'Grey's Anatomy' recap: Surgical Precision

Then we were back to the Chief inevitably finding out about Derek's unauthorized surgery. He demanded Shepherd close Isaac up immediately, and, um, he did. I guess recession fears blunt even surgical badassery. Except, of course, not quite. Derek went home that night to Meredith, who's pretty much stuck in bed trying to read Anna Karenina for the 15th time (one more way she's my soulmate) until Ellen Pompeo gives birth in real life. In one of the night's more fantastical Grey'sian moments, Derek pulled their bed away from the wall and drew an elaborate diagram of how he thought he could deal with the tumor — for which, of course, they happened to have various brightly colored markers on hand. Kind of cool mural, at any rate.

The next day as Derek detailed his re-entry plans, Jackson marveled, ''No one at Mercy West was this badass.'' Hopefully that means he'll be sticking around Seattle Grace now for the badassery. Because someone needs to make out with his hot self, and fast. Just like someone needs to make out with Hunt. Preferably Cristina, but anyone will do at this point. There's just so much sexiness going to waste these days on layoff anxiety and the saving of lives and whatnot. While I appreciate the attempt to parallel real lives, and I know many of us can relate to worrying for our futures, sometimes when I turn my TV on, particularly at 9 p.m. on Thursday on ABC, I would like to also perhaps see some romantic issues and some sexual high-jinks. Now that almost everyone at Seattle Grace is coupled up, it's cooled off way too much.

The Reed-Alex tension gives me hope, though, even if I'm not totally ready for him to move on from Izzie and I don't exactly love Reed. Izzie, of course, did not show up for her treatment, just as suspected. Reed seemed nearly human when Alex had his breakdown and she clearly felt for him, though — see, hope! And Hunt helped Cristina finally master the dot-on-George-Washington's-nose trick by showing her — via some full body contact, the most action we've seen in weeks — how to stand farther back from the surgery-scopy thing.

But back to the actual surgery. Derek vomited — always fun to see on screen! — and McHotness Monster's hand cramped during surgery. Apparently both were symptoms of exhaustion and dehydration. (If only they'd all worn those diapers ...) But our heroic McDreamy got through the surgery and, lo, he conquered another inoperable tumor. Yet the Chief tried to fire him anyway, for performing an unauthorized operation — that firing move is losing its power just like the inoperable tumor one is at this point. What, is the show going to be about a bunch of fired doctors now as they all become plumbers instead? Not a chance. ''Go home, sleep on it,'' Derek said to the Chief knowingly. ''We'll talk more tomorrow.''

What did you think, Grey's Watchers? Do you miss the soapier elements of our beloved Anatomy? Did you detect some Reed-Alex sexual tension? Could Derek really be fired? How much do you love that delectable Jackson?

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