney), Fang Runin (The Poppy War), Kunigami Rensuke (bluelock), Bachira Meguru (bluelock), Sebastian (Stardew Valley), and Vash the Stampede (Trigun Stampede)

[brilliantfantasticgeronimo]

@siderumincaelo if i squint really hard i think i can see what rtd was going for with christina - a companion stand-in who has all of the requisite love of adventure but none of their more grounding qualities, right when ten needs grounding more then ever - but it's like they got too caught up in the "fun sexy exciting lady criminal" archetype to actually have her play off any of ten's myriad of issues yeah! i think there must have been an intention (it's the episode before waters of mars, after all, which is kind of the climax to ten's arc. and the calling out to *midnight* can't be accidental). they are clearly trying to do a beat-for-beat of that kind of ~adventuring alure~ one last time. but having the picture kind of aschewed.... (the other thing they do, related to this... is this parallel they try to with "well the doctor was also a noble when they started!! and stole a tardis not for money but for funsies!!! let's reflect on that!!!" but the beat they missed there is... our bb boy One basically Invented Having A Character Arc, and was repeatedly Humbled by ian and barabara, and also was shown Other, more humanizing aspects beyond being a cold, alien noble... cristina had none of that, went thru 0 humbleness, so the parallel falls flat. and in itself doesnt tell us anythign about the doctor? (idk, that i can think of rn) unlike last ep which despite all its troubles, does suceed at that) so ia with what you say about her being a seemingly perfect companion but also lacking the kind of groundness that would make them work for the doctor.... like "what he wants but not what he needs"..... i think if we push this interpretation further, we could infer that for ten... this whole "fun sexy exciting lady criminal" is very like... well, ten tries so hard to be into her, ... but it just feels so forced lol like "i must be into this lady!!! i have to rebound from The Pit Of Suckyness asap!!!!!! " so he rlly pushes it with those "we were made for each other / we make quite a couple etc" lines. and it just... doesn't work lol in that sense, yeah, it being a terrible dynamic does feel the arc quite well at that point ksldjalkjlk but like that's a charitable interpretation where.... in reality, yeah the most likely reason it's so bad is that rtd and g*** r*** were trying to genuinely do another beloved, "one that got away" one-off companion and the forcedness and off-ness isdown to poor conception + stretching themselves too thin...... and maybe even casting/directing. rip. oh well. at least in my head there's now Room To Make It Work lol

"#........this is probably the most anyone's ever thought about the next doctor" sdlfjaghjrkl camila. i rewatched it a few months ago (after rewatching all the good dw episodes) and while i won't pretend to have had Deep Thoughts about it, my takeaway was that it's a rare L from rtd on the gender politics front. there's very little acknowledgement of how gender (and race!) color the relationship between jackson and rosita (who ends up being a pretty fringe character), and despite a few allusions to hartigan's past, she's a pretty one-note "woman driven mad by power" villain. and the setting of famously sexist victorian england is more set dressing than anything else

sobs i think i agree with u but aghhh like it's so hard to just accept that a dw episode may just be bad lol i feel like it could so easily *say* those things about race and gender and the ~glamorized british past~ bc like, all the ingredients are there! there's lines hinting at it!! but idk if maybe rtd thought it would be too much of a downer for christmas, at the end of the day it does feel like set dressing, but i feel there's a jewel in that carbon, it just needed more sanding...

[christpilledbitch]

so I'm writing a Megan/Teddy fic that is basically an AU where Owen dies and we get Megan in season five instead of him so !! if you happen to hate Owen Hunt or/and love Teddy/Megan/Cristina I recommend you to check it out as it is the first fic on ao3 for Teddy and Megan and it is going to be a long one and I update it regularly ! (I'm in early stages and it's before the Teddy appearance but she's mentioned and there will be a phone conversation soon so...)

anyway!!

[aardvaark]

bring cristina yang back

i miss you

[gutsfics]

bc of how long it takes to get keys in choices, i have started watching grey's anatomy between chapters of open heart

i think i like medical dramas now?????

[raplinesmoon]

Now or Never (Kim Namjoon x GN!Reader)

Part 1 of The Dis-Ease Files.

Pairing: Surgeon!Namjoon x Surgeon!Reader

Genres: tooth-rotting fluff

AUs: Medical AU, Established Relationship AU

Word count: 1.2k

Tags/trigger warnings: mentions of blood and surgery, otherwise just cuteness and Trivia:Love being the most perfect song ever

Ratings: PG13

Summary: Move over McDreamy, Dr. Namswoon is on the scene; or, Namjoon takes a moment to make this one day the most special of your lives.

A/N: Happy birthday to the one, the only, my beloved Namjoon! I love this man so much, so I had to combine him being the most perfect and swoonworthy human along with one of the most romantic moments to air on network TV: MerDer’s Post-It wedding. Their vows to each other include a combination of MerDer’s vows from season 5 episode 24, Burke’s vows to Cristina in season 3 episode 25, and Trivia:Love lyrics to make the perfect heart-stopping combo. I wrote this while watching Grey’s in the car, all credits go to Shonda Rimes and Namjoon for being geniuses tho.

Banner was made by me (graphic design is my passion!) Crossposted to AO3 here.

The high pitched “ping” of your pager echoes through the empty break room. Letting out a groan, you sink to the floor. Would you ever be able to catch a break these days? Life as a surgeon seemed non-stop, limitless, and all-consuming. Every day brought on the thrill of exciting new cases and saving lives, but you found yourself missing those quiet moments that brought stability and security in your life. The moments that helped show you that you had a home and a life to go back to. Which is why today, of all days, was so important.

You hear the soft click of the door unlocking behind you as footsteps tap on the tile floor.

“Are you ready to go?” a deep voice asks. Turning around, you’re met with a sight for sore eyes: Namjoon in a perfectly pressed midnight blue suit and tie, hair gelled back, dimples popping as he greets you with a smile. He holds out your coat and outfit towards you.

You look towards him listlessly, sadness filling your eyes.

“I just got a page right now, that patient we saw before needs to go back into surgery,” you sigh, showing him the blinking red light.

“I know,” Namjoon reaches out a hand to rest on your slumped shoulders. “The CT showed a re-bleed. I’ll page Yoongi and ask him to take care of it.”

“Oh no, really? You should go back in and check then,” you respond, gently pushing him towards the door.

“I would, but then I have to go check in on Jungkook’s mother after she had that terrible fall. He says he doesn’t trust anyone but me to take care of her. Maybe we can both do that together and then go to city hall,” he explains softly.

“No,” you groan. “Because then we have the board meeting afterwards for the hospital. You know Taehyung is going to chew our heads off if we’re not there to protect him from the wrath of his parents and the entire board of trustees.”

Running through the various ways to tackle the situation at hand, you resign yourself to another chaotic day on the job.

“How about,” you respond, thoughts running at the speed of light, “we tell the nurses and the team to prep the patient, we’ll run to city hall and do it once we come back.”

“___,” Namjoon begins, but you press a finger to his lips to cut him off.

“There’s no time, Namjoon,” you shush. “We have to get moving. We’ll go to city hall, come back, you’ll check on Jungkook’s mom, I’ll go hype up Taehyung and tell him that he’s going to be the next head of pediatric surgery, no matter what his parents say, and then we’ll tackle the patient-“

“___,” Namjoon grips you by the shoulders. “We can always do this some other day.”

“There is no other day!” you yell exasperatedly, waving your hands in the air. “Every day is like this. I love you, and I do want to marry you today, but there is no time.”

Namjoon catches your wrist in the air, enclosing his large palm over your own. He takes a step towards you, bringing his other hand to rest on your cheek.

“___,” he says, his deep voice rumbling gently. “Can you find me a piece of paper?”

“Namjoon,” you groan, frustrated that he’s not taking this as seriously as you are. There’s no time for these antics, the two of you had countless surgeries and follow-ups waiting on your schedule. “For what?”

“We made a promise that we wanted to commit the rest of our lives to each other. To do that, we need to makes vows to each other. Marriage is a commitment, and it’s a contract. Who says we need to be somewhere specific to sign it together?”

You roll your eyes at how stark and serious he seems to be in this moment. This is far from even the modest city hall wedding the two of you had managed to squeeze into your busy schedules. Reaching into the pocket of your white coat, you rustle around the pens and highlighters and gum wrappers to find a stack of Post-It notes. The soft, happy glint in his eyes manages to bring a small smile to your face.

Namjoon lets out an exhausted groan as he slumps back into one of the plastic chairs, dragging you into his lap with him.

“Ok,” he breathes softly, taking the Post-Its from your hand. “Now let’s make our promises.”

Taking the pen from your pocket, your messy scrawl adorns the Post-It as you read aloud your words.

“Promise that we’ll always love each other, even when we hate each other. No running, no walking out on each other. That we’ll take care of each other, even if one of us becomes old and senile, and has to spend their life on a hospital bed.”

Namjoon’s eyes fill with tears as he listens to you speak the words aloud, smiling as you don’t even notice that your voice begins to crack when you make this covenant. Reaching out, he brushes the frizzy strands of hair that have fallen loose from your hairstyle out of your face.

“My turn,” he whispers, taking the pen from your hands, and turning over to a new Post-It as he hands you yours.

He quickly scrawls two words on the Post-It, the black Hangul lettering causing you to raise your eyebrows at what he could possibly mean.

“___,” he chokes out, eyes becoming misty. “You make I to an O, you make live to a love. In Korean, 사람 (saram) is the word for person, and 사랑 (sarang), is the word for love. You were the person that taught me how to love. I live so I can love you today, and every day we’ve had before, and every day we’ll have after. I’m a surgeon: I stitch bodies together and take them apart, I hold people’s heart in my hands. And today, I promise to give you my heart, and lay it in your palms. You’re my person.”

“This is forever,” he finishes, signing his name at the bottom the post it and holding it out to you.

“This is it then, huh?” you smile, scribbling your name next to his. “A wedding on a Post-It?”

“And now, I can kiss you,” Namjoon’s palms cup your jaw, leaning in as your lips meet, and pure euphoria floods your veins at the thought that this brilliant man is finally yours.

Namjoon lovingly sticks both Post-Its into your respective cubbies, just in time for the loud knocking on the door of the break room to cause the both of you to jolt.

“Namjoon! ___!” Yoongi’s gruff voice calls out. “Where have the two of you been?”

Namjoon creaks open the door, slipping on his white coat over his suit as he ushers you outside.

Yoongi’s face is stern, but his eyes sparkle with mirth at the discovery of catching you both alone in there.

Giving Yoongi a wink, Namjoon slips an arm around your waist and leads you away, making sure to turn back and tell his older colleague:

“That’s Dr. and Dr. Kim to you now, Dr. Min.”

A/N pt. 2: Happy birthday again to Namjoon - I'm so thankful for his existence and leadership in Bangtan everyday, he's absolutely wonderful. Thanks for reading! As always, any feedback or comments are much appreciated, but I appreciate you all anyway. Lots of love, Isi 💜

[kiriddo]

Prom Night

One of them is (maybe) attending @sojutrait's prom!!! (or, well, Ollie's prom)

Note: you can change their sexuality/gender/whatever you want. I already gave them likes/dislikes in the attraction traits but I don't really care, just change to whatever you think is nicer/makes sense. You can find them by searching your hashtag (#olliepromnight) in the gallery. The relationships between them is just because. I like connecting my stories and characters (; Updated: added classes and some stuff, including a OOO (opinion of ollie)

Let's meet the boys! (bc there's a 10 pics limit lol)

Nothing more fair than to start this with Gustav Legacy (he/him, straight I think), because he's never the winner. While some will be dancing or DJing, he would rather tend the bar. He drowns in confidence and self-assurance, but what's that for if he chokes and sweats whenever someone asks him about Cristina and him? "Is it true you used to date that ***** *** **** ****** ** ***** ***?", they say. "G-g-g-g-g-gah?!", he says. At least Sasha's got his back... he's the most capable guy Gustav knows! Origin: a sim from my Legacy family!! Classes: honor roll on everything B) / Occupation: soccer club (or anything with sports) OOO: "Isn't Cristina in a class with her? I-I mean, Cristina is popular, everyone knows what classes she's in! I'm hiding nothing! GAH!"

Talking about angels... look who it is! Sasha Rock (he/him, prob bi or gay idk), the most loved guy in all [insert the sims world here]. He's kind, he's nice, he's cute, seriously, your mom would love him! I-I mean, as her son-in-law, ofc. He would never steal her heart. He totally can do it, but he wouldn't. And even though he's all that, for some reason he's very insecure and paranoid... good thing Gustav's got his back, he's the most capable guy Sasha knows! Origin: character from a story I used to write Classes: arts class with Ollie / Occupation: nothing but enjoys gardening (I think) OOO: "Ollie? Hmm... I don't talk to her that much, but... she's nice. Not sure if she likes me though. She looked at me weird that time. Everybody always looks at me weird..."

Hey hey hey! Look here, the last candidate. That doesn't make him less important though... right? Oh, what is it? You don't know Dexter Wish? Well, that's ok, nobody does. Nobody but the adults, of course. And I'm telling you, you don't want trouble, don't come near this guy! He's not a bad kid, but trust me, he's just too... oblivious to his surroundings. He's reckless, he's a rebel, an anarchist who challenges authority. And, on top of all that... he's accident prone. VERY accident prone. Although he is loved among oppressed kids... I mean, he IS a bro. Maybe his reputation would be better if he attended school. But hey, he's going to prom! That counts, right? If you're wondering how he hasn't been expelled yet; one of his relatives is the beloved school janitor. Oh, he's also a straight he/him. Origin: one of my characters from a rpg, son of the Blue Fairy! Classes: doesn't go to school / Occupation: Skateboarder, rebel, protestant, & DJ. All of this and he's still a vagabond... OOO: "Ollie? Is that a new recruit? We do need more soldiers. For what? That's a secret. But if you want in you're welcome. Just know... once you're in... you're in for real."

[taylorkellyreporting]

LEXIE GREY MY FAVORITE GIRL MY NUMBER ONE

MARK SLOAN MY BELOVED

WHEN YOU LOVE SOMEONE YOU TELL THEM

got slexie back but at what cost?

“that grief belongs to all of us” why am i thinking about how meredith treated her when derek died

the story mer just told about bailey 🥺 oh he’s precious i need them to show the kids more often

maggie’s vent idea was genius

i think the writers should let jo be single for a while, but when she starts dating again i’m gonna need her and hayes to get together cause they have chemistry and it’d be a shame to let it go to waste

“you trying to set me up?” “i’m trying to set me up” 😭

“WE NEVER LEFT YOU” 😭😭😭😭😭

oh the way mark held eye contact with lexie while he told mer to not waste one single minute i’m in tears

MAGGIE AND WINSTON ARE ENGAGED

this episode made me weep but i love it so much

maggie and winston are moving so fast i bet they’re going to be the couple that lasts the rest of the series

i love amelink so much i can’t believe they break up

arthur’s gonna live 😭

oh i am so here for teddy and owen rebuilding their friendship

less than a minute in and i already know that this episode is going to be tough

i knew they would deal with covid deniers eventually but man i wasn’t ready

i completely forgot that richard is maggie’s dad

i just wanna hug winston

“that should be meredith.” fuck off????

levi deserves so much better than nico

i feel like amelia could’ve handled that situation better

it would’ve been so cool if while mer was unconscious, they had other characters do the voiceovers each episode

bailey is dead wrong to force jo to stay a surgeon just because it makes her feel better

i can’t believe how much i actually like this version of derek. i think it’s because he’s dead lmao

amy did the superhero pose 🥺

“it’ll wake up the baby” “it’s okay, he needs his bottle, anyway” pls i love maggie

“you two really are codependent” lmfao

zola 🥺

i really really miss april

helm is acting off this ep :/

wondering why tom had that reaction when levi told him about jo switching her specialty

i’m gonna miss jackson so much 😩

“you go give ‘em hell, avery” “thanks for showing me how”

every time they mention alex and now deluca, my heart breaks just a little bit more

this episode was beautiful

oh i love how mer left lmao

richard is officiating their wedding 🥺

helm :(

oh i love tom so so much

oh this montage at the end is too much for my heart

noooooo tom left what the fuck

i lost deluca, jackson and tom all in the same season

“i didn’t mean soup” if levi doesn’t snatch him up…

i already know that jo adopts luna and yet that scene where she’s crashing genuinely made me forget and for a second i thought she might die

luna’s guardian is a real bitch

THEY FOUND HER DOG 🥺🥺

krista stop making jo cry all the time challenge

i love maggie and winston so much

“dibs on the bed!” lmfaoooo

catherine laughing after winston’s grandma said their wedding was broke fkgjfjsjs she’s just like me

woahhh jo wants link to foster luna…feel like amy is not going to take that well

TOM BOUGHT JO’S SHARES FKGJGKKDKS

maggie’s wedding was so beautiful

JACKSON MY BELOVED

i am so so happy for jo and luna

amelia and link made a deal that they would revisit the marriage stuff so idk why he thought proposing was a good idea

i love how they still involve cristina even if she isn’t actually there.

that ep was so so good!!

[cathrrrine]

RUN | Pietro x Reader

Originally from my Wattpad

CHAPTER 20 - BUCHAREST

----

a/n: the moment we've all been waiting for. **Words in bold are spoken in Romanian.

tw // death, falling off a build*ng.

-----

Talk about a look.

I was donning a new one, something I haven't done in a long while ever since the Avengers hauled my ass to their facility. It was strange to admit that I felt...comfortable. My hair was a different shade, my clothes were bland yet credible enough to blend in with the locals and I put on some coloured contact lenses. It was a routine that I was used to, dressing up like somebody else. Before it almost felt like an inescapable chore, but I found myself missing it.

Once again, I've lost myself in the art of disguise for the sake of going undercover. S.H.I.E.L.D was on our asses, and God knows how many goddamn people they have all over the globe.

"Normally, I'd dye my hair." I adjusted the cheap wig on my scalp, making sure my real hair was tucked in neatly so it wouldn't poke out and ruin the look. "Rogers could've at least bought me a better wig. Now, I just look like I'm getting dressed for Halloween."

"Lucky for you, it's almost October," Pietro replied. I could see him through the reflection of the mirror that we were both standing in front of. "It doesn't look too bad, yeah?"

I'd convinced him to cut his hair.

His head - once covered with that voluminous silver monster he called hair - looked different now, with his hair close-cropped instead of medium-lengthed. It took some serious cajoling, but I managed to convince all three of the men that wearing a baseball cap and a pair of sunglasses was not a feasible disguise or a disguise at all.

"You surely look like a Daniel." Daniel Dalca, the fake identity that he had taken over. With his freshly cut, slicked-back hair and dark denim jacket, he looked nothing like the Pietro I had grown accustomed to.

He brought a hand up to touch his hair, "It feels weird."

"It's supposed to," I told him, eyeing his new look attentively. "If it feels normal, then you're not doing a good job. That's what I tell myself."

"You're right."

That's a first. "First day on the job and you're already fitting in just right, Daniel."

"Oh, this is not my first job, Cristina." Then there's me, Cristina Rusu. We both picked common names so it wouldn't stand out and bring about suspicion. Plus, we could both pass as locals.

"Ah, yes." My lips lifted in a half-smirk. "You went undercover when you tried to catch me back then in that bar. What a good job you've done! I could hardly notice when you spoke into your earpiece."

It was funny, thinking about it now. Maybe if Romanoff had been the one to enter that bar, it would've been quicker.

"That was not going undercover." He scowled. Mocking him was fun and I liked it. Honestly, it was nothing of malicious intent, I just liked seeing him react. Tie me up and call me a bully. "But you're here with me, so who's the loser, huh?"

Ouch. "Fair game, Maximoff."

The door opened before I could come back with a better retort, revealing both Sam and Steve -now, Mark and Hector - already in their disguises. Steve had insisted on sticking with his baseball cap strategy, not wanting to do anything to his beloved hair. I told him it would just look stupid. I mean, out of all of us, he was the hardest one to hide. His super-soldier body wasn't exactly indistinguishable. So, I made - or more like threatened - him to wear a bulky ass jacket. Now, he just looked like a lumberjack.

Sam, on the other hand, had on an outfit similar to mine. Perfectly Bland, a recipe I've since perfected. He was the one who flew us to Bucharest with a jet that he borrowed from a friend who owed him a favour, which made me realise how nice it must be to have friends in times of need. We arrived 15 hours ago. Through his numerous connections, Steve found us a safe house that was a small cottage at the edge of the city. It was a good spot, I'll give him that, but I do wish it was bigger. I was used to living solo, four people in a two-bedroom house felt like I was being trapped in a sardine can.

With all four of us in a room now, it was almost claustrophobic.

"What's the plan for today?" Sam asked, leaning against the door frame with his hands shoved into the pocket of his jacket. "We punchin' anybody?"

God, I wish. I needed an outlet for all these emotions swirling in my head. Punching someone would make me feel better. I hope.

"We're going to the city." Steve smoothed the fabric of his pants as he came to stand in front of me and Pietro. "See if we can find anything useful."

"What? You think we're going to find him out in the open?" I chastised. He's a killer, he shouldn't be out in public like a normal, law-abiding citizen. If he knew any better, he would be hiding away like a groundhog. "He's got a metal arm. Unless he wants to be seen, we won't find anything useful."

"Well, what would you suggest?" His voice was taking on a tone that sounded more like he wanted me to shut up rather than answering his question. Once more, I was reminded of my position on this so-called 'team'. I wasn't anyone's friend. I was still an enemy, just a useful one at the moment.

"You brought me along to help you. I'm just trying to do exactly that, Rogers." I reminded him. "We should split up, it's less suspicious. Scour the sketchy areas of town. He'll most likely be hiding in an apartment building. Best-case scenario, we find something that could lead us to where he is now. Worst case scenario, we lose a day's worth of scouting."

Steve looked indifferent, but he wasn't opposing.

"Teams of two. We search each area for three hours tops. We meet back at our rendevous point at sundown."

A compromise. I guess that's why he's the Captain.

"I'll go with Y/N." Pietro offered, much to my surprise.

Steve looked at me, shrugging. I don't get why Pietro would want to team up with me, but I wasn't complaining. I wasn't going to go with The Winter Soldier's best friend, and I did not trust Sam the Stranger enough to be left alone with him. Even if Pietro hadn't offered first, I would've asked the same. Only because he was the only one I felt who wouldn't throw me off a building if he had the chance. Also, he was a mutant. I could just Echo him if the situation called for it.

"Fine." I agreed. "But you're doing all the running."

---

We walked side by side on the open hallway of the apartment complex, the sound of our footsteps bouncing off the walls. Truly, it was one of the sketchiest buildings we came across. It was the third one we'd walked through for the day. So far, we've had some rough encounters but none that were relevant to the mission.

I could hear the low, muffled voices of the tenants as we passed each door. The sound of human conversations, mother's yelling at their children, babies crying, dog's barking. At one point we heard a choir of people singing, only realising it was somebody's television at maximum capacity volume after the singing was cut off by what sounded like a laundry soap ad.

"Sheesh," Pietro frowned. "These walls are thin."

They were. It was like the walls were made of paper. But, I could use that to my advantage. I tried to focus on each sound, closing my eyes as I did so. This time I didn't tune out the voices, instead, I let my ears hone in on each one as if I was a satellite, listening in on each conversation just in case any of them would be of any significance.

Have you had lunch yet?- ... Mom, I think I'm- ... Have you seen my keys?- ... He's here. I found him-

"What are you doing?"

My eyes shot open to see a very baffled Pietro standing in front of me, his face close to mine. I could technically feel his breath on my forehead. "I'm...trying to listen."

"That's impossible. You're telling me you were trying to listen in to almost a dozen voices talking at the same time? In Romanian?"

"Okay, first of all," I pushed him with the tip of my pointer finger, right in the middle of his chest. He took a step back. "Yes. I was trying to do that before you so rudely interrupted my process. You can add that to my list of abilities. And secondly, you were the one who called me a polyglot. Why would it surprise you that I can understand Romanian?"

He raised his hands in defeat, "Woah, no need to get so loud with me. I was just pointing out my confusion."

"Whatever."

He removed himself from my line of sight and resumed his initial position by my side. I could see him from the corner of my eye, a wary look on that troublesome face of his. "Can I ask you something?"

"Depends."

"How long exactly is this 'list of abilities' of yours?"

If I could, I would've wiped him off from existence right then and there. Who the hell does he think he is? Just because we were on a spontaneous mission together, it didn't mean we were the best of friends. He was just another individual, another human being who was unfortunate enough to have crossed paths with me. "What the fuck?"

"What?" He dared to look innocent.

"Maybe next time you're planning to gather intel, try to be a little bit more subtle." His brazen attempt was almost offensive. As if I was going to trust him with that information. Just because I shared a moment of vulnerability with him didn't mean I was going to share every single personal detail.

"Hey, hey!" I had picked up my pace but he followed suit, hot on my heels, true to his speedster nature. "Wait!"

I was a good number of steps ahead of him. I could hear the sound of his shoes hitting the bare cement. Maybe I didn't want to admit it but I didn't know why I reacted that way. Maybe it was because I didn't have an answer to his question. It was pushing another series of memories up to the surface. Pietro was one hell of a memory-undoer.

I never knew the full extent of my abilities. The only one I was sure of was my Echo. Other than that, zero.

"Y/N!" He panted, "Please wait."

Oddly enough, and much to my dismay...I stopped. That same tug on my heart compelled me to. It wasn't like I wanted to. My feet betrayed me.

Fucking feet.

I turned slowly, seeing Pietro's very, very remorseful face come into view as he jogged the last few steps. "Why?"

"I was not trying to gather intel." He said through short breaths, which I found ironic for a superspeed hero. "Never once did that cross my mind."

"I honestly could care less. But next time you ask me a question like that, I don't think it would go so well." I raised my shoulders in a full-bodied shrug. "We should get going."

"Y/N." He grabbed my arm.

At that moment, my brain caught itself in a jam. I was torn between wanting to twist his arm around to break it and turning around to see what he had to say.

My brain unfortunately chose the latter.

"I'm serious. I was just curious, again."

"Well, curiosity killed the fucking cat, didn't it? Don't let it kill you, kitty."

He ran a hand through his short hair, eyebrows knitted together in the middle. "You know, you have to stop with that."

"With what?" My lip curled up in irritation.

"You act like everything is out to get you. I-I'm not planning on doing anything malicious to you, okay? You said it yourself. You're my enigma and it's still driving me crazy! I don't know a thing about you but I so badly want to and I don't understand it."

"Am I a joke to you? I act like everything is out to get me because everything is out to get me. I've been running for more than half of my life. Do you expect me to let my guard down now?" I glared at him. "So, what is all this to you? A game of 20 questions to solve some sort of mystery that I'm supposedly involved in?"

"You-"

"Don't you remember threatening to kill me before you grew some sort of twisted fascination with me? It's like you keep ignoring that we're on different sides. I'm just here because I was stupid enough to get caught in the first place. I never trusted anyone before, what makes you think I'm going to start with you?"

"You trusted me enough to save you in that hallway."

I remember that moment. "I was at a dead end. You were my only lifeline, don't flatter yourself."

"Damn it, Y/N. I just want to be your friend." Hid voice grew quiet. "Trust me - or don't - but I'm telling the truth when I say that I'm not trying to get to know you because I'm trying to write up a report. It's simply because I want to."

Friend.

I was dumbfounded. Time seemed to stop around me as I searched his eyes for any sort of dishonesty, any red flag. But I found none. Was he truly telling the truth? Could I trust him? There goes that woozy feeling in my chest again, only this time it was stronger and wilder. My head was spinning in circles.

I felt my feet moving closer to him. What was it with my feet today? Why did they feel like magnets that were beyond my conscious control? Was it something I ate?

Then, time moved on again and reality struck in as I saw a very familiar-looking face appear from behind Pietro's body.

Fuuuuuckkkk.

There was no time to think. Only to act.

"You said you wanted to be my friend?" I whispered hurriedly to him, making sure to keep myself hidden. "Be a good one and kiss me, right now."

"Excuse me?"

"There's a Hydra agent right behind you and I know him. Kiss me!"

"Are you sure?"

"NOW!"

He slowly but surely moved his lips closer to mine, but Brock Rumlow was getting a hell of a lot closer than I would've liked him to be. I took his face in my hands and kissed him, covering my figure with his.

His lips were soft and light.

He moved his hands to the small of my back, gently pulling me in closer. I didn't object. Never have I ever kissed anyone in my life this way, I couldn't explain it. He was so...gentle with me. As if I was a porcelain doll that would shatter if he moved even in the slightest way. My heart skipped a beat, my stomach twisted into knots, it was a rush of emotions that was stronger than anything I've ever experienced.

What the fuck?

He held me to his chest, making sure my body was fully concealed from Rumlow's sight. At least Pietro got the message. We needed to stay hidden.

I opened one eye, trying to see if Rumlow was gone. No one else was in the hallway except us anymore. I needed to pull away. These were dangerous waters and I had no time or energy to tread in them. So, I removed myself from him, a little bit breathless. We both were.

I didn't want to admit it, not even to myself. But I so badly wished Rumlow had been there a bit longer.

"Sorry-"

"Don't be." He cut me off, his voice was an octave lower than usual.

Suddenly, I was aware of how dangerously close we were standing together. Sheepishly, I took a step back. The ghost of his lips stayed on mine, it took everything in me not to run my tongue over them.

"Who was it?"

"Hmm?"

"The agent?"

Oh. Right.

My brain went into auto-pilot mode. I needed to stay focused. It was just a damn kiss. Why was I overreacting? Mentally, I was cursing myself for acting like a schoolgirl, but on the outside, I made sure to keep a straight face on. "Brock Rumlow. Kicked his ass a few years back but I never got the chance to kill him."

"Was he after you?"

"Yeah." Brock Rumlow was an asshole. He played and fought dirty. It was a nasty battle with him. If I could go back to that moment where I had him pinned, I'd have slit his throat instead of second-guessing it. "The asshole works for Hydra."

"Why didn't you kill him?"

The last time I saw him, he was limping like a hurt animal, blood that wasn't my own blurring my vision and matting my hair. I made the mistake of letting my guard down and he'd flipped me over so he could slither away from my grip like a snake. "He got away."

"What's he doing in Bucharest, then?"

That one question triggered something in my brain. Rumlow in Bucharest? Just like that, everything clicked into place. I gasped, "Shit, Pietro! We have to follow him!"

His eyes widened. We both took off running, chasing after the infamous man. But then he stopped halfway, turning to me. I was about to yell at him for slowing us down before he called, "Echo me!"

There was no time to argue. In the blink of an eye, I'd gripped his arm and absorbed his energy. My body did the rest. I could feel the familiar sting of the energy surging through me, his powers replicating themselves in each cell of my body. It only took a second, maybe even less. As soon as I felt confident enough, I gave him a nod.

In truth, I've never felt such a rush like this before I met Pietro and his powers. I loved it. The wind whipping through my hair, the cool air blowing in my face. It was far from mundane - it was supernatural. There was no seering pain in my chest as my brain fought for oxygen, no, I felt as if I was walking. It was like there was some sort of force pushing me from behind, giving me the momentum that I needed to run as fast as possible. It was an undeniably exhilarating experience. In the few times that I've echoed him, I was always left craving more.

Much like that kiss of ours.

Huh? I shook my head. Keep it together, brain. Don't make me regret listening to you all these years.

"He's there!" I could hear Pietro calling out. Rumlow was walking through a door, but I covered the distance in a minute, just in time for me to grab him by the collar and push him hard into the wall.

"Rumlow," I growled, watching with satisfaction as his eyes went round with alarm. He was trembling under my grip. Good. Let him shit his fucking pants for all I care. My mouth twitched, and I tilted my head as I leaned in closer to him with the intention of striking fear into him. "You think I would've let you go that easily?"

"The Echo." His mouth set in a hard line. "Finally come to beg for mercy?"

Before I could even think, I punched him in the face. "No, I've come here to finally drag your ass to hell."

He swung back at me while he escaped from my grasp, but he missed me by a second as I deflected it. He was easier to fight since I knew what to expect from him now. I saw his fist coming my way again and I caught it swiftly, keeping my hold on him strong.

"Even after all these years, you're still one for revenge."

"No shit." I saw red. "You think revenge has a statute of limitations?"

"Go to hell."

I threw another mean punch, making sure it landed firmly on his nose. I wanted him to bleed. "Haven't you been listening? You're going with me. I saved you a special seat, right..." My knee hit his crotch. "...next to me."

It took him a moment to recover after crying out like a baby, squirming under my grip. Pathetically, he cried, "What do you want?"

"I want to know what you're doing here."

His lips drew back in a snarl, cackling like the asshole that he was. "Oh, wouldn't you like to know?"

"Yeah, I fucking do." I grabbed the switchblade that I had kept with me since the safe house, flipping it over and holding it up to his face. I pressed it firmly to his cheek, drawing blood. "Tell me before I give you more than just a scar."

He winced, "You've come to look for him? The Soldier?"

So, my assumptions were right. "You're here for him too. Tell me where he is."

"Oh, princess." I put more pressure on the blade, the knife cutting deep. Rumlow was tough not to cry out immediately, I'll give him that, but I wasn't surprised at all. He was the king of being an asshole. The man's jaw set, "What makes you think I'll tell you so willingly?"

"Maybe you won't be so cocky when I gauge your eyeballs out."

"You and your threats." He scoffed. "He trained you well, didn't he? You were his little puppet for so long. What brings you here now? Are you running out of options?"

"Stop talking."

"Or are you here because you need him?"

"Stop."

"It's the law of nature, Echo. The puppet always comes beckoning to the master. You'd never be able to live without him. Because without The Soldier, you're nothing but a headcount. You're a nobody, princess. You were never your own person. You were just a vessel for Hydra's experiments. Did you ever think you could amount to more?"

A flash of denim appeared right before my eyes and Rumlow disappeared from my grip.

"She was right. You are an asshole."

Pietro fucking Maximoff. "Took you long enough."

"I was waiting for the right moment." And the right moment it was.

Pietro had Rumlow by the feet, hanging off the railing as if he was a sack of meat. I walked to stand beside him, looking down at the prick with a smirk on my face. He had in his hand a ten-inch knife. If it hadn't been for Pietro cutting in, I'd have been too distracted to catch that. "Still not going to tell me?"

Even in the face of death, he was arrogant. "I'm not afraid of heights."

"I bet you're afraid of falling, though." Pietro let go of his left foot.

Rumlow cried out at the change in balance, but he didn't give in. The knife in his hand came loose from his grip, falling to the ground 10 floors below. "You can kill me for all I care."

"Tell us where he is!"

He laughed, "The Soldat won't be easy to find."

Pietro looked to me, asking for a conclusion to the situation. Drop him or bring him up? God, I wanted so badly to let Pietro drop him. He wouldn't be missed. Why would the world need another killer like him? I knew Rumlow, he was one of the pricks who wouldn't think twice about killing an innocent person. If anything, he's killed more people than I have.

But...he was the only person who could lead us to the success of this mission. It wasn't like I was eager to find The Soldier, but I gave my word to Steve. I could just tie him up and torture him into submission.

"Bring him up." I sighed.

Brock Rumlow had other ideas. Neither of us saw it coming.

"Hail Hydra."

He pledged, then he shook his foot forcefully out of Pietro's grip, succumbing to the laws of physics as gravity pulled him to his desired death. I saw our only hope of finding The Soldier fall in slow motion, clenching my jaw as realisation set in.

I didn't even get an answer.

Pietro stayed leaning over the railing while I walked away from the scene. It was an unfortunate tragedy, one that would surely attract unwanted attention. We needed to get out of here before anyone could see us. Out of all the ways he decided to die, he chose the one that would inconvenience me the most.

"What are we going to do?"

I shook my head, "I'm exhausted."

"We should go."

I knew that. I did. Nonetheless, the only thing running through my head was how Steve Rogers was going to react to this. Would he make good on his threat?

"We just lost our only lead, Maximoff."

Now, how the hell was I supposed to fix this?

[calzona-ga]

Since 2005, Shondaland has produced groundbreaking television. And over the course of 17 seasons, Grey’s Anatomy has made more than its fair share of bold choices. From the killing off of Patrick Dempsey’s beloved McDreamy to the still-controversial ghost-sex story line, the ABC series has seen, and done, it all. But perhaps no episode was riskier than turning the popular medical drama into a musical for “Song Beneath the Song,” the infamous season-7 hour in which a pregnant Callie (Sara Ramirez) gets badly injured in a car accident and, while her fellow doctors work to save her life, sees her hallucinatory self burst into song — with the rest of the characters quickly following suit.

Coming from the mind of series creator Shonda Rhimes, a vocal fan of both Broadway shows and TV musicals like Buffy’s “Once More, With Feeling,” the Grey’s musical episode was a monumental moment for the show and for television. Many viewers praised its audacity and swooned over the vocal chops of stars like Ramirez and Chandra Wilson.

“Song Beneath the Song” made for one of the most memorable hours of television, earning strong ratings and leading the soundtrack, particularly Ramirez’s show-stopping rendition of Brandi Carlile’s “The Story,” to Billboard success. A decade later, its impact is still growing, thanks in part to the countless teenage Grey’s fans who’ve only recently discovered the series via Netflix. Like the show itself, the musical has become an indelible part of TV history — and so, 10 years after its premiere in March 2011, we spoke to the episode’s cast and crew to get the story of how it came to be.

Featuring thoughts from Rhimes; writers, producers, and co-showrunners Tony Phelan and Joan Rater; and actors Wilson, Kevin McKidd, Jessica Capshaw, Kim Raver, and Eric Dane, this is the oral history of “Song Beneath the Song.”

Finding the Inspiration

Inspired by a 2008 benefit concert in which several stars of Grey’s and its spinoff show Private Practice performed songs to support out-of-work Hollywood workers during the 2007-2008 writers’ strike, Rhimes decided to turn her long-held desire to make a Grey’s musical episode into a reality.

Rhimes (series creator and writer): I remember thinking to myself at a certain point, I have this sort of murderers’ row of Broadway people. Like, Chandra had been on Broadway and singing; obviously, Sara Ramirez had won a Tony on Broadway [for Best Featured Actress in a Musical, in 2005], which is how I first met her; and then I knew that Kevin could sing. There were so many people in the show with beautiful voices. ... It felt like it was leaning in that direction in a good way.

Rater (writer, producer, and co-showrunner): The first iteration for, like, two days when we first started batting around the idea was that we would write original music. It was all gonna be original music. And then we quickly realized that a) who’s gonna write that music?, and b) no, it doesn’t feel like the right thing. And then Shonda, I think a day or two later, came in with the idea that we would use these iconic songs.

Wilson (Dr. Miranda Bailey): But the studio wasn’t quite on board with this whole idea.

Convincing a Skeptical Network

After coming up with the episode’s plot and deciding that the characters would sing classic songs from the Grey’s soundtrack, like Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars” and the Fray’s “How to Save a Life,” Rhimes pitched the idea to the network — but, in a surprising first, she was told that they were going to pass.

Rhimes: By that point, I wasn’t getting notes on anything; nobody was saying no to me about anything. So it was really bizarre to me that there was all this resistance to doing a musical episode. And I remember somebody at the network saying, “Can’t you just do one of your love-triangle thingies again?” And I thought, my head’s gonna explode, because the show is not a bunch of “love-triangle thingies.” You guys have missed the point entirely. I felt like, no, every year of the show is a completely different show, and this year the show has a musical episode. And that’s the story.

McKidd (Dr. Owen Hunt): Tony, Joan, and Shonda basically said to us, “We are trying to convince Disney to give us actual money to do this musical episode, and we feel like we want to do a show-and-tell to show them what this musical episode could be. Are you guys willing to give your time to help us create this show-and-tell?” And we were like, “Yeah, of course.”

Wilson: So we gave them a concert. Sara, Kevin McKidd, and I, along with musicians, got together, and we performed this script that Shonda and Tony Phelan put together. Shonda did the narrating. And we went through what the entire episode would be, based on those iconic songs.

McKidd: I remember Sandra Oh came to the concert for the execs just to be moral support for us. And she became like our groupie — she would stand and cheer and whoop and holler in between all the songs.

Phelan (writer, producer, director, and co-showrunner): Once [the executives] saw it, and saw it could work, then they gave us the okay to do it.

Rhimes: I still feel like they thought we were crazy. But you couldn’t deny the talent in the room.

Getting the Cast on Board

Once the episode was greenlit, the team began the task of persuading a cast full of non-singers to simultaneously sing, act, and — in some cases — dance on screen.

Wilson: The offer was put out on the table from the beginning from Shonda — anybody that’s not interested in singing, you’re not required; you don’t have to do it.

Rater: I think Sandra from the beginning was like, nope.

Rhimes: She looked at me — it was her very deadpan face — and she was like, “I’m not singing.” And I was like, okay! If that’s not your thing, that is not your thing — that’s completely okay. And it didn’t feel like she was afraid to sing or push past this barrier. It felt like Cristina Yang doesn’t sing. And that made sense to me.

Rater: Ellen [Pompeo] has a great voice. She could’ve done more. ... Ellen was very gracious about, like, “I’ll doo-wop in the back; don’t worry about me. Let’s hear Chandra, let’s hear Sara, this is theirs.”

Capshaw (Dr. Arizona Robbins): In addition to Sara having this powerhouse voice, she was always very generous about others and never made anyone feel smaller because of her giant power. But singing with her was like, “Aw, man [laughs], how about you get this one? You got this leg of the race.”

Wilson: Probably the most frightened person was Kim Raver, bless her heart.

Raver (Dr. Teddy Altman): It was super-exciting and terrifying at the same time. We all love singing, but unless you’re Sara Ramirez or Chandra Wilson.

Dane (Dr. Mark Sloan): I don’t fancy myself a singer, so I said, “Shonda, in this particular episode, I want the least amount of lines.”

Rhimes: Eric Dane surprised me, because his voice had this lovely quality to it that was really nice.

Dane: I set her up for a catastrophe, so she had very low expectations.

Starting Rehearsals

For months leading up to the episode, the cast embarked on a grueling series of rehearsals and voice lessons, adding hours onto their already long daily schedules.

Capshaw: I had just had a baby, and I was really taking my life one day at a time. I knew it was going to be a big episode, but, timeliness-wise, it was a tough time. I think I was still breast-feeding.

Phelan: Usually in the writers’ room, you’ve got maybe six-to-eight weeks from the time you come up with an idea to the time that it’s shot. This we needed almost the entire season to plan for.

Raver: It was like riding a bike but then adding, like, six more wheels to it, and you had to kind of figure it out.

Capshaw: We were all bringing our A games. In normal days, it feels like there’s a familiarity, you can feel a little more casual, a little more off-the-cuff, but there was nothing off-the-cuff about this. It was all very high stakes because it was life or death, literally.

There were some silver linings, though.

Dane: We had these little earbuds in our ears, I guess like how you film musicals, so you can sync what you’re mouthing with the music in your ear. And so I went to the sound operator and said, “I can buy one of these earbuds, right? And I can create a content-receiver pack and connect it to an iPod and pipe music into this too theoretically, yes?” And he said, “Yeah, you could do that if you want to.” So I said, “So when I’m performing surgery in later episodes on this show, and I don’t have very many lines, theoretically I could be listening to music, and nobody would know?” And he said, “Yeah, theoretically, that would work.” So I had one made, and I shot many episodes in the surgical theater, sometimes with lines, listening to music, many times.

Filming the Episode

“Song Beneath the Song” revolved largely around the seriousness of Callie’s condition, but there were also some light moments, including a sexy, dance-filled take on “Running on Sunshine” featuring several of the show’s couples.

Capshaw: When Sara and I are in the car in the clouds — oh my god, I’ve never felt so goofy in my life [laughs].

Raver: Scott Foley [who played Teddy’s love interest Henry] and I had so much fun working together. He’s so funny, and so choreographing that dance singing number was really fun.

Wilson: Debbie Allen sent in Eartha Robinson, one of her choreographers from the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, who I knew from Fame, the television series. So this is who was coming in, teaching us how to twirl. And I was like, oh my god, I’m on Fame!

Early in the episode, McKidd’s Owen sing-shouts at his crew of doctors to “calm down” — a moment that, years later, became a widely shared meme for its over-the-top nature.

McKidd: In the scene, I think it was Kate Walsh — she’s brilliant; she’s a prankster — and Patrick and Eric Dane. And they were all arguing. And I’m sitting there and [the cameras] push in on me and I go, “Calm down.” And they couldn’t keep a straight face. Every time we did a take, they just would fall over laughing. And they were on camera giving me the eye line, and I had to sing this song seriously with those two actors just doubled over, like sidesplitting. It just tickled their funny bones so much. That was one of the hardest acting days of my life [laughs].

Capshaw: For sure, many, many, many shots were taken at Kevin McKidd for his “calm down” [laughs]. ... He really took on the rock-&-roll part of it.

McKidd: My daughter, who’s big on Twitter, she said that “calm down” thing’s like a serious meme thing now, which I guess is an honor. I don’t know.

The biggest moment of the hour came at the end, when Ramirez, a Tony winner for Spamalot, sang “The Story” as Callie fought for her life.

Phelan: When Sara came to Grey’s, she had this idea that she absolutely wanted to be known as an actress not a singer. And so for her first couple seasons on the show, she kind of left that side of her behind. Then, here was Shonda and I coming to her and saying, “No, we want to re-engage that part of you and put it on the show.” And so I think that she got nervous about that ... but to hear that amazing, magical voice come out of her ... that was the moment that was going to be able to sustain the music [of the whole episode].

Rhimes: When she sings “The Story,” I mean — I wrote the episode; I know what’s gonna happen. I’ve seen it a thousand times. It has nothing to do with me. But I always tear up a little bit because of her extraordinary voice and extraordinary performance.

Wilson: What a showcase it was for Sara Ramirez. I’m so glad that she got to share that part of herself with our audiences.

Reading Those Reviews

On March 31, 2011, the episode aired. While it garnered strong ratings, viewers’ reactions to “Song Beneath the Song” were mixed.

McKidd: I think we all went into it with our eyes open, and we knew there was gonna be mixed reviews. Because some people are gonna love it, and some people aren’t. But that shouldn’t stop people from taking a few risks in what we do, you know?

Rater: I remember being shocked that there were people who didn’t like it. I was like, come on!

Capshaw: It didn’t feel like [the reviews] were gonna affect anything either way. It wasn’t gonna be like, “Oh my gosh, that was too silly, and I’m never watching Grey’s again.” It had already found its place in people’s hearts.

Rhimes: I learned very quickly [on Grey’s] that if you’re gonna believe the good things people say about you, you have to believe the bad things people say. So there’s no point in paying attention to any of it. ... Nobody’s gonna like everything that you do.

Phelan: I know there are a lot of people who don’t like it, who felt like it bent the show too much, but it’s season 7 of a show, and if you’re not taking big swings when you’re on season 7 on a show, something’s wrong.

Creating a Legacy

Despite the critical reactions, the episode has developed something of a cult following over the years, thanks to live benefits and TikTok memes. A decade later, its creators all look back fondly on the hour and its impact.

Wilson: [The cast] watched it together, and I remember feeling like, wow, look at what we did!

Capshaw: When we showed up to do that benefit concert, I remember coming out onstage ... and being completely, completely overwhelmed with the people that responded to Arizona in that episode, and to the love story between Callie and Arizona.

Phelan: As a director, it was the biggest challenge of my career to do that, and it’s one of the things that I’m most proud of.

Raver: I’ll be in my car singing along, or at work if we’re in the hair-and-makeup trailer and we’re listening to [the soundtrack], it’s just an immediate flashback. It kind of feels like yesterday.

Wilson: The soundtrack is on my playlist on my phone [laughs]. So I will pop that thing out in a minute, because it’s just absolute happy memories.

Rater: If I’m cooking, that is what I put on. That’s what I tell Alexa to play for me.

Rhimes: I feel like that episode just always reminds me of having so much fun. That was what was really great. We had so much fun. And how much do you get to say that about just being at work?

Dane: As a cast, contrary to what some of the entertainment media might have speculated, we were all very close. We all spent a lot of time together, and a lot of that stuff felt really real to us. It was easy to access because of how we felt about each other off screen.

Raver: I just remember it being such an incredible experience, being able to work with all these incredibly talented actors and creators.

Rhimes: It’s right in my top 10 of episodes we’ve ever done.

Dane: I don’t particularly want to do it again, but I’m glad I did it.

[icycoolslushie]

Cat Calendars - Kierarktina One-shot

@im-not-ruined-im-ruination requested a TDA character one-shot for my 75 followers celebration. There were no specifics, so I just did a Kierarktina one because I had an idea for it. If you want me to do another one, please let me know!

Cristina drew the Open rune on the door and it opened. Duh.

Kieran, who was admiring a photo of an otter, turned to Mark and Cristina. “How are things going with the Alliance?”

“Good,” Cristina said, “but Elliot has requested a Halloween party where the Hotel Dumort will be turned into a haunted house.”

“What’s a haunted house?” Kieran asked.

“A spooky house full of terrors,” Mark said darkly.

“What about Valentine’s Day?”

“‘For Valentine’s Day us vampires shall declare our love by sucking everyone’s blood.’” Cristina snorted. “I have no idea why Lily made him her second-in-command.”

But Mark was looking at Kieran with an odd expression. “Why did you ask about Valentine’s Day?”

The King of the Unseelie Court shrugged, which made him look like a teenager. “I just wanted to express my love for four people and things.”

“Who?” Mark asked abruptly.

“A Blackthorn should know better. You and Cristina, of course.” Kieran had a small smile on his face.

“Oh, Kieran.” Cristina kissed his cheek.

“Who’s third?” Mark said.

Kieran gave a big, goofy smile. “Me.”

“Oh, we’re really in it for cocky Kieran now, huh?” Mark muttered. He looked pointedly at Kieran. “Stop channeling your inner Emma Carstairs.”

Cristina rolled her eyes. “What about the fourth person? Is it Adaon”—Kieran shook his head—“or Windspear?”

Kieran raised a finger thoughtfully. “I must admit I did not think about that. He can be fifth. The fourth space is reserved.”

“For who?” Mark was curious. Kieran loved Windspear. Who would he rank above his horse?

Kieran looked fondly across the room, where something hung on the wall. “My beloved cat calendars.”

[tamquamm-alter-idem]

Emma Carstairs for the character asks!

OMG Emma my beloved

My otp for them:  BLACKSTAIRS BLACKSTAIRS BLACKSTAIRS BLACK-

My brotp for them: oh definitely her and Cristina their friendship is *chefs kiss*

Any other ships: yeah um no, nobody can even compre to Julian fucking Blackthorn

Their best friend: I’m gonna take this as another best friend and say Clary because their bond is so cute

My favorite nickname for them: has to be Ems (only Jules calls her that sometimes and it’s ADORABLE)

My favorite AU of them: oo like TLH era AU emma would be very interesting

My favorite outfit they wear: hmm something like this since she loves vintage dresses:

Defining color: brown, like her eyes

Would I date them: HELL YES ( unlikely tho)

First impression: LOVE LOVE LOVE WOULD DIE FOR HER

Current impression: LOVE LOVE LOVE WOULD DIE FOR HER

Hogwarts House: gotta be Gryffindor

Thank u for the ask!

[ashleysanatomy]

the audience needs your ranking of the male and female characters

LET'S GOOOOOOOO

female

MIRANDA this will always be true my beloved my one and only

cristina ok so listen so far in season 7 i like callie better but overall ranking cristina takes 2nd

callie omg her and sloan together friendship oh wow ..... <3

lexie i love her but she NEEDS to get back w sloan immediately bc theyre my fave greys couple

meredith ok she has grown on me so much i couldnt stand her annoying ass but now that she is not fighting w derek all the time i can really appreciate her character

arizona ok so i am very conflicted by her bc the majority of the time i like her a lot but sometimes she says some awful shit omg she just left for africa so bye

april she annoy me sometimes but i feel like she is growing on me and i will end up liking her

teddy omg sorry to her but out of all the female characters i am most indifferent to her

hahn omg fuck her annoying ass

izzie omg i thank my lucky stars every day that she is gone

male

sloan YUP that's true ...... he deserves top spot

idk if i can decide just yet so im putting my 2 kings jackson and alex here together bc i havent decided who will take the no. 2 spot

derek i guess whatever

chief webber he is a garbage man but the others are even worse

burke another garbage man thank god he is gone in jesus name amen

g*orge thank god he is also gone

ow*n when will he die PLEASE i am begging

[chibi-tsukiko]

EMMY DARLING CONGRATS!!! you deserve these and so much more, both here and on instagram ♥️ I’m so happy your art is getting recognition and you are the kindest and loveliest person ever!!! 💖💖💖 ofc, Im going to ask for 🎨+Cristina Rosales ♥️♥️

@fairychildmatthew THANK YOUUUUUU 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺♥️♥️♥️♥️ im gunna crrryyyyyyyy

💖- personal EmCouragement

ROSEBUD!!!!! MY BEAUTIFUL DARLING ROSEBUD!!! YOU ARE BELOVED!!! You are so talented and you are constantly working and improving everyday and I am constantly in awe and inspired by you! Remember we are all our own worst critics, but don’t let that critical voice drown out the cheers and applause from all those who love and support you! You are magnificent, special, and oh so very precious. You shine like the sun my Rosebud and your kindness and your art, like the suns rays, give light to everyone around you!  ♥️♥️♥️♥️

🎨- A chibi drawing of you or a TSC character

Cristina Rosales

HERE IS YOUR LADY OF ROSES FOR MY ROSEBUD 😘😘

Emmy Celebrates 500 🎉