Grey's Anatomy (season 8)

Grey's Anatomy (season 8)
DVD cover art for the eighth season of Grey's Anatomy
Starring	Ellen Pompeo Sandra Oh Justin Chambers Chandra Wilson James Pickens, Jr. Sara Ramirez Eric Dane Chyler Leigh Kevin McKidd Jessica Capshaw Kim Raver Sarah Drew Jesse Williams Patrick Dempsey
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	24
Release
Original network	ABC
Original release	September 22, 2011 – May 17, 2012

The eighth season of the American television medical drama Grey's Anatomy, commenced airing on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) on September 22, 2011, with a special two-hour episode and ended on May 17, 2012 with the eighth season having a total of 24 episodes. The season was produced by ABC Studios, in association with ShondaLand Production Company and The Mark Gordon Company; the showrunner being Shonda Rhimes.

This season follows the story-line of Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) and Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) as they try to save their marriage, because of Meredith tampering the Alzheimer trial, while the couple decides to adopt Zola. Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) also struggles to forgive Meredith because Richard Webber (James Pickens, Jr.) takes the blame for Meredith and stepping down, and Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) takes his place as Chief of Surgery. Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) decides to have an abortion putting her relationship with Hunt at odds. Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez) and Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw) co-parent their baby with Mark Sloan (Eric Dane) who continues to have on/off relationship with Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh), the two finally confessing their love towards the end. Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) deals with the fallout of his decision to tell Owen about Meredith's tampering with the Alzheimer's trial. Also, Teddy Altman (Kim Raver) marries Henry Burton (Scott Foley) who later dies of a heart condition leaving her devastated.

The season hit the series' low for ratings as it ended with an average of 10.92 million viewers ranking at no. 34 and in the 18-49 key demographic ranked at no. 12.^[1] Loretta Devine garnered critical acclaim for her portrayal of Adele Webber earned numerous nominations including the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series and the 2nd Critics' Choice Television Awards. James Pickens, Jr.won the NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor, while both Chandra Wilson and Sandra Oh received nominations for Outstanding Actress in a Drama. Stack McKee was nominated for Humanitas Prize for writing White Wedding. Sara Ramirez was nominated at the 13th ALMA Awards for Favorite TV Supporting Actress. Patrick Dempsey and Ellen Pompeo were nominated for Favorite TV Drama Actor and Favorite TV Drama Actress respectively at the 38th People's Choice Awards and the itself being nominated for Favorite TV Drama.

Plot

This season shows the story-line of Derek and Meredith trying to save their marriage, because of Meredith wrecking the Alzheimer trial, and trying to adopt Zola; with Richard taking the blame for Meredith resulting with him stepping down, and Owen taking his place as Chief of Surgery leaving Miranda furious. This season also deals with all of the fifth year surgical residents having to deal with studying, preparing, and finally taking their boards, with everyone passing except April, who is fired by Dr. Hunt in the season finale. Other major storylines include relationship struggles for several of the couples and former couples on the show. In Lexie and Mark's relationship, Mark's burgeoning relationship with Julia causes Lexie to realize how much she misses him. In the finale, both of them confess their love for each other just before Lexie dies from injuries sustained in the plane crash.

Cristina and Owen struggle with their relationship after Cristina decides to have an abortion. Things fare better at work for April, who becomes the new chief resident at Seattle Grace-Mercy West and grows closer to Jackson. Callie and Arizona juggle their relationship with each other and co-parenting their baby with Mark. Alex has to deal with the fallout of his decision to tell Owen about Meredith's tampering with the Alzheimer trial, which results in him becoming an outcast. In the season finale, Meredith, Cristina, Derek, Mark, Lexie, and Arizona's plane crashes en route to Boise, Idaho. The episode ends in a cliffhanger, with the survivors stuck in a forest while people back at the hospital are unaware of the situation; Chief Hunt only finds out something went awry in the final few minutes.

Cast

Main cast Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang Justin Chambers as Alex Karev Chandra Wilson as Miranda Bailey James Pickens, Jr. as Richard Webber Sara Ramirez as Callie Torres Eric Dane as Mark Sloan Chyler Leigh as Lexie Grey Kevin McKidd as Owen Hunt Jessica Capshaw as Arizona Robbins Kim Raver as Teddy Altman Sarah Drew as April Kepner Jesse Williams as Jackson Avery Patrick Dempsey as Derek Shepherd

Recurring cast Scott Foley as Henry Burton Loretta Devine as Adele Webber Jason George as Dr. Ben Warren Daniel Sunjata as Nurse Eli Debbie Allen as Catherine Avery Janora McDuffie as Social Worker Janet Holley Fain as Dr. Julia Canner Amanda Fuller as Intern Morgan Peterson Summer Glau as Nurse Emily Kovach Rebecca Hazlewood as Dr. Mara Keaton

Guest stars Debra Monk as Louise O'Malley Kate Walsh as Addison Montgomery Kate Burton as Ellis Grey Robert Baker as Dr. Charles Percy Alfre Woodard as Justine Campbell Stella Maeve as Lilly Caterina Scorsone as Amelia Shepherd Vanessa Marano as Holly Wheeler Jordan Belfi as Nick Cynthia Watros as Ms. Konner James LeGros as Pilot Jerry Holland Roden as Gretchen

Critical reception

Poptimal'‍s Tanya Lane stated that Ellen Pompeo gave one of her best performances in the season finale.

The season received mostly positive reviews. Tanner Stransky of Cinema Blend gave a fresh review to the season, "Juxtaposed against that nightmare that launched season 8's two-hour season premiere was exactly what the show does portray rather accurately (most of the time)- the relationship drama."^[2]

Verne Gay of Newsday acknowledged the following for the show stating, "Grey's has had a good season and has an intensely loyal fan base to prove it."^[3] TV Fanatic reviewing the episode Free Falling wrote, "This episode set the season in motion, and from the looks of it, it's going to be good."^[4]

Carrie Raisler of The A.V. Club gave a negative review to the season saying, "Just because a show is meant to be fun doesn't mean it shouldn't have standards, and this episode just simply didn't measure up."^[5]

Poptimal'‍s Tanya Lane regarding the season finale wrote, "Wow…just wow. Grey's Anatomy has once again managed to shock with its season finale." While she appreciated the "realism and authenticity that Grey's is known for", she found the episode was "almost too much" as it was "extremely gory and difficult to watch, initially because of the grisly wounds" but later because of the "heavy and emotional things that transpired". She added that "Ellen Pompeo gave one of her best performances when her character learned that her sister was dead."^[6]

Episodes

The number in the "No. in series" column refers to the episode's number within the overall series, whereas the number in the "No. in season" column refers to the episode's number within this particular season. "U.S. viewers in millions" refers to the number of Americans in millions who watched the episodes live.

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	U.S. viewers (millions)
149	1	"Free Falling"	Rob Corn	Tony Phelan & Joan Rater	September 22, 2011	10.38[7]
A giant sinkhole opens up in the middle of Seattle, causing April to step up as Chief Resident. Meredith must deal with the professional ramifications of her actions last season while Cristina and Owen have yet to see eye to eye regarding their feelings for their unplanned pregnancy.
150	2	"She's Gone"	Tony Phelan	Debora Cahn	September 22, 2011	10.38[7]
The sinkhole crisis continues while Meredith and Derek maintain the rocky state of their relationship, which becomes a concern for the adoption counselor. Cristina makes a decision regarding her unplanned pregnancy and Alex realizes that he is the outcast after revealing Meredith's dishonesty.
151	3	"Take the Lead"	Chandra Wilson	William Harper	September 29, 2011	10.20[8]
The Chief makes a career-changing decision that shocks Seattle Grace Hospital, while Cristina and Owen try to find normalcy in their relationship. April continues to struggle in her new role as Chief Resident, and the 5th year residents are given their first solo surgeries, only to find out that even the most routine procedures aren't always easy.
152	4	"What Is It About Men"	Tom Verica	Stacy McKee	October 6, 2011	8.70[9]
Ben returns and Miranda is skeptical of his arrival, until Ben realizes that she has finally moved on. A stampede at a comic convention causes the ER to be inundated with colorful costume-bearers. This episode centers largely on the men of Seattle Grace as opposed to focusing on the women.
153	5	"Love, Loss and Legacy"	Stephen Cragg	Denise Hahn	October 13, 2011	9.97[10]
Jackson's mother, Dr. Catherine Avery, comes to Seattle Grace for a groundbreaking transplant surgery. Zola comes into the hospital, Alex and Arizona must deal with the confidentiality issue with Derek and Meredith. Teddy throws house warming party. Eli and Miranda break up.
154	6	"Poker Face"	Kevin McKidd	Peter Nowalk	October 20, 2011	9.54[11]
April steps up as Chief Resident while managing a clinical trial. Callie and Cristina deal with a difficult spinal surgery while Alex and Teddy must find alternative ways to operate on a patient. Meredith struggles not to interfere with Derek at the hospital.
155	7	"Put Me In, Coach"	Debbie Allen	Jeannine Renshaw	October 27, 2011	9.93[12]
In order to stress cooperation and teamwork, Owen enters the doctors into a softball league where they will compete against Seattle Presbyterian, the other hospital in Seattle. Derek and Lexie deliberate a treatment plan when a desperate mother of girl with an inoperable brain tumor specifically seeks his help. Richard tries to repair Miranda and Meredith's working relationship. Lexie becomes jealous over Mark dating a new woman and Alex fights to keep Zola at Seattle Grace.
156	8	"Heart-Shaped Box"	Jessica Yu	Austin Guzman	November 3, 2011	9.52[13]
A medical miracle occurs, leaving the residents feeling inspired. Louise O'Malley returns to Seattle Grace after a surgery was botched by a different hospital, causing the residents to reminisce about all the times they had with George. Arizona makes friends with a new pediatric fellow, making Alex feel threatened. Teddy and Henry fight over Henry wanting to attend medical school.
157	9	"Dark Was the Night"	Allison Liddi-Brown	Debora Cahn	November 10, 2011	11.29[14]
Teddy brings Henry into the ER after finding him at home vomiting blood; While Meredith gets news from Janet that she and Derek aren't going to get Zola back. Just as Teddy waits on Henry's CT she is called onto another case, the case being Callie and Jackson's spinal surgery, whose heart is now bleeding uncontrollably. After deciding to operate on Callie's patient, Teddy decides to get Cristina to operate on Henry, with Dr. Webber and Lexie in with her, only not to tell her that it's him. Meredith and Alex go to a neighboring hospital to help a new premature baby, since the hospital doesn't have the equipment to save the baby's life; After believing that Henry is in the clear, Cristina finds that the tumor had gone into the heart, after twenty minutes of performing CPR Cristina calls time of death, only moments later to find out it was Henry. After their ambulance breaks down, Alex and Meredith, call Arizona, Mark, and Derek to see if they knew how to take care of the baby, only for the ambulance to crash while on the phone; When Meredith and Alex step out, they see that a car with victims in it was what hit them.
158	10	"Suddenly"	Ron Underwood	Stacy McKee	January 5, 2012	12.12[15]
After their ambulance crashes, Alex and Meredith fight to save the lives of a family; after realizing that telling Teddy about Henry's death would stop her from saving her patient's life, Owen decides to not tell Teddy until she is out of surgery. When Meredith and Alex get back to the hospital they try to save the families life, only for all but the father and the children of the family to die immediately. While operating on the youngest child of the family, Derek and Mark realize that they need help if they are going to save the child's eye only to call Mark's girlfriend, Julia, in to assist them, with Lexie assisting Derek. Arizona and Alex work to save the babies life that they brought from the hospital; after finding out that her patient is too much for her to handle, Teddy request Cristina not knowing that Cristina is not only tired but traumatized from having Henry die on her OR table. After saving their patients life, Cristina decidest to tell Teddy about Henry's dying; after telling her Teddy insist that she doesn't blame Cristina but blames Owen for not telling her right away. When the father of the family whose vehicle crashed, begins crashing again and again, the eldest daughter, Lily, insist that Meredith take him off life support, but Meredith tells that she needs to be 18 only for Lily to tell her that it's her 18th birthday.
159	11	"This Magic Moment"	Steve Robin	Zoanne Clack	January 12, 2012	10.71[16]
A risky surgery which involves conjoined twins has the doctors split into two teams. Meredith acts as a buffer between Miranda and Ben, Alex is taught a lesson in the OR by Webber. Teddy questions Cristina relentlessly (in excruciating detail) about what may have gone wrong in Henry's surgery. Back at home, Derek and Meredith find joy in parenthood.
160	12	"Hope for the Hopeless"	Mark Jackson	Peter Nowalk	January 19, 2012	9.42[17]
A pair of sisters come in for a liver transplant performed by Richard, making it his 10,000th surgery. Meredith must choose a new specialty, Derek and Lexie operate on a previously inoperable neuroblastoma and Teddy and Cristina defy Owen and steal a case from Alex. Adele is brought to Seattle Grace after being found wandering the streets and the full extent of her Alzheimer's is revealed.
161	13	"If/Then"	Jeannot Szwarc	William Harper	February 2, 2012	9.71[18]
Meredith dreams of a world in which her mother, Ellis Grey, never had Alzheimer's and instead had loving and supportive parents. This leads Meredith to be a happy version of herself, causing Seattle Grace to be completely different. She and Cristina are enemies while April is her best friend, who is sleeping with Meredith's fiance, Alex, who is only with Meredith because of her family's legacy. Owen has married Callie and they have 3 children, although they are not happy. Addison and Derek are expecting a child, only it is revealed that the baby is actually Mark's and Addison and Derek's relationship is falling apart. Lexie has become an orphan and a drug addict. It is revealed that George failed his boards and was never seen again while Izzie went insane after Denny's death. Richard left Adele and married Ellis and Meredith took Webber as her last name. The episode ends reminiscent of how Derek and Meredith first met. Throughout the entire episode all the couples that actually do exist seem to have connections, which includes Callie and Arizona, and also Yang and Owen.
162	14	"All You Need Is Love"	Rob Corn	Jeannine Renshaw	February 9, 2012	10.27[19]
It's Valentine's Day at Seattle Grace and the ER fills with romantics. Lexie babysits Zola while Meredith and Derek try to have a romantic night and Mark watches Sofia for the night so Callie can surprise Arizona. Meanwhile, Ben attempts to prove to Miranda how well he knows her, and Owen and Cristina keep avoiding each other after their big fight.
163	15	"Have You Seen Me Lately?"	Tony Phelan	Austin Guzman	February 16, 2012	8.31[20]
During marriage counselling sessions, Owen and Cristina are constantly engaging in heated arguments. Owen cannot seem to move past the fact that Cristina does not want kids. Amelia arrives at Seattle Grace hoping to convince Derek to assist her with Erica's (A.J. Langer) gliosarcoma. Meredith shows off her surgical skills, Alex learns the importance of people skills, Mark and Jackson teach Dr. Bailey a lesson, and the residents continue to prep for their oral boards.
164	16	"If Only You Were Lonely"	Susan Vaill	Matt Byrne	February 23, 2012	9.06[21]
A coffee shop explodes, flooding the ER with Patients. Richard reassesses his living situation with Adele as she continues to deteriorate before his very eyes. Callie assists Meredith with studying for her boards, Lexie assists on a peds case with Arizona and Alex, and Mark encourages Jackson to relieve his stress. Meanwhile, Cristina's suspicions get the better of her as she thinks Owen is cheating on her with a nurse .
165	17	"One Step Too Far"	Edward Ornelas	William Harper	March 15, 2012	9.62[22]
Derek encourages a hesitant Meredith to work with him again in neurosurgery; Jackson’s mother, Catherine Avery, returns to Seattle Grace with a urology fellow and develops an interest in Richard; and Cristina becomes increasingly suspicious of Owen’s every move. Meanwhile, Alex tries to deny the fact that Morgan may be falling for him.
166	18	"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"	Mark Jackson	Stacy McKee	April 5, 2012	8.19[23]
A lion breaks loose in Seattle, leaving a couple's lives and relationship at risk; Lexie overhears Mark's discussion about moving in with Julia; Teddy begins to take steps towards coming to terms with Henry's death; Callie grills Arizona on her past lovers; and Alex requests to be taken off Morgan's preemie case when she becomes too dependent on him. Meanwhile, Meredith tries to be a support for Cristina as the tension between her and Owen hits a boiling point.
167	19	"Support System"	Allison Liddi-Brown	Heather Mitchell	April 12, 2012	8.85[24]
Cristina makes Owen tell her the intimate details of his affair; Mark takes his authority very seriously when he steps in as chief for the day; Arizona, Callie and Miranda plan a special night for Teddy.
168	20	"The Girl With No Name"	Ron Underwood	Peter Nowalk	April 19, 2012	9.82[25]
The doctors work on a Jane Doe, who turns out to be the subject of a case that gained national interest; Cristina proves to be in highest demand as the residents begin their interviews for post-residency positions at prospective hospitals; and Richard is faced with an unsettling realization when he visits Adele at Rose Ridge.
169	21	"Moment of Truth"	Chandra Wilson	Zakiyyah Alexander	April 26, 2012	9.45[26]
The residents travel to San Francisco for the oral boards; sparks fly when Richard and Catherine (Debbie Allen) bump into each other at a hotel; Alex feels guilty about being away from the hospital as Tommy's health takes a turn for the worse. April loses her virginity to Jackson.
170	22	"Let the Bad Times Roll"	Kevin McKidd	Matt Byrne	May 3, 2012	9.24[27]
The residents agonize over their upcoming exam results; Arizona's childhood friend needs medical help; the doctors try to help a patient who is missing one third of his skull; Julia wants to start a family with Mark, causing Lexie to finally tell him how she feels.
171	23	"Migration"	Stephen Cragg	Mark Wilding & Jenna Bans	May 10, 2012	9.82[28]
The 5th years make their final decisions regarding their post residency plans, Mark confides in Derek about being torn between Lexie and Julia. Arizona encourages a childhood friend to have surgery, and Ben plans something for Miranda, who is preoccupied with work. Meredith, Derek, Cristina, Mark, Lexie and Alex are scheduled to fly to assist in a surgery at a hospital in Boise, though Arizona takes Alex's place after she discovers he is planning to leave Seattle Grace for Johns Hopkins Hospital. However, en route their plane crashes in the woods, leaving their fates unknown.
172	24	"Flight"	Rob Corn	Shonda Rhimes	May 17, 2012	11.44[29]
After their plane crashes in the woods, the doctors fight to stay alive while trying to save their peers, but it is too late for Lexie. Mark makes a confession to her, the future of Derek's career may be in jeopardy, Ben and Miranda make a decision about their future together, Teddy gets a tempting offer, Richard plans a dinner for the residents, Owen fires Teddy and discovers his doctors are missing.

Ratings

Live +SD ratings

No. in series	No. in season	Episode	Air date	Time slot (EST)	18–49 (Rating/Share)	Viewers (m)	18–49 Rank	Rank out of Top 25
149	1	"Free Falling"	September 22, 2011	Thursdays 9:00 P.M.	4.1/10[7]	10.38[7]	21[30]	N/A
150	2	"She's Gone"	September 22, 2011		4.1/10[7]	10.38[7]	21[30]	N/A
151	3	"Take the Lead"	September 29, 2011		3.6/9[8]	10.20[8]	16[31]	N/A
152	4	"What Is It About Men"	October 6, 2011		3.1/8[9]	8.70[9]	24[32]	N/A
153	5	"Love, Loss and Legacy"	October 13, 2011		3.6/9[10]	9.97[10]	16[33]	N/A
154	6	"Poker Face"	October 20, 2011		3.6/9[11]	9.54[11]	18[34]	N/A
155	7	"Put Me In, Coach"	October 27, 2011		3.7/9[12]	9.93[12]	18[35]	N/A
156	8	"Heart Shaped Box"	November 3, 2011		3.6/9[13]	9.52[13]	20[36]	N/A
157	9	"Dark Was the Night"	November 10, 2011		4.1/10[14]	11.29[14]	10 [37]	20[37]
158	10	"Suddenly"	January 5, 2012		4.5/11[15]	12.12[15]	5[15]	8[15]
159	11	"This Magic Moment"	January 12, 2012		3.8/10[16]	10.71[16]	11[38]	15[38]
160	12	"Hope for the Hopeless"	January 19, 2012		3.5/8[17]	9.42[17]	11[39]	21[39]
161	13	"If/Then"	February 2, 2012		3.6/9[18]	9.71[18]	8[40]	15[40]
162	14	"All You Need Is Love"	February 9, 2012		4.0/10[19]	10.27[19]	10[41]	22[41]
163	15	"Have You Seen Me Lately?"	February 16, 2012		3.2/8[20]	8.31[20]	12[42]	N/A
164	16	"If Only You Were Lonely"	February 23, 2012		3.1/8[21]	9.06[21]	15[43]	N/A
165	17	"One Step Too Far"	March 15, 2012		3.0/8[22]	9.62[22]	6[44]	13[44]
166	18	"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"	April 5, 2012		2.8/8[23]	8.16[23]	13[45]	N/A
167	19	"Support System"	April 12, 2012		2.9/8[24]	8.85[24]	14[46]	24[46]
168	20	"The Girl With No Name"	April 19, 2012		3.3/9[25]	9.82[25]	8[47]	13[47]
169	21	"Moment of Truth"	April 26, 2012		3.3/9[26]	9.45[26]	6[48]	16[48]
170	22	"Let the Bad Times Roll"	May 3, 2012		3.3/9[27]	9.24[27]	8[49]	24[49]
171	23	"Migration"	May 10, 2012		3.5/10[28]	9.82[28]	8[50]	23[50]
172	24	"Flight"	May 17, 2012		4.1/11[29]	11.44[29]	3[51]	13[51]

Live + 7 Day (DVR) ratings

No. in Series	No. in Season	Episode	Air Date	Timeslot (EST)	18–49 rating increase	Viewers (millions) increase	Total 18-49	Total viewers (millions)	Ref
149	1	"Free Falling"	September 22, 2011	Thursdays 9:00 P.M.	1.7	3.54	5.8	13.92	[52]
150	2	"She's Gone"	September 22, 2011		1.7	3.54	5.8	13.92	[52]
151	3	"Take the Lead"	September 29, 2011		1.5	2.95	5.1	13.15	[53]
152	4	"What Is It About Men"	October 6, 2011		1.7	3.29	4.8	11.99	[54]
153	5	"Love, Loss and Legacy"	October 13, 2011		1.5	2.93	5.1	12.90	[55]
154	6	"Poker Face"	October 20, 2011		1.6	3.06	5.2	12.59	[56]
155	7	"Put Me In, Coach"	October 27, 2011		1.6	3.14	5.3	13.07	[57]
156	8	"Heart Shaped Box"	November 3, 2011		1.6	3.21	5.2	12.74	[58]
157	9	"Dark Was the Night"	November 10, 2011		1.5	2.96	5.6	14.25	[59]
158	10	"Suddenly"	January 5, 2012		1.6	2.96	6.1	15.08	[60]
159	11	"This Magic Moment"	January 12, 2012		1.6	3.00	5.4	13.71	[61]
160	12	"Hope for the Hopeless"	January 19, 2012		1.7	3.26	5.2	12.68	[62]
161	13	"If/Then"	February 2, 2012		1.4	2.91	5.0	12.62	[63]
162	14	"All You Need Is Love"	February 9, 2012		1.6	3.35	5.6	13.61	[64]
163	15	"Have You Seen Me Lately?"	February 16, 2012		1.5	3.25	4.7	11.55	[65]
164	16	"If Only You Were Lonely"	February 23, 2012		1.6	3.14	4.7	12.20	[66]
165	17	"One Step Too Far"	March 15, 2012		1.5	2.83	4.5	12.45	[67]
166	18	"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"	April 5, 2012		1.5	3.01	4.3	11.18	[68]
167	19	"Support System"	April 12, 2012		1.6	3.10	4.5	11.93	[69]
168	20	"The Girl With No Name"	April 19, 2012		1.5	3.04	4.8	12.86	[70]
169	21	"Moment of Truth"	April 26, 2012		1.4	2.88	4.7	12.33	[71]
170	22	"Let the Bad Times Roll"	May 3, 2012		1.5	2.89	4.8	12.13	[72]
171	23	"Migration"	May 10, 2012		1.4	2.90	4.9	12.72	[73]
172	24	"Flight"	May 17, 2012		1.2	2.53	5.3	13.98	[74]

DVD release

Grey's Anatomy: The Complete Eighth Season - Extraordinary Moments[75]
Set Details			Special Features
24 Episodes (1 extended) 6-Disc Set English (Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround) Audio Commentaries			A Journey Home With Kevin McKidd Extended Episode-"If/Then" Deleted Scenes In Stitches: Season Eight Outtakes
Release Dates
Region 1		Region 2		Region 4
September 4, 2012[76]		December 3, 2012[77]		October 17, 2012[78]

References

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2. http://tvrecaps.ew.com/recap/greys-anatomy-season-8-premiere-recap/
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4. http://www.tvfanatic.com/2011/09/greys-anatomy-review-free-falling/
5. http://www.avclub.com/articles/greys-anatomy-ifthen,68767/
6. http://poptimal.com/2012/05/greys-anatomy-season-finale-review-tears-and-gore-galore/#.T7u36flTadk
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13. Seidman, Robert (November 4, 2011). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'Big Bang Theory,' 'The X Factor,' 'Parks & Recreation,' 'The Office,' 'Vampire Diaries,' 'Grey's Anatomy' Adjusted Up". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. Retrieved November 5, 2011.
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