As We Know It

"As We Know It" is the 17th episode of the second season of the American television medical drama Grey's Anatomy and the show's 26th episode overall. Written by series creator Shonda Rhimes and directed by co-executive producer Peter Horton, it originally aired on February 12, 2006, and is the second of a two-part story, following the first part, "It's the End of the World".

On its original broadcast, it was watched by 25.42 million viewers, with both parts receiving positive reviews from television critics upon broadcast.

The episode, along with its first part, earned Rhimes a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series.^[1]

The episode opens with a voice-over narration from Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) about the inevitability of death and the urgency of making the most of the time one has left.

Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) is in labor, but without her husband, Tucker Jones (Cress Williams) (who is undergoing neurosurgery), by her side, she refuses to push. George O'Malley (T. R. Knight) teams up with Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) to convince Bailey to have the baby. George finally manages to give Bailey the motivation she needs, ultimately holding her while she delivers the baby. Meanwhile, Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl) and Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) continue their physical relationship, having sex again.

The hospital's Chief, Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.), is under immense stress from the ongoing chaos, leading everyone to believe he is suffering a heart attack. This concern brings his wife, Adele (Loretta Devine), to the hospital. During this time, Tucker, goes into cardiac arrest but is saved in surgery.

Meredith finally removes the explosive from the patient, and Dylan (Kyle Chandler), the leader of the bomb squad, takes it away. As Meredith steps out of the operating room, she watches Dylan carry the bomb down the hallway. Suddenly, the bomb explodes, killing Dylan and a second bomb squad member, and knocking Meredith unconscious.

In a revival of the "shower scene" from the first part of the episode, this time with a more serious tone, a fully clothed Izzie and Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) wash the blood off a stunned Meredith, while George looks on. Despite the catastrophic events, both Tucker and the man who had the explosive embedded in his body survive.

At the episode's conclusion, Preston Burke (Isaiah Washington) and Derek overcome their earlier rivalry and become friends, addressing each other by their first names. In a quiet moment, Cristina tells a sleeping Burke, "I love you, too." Derek later visits Meredith, commenting, "You almost died today." When Meredith admits she can't remember their last kiss, Derek recalls it for her, saying she "smelled like some kind of flower". Meredith identifies the scent as lavender, and Derek leaves the room after their bittersweet exchange.

The episode's title refers to "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" by R.E.M.

• "I Tell Myself" - Correatown
• "Stay Where You Are" - Ambulance Ltd
• "World Spins Madly On" - The Weepies
• "Back in the Wild" - Los Chicros remixed by Greenskeepers
• "Breathe (2 AM)" - Anna Nalick
• "Unlike Me (A cappella version)" - Kate Havnevik
• "Homebird" - Foy Vance

Dave Anderson of TV Guide praised the use of Anna Nalick's song in three pivotal scenes, particularly highlighting the moment where George O'Malley (T. R. Knight) convinces Dr. Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) to go through with the birth, calling it "Knight's turn for Emmy consideration".^[2]

In December 2011, Wetpaint named this episode, along with its first part "It's the End of the World", as one of the 5 best episodes of Grey's Anatomy.^[3] Variety also listed the episode in its Top 10 Most Bizarre Medical Maladies encountered in the series.^[4]

• "As We Know It" at IMDb