If Tomorrow Never Comes (Grey's Anatomy)

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"If Tomorrow Never Comes"
Grey's Anatomy episode
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 6
Directed by Scott Brazil
Written by Krista Vernoff
Production code106
Original air dateMay 1, 2005 (2005-05-01)
Guest appearances
  • Alex Alexander as Annie Connors
  • Bruce Weitz as Mr. Levangie
Episode chronology
 Previous
"Shake Your Groove Thing"
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"The Self-Destruct Button"
Grey's Anatomy season 1
List of episodes

"If Tomorrow Never Comes" is the sixth episode of the first season of the American television medical drama Grey's Anatomy , which first aired on ABC on May 1, 2005. The episode was written by Krista Vernoff and was directed by Scott Brazil.

Contents

On its initial airing, the episode garnered an American audience of 18.54 million viewers and received mixed-to-positive reviews from television critics.

Plot

The episode opens with a voice-over narration from Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) about conquering fear, taking action, and valuing effort over regret.

The interns are left speechless when Annie Connors (played by Alex Alexander) arrives with a massive, record-breaking tumor, though her prognosis is grim. Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) and Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) face potential risks to their jobs after Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) discovers their relationship, making it clear that Derek should not give Meredith any special treatment. Meanwhile, Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl) encourages George O'Malley (T. R. Knight) to ask Meredith out, and the relationship between Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) and Preston Burke (Isaiah Washington) continues to deepen.

Production

This episode marked the first written by Krista Vernoff. Vernoff revealed that in the original storyline, the woman with the tumor was supposed to survive. [1] [2] However, after writing the script, Vernoff decided that the character had to die. Since the episode's theme was procrastination, Vernoff explained, "The message I wanted to give was not, 'Hey, it’s okay to put off going to see a doctor for two years because it all turns out alright in the end.'" [3]

Release

"If Tomorrow Never Comes" debuted on Sunday, May 1, 2005, winning its time slot with 18.54 million viewers, an 8.5 average share, and achieving a record high for the show among young adult viewers. [4] [5] [6] It ranked sixth overall among programs airing that week. [7] Building on the strong ratings from the first five episodes, the show's renewal for a second season was announced shortly after. [8]

Reception

"If Tomorrow Never Comes" received mixed-to-positive reviews from television critics upon telecast. In 2006, the Ottawa Citizen described this early episode as "not among Grey's Anatomy's best, but the signs of future greatness are there". [9] In 2009, Variety listed the tumor storyline from this episode as one of the 10 "most bizarre medical maladies" in the first 100 episodes of the series. [10]

Related Research Articles

<i>Greys Anatomy</i> season 1 Season of television series

The first season of the American television medical drama Grey's Anatomy began airing in the United States on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) on March 27, 2005, and concluded on May 22, 2005, and consisted of only nine episodes, making it the shortest season to date. The first season introduces the main character, Meredith Grey, as she enrolls in Seattle Grace Hospital's internship program and faces unexpected challenges and surprises. Season one had nine series regulars, three of whom have been part of the main cast ever since. The season initially served as a mid-season replacement for the legal drama Boston Legal, airing in the Sunday night time slot at 10:00, after Desperate Housewives. Although no clip shows have been produced for this season, the events that occur are recapped in "Straight to Heart", a clip-show which aired one week before the winter holiday hiatus of the second season ended. The season was officially released on DVD as two-disc Region 1 box set under the title of Grey's Anatomy: Season One on February 14, 2006, by Buena Vista Home Entertainment.

<i>Greys Anatomy</i> season 2 Season of television series

The second season of the American television medical drama Grey's Anatomy commenced airing on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) on September 25, 2005, and concluded on May 15, 2006. The season was produced by Touchstone Television in conjuction with Shondaland production company and The Mark Gordon Company, the showrunner being Shonda Rhimes. Actors Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh, Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers, and T. R. Knight reprised their roles as surgical interns Meredith Grey, Cristina Yang, Izzie Stevens, Alex Karev, and George O'Malley respectively. Previous main cast members Chandra Wilson, James Pickens, Jr., Isaiah Washington and Patrick Dempsey 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. Internationally, the season was distributed by Buena Vista International Television.

<i>Greys Anatomy</i> season 3 Season of television series

The third season of the American television medical drama Grey's Anatomy, commenced airing on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) on September 21, 2006, and concluded on May 17, 2007. The season was produced by Touchstone Television, in association with Shondaland Production Company and The Mark Gordon Company, the showrunner being Shonda Rhimes. Actors Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh, Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers and T. R. Knight reprised their roles as surgical interns Meredith Grey, Cristina Yang, Izzie Stevens, Alex Karev and George O'Malley, respectively, continuing their expansive storylines as focal points throughout the season. Previous main cast members Chandra Wilson, James Pickens, Jr., Kate Walsh, Isaiah Washington, and Patrick Dempsey also returned, while previous guest-stars Sara Ramirez and Eric Dane were promoted to series-regulars, following the extension of their contracts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derek Shepherd</span> Fictional character in Greys Anatomy

Derek Christopher Shepherd, often referred to as "McDreamy" for his “attractiveness”, is a fictional surgeon from the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy, portrayed by actor Patrick Dempsey. He made his first appearance in the series' pilot episode, "A Hard Day's Night", which was broadcast on March 27, 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Izzie Stevens</span> Fictional character from the television show Greys Anatomy

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 Rhimes, and was portrayed by actress Katherine Heigl from 2005 to 2010. Introduced as a surgical intern at the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital, Izzie worked her way up to resident level, while her relationships with her colleagues Meredith Grey, Cristina Yang, Alex Karev and George O'Malley formed a focal point of the series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Addison Montgomery</span> Fictional character

Addison Adrianne Forbes Montgomery, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.C.O.G., previously known as Shepherd, is a fictional character who first appeared as a supporting main character on the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy, and as the protagonist of its spin-off Private Practice played by Kate Walsh. Addison is a world-class neonatal surgeon with board certifications in both obstetrics and gynaecology and maternal–fetal medicine. In addition, she has completed a medical genetics fellowship.

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References

  1. Wilson, Leah. Grey's Anatomy 101: Seattle Grace, Unauthorized, p. 59 (2007)
  2. (15 June 2006). New Contract For Grey's Anatomy Writer, tvfanatic ("She has written five Grey's Anatomy episodes exclusively, including some of the young series' best-known: "Make Me Lose Control," "Into You Like A Train," "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer," "Yesterday" and "If Tomorrow Never Comes."")
  3. Vernoff, Katie (27 July 2006). Krista Vernoff on writing her first episode... Archived 2013-07-02 at the Wayback Machine , Greywriters.com
  4. Aurthur, Kate (3 May 2005). Arts, Briefly; A Sweeping Weekend, The New York Times
  5. (2 May 2005). Super welcome back for 'Family Guy' Sunday, Media Life
  6. Levin Gary (3 May 2005). 'Guy' fares better than 'Dad', USA Today
  7. "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. May 3, 2005. Retrieved July 1, 2009.
  8. (4 May 2005). Thumbs Up for Grey's Anatomy, Broadcasting & Cable
  9. (27 July 2006). Grey's Anatomy shows there's hope for TV yet, Ottawa Citizen
  10. Chen, Sandie Angulo (6 May 2009). 'Grey's' most bizzarre[sic] medical maladies, Variety (magazine)