Grey's Anatomy, "What a Difference a Day Makes": They do

Quick thoughts on last night's "Grey's Anatomy" coming up just as soon as I order a salad...

For an episode that was so Izzie-centric -- and, on top of that, for an episode that brought back the ghost of Denny again -- "What a Difference a Day Makes" worked surprisingly well for me. Part of it is that the stakes are much greater now; now we know a Denny appearance means Very Bad Things for Izzie (as opposed to VBT for the show itself), and it's also something Izzie can openly discuss with other people. And those higher stakes also encourage Meredith and Derek and Cristina -- three characters who can be likable at times and insufferably narcissistic at others -- to be at their most selfless. Meredith letting Izzie take over the wedding that Meredith never wanted in the first place and Izzie did was a great gesture, enough that I overlooked the unlikelihood of Katherine Heigl fitting into a dress that was tailored for Ellen Pompeo.

But part of it is that any kind of Izzie-centric episode means it's also going to be an Alex-centric episode, and Justin Chambers is acting on a really high level right now. When he gave that speech about how it's time to stop being the smart-aleck kid and become a man, I thought to myself, "You made that transition a couple of seasons ago, guy, but it's good for you to notice." Chandra Wilson is arguably the best actor in the ensemble, but because of how far Karev has come, Chambers' big moments always feel more surprising, and powerful.

I also really liked all the action in the pit, from Callie breaking down and telling Arizona the real reason their date went south to Hunt trying to help George deal with losing every patient that day. (For that matter, it was effective just to see a mass casualty like this where the doctors were able to accomplish so little.)

Only one (two-hour) episode left to go in the season, and before we have a better idea of Heigl and/or T.R. Knight's future employment on the show. One way or the other, I'll be glad to put those rumors to bed.

What did everybody else think?