Throng

Sunday 26 July, 8.30pm

The fate of Izzie hangs in the balance tonight, in the heart stopping season finale of Grey’s Anatomy.

After spending time with a fellow cancer patient, Izzie contemplates whether or not to undergo a risky surgery, which could mean life or death for her. Facing pressure from her new husband Alex, and friend Meredith to make different decisions, Izzie's dilemma is resolved by the fate of a fellow patient.

Speaking about Izzie's cancer, creator Shonda Rhimes says "there is always hope" that Izzie might recover. "We end the season in a way that is fairly surprising in terms of Izzie," Rhimes hints.

Addressing the secrecy which has surrounded the season's storylines, down to the mysterious season finale, Rhimes tells EW Weekly, "there was a joke for a while there that if I got hit by a bus no one would know how to end the season. I do feel like a secret's not a secret if anybody knows about it. It is really about trying to keep the storyline as secret as possible, because I want the last moment of the season to be a real surprise."

Reflecting on Greys Anatomy as the fifth season wraps, Rhimes says that every season is a learning process for her. "This is my first television show. Granted, I've done five seasons now, but it's still my first television show. As we head into season six, everything is still a learning experience for me. It's been a great, crazy experiment that has happened fairly publicly, but, for me, it's been my learning process."

As Mark takes his relationship with Lexie to the next level and proposes that they move in together, a patient makes Owen reassess his place at Seattle Grace. Bailey, meanwhile, is surprisingly displeased after being accepted into the paediatric fellowship program, and George delivers stunning news to Bailey, sending shockwaves throughout the hospital.

Looking at how the characters have progressed through the season, Rhimes says this season has given her a lot to be proud of.

"I feel like the cast is clicking on all cylinders. I love the addition of Kevin McKidd (Owen Hunt) and Jessica Capshaw (Arizona Robbins). Those additions have really worked for us," she says. "For me, I feel like this was the season where I found my joy in the show again. You do all these episodes of television and there are ebbs and flows and, for me, I feel like I have really come back to the show in a way that has a lot more energy."

If you have missed an episode, full episodes of Grey's Anatomy will be available free online 12 hours after the show has aired on TV2. Go to tvnz.co.nz and click the 'watch episodes' button.