They're baaaaack! This week on Grey's Anatomy, Meredith, and Izzie make their returns to Seattle Grace/Mercy West, though only Mere is back in scrubs. Izzie heads back to the hospital with her favorite high-school teacher in tow, a sweet guy who's suffering from what appears to be dementia and is constantly referring to Izzie as a pregnant teen. Meanwhile, Hunt brings in a new "cardio god" (Kim Raver), though Cristina isn't exactly thrilled that her "gift" is a hot leggy blonde that already has a rapport with her boyfriend.

Plus, Mere and Derek have a few adorable moments while Sloan becomes the show's new gossip girl. There's a lot more to talk about, so to get into it just read more.

  • Izzie strolls into the hospital like she never left, but of course her friends have lots of questions. Meredith and Cristina are both curious and a little hurt while Alex ignores her completely. Izzie doesn't exactly explain what she's been doing, but immediately starts making demands for her friends to take care of her teacher. She even blackmails Dr. Percy when he sasses her about being fired (though I kind of cheered when she threatens to tell Reid his secret). Izzie even squares off with the chief, but in the end she gets her way.
  • Poor Alex doesn't know how to handle Izzie's return, but Mere finally encourages him to talk to his wife. Izzie accuses Alex of getting her fired, but Karev bites back and points out that Izzie didn't even ask him about it. After seeing them square off like they have so many times before, it's almost hard to believe they were ever married in the first place. When Alex tells Izzie that he can't forgive her, he heads to the bar to drink the pain away with Mere. Love the friendship between Mere and Karev by the way — if she and Derek weren't so cute together these days, I'd almost root for a new coupling.
  • Kim Raver makes her first appearance on the show this week, as new doc Teddy Altman. At first Cristina is psyched to welcome a new cardio surgeon but her enthusiasm wanes when she realizes that Hunt and Teddy have a past together. Teddy takes a liking to Cristina, even when Yang gives her lip — that is, until Teddy realizes that Cristina is Hunt's girlfriend. When Teddy learns that Hunt brought her in as a "present" to his lady love, Teddy kicks into serious mode which earns Yang's respect. The ladies turn out to be a pretty good team by the end of the episode.
  • I have to say that I really liked Raver as the new doctor. Yes, her moment in the rain was a bit too cheesy for me, but overall I think she'll be a good addition. While she's clearly carrying a torch for Hunt, she doesn't seem like the type to go for the jugular and try to steal him away from Cristina. The real question is whether or not Hunt runs into Teddy's arms when he inevitably learns that Yang swapped a little spit with Dr. Avery.
  • When Adele comes into the hospital wondering where her husband has been sneaking off to for the past few nights, she quickly accuses Bailey of being his mistress. The idea is completely hilarious, though Bailey doesn't exactly do the best job of calming Adele's fears, and Callie only makes it worse by calling them "work husband and wife." Bailey immediately starts a witch hunt to figure out which doctor actually is having an affair with the chief, but things take a serious turn when Lexie and Reid discover that the chief has made a serious mistake with one his patients. Bailey covers for him, but when she tells the chief what happens, he decides to take a break and gives his surgeries to Bailey. Then he heads to the bar to drink, where Mere catches him in the act. The final scene where the chief is playing out all the recent bad interactions with his co-workers mixed in with his memories of his alcoholism is depressing to say the least. I have to say though — I thought it was sort of silly that the chief chooses the closest bar to fall off the wagon. He's clearly embarrassed when Meredith sees him, but was he really expecting the bar to be deserted? It's like he wanted to get caught.

What'd you think of this week's episode? Are you excited about Teddy? Looking forward to next week's episode where Dr. Sloan's daughter comes in? Sound off in the comments below, and don't forget to check out the Grey's Anatomy McAddicts Group in the Buzz Community!

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