Our series of Grey's refreshers continues with a look at the exhausting love affair between Dr. Yang and…Dr. Yang's career.
The Couple: Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) and her surgical career
Where We Were: When Cristina was jilted at the altar because of Isaiah Washington's off-camera homophobic slurs (er…her inability to commit to Dr. Burke), she was visibly shaken in the weeks that followed. However, a visit from her would've-been mother-in-law quickly made her realize her commitment to her one true love (cardiothoracic surgery) was somewhat justified. Since then, we've seen Yang return to her pre-Burke self, barking orders at her new interns and butting heads with Burke's replacement, Dr. Hahn. Hahn revoked Yang's opportunities to scrub in on all her coveted surgeries, showing new favoritism to Izzie instead. But Yang wasn't going down without a fight. She battled hard for what she loved, proving to Izzie that she was the only one in the group "hard-core" enough for cardiothoracics and slowly weaseling her way back into favor with Hahn.
Where they're headed: If we know Cristina, she'll keep eye on the prize until she attains it. But don't be surprised if another man might be able to once again provide a distraction from her work. Although Ausiello has reported that the plan to bring in Joshua Jackson as a love interest was thwarted by the strike, creator Shonda Rhimes has commented that she still sees another flame trying to melt Yang's icy exterior in the future. Will she and her scalpel ever know true happiness?
Possible roadblocks: Rhimes also suggests that Cristina may still have some grief over the loss of Burke to resolve in this season's remaining episodes. Perhaps she has become a weaker version of the bulldog we've come to know, as evidenced in the final pre-strike episode when Yang holds onto baby Tuck's hand rather than finishing the surgery for Hahn. Also, new roomie Callie could loosen a few of Yang's tightly-wound screws as they recover from lost lovers together. After all, girls just wanna have fun! — Adam Bryant
Source: TV Guide
