The invaders: The residents treated the new doctors from Mercy West as childishly as you might expect. The new Dr. Jackson Avery nevertheless made a good impression on Owen, much to Cristina's annoyance. Dr. Charles Percy tried to befriend Izzie, but after she came around, she learned that he was taking advantage of her, so she threw some coffee at him.
Much worse, however, she became so distracted by her annoyance that she screwed up and nearly killed a kidney transplant patient — and cost the woman the shot at a kidney. Unsurprisingly, when it came time for the Chief to make more cuts, he chose her, and Izzie hit the bricks. Not only that, but after the Chief admitted that Alex had mentioned Izzie needing to be cut some slack, Izzie left a note for Alex and bolted on her marriage, as well.
Father and father: Callie's father returned with the family priest in tow, hoping to stop Callie from being gay. When he quoted the Bible to her too many times, Callie fired back with quotes straight from Jesus about love for one another (in a scene that, it must be said, Sara Ramirez knocked out of the park). Arizona had a talk with Callie's dad, though, and that brought him to an implausibly easy epiphany and a reconciliation.
The tackle: Two guys showed up in the ER after one injured the other one for fooling around with his 19-year-old daughter. Cristina assured the new Dr. Avery that she could handle the case and he wasn't needed — until the father later tried to attack again, and Avery had to tackle him right there in the hospital, earning cheers from all present. Later, Cristina complained to Owen about Avery acing her out for the surgery. It turned into a full-blown crisis when Cristina later complained to Meredith that she doesn't get to hold hearts anymore and doesn't feel special anymore. It even led her to admit that professionally speaking, she misses the long-gone Burke.
Even more unprofessionalism: A woman (played by the always terrific Kathleen Wilhoite) came in with her very ill father, only to see his care sacrificed to petty bickering between Alex and one of the new doctors, a woman named Reed Adamson — who is, it turns out, the crush object of Izzie's Dr. Percy. Alex and Adamson went back and forth, to the detriment of the patient, who turned out to have a mass in his abdomen. Finally, the daughter read Alex and Adamson the riot act and told them how selfish they were being, and they came around lickety-split.
Criminal complaints: Lexie found herself in competition with a new intern, and a burglar she was treating stole the newbie's notebook and gave it to Lexie as ammunition. Lexie tormented her competition with it for a while, then thought better of it and stopped, but not before acting like a complete jerk, just like everyone else in the episode.
Linda Holmes is a writer in Washington.