Moment of Truth

"Picture this - you've spent the last five years of your residency training to become a surgeon. But those five years suddenly don't matter - the only thing that matters, the only thing between you and the rest of your career is a test in a random hotel, in a random city, with a random examiner asking you random questions. Nervous? You should be."

- Meredith Grey

 is the twenty-first episode of the eighth season and the 169th overall episode of Grey's Anatomy.

Short Summary
After eight years of practice, the residents head to San Francisco for their oral boards; sparks fly between Catherine and Richard when they bump into each other at the hotel; Bailey intervenes after Owen and Teddy get into a heated argument about their young car crash patient; and Mark tries to recruit Lexie for one of his cases. Meanwhile, Alex feels guilty for being away from the hospital when Tommy's health begins to fail.

Full Summary
Episode summary

Main Cast

 * Ellen Pompeo as Dr. Meredith Grey
 * Sandra Oh as Dr. Cristina Yang
 * 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
 * Kim Raver as Dr. Teddy Altman
 * Sarah Drew as Dr. April Kepner
 * Jesse Williams as Dr. Jackson Avery
 * Patrick Dempsey as Dr. Derek Shepherd

Guest Stars

 * Debbie Allen as Dr. Catherine Avery
 * Amanda Fuller as Dr. Morgan Peterson
 * Kari Coleman as Mother
 * Thad Luckinbill as Kevin Banks

Co-Starring

 * Thai Douglas as Examiner
 * David Pevsner as Examiner #2
 * Susan Oritz as Examiner #2
 * Jim Lau as Examiner #4
 * Cathy Diane Tomlin as Examiner #5
 * Richardson Chery as Kevin's Friend
 * Nicole Cummins as Paramedic Nicole
 * Kate Mines as Nurse Gloria
 * I. Elijah Baughman as Resident

Notes and Trivia

 * This episode's title originated from the song Moment of Truth, originally sung by Gang Starr.
 * This episode scored 9.45 million viewers.

Quotes

 * Miranda (to Teddy Altman): I hope blaming him is helping you, because its not helping him.


 * Miranda: They started off with such little promise, it's like I'm looking at a miracle.


 * Callie (to Miranda Bailey): It’s awful, it’s tense and it’s cold and it’s dangerous, it feels like defusing a bomb, in an haunted house, that’s built on a minefield, and there are bears everywhere, and the bears have knives. You have to tame them, or you will die, we will all die. Their hate will destroy this hospital and then the whole planet. I am counting on you Bailey… We’re all counting on you.