Grey’s Anatomy: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Meredith And Cristina’s Friendship
Meredith Grey and Cristina Yang are each other’s ‘person,’ but there are some details about their friendship that only die-hard fans will know
Grey’s Anatomy has been on our screens for almost 19 years, and, with two more seasons having already been confirmed, it’s clear the show is not going anywhere anytime soon. Throughout the medical drama’s long (and impressive) run, there have been many friendships and relationships that fans have absolutely adored.
However, there is one long-lasting bond that will go down in Grey’s history as the best friendship on TV (at least, according to The Things). Meredith Grey and Cristina Yang had each other’s back’s from the moment they met and their relationship to each other continued to develop for 10 seasons. In order to celebrate their amazing chemistry together, here are 10 things you didn’t know about Meredith and Christina’s friendship.
Their Friendship Hit A Bump After Cristina Left
When Cristina left Grey-Sloan Memorial, Meredith and the viewers lost one of their closest friends. Ultimately, Meredith was used to losing people she cared about, often in a more permanent capacity, so, of course, she took it in her stride. However, that didn’t stop the two friends from ceasing communication for a while.
Meredith and Derek were in the middle of arguably their greatest fight ever, which stemmed from Derek being offered a prestigious job by the President of the US. Cristina had warned Meredith before she left, telling Meredith to prioritize her own needs over her husband’s. Consequently, Meredith didn’t want to talk to her best friend during this time, knowing that she would have to admit that Cristina may have been right.
Cristina First Used The Term ‘You’re My Person’
Grey’s aficionados will certainly be familiar with the term ‘you’re my person,’ as it could well be the highest compliment Meredith or Cristina ever bestowed on an individual. After Cristina left, Alex Karev became Mer’s ‘person,’ but is impossible to forget where this phrase originated.
All the way back in Season 1, Cristina became pregnant with Burke’s baby and wanted to get an abortion without him knowing. Having been required to list an emergency contact for the procedure, Cristina put down Meredith’s contact details. When she told her best friend that she was indeed her ‘person,’ it was obvious that this friendship would last the mile.
They Both Survived At Least 4 Life-Or-Death Scenarios
Anyone who’s ever watched an episode of Grey’s Anatomy knows that Grey-Sloan is an extremely dangerous place to work. You never know when you might get hit by a bus or get caught up in a random shooting. As they were both mainstays on the show, Meredith and Cristina had their fair share of disasters to contend with.
During the first 10 seasons of the medical drama, they had to face a bomb in a patient’s chest cavity, a ferry crash, a shooting, and a plane crash, to name but a few. In later seasons, the show even made reference to the unlikely number of deadly situations by having Cristina leave in order to avoid any more disasters. The fact that their friendship has survived is a testament to Meredith and Cristina’s unwavering bond.
Cristina Never Fully Approved Of McDreamy
Meredith and Cristina made sure to support one another while never being afraid to let the other know when they thought they were making a mistake. While Meredith was worried about Cristina marrying Owen after the shooting, Cristina shared similar concerns about Derek on more than one occasion.
When Meredith and Derek got back together in Season 5, Cristina gave Meredith some home truths shortly before being karmically impaled by an icicle. She also gave Meredith some last-minute advice about her marriage before she left in Season 10. It is the strongest kind of friendships that can survive the truth, and their friendship is still going strong today.
They Still Talk Even After Cristina Left The Hospital
When a character leaves a TV show, they are usually forgotten until it’s convenient. Grey’s Anatomy is guilty of this but not always, as is the case with Meredith and Cristina. They mean so much to each other that it would have been weird to have Meredith move on without mentioning her best friend.
When Derek dies in Season 11, Cristina can be seen at his funeral comforting Meredith, showing that even distance can’t keep those two apart when they’re hurting. On a more positive note, Meredith was recently seen celebrating with Cristina over the phone when she won the prestigious Harper Avery Award in Season 14.
They Have Fallen Out 3 Times
Even the best friendships can’t last without a quarrel or two. Meredith and Cristina have been friends for so long that it is natural that they have argued a few times since the show began. However, they always patch things up and their friendship is stronger because of it.
At the beginning of the show, they were at the same place emotionally and they both shared the same ambition. As the show progressed, their goals changed slightly, with Meredith wanting to raise a family and Cristina determined to further her surgical skills. This did bring them into conflict, particularly in Season 10, but they never stopped respecting each other.
They First Danced It Out In Season 1
Along with their ‘person,’ Meredith and Cristina also invented ‘dancing it out’. This is a popular staple of Grey’s Anatomy, continuing even after Cristina leaves. It’s a way to relieve tension and stress, or even just to make someone feel better after another character has inevitably died.
The first time the viewers see them dancing it out together is in the appropriately titled Season 1 episode “Shake Your Groove Thing” where Izzy has thrown a house party in Meredith’s house, much to her chagrin. She almost kicks everyone out until she spots Cristina dancing on a table, which convinces her to just ditch her problems and dance it out.
Neither Of Them Sang In The Infamous Musical Episode
Considering how they both love to dance, it’s funny to think that neither Meredith nor Cristina actually sang on their own in Grey’s Anatomy’s musical episode. The Season 7 episode “Song Beneath the Song” occurred when Callie sustained brain injuries from a car crash, causing her to hallucinate.
Both Meredith and Cristina had small singing roles during the song “Running on Sunshine,” but neither of them actually sang a song by themselves. Instead, Bailey, Owen, and Callie took on the majority of singing duties. Knowing Meredith and Cristina, however, they were probably more concerned with saving Callie’s life.
Owen First Used The Term ‘Twisted Sisters’
In the early days of Grey’s Anatomy, Meredith was, by her own admission, quite a dark and twisted person. Even back then, a lot of people close to her had died, and her relationship with Derek was always on/off. Cristina was also suffering, having lost a pregnancy and been left at the altar.
When Cristina and Owen first got together, Meredith and Cristina were not exactly in a good place mentally. Owen recognized this and affectionately dubbed the two the ‘twisted sisters,’ highlighting all the torment they had overcome and the fact that they dealt with it together.
They Were Both Nominated For The Harper Avery Award
As well as being the best set of friends on our screens, Meredith and Cristina are also phenomenal surgeons. Both women have proved their surgical prowess time and time again, and their accomplishments often go largely unnoticed. However, on occasion, they do get recognized for certain achievements.
Cristina was the first to be nominated for a Harper Avery in Season 10. She would have won if it were not for the fact that the Avery Foundation owned most of Grey-Sloan Memorial. Meredith fared a lot better when she was nominated, winning the award while she was in surgery. The twisted sisters were there for each other both times, demonstrating that they really are the very best of friends.