When Grey's Anatomy first began, it was a show about medical interns trying to keep their heads above water...and about their love lives, of course!
As the show moved forward, we fell more and more in love with the characters as they dealt with every possible tragedy known to man. From bombs, to boat crashes, to drowning, to cancer, to active shooter, to car accidents, we were there for it all.
As time went on, our favorite characters either left the show or were killed off. Here's a list of the most traumatizing exits:
- George O'Malley: killed after being hit by a bus to save a stranger
- Mark Sloan: died after slipping into a coma after being in a plane crash
- Reed Adamson and Charles Percy: shot by an active shooter in the hospital
- Henry Burton: dies after Christina performs surgery on him but it doesn't work
- Izzie Stevens: left after her cancer beat cancer but wanted a fresh start
- Lexi Grey: died in the same plane crash that killed Sloan
- Derek Shepherd: killed in a car accident after stopping to save people on the road.
- Preston Burke: left Christina Yang at the altar and never came back
- Christina Yang: left because Seattle Grace was a legitimate disaster-pit
- Addison Montgomery: left to pursue her own practice
- Denny Duquette: died even though Izzie tried to save him
- Stephanie Edwards: set the hospital on fire and left to recover from her burns.
The list goes on and on. After Derek's death, I think we all thought that creator Shonda Rimes would give us a bit of a break on the traumatizing events. But we were wrong.
Another series regular has left the show, and how it's going to affect Meredith will be interesting.
In the most recent episode of Grey's Anatomy, Megan Hunt, who had been presumed dead for years, convinced Nathan Riggs, Meredith's new love interest, to move to Los Angeles with her. Though some fans hoped that this would be a temporary thing, Shonda Rimes confirmed it was the end of Riggs.
"I loved that we were able to give Riggs a happy ending worthy of his character and talent," executive producer Shonda Rhimes says. "As for Martin, this is not an ending for our relationship. He has been part of the Shondaland family since the pilot of Inside the Box and he will always be family. I can't wait to find a new project to work with him on in the future."
Nathan Riggs joined the Grey's cast during season 12, after Derek's death. He was involved in a love triangle with Meredith and her half-sister Maggie, but when Megan was found to be alive, both stepped aside to let him be with her.
It's unclear how this departure will affect Meredith on the show, but one thing is for sure: it's going to be dramatic.
Are you upset that Riggs is leaving the show?