Which brings us to The Memo. The notice warning the entire Anatomy's family that loose lips mean pink slips. Every actor interviewed for this story mentioned it, usually when asked what fans can expect this season. "The network and Disney are extremely difficult and about letting us reveal anything," huffs Pompeo. "So you’ll have to excuse me if I seem difficult." The July 15 letter from ABC/Touchstone’s legal affairs department is taped to the wall of the makeup trailer. Some previous reader highlighted the words confidential and confidentiality – which appears no less than 11 times. "I’m the person demanding that my actors don’t reveal anything" admits Rhimes, who won’t even say whether Meredith has siblings. "We have fake stories up on the wall in the writer’s room for that very reason." Since we’re talking about a prime-time soap – not a conspiracy-laden thriller like Lost or 24 – isn’t this level of security a tad ridiculous? "We’re making appointment television," says McPherson. "We want to keep our [big reveals] under wraps for as long as we can."

If you agree, skip to the next paragraph. Seriously, go. Okay: Rhimes says season 2 focuses on each character’s history prior to arriving at Seattle Grace – but an on-set visit did unearth a few more tidbits. Derek’s wife Addison (Kicking & Screaming’s Kate Walsh), also a surgeon, will inconveniently be working at the hospital. Meredith is sent into a tailspin by her boyfriend’s deception, and her Alzheimer’s-afflicted mom’s history with Webber is finally fleshed out. (Teases Pickes, 53, "It’ll be very provocative.") Cristina and Dr. Burke go on their first real date – after weeks of call room hook-ups – and given that she orders a glass of Bordeaux at dinner, it seems that her unexpected pregnancy from last season is no longer an issue.

Despite the show’s momentum, everybody in Anatomy’s has contracted a case of pre-sophomore season jitters. "This is our defining moment," says Dempsey. "Either we’ll become a so-so show or a great show." Rhimes doesn’t share his concerns – in fact, she’s already mapped out which of the interns will complete their surgical residencies and which won’t. Not that she’ll tell us. ("I can’t say that!" she exclaims.) Rest assured that no one is exiting the hospital soon. "They can’t all date one another forever," she hints. "But we’re set it up so that the most important relationships will always exist."