Longevity on television is waning increasingly with every year that passes. While some shows overstay their welcome, short-lived series are the new normal in the streaming era. Defying the rules of temporality, however, Grey’s Anatomy is now turning 20 years old. The ensemble medical drama led by Ellen Pompeo’s Meredith Grey started as a regular procedural, but evolved into an intricate and deep-cutting emotional drama. Initially focusing on a group of interns and their superiors, it slowly began incorporating unforgettable storylines, iconic characters, and jaw-dropping cases that has kept the show in every conversation for years.
What has been the key to Grey’s Anatomy’s success? The Shonda Rhimes-helmed series found numerous ways to craft stories that kept us invested and excited to tune in week to week. Whether through its complex romantic web, the wild catastrophe episodes, its controversial character exits, or even its needle drops, the show has always managed to stay relevant. On its 20th anniversary, it’s only fair to revisit the legacy of Grey’s Anatomy and acknowledge its status as the cultural reset it is.
‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Evolved from a Soapy Procedural to an Engaging Drama
The year is 2005. On March 27, the world was introduced to five competitive interns whose path into the world of medicine would impact millions of lives. Meredith Grey, Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh), George O’Malley (T.R. Knight), Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl), and Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) were destined to become the most disruptive generation of interns at Seattle Grace Hospital. And though only Meredith remains of that select group, the woman she is today was built up from her tight-knit relationship with them. Mentored by Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) and Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.), these doctors went from being their students to their equals.
The show’s soapy tactics of interns having sex and then falling in love with other doctors were its initial appeal. As the seasons progressed, these romantic entanglements evolved into fully formed relationships, but complexity was always a constant in their development. The backbone of the first half of the show was Meredith and Derek’s (Patrick Dempsey) epic love story. Initially an inappropriate fling, their struggles as a couple shook them to their cores. Meredith went from dark and twisty to twistedly loving, while Derek went from rigid and cocky to a devout family man. Season 11 sees Derek’s tragic death from a car crash, and though that particular storyline was a devastating blow to both Meredith and the fans, the show found ways to move on.
20 Years Later, ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Has Stood the Test of Time
The doors of the former Seattle Grace Hospital, now Grey Sloan Memorial, have revolved impressively fast throughout the years with a massive, ever-evolving main cast. However, every new face added to the large ensemble has been fleshed out thoroughly. For example, Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) and Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington) – introduced in Season 5 and 9, respectively – used to be some of the new faces. And even while some feel as though Hunt has overstayed his welcome and Wilson has had more than enough reasons to leave, the show wouldn’t feel the same without them. Other characters like Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw), Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams), and Maggie Pierce (Kelly McCreary) were later additions to the cast that became staples on the show before leaving. They entered later in the game, had great character arcs, and left too soon. But the love that was built around them is what makes their later guest appearances so heartwarming.
With the show having been on the air for so many years, it’s only natural for actors to leave for new personal or professional projects. Departures of characters like Cristina Yang have been bittersweet, but still leave an open door for them to return. Sadder exits involve one of Grey’s Anatomy’s staple moves – killing characters off in all sorts of gut-punching ways. I don’t remember being so moved by a fictional death as I was by Lexie Grey’s (Chyler Leigh). A joyful character whose development had just taken her to a stable and happy place fell victim to the infamous plane crash. Some years later, Derek’s death was perhaps the toughest blow to the show’s dynamic, because how was Meredith going to survive the loss of her soulmate? The answer is that, because the show is so well-built around other characters, it has become impervious to devastating blows like these. Also, at some point, Grey’s Anatomy stopped being a TV show and instead became a reflection of life itself.
Just like life, having friends leave for other cities or loved ones die doesn’t mean that everything else is over. By incorporating these difficult storylines, showrunners Rhimes, Krista Vernoff, and Meg Marinis (among many others) have tested the show’s characters and fans. This is also reflected in the drastic changes and catastrophes that the hospital has gone through. With topics ranging from reproductive care, to gun control, sexual violence, or the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic, Grey’s Anatomy has proved how socially relevant it was and still is.
Every Character on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Is Given Their Due
Love triangles (or quartets), marriages, divorces, and custody battles were only some of the storylines that plagued the staff of Grey Sloan Memorial. The show’s unique way of peeling the layers of each situation humanized all the characters involved. That’s how originally antagonistic characters like Sara Ramírez’s Callie Torres, Eric Dane’s Mark Sloan, and Kate Walsh’s Addison Montgomery went through redemption arcs that turned them into fan-favorites. Detaching them from their introductory dramas and plunging them into their own storylines allowed them to become three-dimensional and thus, beloved.
While the show is heavy on relationships, Grey’s Anatomy doesn’t downplay the fact that these characters are, first and foremost, doctors. The way they bond with the hospital’s staff, paramedics, and patients helps them put their lives in perspective. This is how the show has incorporated memorable guest stars like Constance Zimmer’s Alana Cahill, a consultant with the goal of saving the hospital from bankruptcy. Other familiar faces like Christina Ricci and Mandy Moore can be found in their own small arcs on Grey’s, with Ricci playing a tortured paramedic who puts Meredith in a tough spot, and Moore playing Mary Portman, who survives the Season 6 shooting only to crush our hearts when she has to be taken off life support in the following season.
