Time After Time

"A patient's history is as important as their symptoms. It's what helps us decide if heart burn's a heart attack... if a head ache's a tumor. Sometimes patients will try to re-write their own histories. They'll claim they don't smoke, or forget to mention certain drugs... which in surgery can be the kiss of death. We can ignore it all we want, but our history eventually always comes back to haunt us. Some people believe that without history, our lives amount to nothing. At some point we all have to choose: do we fall back on what we know, or do we step forward to something new? It's hard not to be haunted by our past. Our history is what shapes us... what guides us. Our history resurfaces time after time after time. So we have to remember sometimes the most important history is the history we’re making today."

- Meredith Grey

 is the twentieth episode of the third season and the 56th overall episode of Grey's Anatomy.

Short Summary
Meredith deals with an overbearing step-mother. Christina finds herself caught between Burke and Marlow. Derek fights for the job of Chief. Alex continues the search for Jane Doe's identity. And Izzie's past comes looking for her.

Full Summary
Our history defines us. Cristina struggles with hers, as Colin Marlow says she's not the marrying kind, even as she plans to wed Burke next month. A young woman who Alex says was raised by wolves (Meredith), must deal with her "fake mother" (Susan), who's determined to be a part of her life. The Chief looks to move on after his painful divorce from Adele, and when we first see Isobel Stevens, she's coming back from confession.

As in the confession. At church.

But her inexplicable night of passion with George is nothing compared to the shock Izzie gets next.

Eleven years ago, Izzie got pregnant and gave her baby up for adoption. Now the parents of her daughter, Hannah, are at Seattle Grace and asking Izzie for help. Hannah is in dire need of a bone marrow transplant, and Dr. Stevens - the biological mother - is a strong match. Suffice it to say, it's too much for our girl to take. She retreats to the women's room in tears, and confesses all to a concerned Dr. Bailey.

With ulterior motives as plain as day, Colin asks Cristina to assist him on a unique "piggyback" heart surgery. He and Preston angle for her affections even as they prepare the patient for his operation... and even during the procedure. Colin chastises Burke as he conducts the surgery, then takes a shot at Cristina when he catches her trying to console Preston afterwards.

As Marlow splits town, Cristina can get back to being herself... assuming she wants to be or knows who that is.

In the race for Chief, a sullen Derek pleads for Richard's support with the board. Mark also seeks Richard's support... as a wing man. That's right, to pick up girls. It's a recipe for disaster. Richard asks if it's just a ploy on Sloan's part to get him laid in return for his vote with the board. A wry smile is all Mark offers.

Despite continued wrangling, Derek doesn't get the Chief's backing, but not for his lack of qualifications - it's because Richard has seen what the job takes out of a man and he promised Ellis Grey he'd look after her daughter.

Derek may be the top candidate, but he is therefore left wondering whether Meredith his forever compromised his ambitions of becoming head of surgery.

Mark may not get a wing man, but Jane Doe gets a name. She's Shannon Marie. When Seattle Grace releases photos of her new face to the news stations, a married couple claims her as their daughter. The blood type (and her lack of tonsils) is a match. All is well until the would-be mother pulls a 180 and decides Shannon/Jane Doe is not her daughter.

But is she? Does her husband merely want it to be so? Is she just unwilling to accept the possibility that things might never be the same? Does Alex secretly - or not-so-secretly - wish to keep Jane Doe all to himself? At the end, when she learns she may not be released to be with her newfound parents, Jane/Shannon snaps at Alex, finally releasing the frustration and pain she's been harboring throughout the entire ordeal.

Hannah says she's not ready to see her biological mother, but a sad Izzie nonetheless agrees to the bone marrow transplant. Bailey tries to keep the process discreet, but George insists on knowing what the heck is going on. It's becoming more and more clear that he loves her as he holds her hand through the painful spinal injection and helping her get dressed (and into a wheelchair) after.

As they watch Hannah prepare for the transplant - unbeknownst to anyone but them - Izzie stops short of telling George she loves him. Barely. She says she can't live without him... and that the love they made wasn't something evil, and that she needs him now and in the future. Their history defines them... but what will the future hold?

Main Cast

 * Ellen Pompeo as Dr. Meredith Grey
 * Sandra Oh as Dr. Cristina Yang
 * Katherine Heigl as Dr. Isobel 'Izzie' Stevens
 * Justin Chambers as Dr. Alex Karev
 * T.R. Knight as Dr. George O'Malley
 * Chandra Wilson as Dr. Miranda Bailey
 * James Pickens Jr. as Dr. Richard Webber
 * Kate Walsh as Dr. Addison Forbes Montgomery
 * Sara Ramirez as Dr. Calliope 'Callie' Torres
 * Eric Dane as Dr. Mark Sloan
 * Isaiah Washington as Dr. Preston Burke
 * Patrick Dempsey as Dr. Derek Shepherd

Guest Starring

 * Elizabeth Reaser as Ava
 * Roger Rees as Dr. Colin Marlow
 * Dee Wallace as Joan Waring
 * Brent Jennings as Charles Redford
 * Suzanne Cryer as Caroline Klein
 * Tim Hopper as Dustin Klein
 * Marc Vann as Hematologist
 * Steven W. Bailey as Joe
 * Mare Winningham as Susan Grey

Co-Starring

 * Randy Thompson as Frank Waring
 * Melissa Fitzgerald as Social Worker
 * Kate Anthony as Nurse Kate
 * Zibby Allen as Nurse Zibby
 * Nichelle Hines as Young Woman
 * Liv Hutchings as Hannah
 * Craig Tsuyumine as TV Reporter

Notes and Trivia

 * This episode's title originated from the song Time After Time, originally sung by Cyndi Lauper.
 * This episode scored 21.12 million viewers.

Quotes

 * Derek: You warned me she could become a problem.
 * Bailey: Who, Meredith?
 * Derek: You know when you love somebody, you think you can handle it all?
 * Bailey: You’ve done alright, both of you.
 * Derek: I came here to be chief, but Meredith complicates that.
 * Bailey: Huh. Well if this turns into an “either or,” you pick the person you love. End of story. Look, all of this means nothing if you’re alone.