I’ve been watching Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix, and while watching it, I had so many random thoughts while watching it that I needed to get it all out!

There are going to be spoilers for all 11 seasons.  You have been warned.  

First, my thoughts on Season 11.

Which is the season that just happened, for anyone who is curious.

Did Addison go to Derek’s funeral?  I don’t think we’ll ever know, and in the long run, I don’t think it’s that important, but I am curious.  I know they’re divorced, and it seemed like they didn’t talk much after that…well, maybe but I’m not sure.  But she is his ex-wife…

Overall, I liked the structure of season 11, and the focus on Meredith and her past, especially in relation to her history with her mom.  I am wondering how far ahead Shonda Rhimes knew that Derek was going to die, because there were some really interesting parallels between Meredith and her mom, and this time around, it did seem like it was hinted at throughout the season.

Re-watching this season, it’s actually surprising that it took so long for Maggie to come in- considering the fact that the affair Richard and Ellis is a very well-known fact at this point, and looking back, it fits in with everything else this season, and it does seem like the best point for it to come up.  I don’t, unfortunately, remember what I thought about Meredith having a half-sister, except that I wasn’t sure.  I didn’t really pay attention to what I thought about it at the time.

I kind of wonder if it was always something Rhimes considered- both the introduction of Maggie, and the death of Derek, and she was waiting for the right time to write those things in.  Like, on NCIS, the death of Mike Franks was always in the back of someone’s mind (whoever it is makes those decisions), and they were waiting for the right time to work it in.  That’s the feel I got with both things while marathoning it.

I was also nervous about Yang (played by Sandra Oh) not being on the show anymore, but I was surprised by how much I didn’t miss her being gone.  She’s a great character, and I miss her, but I thought the show didn’t suffer for it.

Random Thoughts On Other Seasons

The free clinic.  It was important for a while, but then it wasn’t really mentioned or a place where they went anymore.  I’m curious if it got dropped in favor of other story lines, or if went away the way the E.R. almost went away when Pegasus tried to take over the hospital, or if it’s still there but not a story line anymore.

I kind of miss how much they interacted with the nurses and other hospital staff.  It’s probably something that’s been dropped with because of the different story lines, but still.  I miss it.

It also seems like there are a lot more characters now then there were when the show started, and sometimes, it feels like the number of things going on and characters to focus on seem a little overwhelming.  But it is the sort of show that can go on for a long time, because you can always bring in new characters as old ones leave.

It’s amazing how different the few remaining original cast members look- especially Meredith.

After the plane crash, during the first couple of episodes of season 9…it was hard to watch.  But it really struck me how much they needed to have what happened in the woods as the second episode. It had a lot more impact and was truly heart-breaking knowing what happened after those events happened.  Especially when you’re doing a re-watch.

Considering how many of the hospital staff get together, I’m surprised that it took so long for them to have an official policy on workplace relationships.  In real life, a hospital like Seattle Grace probably would have had something like that in place already. Obviously, I’m not watching it because it’s just like real life, but really, so many seasons in, and it takes an intern lodging a complaint for them to do something?  Granted, it’s why we have Derek and Meredith (love them!) and Mark and Lexie (miss them!) but it still popped into my head.  And they do spend so much time together that it makes sense.

It really is easy to forget about characters once they’re off the show.  Like the couple of interns from Mercy West, who died in the shooting, or Dr Brooks and Leah Murphy, even though they left more recently.

Whatever happened to Meredith’s dad?  With Lexie gone, there really is no point to having him mentioned again, and he and Meredith never really had a relationship in the first place.  I can’t remember if it was mentioned- the last thing I remember was the liver transplant, and after that, nothing.

I feel like there used to be more funny moments, and now, it doesn’t seem like there are as many now.  Which is fine, but I kind of miss the funny moments.

I think Grey’s is going to be on for a while, but I am curious about how they’re going to end the series…when it does, of course. I don’t want it go anywhere, but I am sort of wondering what might be in store for us in general, especially with the death of Derek.

Interns!  There was the first group seasons ago, that had Lexie and George, and the one that had Ben, Wilson and Edwards. And there’s the new group introduced at the end of season 11, so I’m curious if any of them will stick around and if they’ll have more of a role.  I still think there’s a lot going on, even without an intern story line, and I kind of didn’t notice until the end of season 11 that groups of interns were few and far between.  Maybe they’re there, and just never appeared on the show or something.

Happy Sunday everyone!