his salary on the series. Following his firing, Washington began asserting that racism within the broadcasting media was a primary factor in his dismissal from the series, which drew a critical perspective from Rhimes. During his appearance on Larry King Live, Washington once again denied using a homophobic epithet in reference to Knight. While writing the episode, Rhimes put an emphasis on the character of O'Malley, detailing his relationships with both Stevens and Torres. On the topic, Rhimes elaborated, "The interns are residents now, with interns of their own. Except for George, poor George, who is stuck repeating his intern year. It's not easy being a repeater. He's the only who hasn't gone through any change when we begin the episode. But by the end, he has. He tells Izzie that he loves her too. Which takes guts. Because he knows what he is getting into. He's a married man with a great wife, and he never intended to be a married man who loved another woman." Regarding Meredith's story arc, Rhimes felt that she cannot deal with all that is expected of her in her relationship with Shepherd, choosing their genuine love as the greatest obstacle in their decision to break up. Writing for Yang's storyline, Rhimes focused on her unsuccessful attempts at moving on, exposing her devastation at the realization of Burke's departure, which would be the main seasonal storyline for the character. The episode also deals with Sloan and Shepherd's path to reconciliation. Rhimes disclosed that the concept for the plot point was to have the two characters go back to being friends, as a result of Montgomery's departure. Rhimes offered her insight on Lexie's arrival, "Lexie Grey is here now. And she's here to stay. I love that she's a bit of a dork. Being a dork myself, I am fond of the girls with verbal diarrhea. Because it's not easy to keep all your words in, believe me." Regarding Webber and Bailey's storyline, Rhimes noted that the latter's intentions are not to let the former "off the hook" for choosing Torres over her for the position of Chief Resident, which was righteously hers. Rhimes highlighted the unfairness in Webber's choice, noting his unusual manner of comprehending the situation. "She's Bailey. She's worked hard, she's been the best. And isn't it just like the Chief to decide what is best for her? It's his flaw, the