'Grey's Anatomy' recap: Fighting Temptation

Speaking of screen time, even like seven seconds of Cristina and Hunt discussing coffee crackles with goodness. Even when he then blew her off with a brusque ''working!'' when she wanted to vent (huge mistake, by the way), they sparked like crazy. This is what I'm talking about when I talk about chemistry. Sloan, sweetie, I want to believe you when you say it's torture being around Lexie. I just don't. Oh, and he just kept going: ''She's exquisite. And it's not just the sex. We talked for hours.'' Really? You're sure you're not mixing her up with a memory of Addison? Or Callie? Anyway, Callie and Mark endearingly tried to hook up with each other to get their minds off their respective intern crushes, and when that didn't work, decided to be each other's ''sponsors'' in controlling themselves. As Callie explained, ''Don't get naked with interns — it's more of a one-step program.''

From that good scene came the roll of great scenes: The Outstanding Guest Star in a Drama Emmy moment for Eric Stoltz, as he creepily recounted slitting several people's throats for no good reason before he got caught; the Chief's fantastic summation of, well, the entire problem with Grey's this season: ''I'm worried about my hospital dying...No one wants to come here. I can't keep a cardio surgeon on staff. Burke quit, Hahn quit, Dixon's autistic. My OR roof collapsed, the whole place flooded. The interns are literally chopping each other into little pieces. No wonder we're No. 12.''

For a second, I even thought we'd found the key to vaporizing Denny. Alex, bless his heart, told Izzie, in response to her explaining that she was seriously having sex with her dead ex, that he'd ''rather you fantasize about me and chicks, but whatever.'' Then, well, he started kissing her and worked his way below the camera, and Denny didn't seem to want to stick around for the oral sex portion of the proceedings. (Is it possible this show has broken some kind of record for most female oral sex in one season?) And I thought, yes, yes, yes! Finally he'd be gone.

But no. He was back. Apparently this was about Izzie having to choose. Fine. Please choose. Please choose the attractive, alive man who loves you and gives you oral sex. Please. ''You gonna get me a present?'' Izzie asked Denny when she reminded him it was her birthday. ''I think I just did,'' he said, which made me really, really believe he was gone. Or was that just my birthday wish? And was he somehow ickily referring to him snagging her a hook-up opportunity with Alex in the middle of her busy day?

Time for the blessedly distracting aftermath part of the evening: Sadie tried to talk Meredith into making up with Cristina, reminding her that they'd fought the same way once. Mark's resolve broke down at the bar and he went after Lexie; Callie started drinking and making eyes at Sadie. And back at home, Derek told Meredith he'd been so harsh on Eric Stoltz because two robbers shot and killed his dad for his watch. (Um, and this never came up in their several-year relationship? I guess they've been too busy discussing Meredith's daddy issues to get to his?) I did love Derek's awkward attempt to dance it out with Meredith, even if he was dancing all wrong to the not-very-danceable sleepy indie rock they played for the scene. Do they not have some Britney in the Grey house? Come on.

Alex, meanwhile, was presenting Izzie with a birthday cake he baked. What was that my esteemed colleague Tanner said when he stepped in to recap the last episode? Something about estrogen in the water at Seattle Grace? Because this dude sure did a quick turnaround from the icy bastard he was earlier this season. Come to think of it, maybe sleeping with a dead ex is a good idea. Maybe it's, like, the new Rules. Maybe if we just ignore Denny (yeah, he was lurking again) he'll go away. Maybe Grey's will get better next week when (OMG!) Tyne Daly shows up as Derek's mom.

Maybe anything's possible in a brand new year. Tell us what you think, TV Watchers. Are you happy the show's back?

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