All the Most Shocking Moments From Grey’s Anatomy Finales Over the Years
If there’s one thing Grey’s Anatomy fans have learned over the years, it’s that Shonda Rhimes doesn’t hold anything back when it comes to finales. Whether it’s a bombshell announcement, dramatic departures, or life-or-death situations (heavy on the death!), our beloved characters tend to get put through the wringer during each season’s final episode.
Over the years, fans have had to endure a lot. In fact, we’ve all pretty much become accustomed at this point to bracing ourselves for each season’s end. Not just because we hate having to wait for Grey’s return, but also because we know there will be tears and gasps. Sometimes from the characters, yes. Basically always from us, though.
Need we even remind you how the very first season finale set the “full of shocks” precedent by revealing to hardcore MerDer shippers that Dr. McDreamy was — wait for it — married to someone decidedly not Meredith Grey? Or how about the time we learned that the unrecognizable patient dying in the ER was actually everyone’s favorite fumbling friend, George? Fans have ugly-cried their way through jilted brides, mass shootings, breakups (upon breakups), weddings, big twists and so much more. And we won’t even get into the sheer agony that was losing Lexie Grey after a horrific plane crash.
Most recently, the season 19 (mid-)season finale was already a lot to take in. After so many years gracing our TV, Ellen Pompeo’s Meredith Grey decided to officially leave Grey Sloan, move to Boston and accept a position to research Alzheimer’s. Though we appreciate her full-circle ending, we couldn’t help but get emotional at the thought of Grey’s without Grey herself.
As we prepare for Pompeo’s official last episode of Feb 23, scroll through our gallery below to take a shocking stroll down memory lane.
Season 19: Meredith’s Departure
Though this was just a mid-season finale, we’re hoping it’ll still count for this list. In season 19’s sixth episode before the hiatus, Ellen Pompeo’s Meredith Grey decided to move with her children to Boston and accepted a job offer from Jackson to work on Alzheimer’s research. Though it may be tough for fans of the show to see her go (her official final episode will premiere Feb 23), we also love that’s it’s a full-circle moment for her character. In Meredith’s world, she’ll be solving Alzheimer’s in no time.
Photo : ABC/Raymond Liu.
Season 16: Richard’s diagnosis
Despite the fact that the coronavirus led to the season being cut short, the makeshift finale for Season 16 still managed to make our brains spin. Like the moment DeLuca bursts into the ER, slams down a tray of instruments to get Bailey’s attention and then reveals a mind-boggling discovery — Richard Webber is suffering from cobalt poisoning due to a faulty hip replacement.
Photo : ABC/Raymond Liu.
Season 16: The truth about DeLuca
After his heroics surrounding Richard, it almost seemed like DeLuca’s antics the last few weeks were a fluke. But in what may have been this finale’s most heartbreaking moment, Meredith finds him in the middle of a breakdown after Richard’s surgery. Will he be okay? Will she help him work through his mental health issues? Guess we’ll have to wait until next season to find out!
Photo : ABC.
Season 15: The things we do for love
When it’s discovered that Meredith’s daughter’s name was used to get a patient without insurance surgery, the authorities came to collect. But in a romantic-slash-crazy moment, DeLuca claims he did it and is carted off to jail — and Meredith can’t do a thing because she’s in the sealed hyperbaric chamber!
Photo : ABC.
Season 15: Where’d you go, Jackson?
Fans feared the worst when Jackson leaves Maggie in the car in the midst of a wildly thick fog. He’s nowhere to be found. Did he die? Was Jesse Williams leaving the show? Waiting until the next season to find out felt like an eternity.
Photo : ABC.
Season 14: April says ‘I do’ again!
When Alex and Jo get stuck in an old shed with a skeleton (only on Grey’s, right?), April’s formerly-jilted-fiance-turned-boyfriend-again Matthew proposes to her. With everyone waiting for a wedding to happen, the couple delivers by getting hitched on the spot. *Tear*
Photo : ABC.
Season 14: Mr. & Mrs. Jolex
Don’t worry, though; on the ferry back to the city, Mer gets ordained and officiated the wedding of Jo and Alex. Which, TBH, feels like a super-sad memory given Season 16’s turn-of-events.
Photo : ABC.
Season 13: Going up in flames
With rumors of Jerrika Hinton (aka Dr. Stephanie Edwards), leaving Grey’s, it seemed like another character was about to die when she gets trapped in the hospital that is now on fire. Happily, she survives! But, sadly, she still leaves the show. Womp womp.
Photo : ABC.
Season 13: The moment of truth for Meredith & Riggs
After Riggs finds out his ex, Owen’s POW sister, is still alive, he and Meredith come to the heartbreaking (but also heartwarming) decision that he has to go be with her. As Mer tells him, she wouldn’t hesitate to spend one more minute with Derek if she could. Aaaand we’re crying again.
Photo : ABC
Season 12: Alex’s big mistake
During last season’s finale, Alex mistook DeLuca helping Jo and beat the intern within an inch of his life.
Photo : ABC
Season 12: On the table
When April goes into labor, Ben has to perform an emergency C-section — on Meredith’s dining table.
Photo : ABC
Season 12: Runaway bride
Amelia starts second-guessing marrying Owen, so Meredith and Maggie help her escape.
Photo : ABC
Season 12: The Calzona truce
Finally, Calzona fans found peace when Arizona took Sophia to be with Callie (and, soon, Penny).
Photo : ABC
Season 11: Japril breakup, part 1
Following a tenuous few months after their baby’s death, Jackson tells April he can’t wait for her anymore.
Photo : ABC
Season 11: Lofty ambitions
Talk about bold moves! Jo tells Alex to move out of Mer’s house into the loft she bought for them.
Photo : ABC
Season 11: Parting words
In a gutting scene, Owen helps Amelia listen to the last voicemail Derek ever left Meredith.
Photo : ABC
Season 10: Come back, Cristina!
Every Grey’s fan got dark and twisty (and full of tears) when Meredith’s person left Grey-Sloan for good.
Photo : ABC
Season 10: MerDer’s almost divorce
Empowered by Cristina’s “You’re the sun” speech, Meredith tells Derek she won’t go with him to D.C.
Photo : ABC
Season 9: The blackout baby
Naturally, Meredith goes into labor during a blackout and almost dies. (Bailey saves her, though. Whew!)
Photo : ABC
Season 9: An explosive scene
When Jackson runs to save a girl on a burning bus, it explodes — and April loses it.
Photo : ABC
Season 9: A real shocker
When Richard finds and saves the electrician during the blackout, he winds up electrocuted shortly after.
Photo : ABC
Season 9: Cheater’s remorse
In a heartbreaking blackout moment, Callie puts 2 and 2 together and realizes that Arizona cheated.
Photo : ABC
Season 8: Mayday, mayday
Just when you thought things at Seattle Grace couldn’t get worse, a plane full of doctors crashes.
Photo : ABC
Season 8: We still love you, Lexipedia
In the chaos of the crash, Mark finds Lexi pinned beneath the plane and holds her hand as she dies.
Photo : ABC
Season 8: Et tu, Mark?
When Cristina tries to make Mark help, they realize he has severe internal injuries and might be dying.
Photo : ABC
Season 7: The undoing of Cristina and Owen
In a surprising twist, Cristina reveals that she is pregnant… and Owen kicks her out over their feelings about it.
Photo : ABC
Season 7: Clinical trial (and error)
After Meredith tanks their clinical trial to save Adele, Derek walks out — just as they get custody of Zola.
Photo : ABC
Season 6: Alex finds a gunman
In one of the most visceral scenes ever, a gunman shoots (and kills) Reed and shoots Alex.
Photo : ABC
Season 6: RIP, Charles
A dying Charles asks Bailey to tell Reed that he loves her — not realizing she’s already dead.
Photo : ABC
Season 6: Operating under pressure
Cristina is operating on Derek, who has been shot, when the gunman holds a gun to her head.
Photo : ABC
Season 6: Stand down, Owen
In trying to wrestle the gun away from the shooter, Owen gets shot in the shoulder.
Photo : ABC
Season 6: Meredith’s miscarriage
In the aftermath of the shooting, Meredith miscarries the baby she hadn’t yet told Derek about.
Photo : ABC
Season 5: ‘Screw the DNR!’
Just when Izzie gets her memory back after brain surgery, she codes in Alex’s arms. Why, Shonda? Why?!
Photo : ABC
Season 5: Double oh, no
When a mangled John Doe traces “007” on Meredith’s hand, she has an epiphany: “It’s George!” Noooooo!
Photo : ABC
Season 5: The saddest goodbye
As Izzie and George both code, they meet (metaphysically) one more time at the elevator.
Photo : ABC
Season 4: Extraordinary proposal
In a dramatic (and out-of-character) gesture, Meredith builds a house of candles for Derek.
Photo : ABC
Season 3: Cold feet
After Cristina gets cold feet, Burke bails, leaving Mer to tell guests the wedding is “so over.”
Photo : ABC
Season 3: ‘He’s gone’
Upon realizing Burke really is gone, Cristina breaks down in Meredith’s arms. *sobs*
Photo : ABC
Season 2: Bad news for Burke
In a stunning moment, Preston Burke gets shot rushing back to the hospital with Denny’s new heart.
Season 2: Dearly departed
It was a sad day in Grey’s history when Izzie cried in the arms of the recently deceased Denny.
Photo : ABC
Season 1: Meet Addison Shepherd
Season 1 set the tone for finale shockers with the introduction of Addison, Derek’s wife.