I think at this point in the Golden Age of Television, we need a word for shows that remain, against all odds, in our consciousness and vocabulary. Like the fact that Friends is so squarely 90s, but still clearly resonates with teens and 20somethings who weren’t alive when it was on the air. Curb Your Enthusiasm started 20 years ago, but still has juice and the ability to create catchphrases. Hell, The Simpsons, still…

…but probably the biggest of all of these surprise stalwarts is Grey’s Anatomy. It’s in its 16th season, and somehow, as Lainey and I discuss, its particular voice and tone are still clear and present in all our heads, whether we stopped watching years ago or not (and it’s still the #1 show, so those of us who stopped are in the minority). 

Which is why handling the departure of OG character Alex Karev is as big a deal, if not bigger, than the departure of actor Justin Chambers. We break down why this is different from other notable Grey’s Anatomy departures, both good and bad, and walk through the choices the writers’ room would have had. Not everyone is happy about how the storyline wound up, but we break down the work of finding a story that works for the show, the story, and the actors, and point out why it might actually have been a remarkable TV moment. 

We also take up last week’s homework – Kristy asked us to talk about Ali Wong’s appearance on Conan O’Brien’s podcast, and as she predicted, we relish her work talk about word choices and celebrate the examples that make her jokes land so precisely, from “Kirkland” to “Amish masturbation”.  

But we also really dug the stuff Conan admits he could learn from Ali – sure, her relentless work ethic is enviable, but she also gives us a Master class in this season’s constant throughline: why learning not to give a f*ck is so important to your career. We share some of our successes and failures on that front, and want to hear yours (especially if your embarrassing moment tops my confession). 

Plus, what’s it like to meet a personal hero after a lifetime of admiring them? Some of ours are still super active in the business, brought to us by massive Hollywood blockbusters or gloriously surprising Hulu series… so the stakes – will I love them as much now as I did back then? – are surprisingly high! 

We love hearing from you and your thoughts on showing your work – please keep sending us your reactions, suggestions, and stories, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!