In January I was bored of rewatching my favourite tv shows and was facing another monotonous lockdown, so I decided to give Grey’s Anatomy a go. What can I say? I was 100% not disappointed; this tv show does not lack intensity, drama, romance and comedy, and had me hooked from day one. Forty-five minutes in, I found myself sneakily watching the whole of season one (nine forty-five minute episodes) and wanting more and more. By April (the time of writing), I am now on season thirteen (there are seventeen seasons so brace yourself for a long ride) and although there are not as many original characters left, the show does not disappoint its fans. So without further ado, I will be ranking the top five and bottom five characters from Grey’s Anatomy (in my opinion). Beware, major spoilers ahead!
The Five Best Characters
Lexie Grey
Smart, whitty, funny. Those are just a few traits of Lexie Grey. When we first met Lexie at the end of season three, I wasn’t too fond of MAGIC being replaced with new interns. Nevertheless, as we got to know Lexie, I loved her even more. Although she was a little whiny at first over her crush on George, her and Meredith’s sister relationship was so lovely to watch, and Mark and Lexie have to be one of my favourite couples on the show. My favourite season for Lexie was definitely season eight, although we did not see her and Mark together that season, I feel like the audience really got to connect with Lexie and see her form new bonds with different characters (eg her brotherly friendship with Derek). We also got to witness the famous ‘it’s like I’m infected by Mark Sloan’ speech nearing the end of the season - where I for sure was left with wanting Mark to get back with Lexie - and even the saddening ‘meant to be’ line at the end of series eight. Like many characters (eg Derek, Meredith and Cristina), Lexie had been through a lot including a hospital shooting resulting in PTSD, so a fatal plane crash death made some think about her successes and her journey to becoming a strong, independent woman. I seriously could not get over Lexie’s death, it was one of the saddest by far and I wasn’t sure how the show would replace such an incredible and important character. Her likeable personality made it easy for fans to love her, and I think she had the potential to do great things at Grey Sloan (eg choose neuro as her speciality). I absolutely cannot wait to see Lexie and Mark on the beach - in Meredith’s coma - in season seventeen (even if she was green screened in).
2. Derek Shepherd
I LOVED Derek. From seeing him in the first few seconds of season one episode one to his unfortunate death in series eleven, I believe Derek was one of the few characters who made Grey’s Anatomy the hit show that it is today. Not only did I absolutely adore his marriage with Meredith - and the long road of events they had before that - I thought Derek was such a likeable and funny character. Not only was he smart and kind, he also was witty and funny, these all balanced each other out perfectly which made him such an incredible character. If I’m completely honest, I was getting quite angry at the show as it was killing/writing off some of its original and most favourite characters, but with Derek still there, I was quite happy in continuing to watch the show as it still had its strong plotline and characters. Although he was quite selfish and ignorant in the last season (with him leaving to go to Washington DC to work for the President (and then coming back, only to be killed off) and the show limiting his screen-time to implicitly prepare the audience for his death and future seasons), he will always - in my mind - be remembered as ‘McDreamy’, a funny, handsome, intelligent, loveable character who was an outstanding neurosurgeon. As well as this, we got to see some of his most famous moments such as his post-it wedding - one moment which I’m sure all Grey’s Anatomy fans won’t be forgetting anytime soon. I don’t think I have ever cried so much over a tv show until Derek’s death (even more than Lexie’s) because I could not imagine him leaving, and I don’t think the show will ever be the same without such a key character missing. Nevertheless, the writers don’t fail to include tiny flashbacks or hints at Derek (eg his ferry boat scrub cap), and I can’t wait to see him back on the beach in season seventeen.
3. Mark Sloan
I have to say that Mark Sloan would come next. I absolutely hated him at first, his arrogance and boastfulness made him a character which I couldn’t stand to watch, but his friendship with Callie matured his behaviour and I think that he is therefore one of the most complex characters on the show. From an affair with his best friend’s wife to the two reconciling and becoming best friends again, Mark showed compassion and love towards others (especially Lexie and Callie), and to see him become a dad was something I think no Grey’s fans expected to see in his evolution. As well as his maturity and humour, I think that his relationship with fans also evolved too as they were able to see another side to Mark. When the plane crash happened in season eight, I was so devastated and you could see that Mark was too (losing Lexie), and before he died, you could see the pain he was hiding away about the loss of Lexie and the trauma he faced. Although he was one of the best characters and I will miss him, I am happy he died because he could be in heaven with Lexie (and as we see in season seventeen, he is on the beach with her).
4. Alex Karev
Some fans absolutely hate Alex Karev, whilst some love him. Personally for me, I think that Alex was such a complex character and evolved the most on the show. From a selfish intern to a compassionate attending, fans really got to go on a journey with Alex and experience his joy, pain and regret. I think that - like other fans - his friendship with Meredith was amazing, and you could really see how he wanted to be a different man to how his dad was when he grew up. Personally, I believe that Alex leaving in season sixteen - although it’s another original character gone (and there being sparsely any left) - was a demonstration of his character growth. Although he had to leave Jo, he didn’t want his children to grow up like he did, so he did the responsible thing any parent would do and left to raise his children. A kind, sensible and witty character who will be missed but will remain a Grey Sloan legend.
5. April Kepner
Like many other fans, I really like April Kepner. She seems so nice and compassionate, and is definitely someone I would love to be friends with. I’m going to be honest, I really did not like her at first - her storyline of having a crush on ‘Chief Shepherd’ was really weak and frustrating as fans had waited long enough for Meredith and Derek to get together - but after season six, I think we really got to see her character blossom. Like many couples in this show who are meant to be endgame but get destroyed, April and Jackson had the best friendship and relationship, and I really feel as if they were meant to be. Despite this, April showed independence and had a fiery yet warm personality, and her friendship with Arizona was something fans loved too. From losing her child to her complex relationship with Jackson to leaving, I feel like (like Alex), fans really got to follow her journey and see how much she had grown. Being written off the show meant that April left at the end of season fourteen, but her announced guest starring in season seventeen has given fans (including me) hope that we will see the return of Japril, and that April will stick around for a few episodes if not permanently.
The Five Worst Characters
Catherine Avery
I absolutely HATE Catherine Avery, I feel like she is such an obnoxious and spoilt lady who really only cares about her reputation, social status and wealth. I think what sealed the deal for me was when she acted motherly towards April, and then told Jackson to file for sole custody for their unborn child when Jackson divorced April and she was pregnant. From then on I totally hated her and her relationship with Richard - he deserves better than her.
2. Shane Ross
I hated Ross, I felt that he tried to monopolise Cristina’s cardiac patients and just tried to show off to his other fellow interns. A major moment which I think confirmed that I hated him was when he was jealous of Heather and her neurosurgery capabilities so he passed on a favour which was meant for him and told her to find Richard, which only led to her electrocution and death. I’m so glad he left, just not with Cristina.
3. Penelope Blake
Although Penny seemed like such a sweet character (and was a perfect fit in neurosurgery and Grey Sloan before her brief departure) I think the reason myself and most fans despise her is because of her role in Derek’s death. His death was hard enough to watch, so to see this familiar character who was one of the doctors responsible for his passing was cruel to watch and even when she was lovely, I still hated her for what she had done to Derek. Although she was hated, we did get the famous ‘Perfect Penny killed my husband’ scene, which is a must watch for many Grey’s fans.
4. Izzie Stevens
I used to really like Izzie in the beginning seasons, I felt like she was a relatable and fun-loving character. However, the storyline with Izzie and George’s relationship ruined that for me, they were such great friends and this just led to awkwardness and her jealousy towards Callie. I also hated her storyline with ghost Denny, I felt like it was really strange and in some ways it felt like she was being unfaithful to Alex in ways not possible. Many hate her for Alex’s departure and yes, she could’ve told him sooner that he had kids but she didn’t know that he was a changed man. Despite this, I didn’t like how she left Alex after all of his support during her tough time. Nevertheless, I feel like Izzie changed from such a sweet character to quite a jealous one.
5. Preston Burke
Although he was a compassionate character, I feel like fans will never forgive Burke for leaving Cristina and the show so abruptly, and leaving nothing but loose ends to be tied. After a few episodes past his departure, I realised he really wasn’t a key character and was quite glad he left for Switzerland. I also hated how he made Cristina keep a secret about his hand tremors after getting shot, but then never mentioned her in his Harper Avery win.
So there it is, my top and worst five Grey’s Anatomy characters. I have to say, it was very hard to pick a top five, with a few characters (Amelia, Arizona, Callie and Jo) just missing the podium. Have you watched the show? Do you agree with me? What would be your ranking?
By Grace Wells
Comments