Landing a role on “Grey’s Anatomy” is a pretty sweet gig. Chyler Leigh (‘Reunion’)  has been cast as Meredith’s long-lost half-sister Lexie, in just one of the jolts viewers received in May’s season finale. I recently talked with Chyler and asked her what the reaction’s been like: “Oh, everybody’s really cool. They’ve been so welcoming on set…”

When I clarify I meant fan reaction, her tone shifts as she laughs, “Oooohhhhh. Them. That’s another story. Yeah...it’s an interesting thing, actually. In my 2 ½ minutes of screen time on ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ I’m HATED. I don’t get it. I’ve been called McBarwhore. McSlutty. And I’m like, Really? Really?!”

She sighs, “It’s the Meredith-Derek obsession. And I’ve now become in everybody’s eyes a witch!”  “It’s been surprising, but I’m not crying in the corner.”

When I asked her if the McFlirting would continue, she said, “I can’t say. People are just going to have to watch…and stay faithful.”

So how long will Lexie be around? “I’m picked up for the season.”

And where the heck did she come from? “If you look back at prior seasons, they’ve alluded to two sisters. They hinted along the way; they already had that storyline brewing before I came along.”

“All I know is my character is a medical intern, it’s her first year, she’s meeting her half-sister for the first time, she’s going to be someone’s intern--all the interns are now residents, so now they have their own interns and I’m one of them.”

And guess who else is one of the interns? SPOILER ALERT! Working with Lexie for new residents Meredith, Cristina, Izzie and Alex is…George! Since George failed his test at the end of last season, he must do his internship over again—which should make for an interesting dynamic among the gang.

‘Grey’s’ is coming off of a backlash-heavy season [between the Isaiah Washington controversy, and let’s face it, some sagging storylines], so I asked Chyler if she and the cast were concerned that creator Shonda Rhimes decided to do a spin-off this year with Addison’s character, a project that will take up a lot of the boss’ time. She says, “Shonda’s got a lot on her plate, but she still has a heavy hand in this, she’s at all the table reads, and I know she’s at all the ‘Private Practice’ table reads, so she’s juggling them.”

Backlash be damned, ‘Grey’s’ did receive 10 Emmy nominations, including a Best Drama nod and three for Best Supporting Actress--Chandra Wilson, Katherine Heigl and Sandra Oh (nothing for Ellen Pompeo, that must be…awkward). T.R. Knight, Kate Burton (Meredith’s mother) and Elizabeth Reaser (Alex’s former memory-challenged patient) scored nominations as well.

I have to say, when we met little Lexie on-screen, it was a little too much. Hitting on McDreamy at the same bar he first met Meredith, joining the intern program at Seattle Grace and then finding out she was Meredith’s half-sister…well, my eyes nearly rolled out of my head. But after talking with the very sweet Chyler Leigh, I’ll be forcing myself to keep an open mind.

So what do you think? Will you give Lexie a chance? Is a Lexie-Derek hook-up "jump-the-shark" bait? Could it possibly be worse than last season’s absurd George-Izzie union? Do Meredith and Derek deserve to be together at this point?