Grey’s Anatomy is known for tackling difficult topics. Over the years, the show has covered anything from a mass shooting to assaults to insurance fraud. What sets the show apart from other medical series is that Grey’s Anatomy always makes an emotional connection with viewers. The stories also show a human side, despite how terrible the events may be.
The show has also taken fans through some really heartbreaking plots. Derek’s death marks a low moment that many fans didn’t see coming. Alex Karev’s departure also made many feel outraged and confused. While Grey’s Anatomy is well-loved and ahead of its time in so many ways, a few episodes are inevitably a bit problematic. Certain character treatments have also become controversial.
10. Izzie Steals a Heart in Season 2, Episode 27, “Losing My Religion”
The episode where Izzie cuts Denny’s LVAD is wild, and it didn’t age well. Izzie is an intern, and cutting Denny’s LVAD potentially has permanent consequences. What Izzie did in the episode is highly unprofessional. It’s also the kind of thing that would put an end to her medical license.
Izzie, as a doctor, knows better than that. Not only is the episode unrealistic, but it also shows Izzie bullying her fellow interns into helping her. What’s more problematic is the fact that Izzie gets to stay on the program, despite having cut the LVAD. More than a decade after the episode’s premiere, many fans are still not getting over what Izzie did.
9. Alex Leaves Jo Through a Letter Season 16, Episode 16, “Leave a Light On”
Alex choosing Izzie isn’t too far off from what Alex would do. However, the way Alex says goodbye to everyone in the hospital is simply one of the worst things that ever happened in Grey’s Anatomy. Alex leaves Jo, his current wife, by breaking the news to her in a letter. He also leaves a letter to each of the most meaningful people in his life.
Such an action is outrageous and out of character. Grey’s Anatomy focuses on Alex’s growth throughout the years. Bailey taught him better, and so did Meredith. First Season Alex might leave everything behind through a letter, but Season 16 Alex wouldn’t. Ever since the episode aired, fans have been vocal about the show’s mistreatment of Alex’s farewell.
8. The Two-Part Episodes of the Shooting Have Plot Holes Fans Can’t Ignore
The hospital shooting kills off a few characters on Grey’s Anatomy. While it plays a huge part in Meredith and Derek’s relationship arc, it has a few details that fans can’t let go of. There are a few questionable decisions the hospital shooting episode makes.
For starters, Reed dies on the spot due to a gunshot wound to her forehead. Since Derek, Lexie and Webber are Gary Clark’s true targets, why doesn’t he check on Derek after injuring him the first time? The operation scene also confuses fans about Clark’s actions. He could’ve just ended the operation right away, yet the scene is rippled with unnecessary drama. Clark doesn’t end up killing any of his targets. Instead, he’s only fatal to those who aren’t related to his wife’s death. It seems that Grey’s Anatomy needs to write a few characters out of the story and is only using Clark to do it.
7. Fans Tend to Skip Season 7, Episode 18, “Song Beneath the Song”
Grey’s Anatomy once produced a musical episode. Back then, Buffy the Vampire Slayer did a musical episode, so the medical drama series continued the trend. However, “Song Beneath the Song” turned out to be one that fans tend to skip.
Callie and Arizona get into a car accident in this episode. While her friends and colleagues work on rescuing her, Callie has an out-of-body experience and starts to see everything in music. The cast took vocal lessons in preparation for the singing portion of the episode. Despite the episode’s ability to offer fans a special glimpse into the cast’s singing abilities, “Song Beneath the Song” wasn’t very well received. The singing overweighs the plot, which makes this episode skippable.
6. George’s Solo Surgery Earns Him the Nickname 007
It’s extremely unfair that George gets the nickname, 007. It doesn’t really make sense because George’s patient isn’t dead. He freezes during his first solo surgery, which could happen to anyone. Given the number of errors and bizarre “treatments” each of them has done that results in their patients’ deaths, George doesn’t deserve his nickname at all. It seems a little overdramatic and poorly executed to show how the others are bullying him.
Alex accidentally kills a patient when he gets the dosage wrong. Izzy also steals a heart. Meredith pinches a patient’s heart. They have all done terrible things that make them worthy of the nickname 007. George, on the other hand, saves a patient in the elevator. The nickname here really doesn’t make sense.
5. Izzie Has a Steamy Relationship With Denny in Season 5, Episode 9, “The Midnight Hour”
The episode takes place when Izzie starts to show symptoms of cancer, but she has not yet figured out what that means. While it makes sense for Izzie to see Denny, it doesn’t make sense for the two of them to jump into a physical relationship together. Izzie is in a relationship with Alex. Even having hot sessions with a ghost is still being unfaithful. Yet, she does it without a second thought.
Izzie’s ghost relationship with Denny doesn’t make sense on so many levels. The episode is cringey and unnecessary. It also opens a can of worms by inviting viewers to think about what’s really going on there. When Denny asks Izzie to touch him, it’s already clear enough that she’s hallucinating, and they should’ve just stopped there.
4. George Dies in Season 5, Episode 24, “Now or Never”
George is a beloved character, but throughout Season 5, he slowly retreats to the background. George is barely in the story in the fifth season. His character doesn’t get as much screen time as the rest. There are a number of ways to kill off George if Grey’s Anatomy doesn’t want him around, but having him die a gruesome death left a poor taste in fans’ mouths.
Meredith finds out John Doe is really George by revisiting his worst nickname, 007. George is going to leave for the army, and since he’s already on his way out, why kill him at all? George’s death is unnecessary and cruel for a character so well-loved.
3. Meredith Handles Derek’s Death Poorly in Season 11, Episode 21, “How to Save a Life”
Even years after Derek left Grey’s Anatomy, fans are still not over his death. This twist of events is handled poorly because the series has shown Meredith having nightmares about Derek dying in an accident a few times before it becomes a reality. It’s cruel enough to have Derek die in the worst way possible by Meredith’s standard, which itself is outrageous. However, that’s not the episode’s worst crime.
Even the writers later realized that they handled Meredith’s reaction poorly. Derek has a big family, and Meredith fails to inform any of them of what happened. Amelia has to find out about the truth her own way. This is possibly also true for Derek’s mother and his other sisters. Meredith only thinks about herself dealing with Derek’s death, but she also does a very selfish thing by not informing the rest of his family.
2. Callie and Arizona Get Controversial Advice From a Marriage Counselor in Season 11, Episode 5, “Bend & Break”
Callie and Arizona eventually go to couple counseling. However, the counselor’s advice gets very mixed reactions from fans. In the episode, Callie and Arizona are advised not to talk to each other. In real life, marriage counseling is all about communication. This directly takes many fans out of the story.
The outcome speaks for itself. Couples go to marriage counseling to save their relationship, and after a week of not talking to each other, Callie realizes that though she has been the one chasing Arizona the entire time, she doesn’t want to stay in a relationship with Arizona anymore. In reality, Arizona just needed some space, and they could have communicated that clearly in the session, which could also help save their marriage.
1. Leah Files a Complaint in the Season 10 Finale
The episode where Leah files a complaint against Callie for letting her personal life interfere with medical decisions during a surgery is one of the worst moments in Callie’s life. Not only does Callie find out who Arizona has been having a casual relationship with, but she also has to work with that person. There are also a number of other things that went wrong in Callie’s life. This episode is one of the most controversial because fans can’t agree on whether Leah did the right thing.
Many find Leah’s complaint well-justified given that she’s in a more vulnerable position. Both Callie and Arizona are her teachers, and while she’s trying to learn and be a surgeon, the two wrap her in their drama and compromise her learning. On the other hand, many fans disagree. While it makes for really good drama, some fans also believe that Callie didn’t deserve to get a complaint against her. During the surgery, Callie didn’t know about Leah and Arizona’s relationship.
