After almost eight Grey's Anatomy seasons, I don’t expect to be too surprised by the actions of these characters we have all grown to love so much. Except it happened tonight. And I loved it. There is a lot to discuss, so let’s get to it...

Ripped to Pieces. The cases in "The Lion Sleeps Tonight” were harsh, but in a good way. Morgan reached decision time with her baby, Teddy’s patient made her accept her widow status, and a lion attacked a couple. Well, the lion bit was a little unrealistic. But, hey, it made for interesting television and at least no one was trying to give CPR to a deer. 

Broken Hearts. Teddy’s reaction at the grief group was priceless. First, the laughter and then the outburst. It felt so real, which is something this series does so well. This arc had felt a little dropped over the past few episodes so it was important to bring it back before season's end. Her dealing with the elderly couple was heartbreaking. I know I was not alone in tearing up a bit. 

Battle Of The Exes. How do you work side by side with someone for two years that had previously dated your wife and it never came up? That situation totally sucked for Callie but Mark made a great point. She is taking care of a child, a child that Callie had with Mark, her ex. That has to be tough. Who would have guessed that Arizona had such a fun past and that Mark would end up being the mature one?

The Eyeball Doc. Speaking of Mark, he plans to move in with Julia? I don’t think so. This arc has gaping plot holes that need to be worked better. Yes, of course us viewers know they are together. There is a quick mention of them each week. But we don’t know this character. We met her how many episodes ago and that’s been it. Viewers are emotionally involved in Slexie. It’s because we know them. Why would we care if Mark moves in with Julia or breaks up with her? Answer is... we won’t. 

The big brother/little sister interaction between Lexie and Derek was thoroughly enjoyable. We see these two in the OR enough, but seeing the family side is just as fun. 

Separation. Alex Karev, one of a kind. The man may be arrogant, a jerk, downright rude. But one thing is for sure, he is honest. The situation with Morgan is messy. As much as I want to see Alex get in a healthy relationship, this is not it. The girl needs a friend. 

The Lion. Who knew that Meredith and Derek spotting a lion on their way to work would not be the most exciting thing of the hour? Gotta love Derek bringing a stuffed lion home to Zola. What. A. Dilf. 

Scandal. Now on to the big news. A week had passed and Cristina was still ignoring Owen, being curiously quiet, and had not shared the news with her BFF, Mer. Owen is the Chief of Surgery. He knows better than to discuss this kind of stuff in the scrub room. Breaking the news to Meredith and having Bailey overhear means this story is coming to a head. We still don’t know who the other woman is but we do know one thing: Yang is devastated.

Girlfriend is also super pissed. Her chucking her bowl of cereal at Owen was the highlight of this episode. That was a DVR rewind moment if I ever saw one.

Overall, a solid episode on the way towards the finale of Season Eight. TV Fanatics, what did you think? Hit the comments and let us know what you thought of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”. How heartbreaking was Teddy admitting she is a widow? Who do you think Owen cheated with? What is Meredith going to do with the information? Who else thinks Bailey needs her own story ASAP? Sandra Oh killed it once again. How cool was the room of things found in patients??

New episode next week. While we wait, look for the official Grey’s Anatomy Round Table to gain a new entry in the coming days.