Members of the hospital staff find unique ways to deal with their grief at George's death; George's mother faces the daunting task of deciding what to do with his organs.
Izzie's medical condition requires a difficult surgery; one of Owen's PTSD episodes causes Cristina to be injured.
Cristina, back from her honeymoon trip, searches in vain for Burke; Meredith, Cristina, Izzie and Alex spend their first day as residents with their own groups of interns.
Sadie, one of Meredith's oldest friends, becomes an intern at Seattle Grace; Lexie leads her fellow interns in unorthodox, secretive surgical training; a new surgeon brings rules and order to the OR.
Izzie returns to work; Seattle Grace residents position themselves to avoid lay-offs; Cristina tries to work with Arizona in the paediatric ward.