| “ | As interns, we know what we want, to become surgeons. And we'll do anything to get there. Suffer through killer exam, endure one-hundred hour weeks, stand for hours on end in operating rooms, you name it, we'll do it. The tough part, though, is reconciling this huge thing we want to be surgeons with everything else we want. Too often, the thing you want most is the one thing you can’t have. Desire leaves us heartbroken, it wears us out. Desire can wreck your life. And as tough as wanting something can be, the people who suffer the most are those who don’t know what they want. | ” |
Desire is the twenty-first episode of the third season and the 57th overall episode of Grey's Anatomy.
Short Summary
The Chairman of Seattle Grace's board of directors is admitted and all the attendings vie for his favor, Izzie and George keep getting confronted by the results of infidelity, and Preston presses Cristina for a decision.
Full Summary
The episode starts out with a flashback of George and Izzie in bed.
Cast
Main Cast
- Ellen Pompeo as Dr. Meredith Grey
- Sandra Oh as Dr. Cristina Yang
- Katherine Heigl as Dr. 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 Montgomery
- Sara Ramírez as Dr. Callie Torres
- Eric Dane as Dr. Mark Sloan
- Isaiah Washington as Dr. Preston Burke
- Patrick Dempsey as Dr. Derek Shepherd
Guest Stars
- Elizabeth Reaser as Jane Doe/Ava
- Kali Rocha as Dr. Sydney Heron
- Mitch Pileggi as Larry Jennings
- Mary-Margaret Humes as Nancy Jennings
- Rowena King as Celeste Newman
- Ramon De Ocampo as James Benton
Co-Starring
Medical Notes
Patient
- Diagnosis:
- Doctors:
- Treatment:
- Hemiglossectomy
Meredith mentioned a patient having a hemiglossectomy.
Ava
- Diagnosis:
- Pregnancy
- Pre-eclampsia
- Fetal edema
- Seizure
- Doctors:
- Addison Forbes Montgomery (fetal surgeon)
- Alex Karev (surgical intern)
- Treatment:
- Epidural
- C-section delivery
Ava developed pre-eclampsia and her baby had edema. She was given an epidural in an attempt to stabilize her, but she had a seizure, so they rushed her into the OR for an emergency c-section even though she was only 30 weeks.
Lawrence Jennings
- Diagnosis:
- Foreign object in urethra
- Doctors:
- Richard Webber (general surgeon)
- Dr. Fischer (urologist)
- Preston Burke (cardiothoracic surgeon)
- Miranda Bailey (surgical resident)
- Treatment:
- Surgical extraction
Larry came in with swollen testicles. They determined the cause to be a small fish lodged in his urethra. They attempted to remove the fish without opening him up, but when he became unstable, they had to open him up to remove it. The urologist then said he'd repair Larry's bladder. Larry was stable and awake after surgery.
James Benton
- Diagnosis:
- Brain herniation
- Doctors:
- Derek Shepherd (neurosurgeon)
- Miranda Bailey (surgical resident)
- Sydney Heron (surgical resident)
- Izzie Stevens (surgical intern)
- George O'Malley (surgical intern)
- Treatment:
- Nasal lavage
- Surgery
James came into the clinic with what he thought was a cold that had been dragging on. Izzie planned to discharge him, but Sydney ordered her to do nasal lavage. Bailey then tried again to discharge him, but she noticed a halo sign on the pillow where he had his head. She ordered a CT. The MRI showed that he was leaking spinal fluid through his nose due to a brain herniation. He had surgery to repair the defect.
Celeste Newman
- Diagnosis:
- Doctors:
- Addison Forbes Montgomery (OB/GYN)
- George O'Malley (surgical intern)
- Treatment:
- STD panel
Celeste, concerned that she might have contracted some sort of disease from Lawrence Jennings, asked to be tested. Her results all came back negative.
Baby Girl
- Diagnosis:
- Doctors:
- Addison Forbes Montgomery (neonatal surgeon)
- Alex Karev (surgical intern)
- Treatment:
Addison delivered Ava's baby and she had some problems after birth, but she was stable later.
Music
| Song | Performer | Scene |
|---|---|---|
| "The Secrets of Amanda Prines" | The Reddmen |
|
| "Better Off" | Let's Go Sailing |
|
| "Again & Again" | The Bird and the Bee |
|
| "Nausea" | Beck |
|
| "How Am I Doing" | Anna Waronker |
|
Notes and Trivia
- This episode's title originated from the song Desire, originally sung by U2.
- This episode scored 20.08 million viewers.
- The season 3 extended DVD-box includes an audio commentary on this episode by Sandra Oh.
Gallery
Episode Stills
Quotes
- Bailey: I know I said you two could use the day to study but we got an all hands on deck situation.
- Cristina: A bad car accident?
- Meredith: Multiple gunshot wounds?
- Bailey: A penis. The chairman of the board's penis.
- Meredith: What's wrong with it?
- Bailey: His testicles are swollen, which is the understatement of the year.
- Cristina: Fantastic! How much? No, uh, you know what? Don't tell me. Let it be a surprise.
- Bailey: Look, you and Grey can take him for his ultrasound and his x-ray.
- Cristina: The VIPenis.
See Also
|
A complete overview of this episode's crew can be found here. |
| Grey's Anatomy Season 3 | |||||
| #01 | "Time Has Come Today" | #10 | "Don't Stand So Close to Me" | #19 | "My Favorite Mistake" |
| #02 | "I Am a Tree" | #11 | "Six Days, Part 1" | #20 | "Time After Time" |
| #03 | "Sometimes a Fantasy" | #12 | "Six Days, Part 2" | #21 | "Desire" |
| #04 | "What I Am" | #13 | "Great Expectations" | #22 | "The Other Side of This Life, Part 1" |
| #05 | "Oh, the Guilt" | #14 | "Wishin' and Hopin'" | #23 | "The Other Side of This Life, Part 2" |
| #06 | "Let the Angels Commit" | #15 | "Walk on Water" | #24 | "Testing 1-2-3" |
| #07 | "Where the Boys Are" | #16 | "Drowning on Dry Land" | #25 | "Didn't We Almost Have It All?" |
| #08 | "Staring at the Sun" | #17 | "Some Kind of Miracle" | ||
| #09 | "From a Whisper to a Scream" | #18 | "Scars and Souvenirs" | ||
| << Season 2 | Season 4 >> | ||||