I Am A Loyal Grey's Anatomy Fan—These Are My Favorite Moments From The Iconic TV Show
Grey’s Anatomy made its grand debut in March 2005 as a mid-season replacement. Since its debut in 2005, the show has lasted through 20 seasons.
20 seasons? The conversations on TikTok are always, “Why is that show still on?” And as a loyal fan of the show, I reply with, “Because it has a loyal and strong fanbase and they create good stories.” The show has shifted from being a show centering Meredith Grey as the main character to an ensemble show (much like the show Friends!). With that, I’m excited to see what season 20 brings. The new crop of interns (and how they complete their intern year), Winston and Maggie’s relationship and where it currently stands (is Maggie even on the show anymore?), what the heck is happening with Meredith (I thought she left?), and probably something with Amelia (to be honest, she’s not my favorite). Oh wait, and one of the best friends-to-lovers romances to come out of this show: Jo and Link. What the heck is happening with them?
So, what are some of my favorite moments? To remind everyone why this show will always be one of the greats, I rounded up a few—just a few!—of my favorite moments from the show that made me into the fan I am today.
The “pick me, choose me, love me” scene
I will defend this scene until my last breath. In recent years, people have called Meredith out for being a “pick me” girl in this scene. Ellen Pompeo herself has even come out and addressed that is understandable. (The same people say that about one of the best music videos, the You Belong With Me music video, but that’s another topic for another day.) But many people fail to mention the context behind that scene. Meredith’s childhood was not one full of love. It wasn’t full of “sunshine and rainbows,” as Meredith once points out to Lexie, her younger half-sister who did grow up with two loving parents (even the same dad that Meredith spent the first years of her life with). Meredith’s mom did provide for her, but Ellis wasn’t the nurturing mother. And Meredith’s dad, Thatcher, wasn’t in the picture past Meredith’s sixth birthday. Meredith had a lot of issues with being loved and receiving love. She never felt worthy of love. She never thought that someone could love her. Enter: Dr. Derek Shepherd. Their relationship throughout the first season went through its ups and downs and (spoiler!) but by the end of season one, Meredith made actual steps to enter into a somewhat-stable relationship with this man she’s starting to fall for. But she finds out he’s married. And she’s back to square one. This leads into the next season—season two—and into the “pick me” scene. After time in therapy and talking with her friends (mainly Cristina), she is ready to confess her love for Derek. And she does: this is the “pick me” scene. This is the moment when her iron-clad walls around her heart start to break down. To me, this was a pivotal scene for Meredith and her journey of growth and healing.
Mark confessing his love to Lexie in the season 8 finale
I can’t go into too much detail about this scene because I will cry my eyes out. This is one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the show’s entirety. Mark and Lexie as a couple is very underrated. Interesting enough—in the episodes leading up to this finale episode, Lexie confesses her feelings for Mark. It’s this big, grand speech. But nothing comes of it, because Mark is with Julia. When the finale comes around and Mark confesses his love, it’s romantic but also devastating to see that it’s a little too late for Mark and Lexie and what could’ve been.
Mark showing up to dinner with Lexie’s dad
Is this a blog post about why I love Mark and Lexie so much? No, but it very much could be. I am a Mark Sloan defender until my last breath. This was towards the middle of Mark and Lexie’s relationship, when Lexie’s dad, Thatcher, appears at the hospital. Lexie invites Mark to dinner with her dad, but Mark gets scared and backs off the relationship and his feelings for Lexie. But with the help of a patient and his good friend Callie, he faces his fears and takes the next step in a relationship, showing signs of emotional maturity. It’s a minor story that takes place next to bigger stories, but it’s one that I always remember.
Jackson and April at April’s wedding
The writers gave Jackson his Speak Now moment. Jackson and April are a funny couple. They snuck up on us. Their friends to lovers romance was sneaky and not in our faces. At this moment, April is standing at the altar with her fiance, Matthew, and about to say her vows, when Jackson stands up to object. Jackson doesn’t even need to say anything and April can see it in his eyes. They go off in the sunset together.
Ben and Bailey’s relationship
This relationship will never not make me giddy inside. I loved how they continued to make their relationship work, even through Ben’s residency in LA, Ben dropping out of residency to be a firefighter, Bailey’s health issues, and more.
The candle house
Any moment where Meredith lets down her iron-clad walls around her heart to let anyone in always makes me happy. The candle house is a perfect example of Meredith letting the man she fell in love with finally into her heart. To me, this was a pivotal moment in her healing and self-love journey. Did she continue to be dark and twisty throughout the rest of the show? Yes. But she was able to receive love and remind herself that it’s okay for people to love her.
Meredith and Cristina’s friendship
I love the female friendships that came out of this show, specifically Meredith and Cristina. I think that the writers could have made Meredith and Cristina enemies or frenemies, even, as they race to be the best surgeon possible. (They even did that in the If/Then episode! It didn’t work.) But from the get-go, Meredith and Cristina partnered together and supported each other while also supporting themselves and being their best, independent selves. One moment comes to mind. It’s when Cristina is left at the altar by Burke. Cristina is back at her apartment that she shares with Burke to discover Burke is gone. She stands there, in her wedding dress, bewildered, when Meredith walks in. Cristina starts rambling about she’s living alone and how Burke’s gone. Cristina starts sobbing and demands that the wedding dress she’s wearing comes off. Meredith immediately runs to console her. It’s a beautiful symbol of friendship. A friend is there for you through the good and the bad. That’s just one moment out of their friendship that I will always cherish.
I could probably go on with many other scenes that I will always love. These scenes are from seasons 1-9—so I didn’t even get into the seasons after that! I love this show and will always be a fan. I can’t wait for Season 20, this upcoming season, and the seasons after that.