Season 1 Episode 1 : A Hard Day's Night

A Hard Day's Night
Air Date: March 27, 2005

"I could quit, but here's the thing: I love the playing field"

Meredith Grey woke up next to a guy named Derek. And she promptly said good-bye to him, presumably for good, as she went off for her first day of work as a surgical intern at Seattle Grace Hospital. Meredith, along with fellow interns Cristina Yang, Izzie Stevens, and George O'Malley, all get assigned to surgical resident Dr. Miranda Bailey, but they would all come to know her as "The Nazi" (for her abrasive treatment of interns).

Meredith's first patient, a teenage beauty pageant contestant, recently began suffering from seizures so severe they threatened her life. As a neurological disorder that might need surgery, a neurosurgeon new to Seattle Grace gets put on the case to work with Meredith. That neurosurgeon is none other than Dr. Derek Shepherd, Meredith's would-be one-night-stand. Derek wants to talk to Meredith about the previous night, but Meredith wants none of that. He's an attending, she's an intern, that's what their relationship should be.

Meredith forms an immediate bond with Cristina that gets quickly tested when Derek chooses Meredith over Cristina to scrub in on brain surgery (it would've been a first for either of them). Izzie is assigned to do rectal exams amidst frustrating bouts of deciding when it's appropriate or not to bother Bailey. And George gets selected by the arrogant Dr. Preston Burke to actually perform a surgery - an honor he allegedly bestows on the intern who shows the most promise, but in actuality is for the intern he just wants to torture and make an example of in front of the others. George freezes up during an appendectomy with Burke and gets branded "007" - license to kill - by a fellow intern that rubs everyone the wrong way - Alex Karev. Alex also insults Meredith, but he gets his comeuppance when she is able to offer a proper diagnosis for one of Alex's patients in front of Dr. Richard Webber, Chief of Surgery at Seattle Grace.

Dr. Webber, by the way, turns out to be a friend of Meredith's mother, the famous Dr. Ellis Grey (whom all the interns hold in the highest regard). We get the impression that the relationship between Meredith and Ellis wasn't the best - Ellis didn't think Meredith had what it takes to go to medical school -- but no one, save for Meredith, knows that early onset Alzheimer's Disease has left her a shell of the person she once was, relegating her now to a nursing home.

Cast : Richard Webber

CHARACTER

The Chief of Surgery at Seattle Grace Hospital. He strives to balance both the medicinal and financial sides of running such an important institution.

Richard Webber often refers to the financial implications of things, such as Derek punching out Mark (and risking his "$2 million-per-year hand"), or why he cannot prevent the nurses union from striking.

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ACTOR

Richard Webber
AS PLAYED BY JAMES PICKENS

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, James Pickens, Jr. started acting at the Karamu House, distinguished as the oldest African-American theater in the United States. After moving to New York, he performed in the historic 1981 production of Charles Fullers' "A Soldiers Play" at the Negro Ensemble Company with fellow cast members Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson. He was a member of the famed Circle Rep/Steppenwolf Theatre Company co-production of Lanford Wilson's "Balm in Gilead," and he starred as Water Lee in the 25th anniversary revival of "A Raisin in the Sun" at the Roundabout Theater.

In 1990 Pickens moved to the West Coast and began an impressive run of film and television performances. On the big screen, he has been directed by some of the film industry's finest, including Steven Soderbergh in "Traffic," Oliver Stone in "Nixon" and Warren Beatty in "Bulworth," and he appeared in four Barry Levinson films -- "Sleepers," "Sphere," "Jimmy Hollywood" and "Liberty Heights." He portrayed slain civil rights leader Medgan Evers in "Ghosts of Mississippi" (directed by Rob Reiner), and he played Angela Bassett's ex-husband in "How Stella Got Her Groove Back." Other films include "Menace II Society," "Home Room," "Gridlock'd" and the upcoming "Ball Don't Lie."

He is well known to television audiences for his recurring roles on hit series including "NYPD Blue," "The X-Files," "The Practice," "Philly," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Six Feet Under," "The West Wing," "Rosanne" and "Beverly Hills 90210." He starred opposite Rob Lowe in "The Lyons Den" (NBC) and also starred with William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman in "A Slight Case of Murder" (TNT). He received a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Drama Ensemble and two NAACP Image Awards nominations for his role on "Grey's Anatomy."

A man of wide ranging interests and passions, Pickens came full circle with his beloved Karamu House when he served as executive producer of Otis Sallid's hit musical review, "Gospel, Gospel, Gospel," which opened to rave reviews and will be performing around the country. He is a member of the Untied States Team Roping Championship, roping cattle on horseback at events across the country.

He and his wife, Gina, a singer, live in the San Fernando Valley. They have a son and a daughter.

Source : http://abc.go.com/primetime/greysanatomy/

Cast : Miranda Bailey

CHARACTER

Thought you were gonna find something about me? Think again. Now get back to work.

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ACTOR


Miranda Bailey
AS PLAYED BY CHANDRA WILSON

For her critically-acclaimed role of Dr. Miranda Bailey on "Grey's Anatomy," Chandra Wilson earned an Actor (Screen Actors Guild Award) for Best Actress in a Drama Series and an NAACP Image Award. She was also nominated for an Emmy and a BET Award.

This Houston, Texas native began performing in musicals at the age of five with Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS), where she appeared in more than ten of their major musical productions. At Houston's Ensemble Theatre she portrayed Li'l Bits in "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show" and, in the summer of 2005, received their Rising Star honor for her accomplishments. She graduated from Houston's High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and later went on to acquire her BFA in Drama from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. There she spent four years training at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute.

Her greatest New York stage accomplishment thus far is her portrayal of Bonna Willis in the production of "The Good Times are Killing Me," by Lynda Barry, both at the Second Stage and Minetta Lane Theatres, which won her a Theatre World Award for Outstanding Debut Performance. In the Spring of 2004 she was selected by The New York Times as one of "8 to Watch, Onstage and Behind the Scenes." This honor came in conjunction with the Broadway opening of "Caroline, or Change," written by Tony Kushner, composed by Jeanine Tesori and directed by George C. Wolfe, in which she portrayed Dotty Moffett opposite the formidable Tonya Pinkins at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre. She was also in the Broadway productions of "Avenue Q" and "On the Town." Other stage credits include "Caroline, or Change" at the Public Theatre, "The Miracle Worker" at Charlotte Repertory Theatre, "Paper Moon: The Musical" at The Papermill Playhouse, "The Family of Mann" by Theresa Rebeck at the Second Stage Theatre, "Believing" for the Young Playwright's Festival at Playwrights Horizons and "Little Shop of Horrors" at the Falmouth Playhouse.

Her television credits include series regular Claudia Hopper on ABC's "Bob Patterson," along with numerous guest appearances on "The Sopranos," "Law & Order," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "Sex and the City," "Third Watch," "100 Centre Street," "Cosby" and "The Cosby Show." She has also had recurring roles on "One Life to Live" and "Queens Supreme."

On the big screen she's had supporting roles in the films "Lone Star," directed by John Sayles, and "Philadelphia," directed by Jonathan Demme.

Source : http://abc.go.com/primetime/greysanatomy/

Cast : Alex Karev

CHARACTER


Seattle Grace Hospital
Intern Quarterly Evaluation

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Physician's Name : Alex Karev
Service : Surgery
Evaluator's Name : Dr. Calliope Torres
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Strengths:
I have to admit Karev really cares about his patients. I really thought he would always stick to Plastics, but lately, he has had a gift in the Neo-Natal Service. He seems to have a way with those babies. or maybe with the mothers.

Weaknesses:
Unfortunately he frequently shows disregard to his superiors - choosing to do what HE thinks is right, rather than follow hospital protocol or listen to orders. It's even worse now that he's a resident. Always wanting to switch cases or yell at his interns, hopefully it won't get worse.

Past Performance at SGH:
Though he failed his boards in the beginning, Karev seems to be growing more mature since his intern year and hopefully will learn to curb his stubbornness and attitude as he advances into this next year. He just needs to learn when to keep his mouth shut.

Additional Comments:
If it wasn't for Karev, I don't think our ferry boat Jane Doe (or as Karev named her, 'AVA') would have made it. He went far beyond his surgical duties and really put in the time to help her recover. He spent a lot of time in her room.

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ACTOR

Alex Karev
AS PLAYED BY JUSTIN CHAMBERS

Justin Chambers was born and raised in Springfield, Ohio. Discovered on a subway in Paris, he began his career as a professional model working throughout Europe, Japan and the U.S. with contracts at Calvin Klein and Armani, among others.

Setting his sights on acting, Chambers moved to New York and studied for four years at H.B. Studios and Ron Stetson Studios. His training garnered him several television roles, including "Another World," "New York Undercover," "Rose Hill," with Jennifer Garner, and "Four Corners," with Ann-Margaret.

Described as "part James Dean, part Marlon Brando" (Harper's Bazaar, 1998), Chambers got his big break when he was cast in his first feature film, "Liberty Heights," directed by Barry Levinson. As a privileged but good-hearted troublemaker, he proved that he had the acting chops to hold his own opposite co-star Adrien Brody, and soon went on to play the lead role of D'Artagnan in Universal's action/adventure, "The Musketeer." Additionally Chambers starred opposite Jennifer Lopez in the hit romantic comedy, "The Wedding Planner," and with Uma Thurman in HBO's critically acclaimed "Hysterical Blindness." He will soon appear in Neil LaBute's ("In The Company Of Men") film, "Lakeview Terrace," opposite Samuel L. Jackson, Kerry Washington and Patrick Wilson.

Chambers currently resides in NY with his wife and five children.

Source : http://abc.go.com/primetime/greysanatomy/

Cast : George O'Malley

CHARACTER


FROM THE DESK OF DR. PATTON PATTERSON
Dean of the School of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University


Dear Richard,

I am writing on behalf of George O'Malley, a candidate for your surgical residency program. At first glance, his grades may not be as competitive as your other candidates, but I assure you his strengths outweigh his weaknesses. Over the last four years, I've seen George display a number of skills that I feel are lacking in modern medicine. In fact, just last month, George exhibited the single greatest act of medical compassion I've ever seen from a student. I will spare you the details, but suffice it to say, I've never seen such extraordinary efforts to save a kitten's life. Though the kitten died anyway, it just warms my heart. And that is why I feel like George would not just be a wonderful addition your program, but also to the field of medicine in its entirety.


Thanks for your time,
Patton

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ACTOR

George O'Malley
AS PLAYED BY T.R. Knight

T.R. Knight was last seen on Broadway as Damis in "Tartuffe," with Brian Bedford, and as Tim Allgood in Michael Frayn's "Noises Off," opposite Patti LuPone, Pete Gallagher and Richard Easton. Off-Broadway credits include the title role in "Boy," by Julia Jordon, for which he received a Drama League nomination; "Scattergood," by Anto Howard, for which he received a Drama Desk nomination; "Macbeth"; "This Lime Tree Bower," by Conor McPherson, and Jessica Goldberg's "The Hologram Theory."

In Minneapolis, where he was raised, Knight was a member of the acting company at the Guthrie Theater. Credits there include "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Racing Demon," "Philadelphia, Here I Come," "Ah, Wilderness!," and the title role in Peter Schaffer's "Amadeus."
On television he was a series regular opposite Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalf in "Charlie Lawrence," and he has guest starred on "CSI" and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent."

Source : http://abc.go.com/primetime/greysanatomy/