Primetime medical drama Grey’s Anatomy has been on the air for a record-holding 18 seasons, but is it true that the ABC series hates true love? Created by Shonda Rhimes, Grey’s Anatomy follows the medical career of Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), along with several other doctors at the Seattle-based Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. As well as being the longest-running primetime medical drama, Grey’s Anatomy’s success has resulted in two spin-off series, Private Practice and Station 19.
While Grey’s Anatomy is a medical drama, with individual cases providing the main storyline for each episode, the series has always placed heavy emphasis on the romantic relationships of the main characters. Of course, not every relationship on the show is a match made in heaven, and Grey’s Anatomy has had plenty of break-ups as a result. Other times, the series seems to be setting up a perfect pair with the potential for lasting love. These are the relationships viewers become invested in, and the ones that have the most impact when they unexpectedly come to an end.
Given the number of aspirational romantic partnerships that have suddenly and tragically been severed over the course of the series, dedicated viewers may believe that Grey’s Anatomy hates true love. The relationship at the center of the show from the beginning was between Meredith and renowned neurosurgeon Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey), and they seemed to finally find happiness despite numerous obstacles along the way. After years of breaking up and getting back together, Meredith and Derek seemed to have found some stability as a married couple with three children. The happiness did not last, however, ending with Derek Shepherd’s death in season 11.
Meredith and Derek’s story is the best example of an ideal relationship ending in death, but not the only one. When Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl) fell in love with heart patient Denny Duquette, Jr. (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), she was heartbroken after he suffered a stroke. This death was particularly devastating given the successful transplant operation and Denny’s marriage proposal shortly before passing, and Izzie never seemed to fully recover from this loss before her departure from the show in season six.
Although the medical setting does allow for a high number of accidents and tragic events, not every romantic separation is due to death. Sometimes the characters simply depart, leaving their romantic partner to grieve their loss along with the audience. Often this is a way to handle an actor being removed from the series, which was the reason Isaiah Washington’s Burke departed after leaving Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) at the alter in season three. When Katherin Heigl left the show in season six, audiences were unsatisfied by how quickly her relationship with Alex (Justin Chambers) was brushed aside, and then Chambers’ sudden departure from the series created a similar dilemma for Alex’s marriage to Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington). Alex’s departure did allow for him and Izzie to have a happy ending, though it occurred off-screen and away from the setting of the show. It seems true love is possible for the characters of Grey’s Anatomy, though only once they have left the show.
Not every instance of heartbreak has been the collateral damage of an actor’s departure from the cast. Despite spending years building to a happy ending between Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) and Teddy Altman (Kim Raver), Grey’s Anatomy put an end to that storyline when Owen discovered she was cheating on him via voicemail on their wedding day. Neither cast member then departed, leaving audiences to wonder why the show would choose to destroy their relationship in this manner, particularly when Owen proposed to Teddy at Christmas. It was almost like punishment for love. As the possibly final season of Grey’s Anatomy wraps up, it is possible that some of the remaining characters will be romantically paired by the end. The question is whether those relationships will be able to match the love stories that have abruptly ended. Derek Shepherd’s guest appearances in season 17 of the show were a reminder that at least one Grey’s Anatomy love story is irreplaceable.