Goodbye (Grey's Anatomy)

Additional storylines include Richard Webber (James Pickens, Jr.) being involved in a car accident, Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez) receiving a job offer as an attending physician at a nearby hospital, and Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) struggling with his marriage to Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl) following her near-death experience.

Guest stars included Shannon Lucio, Amy Madigan, Martha Plimpton, Zack Shada, Mitch Pileggi, and Zoe Boyle.

Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) and Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) attending couples therapy with the hospital's psychiatrist, Katherine Wyatt (Amy Madigan).

Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw) and Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) encounter a chronic pain patient, Andy Michaelson (Zack Shada), and his mother, Pam (Martha Plimpton).

Lexie returns home, only to find her sister Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and her new husband, Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey), having sex in the kitchen.

Arizona confronts Derek about running an expensive test to diagnose Andy, which ultimately reveals he has tethered spinal cord syndrome.

In the final moments of the episode, Izzie reconciles with Karev, while Webber announces that Seattle Grace will be merging with Mercy West, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the hospital.

[1] Featured music includes Fanfarlo's "Ghosts", Katie Herzig's "Hologram", Lucy Schwartz's "Gravity", and Emilíana Torrini's "Today Has Been OK".

Knight had been released from his contract at the conclusion of Season 5 following a disagreement with series creator Shonda Rhimes over his character’s lack of screen time.

[4] The scene featuring Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) and Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) in couples therapy was initially conceived as a comedic moment.

However, after smart questions from Oh and McKidd, it became clear that the scene required more emotional weight, transforming it into a pivotal moment that reflected the depth of their storyline.

[3] Vernoff offered her insight:"Cristina, who as a young child, held her father’s heart in her hands as it stopped beating, is perhaps the least "processed" of our core group, the least "healthy," the least able to handle the impact of George’s sudden death.

Despite a slight 0.08% decrease in viewership compared to the previous episode, "Goodbye" still ranked first in its time-slot and for the entire night, outperforming CBS's CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

[5] "Goodbye" received positive reviews from television critics, with high praise for the performances of Sara Ramirez (Callie Torres) and Chyler Leigh (Lexie Grey).

Rushing through Elizabeth Kubler-Ross's 5 stages of grief would have felt false, as if everyone involved in the show was in a hurry to move past the events of the uneven fifth season.