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Derek’s first day brings challenges on ‘Grey’s’

Changing of the guard: Derek took over as Chief of Surgery, while Richard was given a choice between entering treatment for alcoholism and surrendering his medical license. Derek wanted him to choose treatment, but Richard was much too angry at him to listen. It was Bailey who got Richard to admit that he simply feared not being able to drink. Bailey told him to "be the chief" she knows he is, and
/ Source: msnbc.com contributor

Changing of the guard: Derek took over as Chief of Surgery, while Richard was given a choice between entering treatment for alcoholism and surrendering his medical license. Derek wanted him to choose treatment, but Richard was much too angry at him to listen. It was Bailey who got Richard to admit that he simply feared not being able to drink. Bailey told him to "be the chief" she knows he is, and he eventually signed off on the treatment option.

Losing unconsciousness: Derek got into his first crisis quickly after a patient woke up during surgery. Bailey blamed Pierce, the Mercy West anesthesiologist, but it turned out it was a freak occurrence. (Bailey eventually apologized to Pierce ... but not quickly.) Worse, the patient remembered hearing Bailey panic, and that memory made her terrified to let Bailey touch her again.

When the patient needed more surgery, she would allow only Meredith to operate. The surgery was successful, and Bailey advised Derek to ward off a lawsuit by simply apologizing for the error — which is exactly what he did.

Petty squabbles: Things remained chilly between Lexie and Mark. In fact, he refused to speak to her. Derek and Callie both encouraged him to get over it already, but he was too hurt at what he perceived to be Lexie dumping him for trying to be a good dad. He seemed close to reaching out to her at one point, but didn't get to it before she ran off crying.

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Celebrity Sightings

Jennifer Aniston on the 'Call Me Crazy' red carpet, Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka carry their twins around NY, Even Rachel Wood shows off her baby bump, and more.

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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4999736/

trueH6falsetrue1Child welfare: Arizona pulled Alex into a pediatrics rotation where they dealt with a kid whose father was sure he was faking his abdominal pains to avoid school. When the dad refused to even have the necessary tests done, Alex forcefully got the point across that guessing wrong would have an awfully high price.

It later turned out that a heart problem was to blame, and Teddy had to step in to save the boy. Alex later wasted no time in reminding the overbearing dad that the man almost killed his own son by refusing the tests, at which point Arizona schooled him in the difference between advocating for kids and judging parents — while still praising him for saving the kid's life.

Triangle tactics: Owen and Cristina were engaged in some kind of sex marathon in an effort to paper over their Teddy problems. In fact, when Teddy paged her during the crisis with Alex's patient while Cristina and Owen were in bed, Owen pressed her not to respond — and she didn't.

Later, an angry Teddy made it pretty clear that she was holding all their personal business against Cristina, and Cristina in turn held it against Owen. Owen, who had finally heard elsewhere about Cristina's non-wedding to Burke, got her to talk about it and to explain her fears of losing herself in a relationship. She told him she loved him, but made it clear that interfering in her work is, now and forever, a no-no.

Linda Holmes is a writer in Washington, D.C.