SPOILER ALERT! This submit comprises particulars from Thursday’s episode of Gray’s Anatomy.
Paging Dr. Arizona Robbins!
Jessica Capshaw made her return to Gray Sloan Memorial Hospital on Thursday night time’s episode of Gray’s Anatomy. Naturally, the case concerned fetal medication, which she’s nonetheless been pursuing and advancing since she moved to New York together with her daughter Sofia to be nearer to her ex Callie.
On this episode, Arizona known as again to Seattle to carry out groundbreaking surgical procedure on a fetus with a mind abnormality that may probably end result within the child’s demise upon start.
She groups up with Gray Sloan’s chief neurosurgeon Dr. Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone) to primarily carry out a miracle and, within the course of, inject some religion again into the remainder of the employees on the hospital after a collection of attempting circumstances.
Capshaw referred to the story as a “name again” to her introduction to Gray’s throughout Season 5 and, whereas it’s only a one-episode arc for now, she tells Deadline she’s nonetheless open for extra — which is nice information for the reason that collection was simply renewed for Season 21.
Learn her interview under.
DEADLINE: How did this come throughout your radar and why did you resolve now was the proper time to return?
JESSICA CAPSHAW: It was actually Meg Marinus. She’s such an unimaginable human being. She’s such an exquisite storyteller. She’s actually woven into the precise material of all the pieces that Shonda began to create with Gray’s. She was there from the very starting. She is aware of it inside and outside. She’s only a hero for having been somebody who has the resilience and grit to begin in a spot as somebody who’s a writers room assistant after which to ascend to working the entire thing is simply type of bananas. She wrote so most of the issues, after I was there, that have been simply actually necessary Arizona moments. So I knew that she actually clearly understood, and he or she was one of many those who I actually, actually was so unhappy to say ‘goodbye’ too. When she took the job, I used to be so excited for her from afar. Then when she reached out, she’s irresistible. Who would ever say no to her? It additionally simply appeared like the proper time. The best way that she defined it and storyline smart, clearly, they’d a shorter season this 12 months. She hoped there’d be a second the place some gentle and a few pleasure and perhaps even a little bit reminder that there’s a lot magic in therapeutic and them being docs — and a reminder for Bailey, she’s a instructor. So all of that type of got here collectively…and it was simply the proper subsequent step.
DEADLINE: Towards the tip of the episode, Richard says one thing about how irrespective of how lengthy he’s away from the OR, it at all times comes again to him. Did you are feeling that means stepping onto these units?
CAPSHAW: Funnily sufficient, all of it simply appeared proper. After I got here again… it was like each time I turned a nook and noticed somebody that I hadn’t seen shortly, the identical to the enjoyment and squeals and the screams and the laughter and the simply the enjoyable that happened was simply precisely the place we left off. So sure, completely. Stepping again into that character and placing on my scrubs was like I’ve performed 1,000 instances earlier than.
DEADLINE: That is, after all, Arizona’s first time assembly this new interns. She’s clearly labored with earlier iterations of Gray Sloan interns, however what was it prefer to step again into that mentorship position for them?
CAPSHAW: I’ve heard this was not a singular expertise, however I’m a type of if which you could level to who…I genuinely at all times really feel new myself. I’m like, ‘What do you imply, they’re youthful than me? What are you speaking about? They’re youthful? No means.’ Then they type of do take a look at you want they’re youthful. And then you definitely type of have a giggle. The entire interns are so dynamic, and so they’re so nice of their roles and keen and beneficiant and sort on set to work with, however then on high of it, their group that they’ve created and the connection that they’ve with one another — taking part in playing cards in between takes by the chairs or one among them’s like, ‘Oh, I’m gonna order out for meals, anybody else need something?’ — only a very beneficiant and really cohesive spirit. It was so pretty. I actually loved spending time with them. I form of felt like one among them as a result of I used to be experiencing what they have been, which was like, ‘The place are the academics? What’s happening?’ On the similar time, my character was like, ‘The place did your instructor go? You want some.’
DEADLINE: We didn’t hear an excessive amount of about Arizona’s life again in New York. Did you discuss to Meg about something that’s been happening together with her since we final noticed her?
CAPSHAW: So I imply, let’s be actual. Our private lives that play out on the present is, I imply, it’s in all probability 50/50. Proper? If not 60/40. You care extra about what they’re doing outdoors the hospital than you do inside. That being stated, it felt to me and I heard in a really pointed means, that the half that Meg actually needed to convey Arizona again to the present for this episode, actually [for[ the lightness and the joy after for the people who love the show and take great solace in the show. They kind of got gypped this year. They’re only getting 10 episodes instead of 24. So, I think she just wanted to give it that jolt of joy and magical medicine. It seems like these episodes go by so quickly. I mean, they’re an hour long and everything else, but it goes by really quickly. I don’t know that you would have been able to really get to anything of importance in her personal life. If she’d stayed for more episodes, my guess is that you would be hearing more, but I think for this particular episode, it really was about her as a doctor.
DEADLINE: How open are you to coming back for more?
CAPSHAW: I truly feel like you take everything one day at a time and obviously it’s a world that I feel like, on a lot of levels, I grew up in. I’m so grateful to the show for so many things. I’m so grateful to all the people that watch it and everything else. This was an amazing experience to go back and play Arizona, and I feel like it’s always a part of my life even when I’m not there. So I think that this character always exists and there’s always possibilities. It depends on a bunch of different factors.
DEADLINE: We might not have heard about Sofia in this episode, but I do think that Arizona’s growth as a mom shines through in this episode. I can’t imagine Arizona before having a child handling this situation with the same level of empathy.
CAPSHAW: The poignancy of Vida’s character, having to trust so much and have faith in something that she couldn’t see when she lived a life of partial sight…Arizona was speaking about something she knows. There are so many times in her life as a mother with Sofia, literally from her birth, trying to have faith in medicine in general to save her daughter’s life. She was so worried about not being a legitimate parent because obviously, was a very unique circumstance, but then obviously, feeling like a legitimate parent and growing in that way, and then through the divorce, having to live through something so hard and uniquely challenging to fight to keep custody of a child. But then, knowing that the right thing for the child was to give up the custody to then change her life. I mean, yes, there’s a million different times in Arizona’s life that were about having faith in something she could not see. So yes, I think that when she says that to [Vida], she definitely isn’t promoting her one thing that she hasn’t purchased herself.
DEADLINE: I simply should say, it was so nice to have Arizona again, even for one episode. She did convey that pleasure you have been speaking about.
CAPSHAW: Which, by the best way, positively felt a little bit bit like a name again to when the character first was launched. That season was a little bit darkish, when issues had gotten a little bit extra severe. Individuals have been already having close to demise experiences. I got here in and was on wheels and difficult and having little snippets with Bailey and brushing up towards everybody and pissing everyone off whereas sporting an enormous ol’ smile.
