Storylines
Cristina Yang is introduced as a fellow surgical intern to Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl), George O'Malley (T.R. Knight), and Alex Karev (Justin Chambers); the five of them working under Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson). An atheistic competitive intern from Jewish ancestry, she watched her birth father bleed out and die at a young age. Yang also suffers from dyslexia, and was raised in Beverly Hills, California. On her first day, she hits it off with Meredith and the pair soon become best friends and each other's "person." She has a sexual encounter with chief of cardiothoracic surgery Preston Burke (Isaiah Washington) that leads her to being pregnant with his child, so she schedules an abortion without telling him about the pregnancy. However, Yang experiences an ectopic pregnancy and collapses when her left fallopian tube bursts; she then tells Burke. After Burke is shot in the arm and develops a hand tremor, Yang helps him to cover it up by developing a covert partnership. Yang initially denies involvement during a confrontation, but then confesses everything to Richard Webber (James Pickens, Jr.), the chief of surgery. Yang's actions jeopardize Burke's chances of becoming chief, which he sees as a huge betrayal. After a short breakup, Yang breaks the silence and Burke proposes marriage, which Yang accepts after eight days of hesitation.
Afterward, Yang's ex-boyfriend, Colin Marlow, comes to Seattle Grace, trying to sabotage her relationship with Burke to win her back. Burke wanted a lavish wedding, but Yang was against it. However, she gives in to a fancy wedding. On their wedding day, she doubts it is the right decision, and after a brief hesitation to walk down the aisle, she enters before Burke calls off the wedding, realizing that he could not force Yang to do something she did not want to do. Thus, Yang went on her honeymoon to Hawaii with Meredith, and Burke moved away. Burke is replaced by Erica Hahn (Brooke Smith), who immediately dislikes Yang for her affairs with Marlow and Burke, refusing to let her scrub in on surgeries. Eventually, Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez) moves in with Yang, and she still tries to earn Hahn's approval. Hahn reveals that she dislikes Yang because she reminds her of an early version of herself. Yang then doubts her skills when Seattle Grace is ranked at twelfth on a list of the best teaching hospitals, while still clashing with Hahn. She is then stabbed by a falling icicle, resulting in a minor injury. She sets her sights on Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd), who returned from Iraq as a trauma surgeon, with whom she shares a brief kiss. When he returns as chief of trauma surgery, he and Yang begin dating, but Hunt has repressed memories of his time in Iraq, leading her to see him in a new light. Due to his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Hunt unconsciously tries to strangle her, which leads Yang to end their relationship as she is afraid of sleeping next to him.
Soon after, Hunt begins seeing a therapist, and Yang confesses her love for him. Yang then becomes depressed with her lack of cardiothoracic surgeries, even telling Meredith she misses Burke. As a result, Hunt asks an ex-colleague from the Army, Teddy Altman (Kim Raver) to become the chief of cardiothoracic surgery as a "gift" for Yang. Altman is insulted by this, and considers leaving, but Yang convinces her to stay by telling her she can have Hunt back. Yang eventually decides to end their relationship once more due to Hunt not being able to decide who he loves. When Meredith's husband, Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) is shot by a deceased patient's angry husband, Yang is forced to operate on him and eventually saves his life. She also rekindles her relationship with Hunt after he got shot. Following the shooting, the two decide to get married, and she refuses to return to work as a surgeon. Yang later returns to work, but collapses as a result of PTSD. Shepherd forces her through her issues by making her perform the same surgery she did on him to a cadaver, and after a push from Altman, she advocates the life of a lung transplant patient. However, Yang then blames Meredith for her trauma and quits her job at the hospital, stating that even though she could be a surgeon she no longer wants to. She takes a temporary bartending job at the Emerald City Bar, much to the shock of her colleagues. Shepherd unintentionally helps her to get back to work by talking to her during her housewarming party and taking her on a fishing trip where she feels other emotions besides fear.
Yang decides to go for the position of Chief Resident, but her hopes are brought to a halt when Hunt is in charge of choosing. The position of Chief Resident is eventually given to April Kepner (Sarah Drew). Later, Yang discovers she is pregnant with Hunt's child, and decides to get an abortion. Though Hunt accompanies her to the abortion, he is extremely angry with her decision. Yang then operates on Henry Burton (Scott Foley), Altman's husband, unknown of his identity. When the surgery fails and he dies, Yang is guilt stricken upon learning of her patient's identity. She and Hunt distance themselves from each other as they keep fighting over the abortion, despite attending marriage counselling. Their marriage comes into serious trouble when Hunt has a one-night stand with a patient's friend, leaving Yang heartbroken. She decides to move on, unsure of her future with him. As the end of the fifth year of residency is near, the surgical residents, including Yang, prepare for their medical boards for the different fellowships they plan on joining. After she passes her exams, Yang reconciles with Hunt and tells him she is leaving Seattle for the Mayo Clinic, Minnesota. Afterward, Yang, Meredith, Shepherd, Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw), Mark Sloan (Eric Dane), and Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh) are involved in an aviation accident while on the way to Boise, Idaho to perform surgery on conjoined twins. Lexie tragically dies, leaving the other surgeons alone, with no sign of help on the way. Following their rescue, Yang, traumatized, suffers from brief reactive psychosis which provokes violent outbursts and makes her unresponsive. She becomes a cardiothoracic surgical fellow and goes, as planned, to the Mayo Clinic but has difficulties adapting to her new colleagues' way of working. As a result of her PTSD, she is unable to get on a plane to return to Seattle to say her final goodbye to Sloan who is dying. While in Minnesota, Yang develops a friendship with fellow cardio surgeon Craig Thomas (William Daniels). She mainly teases him with comments regarding his old age. She also begins an affair with the head of surgery Dr. Parker (Steven Culp) who has issues with Thomas. After Thomas dies from a heart attack, Yang returns to Seattle Grace for good.
Initially things are fraught between her and Owen, she is confused as to why he hired her back as it seems he doesn't want her there. She finds out (by chance) that he actually pushed for her to be back, causing her to see things in a new light. She finally admits to Meredith that she wants Owen back. She is about to tell Owen that she wants him back, when Owen asks her for a divorce. Taken aback Cristina agrees, but later finds out that the potential conflict of interest regarding the plane crash law suit was a key motive behind Owen's request and confronts him. Owen tells her that he 'feels responsible' and was worried as he thought she was dead. After the confrontation, Cristina thinks things over and goes to see him before Bailey's wedding, finally admitting to him that she wants to try again, which leads the two to having sex. They sign the divorce papers afterwards and kiss, hinting that things are not over between them.
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