Below is a sneak preview from tomorrow night's all-new episode of Grey's Anatomy, "Rise Up." Our favorite group of residents meet a new patient (we use the term loosely) named Stan, and in the process, learn a piece of information that lights a fire under them ...

Stan

While the situation with Brooke Smith abruptly and controversially leaving the series continues to cast a pall over this episode, it does look pretty entertaining on its own merits.

Follow the jump for two more Grey's Anatomy sneak preview clips (we'll add more videos when and if we come across them), as well as the first ABC promo for the episode ...

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The controversial firing of Brooke Smith (Erica Hahn) has dominated Grey's Anatomy news in the last 48 hours, and tomorrow night's episode, "Rise Up," will be her last.

The promotional photos below don't contain any Callica action, and the resolution (if any) of that story line remains to be seen. But there are some good pictures below.

Sneak previews to follow later in the day. Click to enlarge any of the pics ...

There's plenty more after the jump ...

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During an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Patrick Dempsey commented on Brooke Smith and her departure From Grey's Anatomy - meaning he read a statement from ABC.

Clearly the Grey's Anatomy leading man can't say a lot about it - he may not even know a lot about it - but Patrick did manage to crack a joke at one point. Here's the clip below (if anyone can find the full interview please post the link and we'll add it)!

Dempsey on Smith

As we reported early this morning, sources confirmed that Brooke Smith, who plays Dr. Erica Hahn (a heart surgeon who recently realized she is gay), has been axed from the Grey's Anatomy cast. Brooke Smith sounded off on this to EW's Michael Ausiello.

You may have already seen this, but in the wake of Smith's surprise and sudden firing, insiders connected to the ABC series tell E! Online that some of the gay-themed story lines are being downplayed - and even erased from upcoming Grey's Anatomy scripts.

And that goes for the series' latest (and controversial) newcomer, Melissa George of Alias fame, who is set to join the medical drama this month ...

Melissa came on to the show as a bisexual character and love interest for Callie (Sara Ramirez), but a reliable insider says that's no longer in the cards, "They changed the script, and now she isn't. She starts off flirting with Callie but it never goes anywhere."

Melissa will portray Meredith's (Ellen Pompeo) best friend - with a possible history - and a new intern at Seattle Grace. No word on how that will play out.

Grey's Anatomy included a prominent bisexual / lesbian storyline in Season Five in the blossoming (and complex) relationship between Hahn (Smith) and Callie (Ramirez). That storyline will end in this Thursday's episode, "Rise Up" - which will be Smith's last on the series.

"They don't really give her a goodbye," an ABC source says. "It ends rather abruptly."

Grey's Anatomy has officially cut ties with a female, outspoken, blonde doctor – and it's not Katherine Heigl. It's Brooke Smith. As in Dr. Erica Hahn.

As in half of Callica, Grey's Anatomy first-ever significant gay couple.

And that's only part of the story. According to Entertainment Weekly, this was not Shonda Rhimes' decision but rather an order that came down from the network.

According to one Grey's Anatomy source, the suits at ABC "had issues" with both the explicit direction Callica was taking (think: undiscovered country, south of the border, etc.) and, more importantly, with the Erica Hahn character in general.

Basically, they didn't like her and wanted her gone ASAP.

But how soon? Follow the jump for Michael Ausiello's interview with Brooke Smith and a statement from Rhimes in response to this story at the end of the Q&A ...

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While fans gather in our Grey's Anatomy forum to discuss each character, couple and plot twist, the Insider staff comes together to talk about some of the best moments and share opinions regarding the latest episode of our favorite drama.

Topics for our Round Table for "Life During Wartime" include all things Dr. Hunt, being the Chief, and the unconventional but entertaining Mark/Callica love triangle ...

1. What was your favorite Grey's Anatomy quote from the episode?

McCritic: When Callie invited Mark for a drink and said, "You're good for more than just sex," I melted. Let's hope a non-lesbian feels the same way soon and falls for this hilarious man!

missingBurke: I liked Hunt's willingness to take advice from Derek and Sloan, saying this is day one for him as well. Just when you think you have this guy figured out, there's another component to him. I also loved Cristina's classic "RUN!"

iheartizzie: I'm going to go with Richard's heartfelt apology (or non-apology) to Meredith. He's made a lot of mistakes in his life and it's not always easy to admit them, let alone make things right, but it was very big of him to try.

2. More likely to end up as a couple: Callie and Erica, or Callie and Mark?

iheartizzie: After this past episode, Callie and Mark seem more likely to me. Will new intern Sadie be a better match for Erica than Callie, who ends up with Mark?

McCritic: Callie and Mark. The former is scarcely even hiding her reservations about Erica. Callie may have gotten involved in that relationship because men were letting her down; but Mark is now showing her that we sometimes get it right.

missingBurke: I'm not sure, but I am enjoying the evolution of the Sloan character. We learn a little bit more about him every week - something Grey's Anatomy is really good at - without sacrificing his trademark sarcastic one-liners.

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The list of Grey's Anatomy guest stars keeps on growing.

On the heels of the arrival of a new head of trauma, Dr. Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) comes word that another fresh face will soon be scrubbing in at Seattle Grace.

Jessica Capshaw (The L Word, The Practice) will play Dr. Arizona Robbins, a pediatrician who’s called in to consult on a case and ends up butting heads with Dr. Bailey.

According to the L.A. Times, Capshaw is signed for at least three episodes, though that could lead to more. She will make her first appearance midway through Season 5.

Jessica Capshaw is the latest to sign on for a high-profile Grey’s Anatomy guest stint.

Both Mary McDonnell (Battlestar Gallactica) and Melissa George (Alias) begin their runs in the November 13 episode, called "These Ties That Bind."

They will play a cardiac surgeon with Asperger’s syndrome and a bisexual intern who shares a past with one of our favorite characters, respectively.

Combine that with McKidd and another cameo by Jeffrey Dean Morgan (the late Denny Duquette of Season Two fame) and we've got quite the guest roster this fall.

There's a new badass at Seattle Grace, and his name is Major Owen Hunt. You may have noticed. Kevin McKidd's Army surgeon character returned Thursday, and certainly shook things up.

So how long is he staying and what is in the works for Owen and Cristina? E! Online visited the set to get the word on that from Kevin McKidd himself....

According to McKidd (and as we saw in "Life During Wartime"), the arrival of Major Hunt is a shock to Seattle Grace's system, since after years of doing battlefield medicine, he doesn't play by the rules of a cosmopolitan teaching hospital like theirs.

"These Army trauma surgeons... Their methods in the field are improvised and not by the book," McKidd said of his brilliant but rough-around-the-edges character. "Hunt deals with stuff on the hoof and uses stuff he has around him to fix stuff."

As we saw in the Season Five premiere, Dr. Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) and Hunt may have somethin' brewing. According to McKidd:

"There's something ... a little flame growing there between him and Cristina. I don't think it's going to be a simple journey for those two, but there's something definitely going on. We don't know if it's going to be a smooth road or a rocky one."

What kind of challenges will Cristina and Hunt face if they take each other on? McKidd said: "The thing that's interesting is that she's damaged in that way because of her past experience. He's not the most together guy because he's just been in a war zone for the last three years of his life. So I think maybe there'll be some healing going on between the two of them."

Will McKidd be part of the Grey's Anatomy cast, long-term? According to the man himself:

"It's exciting to be thrown into such an established group and strong characters, strong-minded characters. And this guy Owen Hunt is very strong-minded and very dedicated to what he's doing and the job. He's pretty damaged, so he wants to keep a distance from people I think. It's going to be interesting to see what that adds to the chemistry of the show."

If you suspected there was a twist surrounding Mary McDonnell's upcoming three-episode Grey's Anatomy story arc, congratulations, you were right.

So says Michael Ausiello of Entertainment Weekly.

Turns out her character, a celebrated cardiac surgeon brought in to boost Seattle Grace's reputation beginning November 13, has Asperger's syndrome.

"Shonda Rhimes thought it would be interesting to have an incredibly skilled surgeon who, socially, is initially misunderstood," explains executive producer Betsy Beers of the autism-related disorder, which is characterized by eccentric behavior and a general social awkwardness.

What's Mary McDonnell's take on it? Let's find out in the Q&A below ...

EW: How does everyone react to your character, Dr. Virginia Dixon?

Mary McDonnell: In her first surgery she works primarily with Bailey and Karev, who are both sort of caught off guard by her difficulty in communication. They don't really know until the end of the episode that she has Asperger's. It's challenging for them. On the one hand, you're introducing a dramatic and comedic dynamic that people have to react to. On the other hand, you're bringing on a very dignified real human being with a disability that can be problematic for everyone.

EW: What's it like playing her?

Mary McDonnell: It's been a wonderful experience. Grey's has to do with social nuance and behavior between people, and this is a character who can't really relate to any of that. She comes in and brings a little bit of a different behavior to Seattle Grace.

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Now that's a colorful wardrobe! Amid rumors that she's - gasp - actually happy on Grey's Anatomy, Katherine Heigl was spotted running errands, namely dropping off some of her clothes at the dry cleaners in Glendale, Calif., last week ...

Katherine Heigl looks as pretty (and casual) as ever, running errands around L.A.