We say we watch Shonda Rhimes’ shows for the plot, the political intrigue, and the fast-talking professionals saving lives and managing crises. But if we’re being honest, we’re also there for the hallway makeouts, the messy closet hookups, and the kind of dirty talk that makes you question if network TV has any rules left at all.
Shonda’s TV empire definitely pushed the envelope on sex scenes, from the early days of Grey’s Anatomy to the scandalous heat of Scandal and the boundary-breaking chaos of How to Get Away with Murder.
So we hope you’re ready, because we’re taking you on a steamy stroll down memory lane.
2005: Grey’s Anatomy Starts with a Bang—Literally
The very first scene of Grey’s Anatomy opens with Meredith Grey waking up next to a very charming, very shirtless stranger. Turns out, he’s not just a one-night stand, he’s her new boss. Cue the sexual tension and the awkward workplace dynamics.
This pilot episode didn’t hold back, and neither did Meredith and Derek, who famously did it on the floor in that opener. It set the tone for what would become one of the hottest hospital dramas on TV. By the end of Season 1, we’d seen enough steamy glances and on-call room antics to know these doctors were doing more than saving lives.
2006–2008: Grey’s Gets Dirtier, and We Are So Here for It
By Season 2 the show stopped playing coy. Network censors still made them cut away just before things got too hot, but the implications were loud and clear. We weren’t just watching a medical drama—we were watching beautiful people in lab coats living out their soap opera fantasies.
Highlights include Mark Sloan (aka McSteamy) making ‘steamy’ his entire personality, Callie and Arizona’s passionate relationship, and the Season 4 moment where Callie and Mark literally discuss having a threesome while actively getting busy. If you were a fan of this show, don’t lie to yourself, you might’ve tuned in for the scalpels, but you stayed for the scandal.
2012: Scandal Enters the Chat with Presidential Passion
Just when you believed you’d seen everything, Shonda presented us with Scandal. And with it came Olivia Pope and President Fitzgerald Grant—one of the steamiest, most dysfunctional couples ever to grace prime time.
Their chemistry was combustible. The kind of attraction that made you feel like you were intruding just by watching. And they did it everywhere: in the White House, in closets, in hotel rooms with the Secret Service pretending not to notice.
Season 2 gave us an infamous angry sex scene in a storage closet, immediately followed by Fitz telling Olivia he’s just not that into her. It was peak Shondaland: hot, messy, and emotionally devastating.
2014: The Dirty Talk Era Begins
Let’s talk about Season 4 of Scandal. Specifically, that moment when Jake—aka Olivia’s other problematic lover—decides to throw subtlety into the wind and says, “I’m the one you like to ride. I’m the one who makes you moan.”
Excuse me? Is this a 9 p.m. network show or an audio preview for an erotic novel? While most shows danced around intimacy, Scandal marched in with thigh-high boots and a loaded script. The dirty talk wasn’t just titillating—it was boundary-breaking for broadcast television. It compelled Shonda fans worldwide to cling tightly to their remote controls.
Mid-2010s: The Bold Shift That Put Women’s Desires Front and Center on TV
TV used to tiptoe around certain intimate scenes—especially when they involved women being on the receiving end of affection. But Shonda Rhimes wasn’t interested in playing by those old rules.
In Scandal, there’s a scene where the First Lady gets caught going down on a man. In Grey’s, men are regularly shown prioritizing their partner’s pleasure. Even the President couldn’t keep his mouth to himself when it came to Olivia Pope.
It wasn’t gratuitous. It was radical. Shonda’s shows put female pleasure at the forefront—without shame or awkward cutaways. And that, my friends, is how you change culture with a well-placed scene in the West Wing.
2014: How to Get Away with Murder Doesn’t Even Pretend to Be Subtle
If Scandal set the tone, How to Get Away with Murder lit the whole thing on fire and walked away in slow motion.
From the first episode, Annalise Keating (played by Viola Davis, aka your fave’s fave) was shown in quite unapologetic scenes. Her bisexuality was explored without fanfare or moralizing. And her students? Well, let’s just say they were extracurricular in every sense of the word.
Connor, one of the most openly gay characters on network television at the time, was at the center of some of the most daring—and groundbreaking—scenes ever shown on primetime. It was bold, unapologetic, and yes, it aired on ABC. We’re not exaggerating.
2016: Eiffel Tower, Anyone?
Perhaps the most jaw-dropping moment in the Shondaland timeline comes with a reference to the “Eiffel Tower” in How to Get Away with Murder. For those who aren’t well-versed in slang, this term refers to a certain trio position involving high-fives and very flexible friendships.
The fact that a network drama casually referenced this cemented Shonda as the reigning queen of “Did they really just say that?” television. And while some critics clutched their pearls, fans were cheering. Shonda had, once again, taken something considered taboo and treated it with the same frankness and humor as a coffee order.
What Made It All Work?
It wasn’t just the nudity, the dialogue, or the sheer number of sexy scenes. What made Shonda’s sex scenes stand out was intention. These weren’t throwaway moments for ratings. They told us something about the characters—their power dynamics, their vulnerabilities, and their emotional chaos.
Olivia and Fitz didn’t just rip each other’s clothes off—they unraveled emotionally. Meredith and Derek didn’t just sleep together—they fought, loved, and broke apart like real people. Annalise didn’t just get laid—she clung to connection in a world that constantly tried to crush her. And that’s why it resonated.
Shonda Rhimes, You Freaky Genius
It is easy to forget just how revolutionary Shonda Rhimes has been in transforming the portrayal of sex on television. Before her, intimacy was often sanitized, heteronormative, and shame-laced. Thanks to her we got queer love stories, mutual pleasure, messy exes, angry closet sex, and yes, even Eiffel Tower jokes.
So next time you claim you’re watching Grey’s Anatomy for “the character arcs,” just remember that we’ve all paused a Shonda scene and quietly whispered, “Wait, did that just happen?”
Yes. It did. And it was glorious.