 The episode was written by Jenna Bans and directed by Tom Verica. Edward Ornelas edited the episode, and Donald Lee Harris served as production designer. The episode's title refers to the song "Tainted Obligation", by American alternative rock group Community Trolls. Featured music includes The Voluntary Butler Scheme's "Trading Things In" and Dragonette's "Come On Be Good". Pompeo was pregnant during the episode, so the filming crew had to work around it. In the episode, Lexie advocated for Meredith to donate her liver, because she was unable to. Bans commented on this: "It was REALLY easy for me to understand Lexie in this episode –' cause that's how I imagine she grew up with [her mother] and Thatcher. There was taco night, and movie night, and if she had homework issues, one of them was always around to help. So now that her Dad needs some of her liver, recovering alcoholic or not, she ’ s gonna do it. She's not even thinking about the Chief's upcoming merger – and the fact that recovering from a major surgery will put her on the bench, out of the game, for at least a month. Lexie doesn't blink, because family isn 't an obligation to her like it is for a lot of people - it's a gift." The scene in which Meredith offers her liver to Thatcher was originally intended to rekindle their relationship. Bans later changed this, following a request from Pompeo, and offered her insight:
