Seattle Grace: Message of Hope

Seattle Grace: Message of Hope is the second of two short webisodes intended to give fans an insight into characters during the mid-season hiatus of Grey's Anatomy. They aired in 2010.

Part 1: No Comment
Richard Webber is in a meeting with P.R. representative Karen Howard. Karen explains that the devastating shooting at the hospital has made people scared of seeking help there. Richard continues to avoid the subject until Karen shows him an interview he made which portrayed him, and the hospital in a bad light.

Karen explains that he needs to understand how the media work and control the message they create. She wants to create sizzle reels which are commercials for the hospital. Richard tries to say that he needs neither the commercials or her input. He states that the interview he gave was good. However, when April comes in, he asks her what she thought of the interview. April implies that it was terrible and Richard realises that Karen is right.

Part 2: Take One
Owen has an interview with Richard and Karen in a patient's room. Karen wants them to portray real emotions, solutions and life. However, a guy then arrives with cards that will tell Owen what to say. They start filming except Owen is not a natural actor. Karen asks him to try and look like he isn't reading cards, except when he says the cards were too close, and the guy stands further back, he says he can't read them now.

Karen talks with Richard outside and says she wants to replace Owen. Richard replies that Owen was kind enough to give them an hour of his time and that the rest of the doctors are busy saving lives. Owen then interrupts and says that he was practicing and that he thinks he is good now. They try filming again except he failed again. Richard then says they no longer need him for the commercial.

Part 3: The Face
April is promoting the hospital now and leads the camera into an imaging room. Jackson is in there with a patient already. While April is talking, Richard says she was right to change Owen for April. However, Karen then sees Jackson and decides that he is the face of the hospital instead. Karen then asks April to take Jackson's place with the patient, and for Jackson to be in the front and say the lines.

Richard and April question Karen for giving April the job of a tech while Jackson takes her place. Karen says that Jackson is a good face for the hospital, as given the choice, she would pick Jackson to operate on her. Karen says hospitals such as Massachusetts General Hospital are successful because of her help. Karen then asks Richard to tell April she is removed from the commercial completely as well.

Part 4: Nerves
Jackson is practicing his lines when Karen starts complimenting him and opens a button of his shirt. Richard questions her and Karen implies that Jackson's good looks will impress the women who mainly pick which hospitals they take their family to. The crew gets ready to film a nervous Jackson.

Richard tries to help Jackson with his nerves by suggesting he close his eyes. Karen says that would be crazy and asks him to let her handle it. She gives Jackson give minutes while Richard continues to complain and says that they should piece their commercial together by using what Owen and April have recorded. Karen then realises that Richard should be on screen instead of Jackson. Jackson decides she is right and gives Richard his place.

Part 5: Award-Winning
Richard practices his lines when Karen reminds him that they have to start filming now. She remembers the award cart and they start again. Karen decides to skip to the family part and they bring a family into the shot. The father was "given" the great news that he is cancer free. Karen wants them to hug. Richard objects and says it is unrealistic because the patient would be in recovery now. Karen tells him to just smile. She agrees to give up the awards, but reminds him this is a message of hope which needs compassion from him.

Richard says he thinks the sizzle reel is not working as it is not realistic. He says the treatment plan for the patient is unrealistic and he would never say the things on the text cards. Karen decides that Richard should decide on the right pitch then. She asks him how things work at the hospital. Richard starts thinking of ideas.

Part 6: The Sizzle
Karen and Richard are watching the sizzle reel with Richard, Owen, April and Jackson giving honest statements of why they decided to become doctors and what is means to work at the hospital. They the give their thoughts on how the shooting has made them stronger.

Karen loved the honest portrayal of the hospital instead of the star reel she had wanted. She is surprised and impressed at how he managed to get his doctors to open up like that, and he replies that he asks them to talk to the camera in the same way that they work, which is from the heart. Karen says it works and leaves, saying the board will love it and that he did a great job. Richard then watches the commercial again and jokes he is just as handsome as Avery.

Cast

 * James Pickens Jr. as Richard Webber
 * Kevin McKidd as Owen Hunt
 * Jesse Williams as Jackson Avery
 * Sarah Drew as April Kepner
 * Rene Ashton as Karen Howard
 * Claire Gordon-Harper as Daughter
 * Antonio Leon as Local News Reporter
 * Sandra De Sousa as Makeup Artist

Behind the Scenes

 * There was a special behind the scenes feature about the making of the series, released following the conclusion of the series.
 * The series aired from October 14, 2010 until November 25, 2010.
 * Chris Van Dusen directed parts one to three, and part five. Miguel Nolla directed part four and Tim Day directed part six.
 * Kevin McKidd, who plays Owen Hunt, directed parts one and two, and then parts five and six. David Greenspan directed the remaining parts of three and four. It was the first time McKidd had directed for Grey's Anatomy, which he continues to do for the main series since 2011.