Misplaced Pages

#689310

106-850: The sixth season of the American television medical drama Grey's Anatomy , commenced airing on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States on September 24, 2009, and concluded on May 20, 2010. The season was produced by ABC Studios , in association with Shondaland Production Company and The Mark Gordon Company ; the showrunner being Shonda Rhimes and head writer Krista Vernoff . Actors Ellen Pompeo , Sandra Oh , Katherine Heigl , and Justin Chambers reprised their roles as surgical residents Meredith Grey , Cristina Yang , Izzie Stevens , and Alex Karev , respectively. Heigl

212-405: A surgical resident and the protagonist of the series, is portrayed by Ellen Pompeo . Fellow third-year residents Cristina Yang , Izzie Stevens and Alex Karev are portrayed by Sandra Oh , Katherine Heigl and Justin Chambers , respectively. Attending general surgeon Miranda Bailey was portrayed by Chandra Wilson whose main storylines throughout the season focus on her divorce and

318-441: A "very dark" season, adding: "The talk between George's mom and one of the surgeons [Torres] proved to be one of the more heart-breaking scenes in an episode that in itself is heartbreaking enough." In contrast, Kelly West of TV Blend was critical of the premiere, writing: "I don’t think based on the first episode that we can say that Grey's is headed in a new direction, nor do I think the writers are making much of an effort to bring

424-461: A 28-year-old virgin on television. Unless it's someone who is sort of a recluse. A normal, smart, doctor... pretty, healthy... that in and of itself is really fascinating, and really interesting, and totally different." Drew emphasized how April's innocence sets her apart, stating: "April's really pretty much done nothing. She's completely untouched." April had several relationships throughout her time on Grey's Anatomy . Early in her appearances, she

530-435: A TV show, I'm not insane, but dude…it felt too real. It felt WAY too real. The sixth season had 13 roles receiving star-billing, with 12 of them returning from the previous season , 1 of whom previously in a recurring guest capacity. The regulars portray the surgeons from the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital as new rivalries and romantic relationships begin to develop after the hospital's merger with Mercy West. Meredith Grey ,

636-451: A car accident, where April almost dies of hypothermia , after April finally wakes up from her coma after Jackson prays for her, her friends are relieved. In the season finale , April and Matthew get married. She resigns from the hospital to provide much-needed medical care for the homeless communities in Seattle, something she and Matthew had been doing together voluntarily. In Season 17 , it

742-745: A cardiac surgeon. She's really good at what she does. There'll be some interesting stuff between Teddy, Owen and Cristina." The episode's writer, Heinberg, offered his insight: "Teddy's arrival at Seattle Grace unleashes all manner of complications for Owen, Cristina, and herself. Cristina's immediately suspicious that Owen and Teddy were more than friends during their time together in Iraq. Teddy confesses to Owen that she apparently misread their mutual history, and walks away from him, mortified. And Owen's left haunted by Teddy's confession, now forced to re-examine his own history -- and his feelings for both Teddy and Cristina. " I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked " saw

848-703: A date. Absent : Katherine Heigl as Izzie Stevens As Derek begins his role as interim chief, he faces a potential lawsuit when Bailey and Meredith's patient awakens from anesthesia mid-surgery. Bailey struggles with losing the patient's trust, but is comforted by the anesthesiologist, Dr. Ben Warren. Meanwhile, Teddy refuses to place Cristina on her service, while Alex begins to invest himself in Pediatrics, leaving plastics behind. Owen and Cristina's relationship begins heating up, resulting in Cristina ignoring an urgent page from Teddy at Owen's request. As Mark refuses to speak to

954-452: A difficult procedure on his pregnant daughter, Sloan. Owen questions Teddy's motives when she assigns Cristina the lead on a complicated surgery. Following the surgery, Teddy goes to leave, and when Cristina begs her to stay, Teddy confesses she still wants Owen to which Cristina offers him to her. Derek's suspicions are raised when Webber recruits Meredith to assist with a high profile operation on, which leads to Meredith telling him that Webber

1060-496: A fan-favorite. April Kepner was born in Columbus, Ohio . Her mother Karen is a teacher, and her father Joe is a farmer, and she is the second of four daughters. Kepner is initially a surgical resident at Mercy West Medical Center. She joins the staff at Seattle Grace Mercy West after the merger of the two hospitals, alongside Jackson Avery ( Jesse Williams ), Reed Adamson ( Nora Zehetner ), and Charles Percy ( Robert Baker ). April

1166-420: A feeling we haven't had from Grey's in years and rarely achieved by any program." John Kubicek of BuddyTV also noted that the finale was the best episode, adding: "[It was] two of the best hours of television all year. It was certainly the best Grey's Anatomy has ever been, which is saying a lot since I'd written the show off for the past few years. No show does a big traumatic event like Grey's Anatomy , and

SECTION 10

#1732870033690

1272-485: A few hours after birth because of his sickness. In the following weeks after Samuel's death, April and Jackson find it hard to be around each other and be intimate with one another. After April tries to seduce Jackson in a supply closet, Jackson asks if she is sure she wants this so soon after the death of their son, leaving April to storm out in anger. In the season 11 finale, April decides to join Owen Hunt for three months as

1378-518: A friendship with Meredith Grey ( Ellen Pompeo ), eventually moving into her house. Pompeo noted about their bond: "Meredith will accept April in order to get the audience to accept her", while Drew explained: "She's being plugged into the community. Meredith has really taken her under her wing, is really looking out for her. Having Meredith come around to April helps the audience come around to April." April briefly has feelings for Alex Karev ( Justin Chambers ), and almost loses her virginity to him in

1484-408: A good guy and he deserves more. But loving Izzie showed him that he can be good, is good. So it was a little gift. And when he tells Izzie he's done, he's not bitter or angry, he's just done." The writing of the 2-part season 6 finale, caused struggle to Rhimes. She elaborated on this: It hurt to write this finale. It literally hurt me. Because in order to write these episodes, I had to walk in

1590-498: A good side. Her fellow residents make fun of her which prompts her to break up with him. April also impresses Owen Hunt ( Kevin McKidd ) and she is ultimately granted the position of Chief Resident in the Season 7 finale. Many become upset with Owen's decision. April initially struggles with her new status as her fellow doctors do not listen to her and do not take her seriously. As the end of

1696-416: A heartbroken Lexie, Derek tries to convince Webber to seek treatment for his drinking, and as Webber struggles with whether to leave surgery for good, he receives guidance from Meredith and Bailey. Derek later hires April Kepner and Megan Mostow back. It's Valentine's Day and the doctors must treat dozens of injured people after the roof collapses at a popular romantic restaurant; Owen, Lexie and Jackson treat

1802-446: A kiss from Jackson, she decides to try and save it. Jackson and Reed start trying to deal with their feelings for Cristina and Alex respectively. Alex cares for a struggling newborn, after being saddled with Izzie's medical bills following her disappearance. After seeing how well Alex is performing in pediatrics, Bailey recommends it to him as a possible career option. In the wake of great grief, Arizona and Callie take their relationship to

1908-444: A life-threatening situation when a grieving deceased patient's husband embarks on a shooting spree at the hospital, seeking revenge for his wife's death. The series ended its sixth season with 13.26 million viewers, ranking #17 in terms of ratings, the lowest the series had ever ranked up to then. The season received mixed-to-positive critical feedback, with the season's premiere and finale given heavier critical acclaim, in contrast to

2014-476: A long way to go." Entertainment Weekly also named her one of the "21 Most Annoying TV Characters Ever", commenting: "April's lightened up a little this season [season 9], but a few episodes of sympathetic behavior can't erase the painful memories of Seattle Grace-Mercy West's most irritating doctor being." TV Fanatic included her in their list of Worst Characters on TV, where Christina Tran commented: "Could she be any more annoying?!?" Sarah Drew stated that it

2120-425: A multi-episode arc in a guest-star capacity in the show's fifth season, Jessica Capshaw began receiving star-billing in the season's premiere episode in the role of attending pediatric surgeon Arizona Robbins . The ninth episode of the season marked the introduction of the new chief of cardiothoracic surgery Teddy Altman , portrayed by Kim Raver , whose mysterious romantic past with Hunt develops into one of

2226-421: A new rule at the hospital. Catherine Avery is not at all happy about her son's elopement with April, and the fact that there wasn't a prenuptial agreement. They soon make up after April signs a postnuptial agreement. In Season 11 , Jackson and April hit a rough patch when they realize that they have different views in the way their children should be raised religious. Not long after their fight, April realizes she

SECTION 20

#1732870033690

2332-448: A passion for depth involvement in every aspect of experience, creates an obsession with bodily welfare. The sudden emergence of the TV medico and the hospital ward as a program to rival the western is perfectly natural. It would be possible to list a dozen untried kinds of programs that would prove immediately popular for the same reasons. Tom Dooley and his epic of Medicare for the backward society

2438-408: A patient's hearing. Meredith tries stopping Lexie from developing feelings for Alex as they continue to have sex. Hunt and Webber fight and compete over a patient with a large tumor, aided by Meredith and Cristina respectively. Webber gives advice to Derek about being Chief of Surgery. Bailey struggles to let her guard down and open up to her blooming relationship with Ben. Mark tries to get back into

2544-399: A patient's upcoming kidney donation, with Bailey promising to set things right. Following the kidney patient mishap, Izzie is fired from the hospital staff. Webber implicates Alex in her dismissal, causing her to leave him a Dear John letter and disappear, thus ending their relationship. Absent : Eric Dane as Mark Sloan Following the death of a patient, all the doctors concerned with

2650-415: A relationship and asks Teddy to go out on a date and Meredith notices Owen's jealousy over the situation. Teddy and Mark grow closer as they work on a patient whose heart is close to his kidneys, while Arizona and Lexie have to deal with bickering parents after their child falls ill. Callie realizes that Arizona does not want a baby as she does, leading her to question the relationship. Lexie realizes that Mark

2756-400: A result, she goes into a dark place and uses partying and sex to mask her deep-rooted pain. She earns the nickname "The Party" by the new interns. She refuses to let Jackson help her through this time. However, in mid-season 14, she encounters a terminal patient who helps April reaffirm her faith. April starts seeing Matthew again and their relationship is made public when the two are involved in

2862-455: A series regular in Season 7 . April's primary storylines revolve around her professional struggles and religious beliefs . She eventually marries Jackson Avery ( Jesse Williams ) and together, they have two children: a son, Samuel, who tragically dies from osteogenesis imperfecta type II, and a daughter named Harriet. April's story concluded with her departure in the Season 14 finale , and it

2968-410: A side to Dr. Stark that he doesn't show to anyone else at the hospital, and she finds that part endearing... I think they enjoy the companionship." At the end of Season 8 , Kepner begins a romantic relationship with her best friend, Jackson Avery ( Jesse Williams ), and loses her virginity to him. This causes her to reflect on her faith and ultimately leads to her failing her boards. Critics praised

3074-424: A surgical resident from Mercy West Medical Center who joins the staff at Seattle Grace Mercy West following the merger of the two hospitals. This was done to compensate for the absence of some central cast members, and April was originally created to be somewhat disliked by her colleagues. Although initially set to appear in just two episodes, Drew's contract was extended for the remainder of Season 6 , and she became

3180-463: A systematic review of such uses indicated that it is a "feasible and acceptable" complement to medical education. April Kepner April Kepner , M.D. , F.A.C.S. is a fictional character from the ABC 's medical drama series Grey's Anatomy . The character was created by series producer Shonda Rhimes and is portrayed by actress Sarah Drew . April was introduced in the episode " Invasion " as

3286-431: A trauma surgeon with the army; this not being well received by Jackson. But after April states she needs this in order to grieve Samuel, Jackson lets her leave. Over the following months, April lengthens her stay in the army, this having a strain on her and Jackson's marriage as Jackson can rarely get a hold of her. On Christmas Day after already being away for some time, April announces to Jackson while on video chat that she

Grey's Anatomy season 6 - Misplaced Pages Continue

3392-516: A woman whose heart they had to remove, and try to keep her alive until a transplant is available. Derek and Arizona have to invent new medical equipment to save the life of a young boy. Bailey is stunned when her father makes rash judgments about her life and the choices she has made, finally culminating in a showdown at Meredith's Christmas dinner. Webber continues to drink, and Meredith only notices when he decides to take her under his wing and become her mentor. Mark flies Addison to Seattle to help with

3498-418: Is a pretty impossible task, and it's made for comedy. It's one of the funniest things we're working on this season." One of Kepner's defining traits is her strong religious beliefs, particularly her commitment to chastity and waiting for true love. In an interview, Drew reflected on this aspect of her character: "There certainly has never been a 28-year-old virgin on Grey's . I don't even think there's been

3604-422: Is a virgin because she is a Christian and made a promise to God to stay a virgin until she was married. She shows potential as a trauma surgeon during a trauma drill. She develops feelings for Alex Karev ( Justin Chambers ) who almost makes her lose her virginity. When Jackson, now her best friend finds out about this, he assaults Alex. Later, April agrees to go on a date with Robert Stark , believing him to have

3710-455: Is an early example of another common variant of the genre in which a medical practice is used as a focus for stories detailing the life of a (usually small) community. The long running Australian series A Country Practice (1981–1993) is a later example of this subgenre. From 1969 to 1976, the series Marcus Welby, M.D. and Medical Center were extremely popular for their both orthodox and unorthodox way of presenting medical cases. In 1972,

3816-403: Is determined to give the baby up for adoption. April tells Derek she'd rather be his assistant than a surgeon following her previous mistake. Jackson gives some advice to Lexie after her split with Mark. Callie and Arizona notice the chemistry between Bailey and Ben, and urge her to ask him out. Previous medical cases involving Webber, Bailey and Callie are told as part of a decision from Derek as

3922-403: Is developing a crush on Derek. Webber, April, Lexie and Derek are faced with a patient that will come to change their lives forever. Several doctors are on hand following a gunfight which wounded a police officer and three suspects, and it leads to tension erupting between Owen and Cristina. The season was produced by Touchstone Television ABC Studios , The Mark Gordon Company , Shondaland and

4028-403: Is drinking again. After seeing sexual tension between Alex and Reed, Meredith phones Izzie to tell her that Alex is moving on. The hospital is abuzz after a high-profile quarterback is admitted as a patient. Lexie sleeps with Alex after splitting with Mark following his decision to allow Sloan and her baby to move in with them. After advice from Addison and Callie, Derek attempts to set Bailey up on

4134-501: Is drooling all over Chief McDreamy. Vomit... She's been reduced to a 12-year-old with hearts in her eyes and a painful inability to be subtle." Drew herself was skeptical of the storyline, stating: "The biggest thing that people did not like about my character was they thought I was a threat for the Mer/Der relationship, which I kind of found was super ridiculous ... I only saw it as a really pathetic little crush." In Season 7 , April forms

4240-429: Is first shown to possess a red diary, in which she writes all her feelings and thoughts which is stolen by Lexie Grey ( Chyler Leigh ). Lexie uses the personal information written in the notebook to unnerve and blackmail Kepner but later apologizes. After she made a mistake that led to a patient's death, she is fired. However, Derek Shepherd ( Patrick Dempsey ) rehires her when he becomes the new Chief of Surgery. As she

4346-500: Is introduced as the best friend and roommate of fellow Mercy West resident, Reed Adamson ( Nora Zehetner ). In the tragic Season 6 finale , when Reed is murdered by Gary Clark during the hospital shooting, April is the first to find her, tripping over her dead body. This event significantly impacts April's journey as a character. April develops a crush on Derek Shepherd ( Patrick Dempsey ) in Season 6 . Carina MacKenzie of The Los Angeles Times called it "ridiculous," adding: "April

Grey's Anatomy season 6 - Misplaced Pages Continue

4452-636: Is laid off from Seattle Grace. Although Jackson has true feelings for her, April pushes him away because she believes that he feels guilty for having sex with her. As a celebration of the conclusion of their residencies, the former chief of surgery Richard Webber ( James Pickens, Jr. ) organizes his annual dinner for them. The eighth season ends with April, Jackson, Alex, and Richard waiting for Meredith and Cristina, who are victims of an aviation accident . In Season 9 , months later, Owen goes to visit April, who had moved back to her parents' farm in Moline, Ohio . In

4558-770: Is moving on and breaks down. Hunt has trouble sleeping and is still showing signs of PTSD. Teddy and Hunt have been asked to help a patient die with physician assisted suicide, which leads to a flashback of them in the Army where Hunt was asked by a friend to help him die. The doctors are busy with several thrill-seekers who became injured after they jumped from a helicopter. Mark is enjoying dating Teddy without having to have sex with her. Callie confides in Mark about Arizona not wanting children. Meredith shows signs of hating Derek as Chief of Surgery, as she becomes angry at Derek when she feels he stole one of her surgeries. Webber struggles to fit in with

4664-479: Is named after a song. With Meredith on bedrest, the merger occurs. Cristina, Izzie, Lexie, and Alex, are introduced to and clash with their Mercy West counterparts and competition: Jackson Avery ( Jesse Williams ), Charles Percy ( Robert Baker ), April Kepner ( Sarah Drew ), and Reed Adamson ( Nora Zehetner ). Meanwhile, Arizona stands by an enraged Callie when her father visits her with a priest to convince her to renounce her homosexuality; also, an accident derails

4770-404: Is not a virgin anymore as she led him to believe and he breaks up with her because she lied to him. However, in the next episode, Matthew forgives April and they get back together. He asks her to marry him through a flash mob and she says yes. In the season 9 finale, April thinks she lost Jackson when a bus blew up and tells him she loves him, but he only has a few injuries. In Season 10 , April

4876-477: Is not confident anymore, she spends her time doing errands for Shepherd and develops a crush on him, earning her the nickname "Shepherd's flunky". In the Season 6 finale , she discovers the body of her best friend Reed, who has been shot. She later runs into the shooter, Gary Clark, who spares her after she tells him about her life. Following the shooting, April and fellow resident Jackson Avery move into Meredith Grey 's ( Ellen Pompeo ) house. April reveals that she

4982-830: Is one of them, even though they find her terribly annoying, and I think that that's sort of charming. April has been described by Grey's Anatomy executives as intelligent, hardworking, thorough, and determined. However, her colleagues view her as vulnerable, insecure, sensitive, and overly eager. Drew herself noted that: "April is a very, very good doctor. She really knows what she's doing, she's worked really hard, and she certainly wants to do her best and stick around." Despite her professionalism, Drew also described Kepner as "annoying," "neurotic," and "really insecure." In Season 8 , April's storyline centered around her role as chief resident and her struggle to manage her fellow residents. Series creator Shonda Rhimes elaborated: "Watching April try to be in charge of Cristina and Alex and Jackson

5088-425: Is overjoyed, but inadvertently hurts Jackson's feelings by saying that they dodged a bullet, seemingly thrilled that they don't have to get married anymore. Jackson breaks up with April. April suggests to Jackson that they each take a date to Bailey's wedding in an attempt to move on. Jackson takes intern Stephanie; the two bond and eventually have sex. When Jackson tells April that he is sleeping with somebody else, she

5194-404: Is pregnant. April and Jackson's baby is diagnosed during pregnancy with a sickness that causes the babies bones to break, which is called Osteogenesis Imperfecta type II, and learn that the baby will not survive long after birth. Jackson believes that termination is the best option, however April would rather give birth to the baby knowing it will not live very long. They scheduled an induction for

5300-496: Is revealed that April has separated from Matthew. When Jackson decides to resign from the hospital and take over the Catherine Fox Foundation, April decides to go with him and Harriet, and the three of them depart Seattle for Boston. In the following season , she and Jackson visit Seattle and it is revealed that the two of them have reconciled. I think it's a really fun character and, of course, getting to be on that show

5406-441: Is staying for a longer service period, but the conversation is cut short by sounds of gunfire and explosions from April's base camp, leaving her to terminate the call; meanwhile Jackson is unsure whether his wife is hurt. On Valentine's Day, April returns to the hospital surprising Jackson, and they embrace in the foyer. In Season 12 , April and Jackson go through divorce proceedings that Jackson started. The morning before they sign

SECTION 50

#1732870033690

5512-432: Is still engaged to Matthew while Jackson dates Stephanie. At the wedding, Jackson realizes he still loves April and stands up professing his love. Jackson and April are seen driving off together at the start of the following episode and later, it is revealed that they have secretly gotten married after they ran off together. At first, April and Jackson do not tell their friends about their marriage, but later they do because of

5618-400: Is that if it becomes what we saw 12 hours ago, we are all for it. Last week saw the doctors plunging into ER -style chaos with 12 different doctors giving 12 different accounts of one case. Last night, we saw something else equally unusual." He praised Patrick Dempsey's performance, saying: "Again, it was a single case that took up the entire hour, but instead of 12 doctors' version of events,

5724-510: Is visibly crushed and tells him that they can't be friends again until she has gotten over him. In the next episode, a very attractive paramedic named Matthew ( Justin Bruening ) asks April out for coffee and they start seeing each other. Shortly afterwards she turns to Jackson for dating advice and it is hinted that Jackson is still in love with her when he shows signs of jealousy but they re-establish their friendship. She confesses to Matthew that she

5830-679: Is wonderful and exciting for any actress in Hollywood. —Drew on her role in Grey's Anatomy . Drew was cast in Grey's Anatomy in late September 2009, first appearing in the fifth episode of the sixth season as April Kepner, one of the residents from Mercy West Medical Center after its merger with Seattle Grace. Drew had previously collaborated with the series' producer and creator Shonda Rhimes , having guest-starred in two episodes of Private Practice in 2008 and starring in Rhimes' television pilot Inside

5936-547: The GLAAD Media Awards . Wilson was awarded the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Directing in a Dramatic Series for her directing in "Give Peace a Chance". The season also ranked at #10 on Movieline 's top ten list. Specific General Medical drama City Hospital , which first aired in 1951, is usually considered to be the first televised medical drama. (The first serialized medical drama

6042-472: The Box (2009), which was ultimately not picked up by ABC . Her casting came after notable absences of central cast members, including Katherine Heigl who departed the show after her maternity leave, and Ellen Pompeo , who was absent due to pregnancy. Initially, Drew was contracted to guest-star in a multi-episode arc, with her character expected to be fired after just two episodes. Drew explained: "I came on to

6148-449: The Parents" was the least viewed episode, TV Fanatic called the episode "touching", praising Chambers' performance. TV Fanatic' s reaction to the season was fairly mixed, with Steve Marsi saying that Grey's Anatomy was facing an identity crisis after viewing " Give Peace a Chance ". He said that: "Still popular but lacking its past magic, it's trying to decide what to become. All we can say

6254-458: The Season 7 episode "Something's Gotta Give". Wetpaint commented that Alex made her feel "worthless and unwanted when she was at her most vulnerable". She also dates Dr. Robert Stark ( Peter MacNicol ), a senior pediatric surgical attending. After her fellow residents mock her, she breaks up with him, creating tension between them. However, Stark later recommends her for chief resident to Dr. Owen Hunt ( Kevin McKidd ). Drew remarked: "She sees

6360-630: The United Kingdom. Casualty continues to be aired, making it the longest running TV medical drama. Its sister show Holby City aired from 1999 to 2022. In 2000, the BBC commissioned Doctors , a medical drama soap that continued to air and became the BBC's flagship daytime series. In 2023, Doctors was axed by the BBC after 23 years on air, with the final episode airing in November 2024. Communications theorist Marshall McLuhan , in his 1964 work on

6466-441: The case are interviewed in a who-dunnit style. Owen, Cristina, Bailey, Alex, Callie, Lexie, Charles, Jackson, and Reed all give their opinions, and as the story unfolds to show that April Kepner was the one whose mistake it was, she is fired, even though Derek is against it. Derek is asked by a hospital lab-tech, Isaac ( Faran Tahir ), to cure him when it turns out that he has an inoperable tumor surrounding his spine. Struggling with

SECTION 60

#1732870033690

6572-467: The chemistry between April and Jackson. Rhimes commented on their dynamic in Season 9 , saying: "I think it's going to be funny, sexy, and good." Initially, Carina MacKenzie of the Los Angeles Times highly praised the characterization of April Kepner, writing: "One of my favorite Mercy Westers is intern April (Sarah Drew). Her saccharine-sweet attitude and wide-eyed insincerity were hilarious, as

6678-404: The cold shoulder in return." Mariella Mosthof from Wetpaint stated: "Despite her obnoxious yet well-meaning tendencies, we briefly flirted with the idea of liking April's character last season, and it looks like there's plenty of opportunity for her to come back and charm us again this time around." Reviewing the first part of the eighth season, Courtney Morrison of TV Fanatic wrote: "Although

6784-474: The departure of Stevens, following the breakdown of her marriage with Karev. Series' writer Joan Rater commented on this: "Izzie getting the clean scan back gives Alex the freedom to leave. Because he never would have left her when she was sick, he's a good guy. And I'm not saying that Alex ever consciously thought, I can’t leave her while she's sick, but now that she's not, now that she seems like she's going to get better, it just comes to him. He deserves more. He's

6890-630: The development of new romantic relationships. Seattle Grace Hospital's Chief of Surgery and general surgeon Richard Webber was portrayed by James Pickens, Jr. , who returns to alcoholism after being sober for 20 years. Sara Ramirez acted as bisexual orthopedic surgeon Callie Torres , Eric Dane played womanizer plastic surgeon Mark Sloan , Chyler Leigh portrayed Meredith's half-sister and second-year surgical resident Lexie Grey , Kevin McKidd appeared as trauma surgeon Owen Hunt , and Patrick Dempsey featured as chief of neurosurgery Derek Shepherd . After having previously appeared in

6996-430: The divorce papers, April discovers that she is expecting a second baby. She does not inform Jackson, and he is told by Arizona Robbins ( Jessica Capshaw ), which leads to additional tension. After Catherine Avery convinces Jackson to fight for full custody of his unborn child, April takes out a restraining order against him. The Averys' lawyer asks for all documentation of their marriage and Jackson realizes they should fix

7102-426: The doctors of Seattle Grace Hospital, grieving the loss of their deceased friend, O'Malley. The special's writer, Vernoff, commented: "It's heartbreaking. I fell in love with George, like many of you did, in season one." The ninth episode of the season, "New History", saw the arrival of Altman, which ended up forming a love-triangle between her, Hunt, and Yang. Raver commented on this: "She was in Iraq with Owen. She's

7208-523: The fifth year of residency is near, the surgical residents, including April, prepare for their boards exams for the different fellowships they plan on joining. The night before taking the exam, April loses her virginity to Jackson which causes her to re-evaluate her faith during her Boards Exams, making the examiners feel uncomfortable. It is revealed that she is the only one out of the residents to have failed her Boards Exams. She receives phone calls from other hospital retracting their offers of fellowships and

7314-405: The focus was largely on just one, and the best one: Dr. Derek Shepherd. Patrick Dempsey's McDreamy character may be eye candy, but he's got substance. Last night's episode proved that in spades, and was one of the series' best in some time." The season's finale Death And All His Friends was highly praised. Marsi gave the episode five stars, and expressed that it may have been the best episode of

7420-622: The girl has grown in terms of likeability, her downfalls still outweigh the positives. She wasn't the best choice for Chief Resident; she doesn't seem to be on the same level surgically and hasn't carried a story on her own that makes us care about her." Kepner was included in TV Guide's list of The Most Loathed TV Characters, noting: "The extremely neurotic April (she makes Liz Lemon look laid back) has slowly made strides with fans thanks to her personal setbacks — she lost her treasured virginity to her best friend and failed her boards — but she still has

7526-449: The group" and hinted that her future on the show would depend on the studio and network's decisions, but she fully supported keeping the character. Drew received the promotion news after the sixth episode of Season 6, " I Saw What I Saw ", aired on October 29, 2009, describing the call as a "totally happy surprise." I love the idea that there's this person that everybody kind of hates, yet they all have to deal with, [and even] lean on. She

7632-484: The hospital, and it creates a stir around the hospital. Cristina, along with other residents, attempt to gain his attention, while Webber and Derek are nervous about operating on Harper. Arizona tries to help Teddy move on to greener pastures when she sees how obsessed she is with Owen, while she struggles to work with Alex after learning that he'd once slept with Callie. Mark attempts to move on after giving up Sloan's baby through sex, and tells Derek and Callie he can restore

7738-653: The impossible surgery, Derek attempts to do the impossible while he questions Webber's authority by doing the surgery, even though he was told not to by Webber. Reed sees a different side to Alex when she sees him worrying about Izzie missing her cancer treatment following her disappearance. Arizona is stunned when her longtime patient's parents offer the hospital a donation of twenty-five million dollars, but when her patient's condition worsens, all eyes are on her to save him. Cristina tests her relationship when she blatantly disregards Owen's orders and performs an unauthorized cardiac procedure, but after encouragement from Meredith and

7844-423: The middle. The season was one of the least acclaimed in terms of awards and nominations, being the show's only season not to warrant a Primetime Emmy nomination. Despite the polarizing aspects of ratings and awards, the season managed to receive a spot on Movieline 's top 10 list. Buena Vista released the season onto a DVD box-set, being made available to regions 1 and 2. The website Screen Rant ranked

7950-422: The nature of media , predicted success for this particular genre on TV. One of the most vivid examples of the tactile quality of the TV image occurs in medical experience. In closed-circuit instruction in surgery, medical students from the first reported a strange effect-that they seemed not to be watching an operation, but performing it. They felt that they were holding the scalpel. Thus the TV image, in fostering

8056-451: The new chief. The cases shed light on the beginnings of the affair between the Chief (played by J. August Richards ) and Ellis ( Sarah Paulson ) in 1982, the makings of Bailey in the 2003 sequences, where viewers see Bailey in her pre-"Nazi" days and Callie shortly before she was introduced on the show. Jackson Avery's relationship to the legendary Harper Avery is revealed after he is admitted to

8162-404: The next day, at the beginning of the appointment they are asked to sign their baby's death certificate, which is too hard for the couple to bear. April doesn't sign the papers and returns to work the same day, praying for a miracle. They decide to give birth to the baby via induction at 24 weeks gestation having it baptized right then. She gives birth to a boy, named Samuel Norbert Avery, and he died

8268-495: The next level. The holidays aren't so merry for the doctors at Seattle Grace-Mercy West hospital when Cristina suspects that something is or has been going on between her boyfriend, Owen, and his old friend, Teddy. But when Cristina confronts him over it, he confesses his love to her. Mark's teenage daughter, Sloan, arrives at the hospital and she moves in with him and Lexie. However, when he goes to ask her to leave, Sloan tells him that she's pregnant. Cristina, Teddy and Jackson treat

8374-483: The other surgeons given his past position. Absent : Katherine Heigl as Izzie Stevens due to maternity leave. Meredith and Derek begin to discuss having a child, while Teddy and Mark have sex for the first time. Alex's brother, Aaron, comes to visit, which reveals many of Alex's secrets, much to the delight of Bailey and to the annoyance of Alex. However, Alex's main concern is getting his brother surgery when he doesn't have insurance. Lexie begins to notice that April

8480-414: The potwash who lost his arm during the collapse. Meanwhile, Meredith and Alex get caught up in a love story between a married woman and the head waiter at the restaurant she's been visiting for 15 years. Derek tries to manage his busy schedule as Chief of Surgery; Meredith wrestles with her new duties as the Chief's wife; and Mark and Callie team up to convince Sloan to do the right thing for her baby, but she

8586-475: The season #4 on their 2023 ranking of the 19 Grey's Anatomy seasons. The number in the "No. overall" column refers to the episode's number within the overall series, whereas the number in the "No. in season" column refers to the episode's number within this particular season. "U.S. viewers in millions" is the number of Americans in millions who watched the episodes live. The sixth season's episodes are altogether 1032 minutes in length. Each episode of this season

8692-477: The season is the characters adapting to change, as their beloved co-worker Stevens departed following the breakdown of her marriage, and fellow intern O'Malley died in the season premiere. A new cardiothoracic surgeon , Teddy Altman , is given employment at the hospital. Further storylines include Shepherd being promoted to Chief of Surgery and Seattle Grace Hospital merging with the neighboring Mercy West, which introduces several new doctors. The season culminates in

8798-631: The season's main stories. Starting with the nineteenth episode of the season, Raver began receiving star-billing. The sixth season introduces several new recurring characters who start to develop progressive and expansive storylines throughout the season. Mercy West surgical residents Reed Adamson , Charles Percy , April Kepner and Jackson Avery were portrayed by Nora Zehetner , Robert Baker , Sarah Drew and Jesse Williams , respectively. Jason George portrayed Miranda Bailey's love-interest, anesthesiologist Ben Warren . Thatcher Grey ( Jeff Perry ) and Sloan Riley ( Leven Rambin ) have been part of

8904-535: The season's main story arcs, while numerous episodic characters have made guest appearances: Demi Lovato as Hayley, Sara Gilbert as Kim Allen, Marion Ross as Betty, Mandy Moore as Mary Portman , Ryan Devlin as Bill Portman , Nick Purcell as Doug, Michael O'Neill as Gary Clark , Danielle Panabaker as Kelsey, Adrienne Barbeau as Jodie Crawley, Héctor Elizondo as Mr. Torres , Cody Christian as Brad Walker, Amy Madigan as Dr. Wyatt, and Missi Pyle as Jasmine. Former series-regular Kate Walsh returned to

9010-408: The season's most viewed episode. "Sympathy for the Parents" was the season's least viewed episode, and up to that point, the series' as well, garnering only 9.87 million viewers. The season's finale garnered 16.13 million viewers, and received a 6.2/18 rating, ranking first for its time-slot and the entire night, in terms of both ratings and viewership. Although the finale was a success for the night, it

9116-751: The series Emergency! , starring Robert Fuller and Julie London , was the first medical drama ever to combine both, a fire department paramedic rescue program with an emergency room in a general hospital, which also focused on real-life rescues. Also in 1972, the first episode of M*A*S*H aired; the show's tone was generally comedic, but dark—poignant moments emanating from the death caused by war were not uncommon. This trend of comedy with undercurrents of darkness in medical TV shows can also be seen in St. Elsewhere , Doogie Howser, M.D. , House M.D. , Grey's Anatomy , Scrubs , ER , Code Black and Chicago Med . In 1986, Casualty started airing on BBC One in

9222-421: The series as a special guest-star, portraying neonatal surgeon and obstetrician-gynecologist Addison Montgomery . The sixth season opened up to 17.04 million viewers with a 6.7/17 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic. Although the rating was a 1% decrease from season five's opener, it managed to rank first for its time-slot and the entire night, in terms of both ratings and viewership, and served as

9328-426: The series back to the greatness that was its earlier seasons. That said, this is Grey's Anatomy and with that comes the usual drama, sex, love and whacky medical mysteries thrown in the mix to keep things moving. If that's what you’re looking for, I think you’ll enjoy the season premiere just fine." Capshaw's performance this season was praised, with The TV Addict calling her "immensely likeable". Although "Sympathy for

9434-443: The series, adding: "The writing and acting were absolutely stellar, and may lead to many Emmy nominations, but even more impressively, despite a killing spree, it remained distinctly Grey's. Some of the back-and-forths between the characters were truly memorable, and some of the developments so heartbreaking that we don't even know where to begin now. Seriously, the Season 6 finale left us laying awake afterward thinking about everything,

9540-411: The series, in terms of awards and nominations. Despite not being nominated for a Primetime Emmy , the show received two Creative Arts Emmy Awards : Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup For A Series, Miniseries, Movie Or A Special for "How Insensitive" and Outstanding Makeup For A Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) for "Suicide is Painless". The season also received a nomination for Outstanding Drama Series at

9646-408: The shoes of [the shooter]. I had to think like a shooter. A person who would shoot Reed and Alex and Charles. A person who would shoot Derek. By the time I finished writing part one, I was sick. And depressed. Because my McDreamy was lying on my beloved catwalk dying. Mer is screaming and he is dying. And, before you have me shot up with Thorazine and placed in a strait jacket, yes, I DO I know it's only

9752-410: The shooter gave the show license for heightened drama with five major characters being shot over the two hours. It was emotional, expertly paced and had me in tears for most of the finale." Entertainment Weekly wrote, "At any rate, now you can at least see where it all began. And while you’re still pondering how Grey's can still be so damn good sometimes," The season was one of the least acclaimed of

9858-456: The show and I was told from day one that I was only going to be there for two episodes. I did not expect anything beyond that. The morning my firing episode aired, my agent got a call that they were talking about a contract, and I was just completely floored." However, she was later promoted to a series regular on June 9, 2010, for the show's seventh season . Rhimes expressed enthusiasm for the decision, stating: "Kepner has really been folded into

9964-524: The situation for their child. He and April decide to raise their child together as friends. Complications arise when April needs a C-section and Warren has to do it, without anesthesia or other medications. In seasons 13 and 14 , April faces a crisis of faith as she believes that good people get punished and bad people get good things. She does this after treating 3 seemingly simple patients who are good people and die, including Matthew's pregnant wife, after delivery. Robbins then tells April it's her fault. As

10070-409: The wake of the tragic aviation accident, he offers her an attending position at the hospital. When she gets back to Seattle Grace, she resumes her sexual relationship with Jackson, despite claiming she wants to re-virginise. April has a pregnancy scare and Jackson promises that he will be there every step of the way, even marry her, if she tests positive. When April finds out that she is not pregnant, she

10176-404: Was a 1% decrease from season five's finale, but served as the season's second most viewed episode. Overall, the season ranked at #17 for the year, and had an average of 13.26 million viewers, a 5% decrease from the previous season's ranking. The season received mixed-to-positive reviews among television critics. Speaking of the premiere, Glenn Diaz of BuddyTV noted that the special foreshadowed

10282-481: Was a natural outgrowth of the first TV decade. According to Professor George Ikkos, the president of the psychiatry sector of the Royal Society of Medicine , medical dramas have accumulated large audiences because the characters in the shows are often depicted as everyday citizens who have extraordinary careers, which promotes a sense of relatability among viewers. Medical drama is sometimes used in medical education;

10388-446: Was chirpy, irritating, and immature, and her crush on Derek didn't endear her to us either. But these days, we say hooray for April; since Meredith declared that the two of them are pals, April's become a lot more tolerable, instead of being Lexie 2.0." Courtney Morrison of TV Fanatic wrote: "April has grown since her character was introduced. She's no longer much less annoying than she used to be, and she's honest. A girl with principles

10494-408: Was distributed by Buena Vista International, Inc. The executive producers were creator Shonda Rhimes , Betsy Beers , Mark Gordon , Krista Vernoff , Rob Corn , Mark Wilding , Joan Rater and James D. Parriott . The regular directors were Shonda Rhimes , Krista Vernoff , Stacy McKee, William Harper, Debora Cahn , Allan Heinberg and Peter Nowalk . At the conclusion of season 5, T. R. Knight

10600-460: Was her super-mysterious hot pink notebook full of morale-boosting platitudes." However, she criticized the later development of her storyline, particularly her crush on Derek Shepherd, calling it "vomit". PopSugar noted similarities between Kepner and Lexie Grey, stating: "Am I the only one who thinks the new doctor is kind of like Lexie 2.0? Their dynamic reminded me of when Lexie first started and tries really hard to make nice with Mere, but gets

10706-441: Was initially "hard" for her as an actress to play an unpopular character but deemed her "interesting." When she was informed by the writers that her character would get Dr. Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) shot in the season six finale, her reaction was: "Oh, come on, guys, really? They already hate my character, now they're going to hate her even more!" However, critics' reception gradually improved. Entertainment Weekly noted: "April

10812-925: Was later revealed in Season 17 that she left Seattle with Jackson to run the Catherine Fox Foundation. Initially, April focused on neurosurgery during her residency due to a crush on Derek Shepherd ( Patrick Dempsey ), but she ultimately found her true passion in trauma surgery . After failing her medical boards, April briefly leaves the hospital but later returns as a surgical attending when Chief Owen Hunt ( Kevin McKidd ) offers her job back. ABC characterized her as determined, thorough, and intelligent, while also noting her insecurity, over-eagerness, and vulnerability as her main weaknesses. The character received mixed reviews from critics early on, with some finding her irritating due to her insecurity and overzealous nature. However, as April evolved and her storylines deepened, she gained significant character growth, and many fans began to appreciate her journey, eventually becoming

10918-472: Was probably the Dr. Kildare film series (1937–1947), starring a number of actors in the eponymous role, and Lionel Barrymore throughout the series.) Medic , which featured Richard Boone , ran two seasons, from 1954 to 1956. The genre became a staple of prime time television with the enormous popularity of Dr. Kildare and Ben Casey , both debuting in 1961. The BBC series Dr. Finlay's Casebook (1962–1971)

11024-464: Was promoted to a series-regular, and Kim Raver was given star-billing after the commencement of the season. The season follows the story of surgical interns , residents and their competent mentors, as they experience the difficulties of the competitive careers they have chosen. It is set in the surgical wing of the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital, located in Seattle, Washington . A major storyline of

11130-402: Was released from her contract in the middle of the season, while T. R. Knight did not appear as George O'Malley , because Knight was released from his contract at the conclusion of season five . Main cast members Patrick Dempsey , Chandra Wilson , James Pickens, Jr. , Sara Ramirez , Eric Dane , Chyler Leigh , and Kevin McKidd also returned, while previous recurring-star Jessica Capshaw

11236-652: Was released from his contract, following a disagreement with Rhimes. When asked to make a 'flashback' appearance in season six, Knight declined. Heigl's appearances in the season were sporadic, seeing Stevens depart and return twice. Although she was scheduled to appear in the final 5 episodes of the season, Heigl requested that she be released from her contract 18 months early, and made her final appearance on January 21, 2010. Heigl explained that she wanted to spend more time with her family, and did not think it would be respectful to Grey's Anatomy viewers to have Izzie return and depart yet again. The season's 2-hour opener showed

#689310