Oh fictional characters, you are delightful (April Kepner, Grey's Anatomy)

So, season 8 of Grey's Anatomy (up to 8.09, anyway). I am still liking Meredith (yes, I like Meredith. Stop looking at me like that) and Arizona (so cute! So awesome!) and Owen (especially his struggles-with-being-chief). I am liking Richard in his new role an awful lot, and continue to think Callie is fabulous. I am not too impressed with Bailey and hoping someone tells her off soon and the show actually presents this as acceptable rather than crazy (I mean, between the not-so-amazing treatment of the men in her life plus the complete disrespect towards Owen as Chief… seriously).

And I am adoring April Kepner. So here are my five favourite April moments/plots:

The shooting episode OF DOOM in which there is apparently no hospital security whatsoever, and in which April's snarky best friend has been already shot dead by the killer. April tells him everything about herself – makes him see her as a person. And he tells her to run.
Her crush on Derek Shepherd. She gets mocked for it, but given that he's presented as this Amazing Guy and Neurosurgeon, it makes sense. And is sweet.
Her interactions with Dr Stark (aka Peter McNicol, who will forever be John Cage on Ally McBeal in my head). Tension, respect, sexual tension, friendship. Just a world of loveliness. I would have loved seeing more of this.

Her friendship with Jackson. Something I would love to see more of – particularly as they're the only two Mercy West kids left – but it has its moments. Like after she and Alex have almost slept together (which I am sort-of rooting for, if it happens without yelling), and then he's rotten to her, and Jackson has this protective-older-brother thing going on when she needs him. But he still won't let her boss him around when she becomes Chief Resident.
Her being Chief Resident. This pleases me immensely. I love her checklist, and why she knows it's important. I love her struggles to make people listen to her, and how she's not a natural leader in some ways and yet has many of the organisational skills she needs for the job. And I nearly applauded when she just told Alex, Lexie and Jackson what to do after they'd been ignoring her all day: "Any of you argue with me and I'll take you off the OR board. Indefinitely. I, on the other hand, just got fired from Bailey's trial, so I'm going to spend the night drinking and flirting with boys."