The Jawdropping Year of Shonda Rhimes: Cell Phone Penis Pics, Bitch Babies, Ice Cream Orgasms (Video)

“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal” and “How to Get Away With Murder” left fans breathless and glued to their seats every Thursday night

ABC’s Thursday night lineup is on a winter break, and as much as it hurts to say goodbye to television this riveting, it’s not altogether a bad thing. The hiatus allows viewers of “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal” and “How to Get Away With Murder” a moment to catch their collective breaths.

But before you get too comfortable, TheWrap invites you to sit back and remember all those moments that left you clawing at the edges of your couch and gasping in disbelief each Thursday night in 2014 with a video compilation of all three shows’ producer Shonda Rhimes’ most outrageous moments.

Who could forget when Kerry Washington‘s Olivia Pope called Jeff Perry’s Cyrus Beene a “bitch baby” on “Scandal,” leading to the angriest “bitch baby” argument in the history of television? Or the calm way in which Annalise asked her husband, “Why is your penis on a dead girl’s phone?” on “How to Get Away With Murder.”  Or even guest star Geena Davis‘ impassioned speech comparing the number of orgasms she may have left to how many flavors of ice cream there are on “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Whether it was Mellie (Bellamy Young) putting the president (Tony Goldwyn) in his place on “Scandal,” Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) revealing her truth to the world on “How to Get Away With Murder,” or Dr. Bailey (Chandra Wilson) teaching Dr. Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) how to properly take care of his African-American daughter’s hair on “Grey’s Anatomy,” Shonda Rhimes kept America riveted with some of television’s most memorable moments.

When the fall season kicked off, ABC was touting a new tagline for its Thursday night lineup. “TGIT (Thank God It’s Thursday)” is a nod to ABC’s former “TGIF” Friday night family block of sitcoms in the 1990s, as well as a notice that Shonda Rhimes has taken over Thursday nights on the network so you’d better be able to hold your breath for three hours, because it does not let up.

As if two Shonda shows wasn’t enough to leave fans breathless, she did it again with this third entry, created by one of her proteges Peter Nowalk. Joining the powerhouse duo of “Grey’s” and “Scandal,” “How to Get Away With Murder” quickly took center stage on the night, with Viola Davis turning in one of the most raw, mesmerizing and powerful performances on television.

When she took off her wig and exposed her real hair and real self without makeup, it was a moment of empowerment for women of all colors. It pulled back the curtains and let viewers into her world on a level of intimacy we are rarely afforded. It was a quiet moment, but nevertheless one of the strongest and most resonant of the season.

ShondaLand shows are known for steamy relationships, provocative twists and turns, and diverse characters who can be lovable and challenging at the same time. 2014 proved that whether its in its first, fourth or 11th season, a Shonda Rhimes show does not let up. They never stop challenging us, exciting us, making us think, and defying the era of DVR by demanding that they be talked about right now.

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