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Grey’s Anatomy has been on the air for 20 seasons now and fans are used to jaw dropping moments. The show initially followed the life of surgical intern Meredith Grey and her fellow doctors at what is now Grey Sloan Hospital. The show currently does not have a main character that is the focus but an ensemble cast of characters that have fans invested in their stories.
Grey’s provides stories that are full of passion, deep dives into dynamic relationships, trauma and tragedy. With so many amazing moments, it is hard to condense them all into a list but below check out 10 moments that left us shocked (in no particular order):
10. Active Shooter
Gary Clark, a grieving widow is so distraught at the loss of his wife that he blames the hospital and any surgeon that he comes across but especially wants to confront Derek Shepherd (Chief of Surgery at the time). He shoots and kills Reed Adamson and wounds Dr. Alex Karev. He does eventually shoot Derek while April stands there in shock. Meredith and Cristina witness this and Meredith has a miscarriage due to the stress. Miranda Bailey has to treat Charles, another doctor that was shot while helping their patient Mary (Mandy Moore). The episode is often described as the best in the entire series.
9. April and Jackson Lose Their Baby
Just when it seemed that April and Jackson finally made it through their difficult coming together and was going to have a baby, fans were devastated to learn that the baby was not going to survive. Their baby named Samuel was diagnosed with Type 2 Osteogenesis and would not survive should he be born to term. They made the sad decision to terminate. The scenes were beautifully acted and the repercussions were felt throughout later seasons.
8. Meredith is Attacked
Meredith is fighting with Amelia who ignores her call for a consult on a patient that has had a seizure and later attacks Meredith. The attack seems to go on for an eternity before she is discovered and her friends and fellow doctors rush to save her life as well as her attackers. The attack leaves her temporarily unable to speak or hear. Directed by Denzel Washington, everyone brought their A game for this episode and left fans in shambles.
7. Cristina Yang Leaves
We knew that cast members would leave the show but it hit different when Meredith (and our) person, Cristina Yang decided to leave and take Burke up on his offer to run his facility in Zurich our hearts broke. We did not know what that would mean for the show and who could fill that void that we desperately needed; Alex did beautifully. Meredith and Cristina danced it out one last time in an emotional scene that brought closure.
6. Denny Duquette Dies
Before he was wreaking havoc on Walking Dead, he was breaking hearts on Grey’s Anatomy as Denny. Izzie and Denny were a fan favorite, even with fans wanting her and Alex to be together. You couldn’t help but to love Denny and his positive outlook on life even though he was dying. Everything seemed to be fine as he got his transplant (Izzie may have broken the law to help him, but we let that slide) but he ended up having a clot after the transplant and died, breaking Izzie and our hearts.
5. Meredith and Derek Adopt Zola
When Meredith and Derek decided that they wanted to adopt Zola, it definitely came as a surprise. Especially because Meredith can be indecisive at times and the pair were fighting in previous episodes. However, when Zola showed up at the end of an emotional rollercoaster of an episode fans were treated to a heartwarming scene and a brand new family. Plus baby Zola was so cute.
4. George O'Malley Dies
When George O'Malley died it felt like someone punched us in the face. He didn’t have much of a story in his final seasons but we all thought he was joining the military. So when a faceless patient showed up after an accident we were left with our mouths open when Meredith declared the John Doe patient was in fact George. Some of us still are not over this death.
3. Airplane Crash
The airplane crash storyline is one of the best arcs in television. Not only was the acting spectacular but fans just did not know what would happen next. Arizona losing her leg led to some great stories for her as well as Derek having to break his hand to get free. The most gut wrenching moment from the episode is the death of Lexie Grey and her final moments with Mark Sloan who died the next season due to his injuries. This storyline always ranks high among fans.
2. Derek’s Death
When Derek is hit by a car, you just figured he would survive it and return to his family. No such luck, this is Grey’s Anatomy after all and they love to break our hearts. When Meredith visits Derek and tells him it's ok to go, the tears would not stop flowing. Meredith and Derek were put through the ringer and it was sad to see their story end this way.
1. Meredith’s Covid-19 Visions
We would all like to forget the pandemic but it is hard for a medical show like Grey’s Anatomy to ignore. They have always tackled real life issues in their writing and the pandemic was not different. When Meredith contracted covid-19 it seemed that perhaps the show was ending and this was her send-off. We were treated to seeing all our favorite characters return to the show in Meredith’s dreams. We saw Derek, Lexie, Andrew, George and Mark after years of being off the show. It brought so much closure and was a surprise to fans.
There you have Grey’s Anatomy fans. The top 10 moments that have shocked fans. Did your favorite moment make the list? Let me know in the comments and follow me on X @jereereviews to discuss more.
