It was probably inevitable that Shonda Rhimes would create Grey’s Anatomy, ABC’s runaway hit about the romantic entanglements and complicated lives of surgeons and their overworked interns at a Seattle hospital. For two years during high school, she worked as a candy striper.

"I loved that job. I’m perfectly comfortable in hospitals," Rhimes told the New York Times.

She also admits to having a passion for shows about medical procedures: the pressure, the blood, the scalpels, Rhimes finds it all intriguing.

"I love to watch all those surgeries on the Discovery Channel and the Learning Channel. I’m a surgical junkie," she said.

Apparently Rhimes is not the only one.

Her show’s mixture of medicine, drama and sex has proved such a winning formula that more than 25 million viewers tuned in last week to watch its season premiere. Since its debut in 2005, it's been one of TV's top-rated series, and the network signed Rhimes to a two-year, $10 million deal.

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“Well. This is awkward!”

ABC cleverly left Eric Dane off the opening credits for Thursday night’s episode, “I Am a Tree,” but the guest star definitely left a huge impression once again — despite speaking only the one line above.

Reprising his role as plastic surgeon Dr. Mark Sloan, Dane made a surprise appearance at the end of the episode, when he was caught wearing nothing but a towel and a smile in the hotel room of Addison Shepherd (Kate Walsh) — immediately after soon-to-be ex-husband Derek (Patrick Dempsey) came clean about his own affair.

So how does Dane, whose character became known as “McSteamy” last season — a play on Dempsey’s “McDreamy” — stay in shape for those towel scenes?

“I go to the gym four times a week. When I am 60, I want to feel like I am 40. I lift weights and I have a really good trainer,” he tells EW. “I eat whatever I get my hands on. You could bottle my metabolism and we would all be billionaires. I miss a meal, I lose five pounds.”

Dane, 34, was most recently seen in this summer’s blockbuster X-Men: The Last Stand.

His extensive TV work includes a recurring role on Charmed, Vegas, the made-for-TV movie Helter Skelter, and as the lead on Gideon’s Crossing.

In her blog, the episode’s writer, Krista Vernoff, said eloquently, “I love me my McSteamy.” She’s not the only one — as evidenced by our Round Table discussion and our latest poll.

We’re looking forward to seeing how long Dr. Sloan sticks around Seattle Grace, and what his future with Addison holds.

Thursday night's episode, "I Am a Tree," was a stellar one, marking the return of the Grey's Anatomy we know and love. We thought you'd like to read an excerpt from episode's writer, Krista Vernoff, who talks about it on the show's official writers blog.

Specifically, we were fascinated by the fact that the episode's memorable, brutally honest brain tumor patient, Benjamin, was played by Peter Paige (pictured below), one of Krista's best friends in life. Peter is also directing a new play written by Krista. See below!

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Finally, I have to take a moment to write to you about Benjamin. Oh my God, he broke my heart — and not just because the actor who played him, the brilliant and multi-talented Peter Paige — has been one of my very best friends for the last 20 years.

When they had to shock his heart on the table, I burst into tears — and not just cause I’m four months pregnant and everything makes me cry and it almost killed me to see my Peter looking like he was maybe dying.

I love Benjamin because he makes me laugh. And he really made me think, just like he made Meredith think, about how much we should really run around all day controlling every impulse we have in favor of being "polite."

I mean, life is short, people die. If your hair conditioner isn’t working, don’t you want some to tell you? I know my Peter Paige tells me, which is why he’s my best friend.

Finally, I’m going to take this opportunity for a moment of unadulterated self-promotion. A play I wrote, "Me, My Guitar and Don Henley" is opening in New York on October 7 in a tiny little theatre in the East Village.

If you are an East Coast dwelling theatre-goer and you like my episodes of Grey’s Anatomy and you like my rambling and over-sharing, I think you will like my play, which is, coincidentally, directed by Peter Paige and includes a large amount of over-sharing.

If you don’t like my rambling and over sharing? Like, if you’re about to write to me and go, "Stupid Krista! Why do you think we CARE about you and your stupid life? GEEZ — we wanna hear more about Meredith cause you’re stupid, you dummy" — then you probably shouldn’t come see my play.

NOTE: If you do, here's the link.

This week on the Round Table, Izzie bakes, Callie gets down (and George gets jealous), and Mark makes a McSteamy return. Our esteemed panel weighs in on last night's episode…

Should "I Am a Tree" have been the season premiere, as Canadian viewers mistakenly believed it to be?

McCritic: Yes. Little was accomplished in the actual season premiere that couldn't have been condensed and fit into this entertaining episode.

AwayWithMerDer: Since the U.S. season premiere had useless flashbacks and no real plot, I think Canadians got it right. I don't see why they're complaining they got to miss our boring season opener.

Married-to-McDreamy: Definitely not. Had "I Am a Tree" been the premiere, we would have missed watching Meredith struggle with her decision over which of her male courters to choose. Oh wait. That's still happening.

iheartizzie: The actual premiere wasn't all bad, but last night was far superior, a return to the Grey's Anatomy we love. Sandra Oh's native land may gripe, but they actually made out great with this supposed gaffe. To borrow a classic Napoleon Dynamite quote: "Luck-y!"

Jealous George: Sweet and adorable or overbearing and frightening?

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It's the Silver Anniversary Caption Contest: Number 25. Actually, we're not even sure if that's right. The silver part, that is. But no matter. Once again, Grey's Anatomy fans tested their mettle by submitting they thought would make the best caption for the image below, taken from "I Am a Tree."

It was a good effort by all of you, with 56 quality responses. Submissions by Shell, Deron and Caroline almost won it. But ultimately, we had to go with the caption sent in by Grey — even if we seriously doubt it's his or her real name. You can see the winning entry below the picture. Thanks for playing and good luck this week!

The Caption Contest Image:

"Now that you mention it Bailey, I guess it is kind of strange that there’s only one bar in all of Seattle."

In a word, wow.

Bambi flipping (out), Meredith flipping (coins) Cristina stripping, Callie dancing in her underwear, McSteamy in the shower and much, much more. That was an awful lot to digest, but we've done the best we can — our thorough guide to "I Am a Tree" is officially live.

Follow the link above and check it out! Then discuss your thoughts on this great episode in our FORUM!

We are still in the process of compiling pages of quotes and pictures, but we've pulled together some good ones so far. We'll announce our weekly Caption Contest winner and post our always-entertaining staff Round Table discussion later today.

Below is the perspective of Meredith… Goldstein, that is. She's a Boston Globe columnist, and we thought you'd like to see what she has to say about her namesake and the Grey's Anatomy protagonist:

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I hate Meredith.

I have my reasons.

She whines incessantly and puts y's on the end of words that don't need them (after all, she's "dark and twisty").

She can't be alone, she only talks about her love life, and an entire hospital staff orbits around her.

She got her job because of her mom.

During the 15 seconds she was single, she met a perfect veterinarian who cooks.

She used a sick dog to perpetuate adultery.

She slept with a million guys and never freaked out to her roommates about whether she got an STD.

I hate her because McDreamy is a stupid nickname.

I hate Meredith for the same reason someone posted this note on a blog last winter at 2:20 a.m.: "I think Meredith's character needs to gain about 20 pounds and stop crying." And for the reason someone posted this one on a blog just a few months ago after last season's finale: "Meredith looks like some skeleton someone found on an archeological dig and did a voodoo spell on to bring her back to life. Someone get her a Twinkie, a pizza and a Luna Bar and fast."

At least Ally McBeal sang sometimes.

I hate Meredith because sometimes she has a lisp and sometimes she doesn't.

I hate her even more because the lisp is cute.

When Meredith is doing her job, which involves cutting people open and exposing their organs, I'm pretty sure she's thinking about boys. She breathes loud to be dramatic. She probably doesn't even have asthma!

She thinks she's unique — everybody's parents get sick and divorced.

I hate Meredith because she wants what she can't have.

Because she's probably going to get her way.

Because if she doesn't get her way, I will feel incomplete.

And because tonight, against my better judgment, I will tune in and root for her just like everybody else.

Tonight's episode, "I Am a Tree," (9 p.m. EST) takes its name from a song written by Doug Gillard, and performed by Guided by Voices. We'll see if the voices of the interns can successfully guide Izzie back into the internship program, which they will attempt to do.

Cristina, meanwhile, has the honor of meeting Dr. Burke's parents, Jane and Donald (played by Diahann Carroll and Richard Roundtree) under rather awkward circumstances. To say the least. You've seen the previews.

Also, a distraught Addison takes a break from her hospital duties, a surgical patient lives what may be her last day to the fullest, and somebody's panties are tacked up on the bulletin board, which can only lead to good things.

Some of you in Canada, of course, have already seen this. But the rest of us are looking forward to it. We'll have our exclusive Episode Guide, pics and quotes up after the show, so check back!

Catch up on last week's season premiere, "Time Has Come Today," by reading our comprehensive guide as well as our staff's Round Table discussion. Check out our list of memorable quotes and our image gallery from the episode, too.

We're sorry for delay in giving you the answers to our first Grey's Anatomy trivia post from a few weeks ago, but it proved quite popular and we wanted as many people to participate as possible.

Here they are:

A) 4, Dartmouth; B) 3, Johns Hopkins; C) 1, Cristina; D) 3, Tucker; E) 3, Molly; F) 2, Truck driver; G) 3, Santa Barbara, California; H) 1, Wrestling; I) 4, Montgomery; J) 2, Cristina.

Most of the responses we got had them mostly right, proving that Grey's Anatomy fans are… dedicated. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to grade them all, but we're going to be developing a program that lets you find out the answers instantly. Stay tuned in the coming months!

Actor James Pickens Jr., who plays "The Chief" on Grey's Anatomy, knows he's got to do something about the libidinous interns on the hit show.

"They're driving me crazy," Pickens said in a recent interview, adopting his character's familiar look of exasperation. "I've got to put them on lockdown or do something. Hopefully, I'm going to start putting a rein on them."

The results of his efforts, however futile, are back on display as Grey's Anatomy begins its third season. In last week's premiere, Izzie struggled to accept Denny's fate, Dr. Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) professed his love for Meredith, and Dr. Burke's career was still in jeopardy. As for the Chief, a.k.a. Dr. Richard Webber, he was given an ultimatum by his wife, Adele.

Just another day at the office.

Some viewers might consider the romantic hijinks on Grey's to be somewhat far-fetched, but Pickens said doctors tell him the show is right on the mark.

"Right after the first season… I happened to be at a social gathering where there was a physician couple who were both pediatric surgeons. The first thing they picked up on was the sex. They said 'Yeah, the on-call room, that's always the place,'" he said.

Pickens, 51, whose previous TV credits include Beverly Hills 90210, Roseanne, and The Practice, acknowledged that the show's staggering popularity has changed his everyday life.

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