10 Most Disappointing Storylines in Grey’s Anatomy, Ranked

It seems that Grey’s Anatomy is yet to run out of dramatic plot lines. Whether it’s a devastating diagnosis or a complex love triangle, the show certainly knows how to keep fans on the edge of their seats. As such, the drama is still considered to be one of the most popular procedurals in modern TV history.

That being said, some plotlines failed to hit the mark and left fans feeling a tad disappointed. With so many characters and themes to explore, it can be quite hard for the long-running series to explore every possible avenue, whilst also following an over-arching storyline. Thus, it could be argued that a handful of arcs fizzled out and caused fans to lose faith in their favorite soap opera.

10. Maggie Pierce Was Estranged From Her Family Once Again

The introduction of Maggie Pierce back in Season 10 definitely threw a spanner in the works and forced fans to acknowledge that Meredith Grey’s family tree was not as straightforward as it seemed. As the daughter of Richard Webber and Ellis Grey, it comes as no surprise to hear that she’s a remarkably talented surgeon who can tackle almost any issue. So, when Richard’s niece, Sabrina, arrives in the hospital in “Papa Don’t Preach”, fans assume that Pierce will save her newly found relative and start building an unbreakable bond.

Yet, Sabrina codes during her surgery and unfortunately ends up brain-dead. Later on in the episode, Maggie decides to let her go and calls her time of death alongside Alex Karev. Although this could have been a great moment for Maggie to connect with her extended family and help them process this immense grief, she distances herself even more and returns to being an estranged family member. As such, many fans believe that this could’ve been a turning point for Pierce, but instead, she just went back to her usual ways.

9. Meredith Failed to Face the Consequences of Her Actions

Meredith’s insurance fraud case was a monumental part of Grey’s Anatomy Season 16 and led fans to believe that the protagonist was going to lose her medical license or even end up in prison. This arc was carried over a number of episodes until it ground to a halt in “My Shot”. Here, a handful of her colleagues gave very touching statements about her work, and Grey was allowed to keep her medical license.

Overall, fans were happy to hear that the formidable Meredith Grey could return to her life-saving work, but others felt that it was all a bit too sycophantic. The fact that Meredith committed insurance fraud, but did not receive any viable punishment is a common theme throughout the later seasons of Grey’s Anatomy. Ultimately, it seems that the writers are too scared to let go of some of their main cast members, so they tend to sweep their major crimes under the rug and move on to something else.

8. Grey’s Anatomy’s COVID-19 Arc Focused Too Much on the Wrong Things

There’s no denying that the COVID-19 pandemic was an incredibly tumultuous time and the entertainment industry suffered as a result. But many believe that a show like Grey’s Anatomy could have done so much more with this type of material. At the end of “The Center Won’t Hold”, Meredith passes out in the parking lot of the hospital, which causes her to spend multiple days on a ventilator due to the virus.

Though the show should be praised for how it handled such a complex situation, and it also did well to provide viewers with a handful of nostalgic flashbacks, placing Grey in the middle of this storyline diminished its intensity. Meredith was undoubtedly fighting for her life in this situation, but fans were subtly aware that nothing bad was actually going to happen to her, as it was very unlikely that the writers would get rid of the show’s main character. Plus, Meredith overcame so many medical issues but didn’t suffer any long-term repercussions, again giving the impression that her illness was being pushed aside to make way for new storylines.

7. Derek Shepherd Was Shown in an Entirely New Light

Derek Shepherd’s rocky relationship with his ex-partner Addison Montgomery was a pivotal part of the earlier seasons. Typically, Shepherd was presented as a charming man, who was unfairly hurt by his partner. But, in “Losing My Religion”, Derek cheats on Addison with Meredith, giving fans the impression that he’s nothing more than a playboy.

A lot of fans see this moment as a turning point for Derek and Meredith, and some even see it as a way for the former to give Addison a taste of her own medicine. But, overall, Derek’s cheating arc was entirely unnecessary. He’s often painted as a lovable and caring man, so it makes no sense that he would cheat on his partner as a way to get out of his relationship.

6. Arizona Robbins Suffers a Heartbreaking Loss

“Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word” is packed full of drama and mainly surrounds Callie’s malpractice lawsuit. But alongside this arc, her partner, Arizona Robbins, suffers a tragic miscarriage. In this episode, she goes to her OBGYN for a simple checkup and learns that her baby no longer has a heartbeat.

A lot of fans were disappointed by this arc because they felt that the show focused too much on Callie’s lawsuit and didn’t give Arizona enough time to grieve her loss. Child loss is a common theme throughout Grey’s Anatomy’s history and usually, the show handles the topic with incredible grace. But, in the case of Arizona, her misfortune was overshadowed by Callie’s anxiety about failing to help her star athlete patient.

5. Grey Sloan Is Saved at the Last Minute

Grey’s Anatomy doesn’t hesitate to show the financial side of healthcare and, despite being one of the most desirable hospitals in Seattle, it seems that Grey Sloan is always experiencing some side of money troubles. In “This is Why We Fight”, Pegasus threatens to purchase the hospital and lay off the vast majority of its staff, leaving many workers’ futures hanging in the balance. Yet, at the last moment, the Haper Avery Foundation swoops in and tells the team that they want to invest in the hospital.

This storyline sits at the halfway point because it feels as if the show doesn’t want fans to experience any long-lasting tension. Fans adore the fact that the hit medical drama can bring them to the edge of their seats, but it seems that whenever there’s a problem, a solution is formed pretty much straight away. As such, fans sometimes feel that the show builds up incredible amounts of tension just for the sake of it and doesn’t attempt to alter the narrative in any way.

4. Derek Shepherd’s Death Was Too Much for Fans

Season 11, Episode 21, “How to Save a Life”

Even casual viewers of Grey’s Anatomy understand that Derek Shepherd’s death was an earth-shattering moment. In “How to Save a Life”, the surgeon is involved in an immense car crash but unfortunately doesn’t receive a head CT in time, causing him to pass away under tragic circumstances. It should be noted that Derek’s death is often regarded as a turning point in the show and many fans see it as a horrible loss to the show.

Alongside this opinion, some viewers believe that Derek’s death focused too much on Meredith’s grief and the writers didn’t do enough to show how the rest of the hospital reacted to losing one of their own. Though this could be seen as quite a minor criticism, it makes sense that fans would feel disappointed by losing their favorite character and not allowing him to experience a proper goodbye. Overall, the loss of Derek Shepard is viewed as a bitter loss to the entire Grey’s Anatomy universe.

3. Eliza and Arizona’s Relationship Was Very Short-Lived

Season 14, Episode 1, “Break Down the House”

Eliza Minnick first appeared in Grey’s Anatomy Season 13 and was tasked with shaking up the residency program. Like many newcomers, she certainly ruffled some feathers, but fans definitely weren’t expecting her to have a steamy dalliance with Arizona Robbins. The pair had a very intimate relationship and often pretended not to get along so that their relationship wouldn’t be uncovered by their peers.

But, in “Break Down the House”, Eliza clears her things out of Arizona’s apartment and the pair never speak again. A lot of fans were frustrated that their relationship ended so abruptly and regarded this as a common nuisance within the show. Oftentimes, the writers will create a three-dimensional character only for them to be completely ignored as soon as they stroll out of the doors of Grey Sloan.

2. Grey’s Anatomy’s Surgeons Seem Unscathed After a Major Event

Season 8, Episode 24, “Flight”

“Flight” featured a massive plane crash that killed Lexie Grey and left a handful of key surgeons stranded in a remote location. Overall, this storyline was praised for its intensity and truly left fans reeling after every episode. Not to mention, it also allowed the doctors to think on their feet and use their medical knowledge outside the safe confines of the OR.

Yet, it has to be said that even after a massive plane crash, the majority of the characters turned out just fine. Apart from a few flashbacks and minor injuries that were touched on in the following episodes, the surgeons went back to their normal lives just a few months later. Again, it seems that the audience was faced with an incredible crisis only for it to be closed off just a handful of episodes later.

1. Alex Karev Leaves Without a Trace

Season 16, Episode 16, “Leave a Light On”

Fans often feel disappointed when a significant cast member departs from the show, but fans often regard Alex Karev’s exit as the most lackluster of them all. In “Leave a Light On”, Karev leaves a series of letters for his peers to read, explaining that he’s leaving Grey Sloan to start a new life with Izzie and their children, who the latter conceived via IVF. It should also be mentioned that Karev doesn’t physically appear in this episode and shows up via a voice-over.

This episode sits at the top of this list because audiences were gutted that they didn’t get to say goodbye to one of the original interns. At this point, a large portion of the MAGIC era cast had moved on, giving Karev the prime opportunity to really boost his legacy. In turn, fans felt a little cheated that Karev said his final farewells via a collection of remedial letters.