I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked

"Number one rule of surgery is limit exposure. Keep your hands clean, your incisions small, and your wounds covered. Number two rule of surgery is when rule number one stops working, try something else. Because sometimes you can't limit exposure, sometimes the injury is so bad you have to cut, and cut big. In surgery, the healing process begins with a cut, an incision, the tearing of flesh. We have to damage the healthy flesh in order to expose the unhealthy. It feels cruel and against common sense, but it works. You risk exposure for the sake of healing, and when it's over, once the incision has been closed, you wait. You wait and hope that your patient will heal. That you haven't in fact, just made everything worse."

- Meredith Grey

 is the twelfth episode of the sixth season and the 114th overall episode of Grey's Anatomy.

Short Summary
After learning of Richard's drinking problem, Derek confronts him for the sake of his friend and the hospital, Izzie returns, hoping to reconcile with Alex, and tensions run high between Teddy, Cristina, and Owen in the aftermath of Cristina's startling confession.

Full Summary
Episode in detail.

Main Cast

 * Ellen Pompeo as Dr. Meredith Grey
 * Sandra Oh as Dr. Cristina Yang
 * Katherine Heigl as Dr. Izzie Stevens
 * Justin Chambers as Dr. Alex Karev
 * Chandra Wilson as Dr. Miranda Bailey
 * James Pickens, Jr. as Dr. Richard Webber
 * Sara Ramírez as Dr. Callie Torres
 * Eric Dane as Dr. Mark Sloan
 * Chyler Leigh as Dr. Lexie Grey
 * Kevin McKidd as Dr. Owen Hunt
 * Jessica Capshaw as Dr. Arizona Robbins
 * Patrick Dempsey as Dr. Derek Shepherd

Guest Stars

 * Kim Raver as Dr. Teddy Altman
 * Mitch Pileggi as Larry Jennings
 * Jesse Williams as Dr. Jackson Avery
 * Dan Bucatinsky as Jeffrey
 * Paul Vogt as Aaron Mafrici

Co-Starring

 * Moe Irvin as Nurse Tyler
 * Alixandree Antoine as Trauma Nurse

Notes and Trivia

 * This episode's title originated from the song , originally sung by Ida Maria.
 * This episode scored 12.70 million viewers.
 * This episode marks the last appearance of Katherine Heigl as doctor Izzie Stevens.
 * When Dr. Webber is writing his name on the O.R Board for Bailey's whipple, the camera zooms out so the audience can see the whole O.R Board. And a Ramirez, S. is scheduled to have a Transesophageal Echocardiogram. Ramirez, S. = Sara Ramirez (Callie Torres)

Quotes

 * Meredith: (catching Alex and Lexie in bed) Izzie leaves and Mark gets a kid, and you two decide the best way to deal is to get drunk and mash your genitals together?
 * Alex: No freaking way you get to judge us or give relationship advice. Besides you were a total dirty mistress like two weeks ago.
 * Lexie: Are you calling me a dirty mistress?
 * Meredith: That was two years ago and his wife didn't have cancer!
 * Lexie: Because I've been with like six guys in my whole life. Alex and I, we've done it before. I was recycling, it was like good for the environment.
 * Alex: Izzie's gone. I was horny. She was there.
 * Lexie: Oh crap, I am a dirty mistress. Oh god, you're gonna tell Derek and then Derek's gonna tell Mark that I'm a whore.


 * Callie: Okay, she saw me. Now I can go.
 * Cristina: She's just getting started.
 * Callie: Yeah, I have a headache. I need coffee.
 * Arizona: I have a cure for a headache that doesn't involve coffee.


 * Cristina: Where have you been? You just disappeared. I left you, like, ten messages. Are you drunk? (Owen grabs her and kisses her, she pulls away) Wait, what? What? What?
 * Owen: You make me sad. You think that surgery is going to make you feel, you think a successful career is gonna make you happy, you think you know things, you know things and nothing else matters. No one else matters. People do matter. I matter. We...we matter. So you don't get to toss me aside. I won't let you.