Grey’s Anatomy: 10 Hidden Details Found In The Opening Credits

It’s no secret that Grey’s Anatomy hasn’t used their opening credits sequence in a while. Most of the time, the viewers now would press the ‘skip’ or ‘fast forward’ button since people stopped paying attention to it the longer the show progressed. In fact, the writers dropped it altogether.

However, that’s not to say that the writers or the producers gave up. If anything, they started employing new techniques to intrigue the fans back in. And it worked. Not only did they start switching up the opening sequence by adding title cards, but they also started to hide hidden messages in them too.

10 The Symbolism Of The Theme Song

Every fan will agree that the most iconic thing about the opening credits has to be the theme song. Performed by Psapp, “Cosy in the Rocket” was seen to overlay the thirty-second sequence. The only lyrics that the viewers hear happen to be these: “Nobody knows where they might end up/Nobody knows. Oh, oh suppose you’ll never know.”

Straight away, if fans look at the lines chosen, the writers and producers seem to foreshadow the events to come. While fans do know where the majority of characters have ended up, in the beginning, they had no clue what lied ahead or if Meredith and her friends would end up making the cut.

9 Provided A Summary Of The Show

Not exactly the most hidden of details but if fans take a closer look at the sequence, the writers and producers were also trying to give everyone insight into what themes the show would contain.

Between the shots of several people gearing up into their scrubs and aprons, the editors also intermingled several hints of a highly, sophisticated lifestyle. While there would be plenty of surgeries, there are also hints that viewers would get an insight into their social lives too.

8 Is The Person In The Black Dress Meredith?

When the show first aired, it seemed like the writers had tried to subtly introduce the protagonist into the sequence. In one of the cut scenes, viewers can see someone preparing themselves for a night out. They are seen to be applying mascara while also asking someone to zip up the back of their black dress.

However, if fans look at the episode that showed Meredith and Derek first met (“Time Has Come Today”), they will notice that Meredith is wearing a black dress that was quite similar. So did this mean that the person in the opening was Meredith?

7 The Martini Glass

There was one thing in the sequence that stuck out a lot: the martini glass. Some fans might be able to recall that there was a brief shot of a martini being poured into a glass for a customer.

However, as many fans know by now, none of the surgeons have ever gone to Joe’s bar and ordered one. It seems like this might have been something the writers planned in pre-production but dropped quickly.

6 The Opening Theme Was Dropped

After being played throughout the first season and half of season 2, the viewers discovered that the writers had dropped the opening sequence altogether. Instead, they started substituting in the black and white title cards.

For those who may not be aware of the real reason why they were dropped, it is alleged that the producers wanted to use up an extra minute or so of footage.

5 White Title Cards

After the producers decided to drop the thirty-second opening sequence, the writers would often use a white title card. The first time this was seen was in “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head,” straight after the point where Joe collapsed and Cristina revealed she was pregnant.

It was also seen in “Into You Like A Train,” inserted in after the viewers saw the casualties from the train accident, including Bonnie and James. From what the viewers could tell, the white title cards tend to signify an intense and action-packed episode.

4 Black Title Cards

While the white title cards have now become the iconic motif of the show, fans will also agree that the black title cards are just as important too. In a similar function to the white title cards, these title cards are seen to have special symbolism too.

When these cards are implemented, they usually come in after a major cliffhanger or significant event has happened. Prime examples of this being in  “She’s Leaving Home” when Derek had died and when Meredith was attacked in “The Sound of Silence.”

3 Specifically Designed Title Cards

Sometimes, if the producers decide to not use the white or black title cards, they tend to go with some that are graphically enhanced. When these title cards are used, they often foreshadow the tone of the episode or give a subtle hint of where the plot may be going.

For example “Where Do We Go From Here,” opened with a card that had a crack in it – similar to what a person finds when glass breaks. The episode “In the Air Tonight,” shows a dark and cloudy sky, and in “Jump Into The Fog” the card was covered in mist. If fans go and watch these specifically, they will agree that they did set the tone for these episodes.

2 Character Themed Central Cards

When a major character makes an exit from the show, the writers would either give them their own centric episode or tribute. However, there has only ever been one character who got their own centered title card: Cristina.

Since Sandra Oh had decided to exit the show after playing the iconic cardiothoracic surgeon for 10 years, the show decided to give her her own title card. This title card was full of pictures and images from her most memorable scenes, which just made fans all the more emotional to say farewell to her character.

1 The Opening Theme Brought Back For The 300th Episode

While the opening titles had been dropped in the second season, this didn’t mean that the producers had gotten rid of them altogether. Rather, they made another memorable return in “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story” when the show was celebrating its 300th episode.

However, some viewers may not have realized it but the editors had accidentally left a major spoiler in their credits scene. While many fans were feeling nostalgic over the return of the credits and focusing on the surgeon doppelgangers, it is easy to have missed it. But if viewers take a look at the listing credits, they will notice that Kate Burton’s name was present. Krista Vernoff had revealed that they intended for her to go uncredit so as to not ruin the surprise.

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