Charles: No. You were always my favorite doctor. I thought you should know... (long pause, closes his eyes and dies)

Yes or no. In or out. Up or down. Live or die. Hero or coward. Fight or give in. I'll say it again to make sure you hear me. The human life is made up of choices. Live or die. That's the important choice. And it's not always in our hands.

Cristina: I can't talk right now I'm trying to save your guy. Now please go try save mine.

You want justice right? Your wife died, I know what happened. Derek told me the story. Lexie Grey is the one that pulled the plug on your wife, she's my sister. Dr. Webber, he was your wife's doctor. I'm the closest thing he has to a daughter. And the man on the table, I'm his wife. If you wanna hurt them, the way that you hurt, shoot me. I'm your eye for an eye.

Meredith, Cristina, Alex, Jackson and April have all reached their 5th year as residents. In a year that can make or break a surgical career, the residents are tasked with their first-ever solo surgeries, no longer under their attendings’ direct supervision in the O.R.

Torn apart by Meredith’s well-intentioned but devastatingly harmful interference in Derek’s Alzheimer’s clinical trial, Meredith and Derek are living apart. Their relationship hangs in the balance, as does the fate of their newly adopted daughter, Zola.

Cristina and Owen’s wedded bliss is in jeopardy when they can’t agree on whether or not to have a baby. When Cristina becomes unexpectedly pregnant and decides to terminate the pregnancy, Owen is against it, leading to the biggest issue in their relationship thus far. Meanwhile Meredith and Cristina, the best of friends, find themselves at the center of each other’s worlds once again, as their marriages are tested.

Leading the 5th year residents is newly-appointed Chief Resident April Kepner. Her position of authority is immediately tested by her skeptical peers. Meanwhile Jackson, who is consistently proving he has the skills to be a very talented surgeon, is extremely happy in a new relationship with Lexie. And doing his best to move forward after his relationship with Lexie has ended is Mark Sloan, who has become a loving parent to daughter Sofia with the now-married Callie and Arizona.

Love abounds in other places in the hospital, as Bailey’s relationship with Nurse Eli continues to grow and Teddy falls deeper in love with her patient, Henry. Richard Webber focuses on caring for his beloved wife, Adele, who has Alzheimer’s disease.

Seattle Grace Hospital is a place where life isn’t lived in the black and white, but in the shades of grey.