A Grey's Anatomy Survival Guide For The Brave New Viewer
Grey's is not a TV show, it is a lifestyle. A very emotionally volatile lifestyle.
So you want to watch Grey's? Excellent choice. While Grey's Anatomy is an exemplary television drama, it is also a complete emotional rollercoaster, and it may, or may not, completely destroy your ability to love/ have faith in humanity as a whole.
For starters, here is a list of things that undeniably WILL happen:
You will become confident in your ability to perform an api.
You will begin calling at least one of your friend's man-friends ‘Mc-something.'
You will cry.
You will full on scream at the television/ laptop.
You will continually be muttering/screaming/sobbing 'why Shonda!? why?!'
You will full on UGLY cry.
You will threaten to quit, in a blind rage screaming "THAT'S IT! I'M OUT!" You won't be out, though, you won't.
Repeat.
If you are not ok with the reality and inevitability of this cycle, you may stop reading now.
For the brave soldiers who wish to continue, there are a few things you should consider before you begin the emotional odyssey that is watching Grey's Anatomy.
1 - Do you have a full-time job?
Grey's IS a full time job. It will take over your life. It is not a TV show, it is a lifestyle. If you have a full-time job, we are warning you now, you will not be sleeping at all.
1. Not. Get. Attached.
You will get attached, you will fall madly in love with a character, and they will be painfully ripped away from you. It's a cruel, cruel, world.
3 - No one is safe.
No one, and I mean no one, is safe from the mighty wrath wielded by Queen Shonda Rhimes. In other shows, you think to yourself there's no way x character can die, they're the MAIN character, and then they don't die, YAY. Yeah, no, that does not apply here.
4 - Set an alarm.
When you sit down to watch Grey's, set an alarm for however long you want to watch TV that day. Otherwise, all of a sudden, 10 episodes deep, you will realize the sun is rising and you must unfortunately return to the real world.
5 - Always have a bottle of wine/ tequila readily available.
You will need it.
6 - Always have your favorite comfort food readily available.
Again, you will need it.
7 - Always have tissues readily available.
Again, duh, you will need copious amounts of these bad boys for all the ugly crying you will be doing.
8 - Call a friend who has already gone through and survived Grey’s
Tell this friend you are about to watch Grey's. They will be excited, sad, and scared for you. They will also be angry that they can't re-watch it for the first time again themselves.
9 - Insist said friend watch certain episodes with you.
Watching Grey's is kind of like being in an on-again-off-again relationship. It feels SO GOOD when things are good (for legit 20 seconds), and then it feels SO BAD when its bad (the other 41min and 40seconds). You need emotional support for that. For your own emotional well-being we recommend never watching any season finales alone, ever. But really, just don't do it.
10 - Good Luck, may Shonda be ever in your favor.
She won't be, but good luck anyway! Grey's is an incredible TV show. It truly is a one of a kind viewing experience. You will become more emotionally invested in the lives of these characters than you are in your own friends, you will become more emotionally volatile, and it will all be well worth it. And who knows, you may even learn a few fun medical facts along the way!
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