10 Best 'Grey's Anatomy' Seasons, Ranked (original) (raw)
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Published Aug 31, 2024, 7:07 PM EDT
Jennie Richardson is a TV Features and Lists Writer for Collider, and a graduate student pursuing an MFA in Fiction Writing. In other words, she really loves stories.
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With 20 seasons done and more yet to come, Grey's Anatomy has made quite a legacy for itself as a TV drama. It has had iconic romantic relationships, shocking medical procedures, and many, many heartbreaking deaths. The show has followed Meredith Grey throughout her career, from surgical intern, to resident, to attending. It has also chronicled the careers, love lives, and sometimes deaths of her coworkers.
For a show that has many on for so long, it is natural for the quality to have dipped quite a bit in the time since the show has been on the air. Some of those factors have been the loss of important characters, drastic and borderline offensive plot twists, and things getting more absurd with time. In its time as a medical drama, Grey's Anatomy has had seasons that are both great and disappointing. These are the 10 best seasons of Grey's Anatomy, ranked.
Network
Showrunner
Meg Marinis
Directors
Rob Corn, Kevin McKidd, Debbie Allen, Chandra Wilson, Allison Liddi-Brown, Jeannot Szwarc, Tony Phelan
Writers
Shonda Rhimes, Julie Wong, Jen Klein, Tameson Duffy, Meg Marinis
Cast
Chandra Wilson
Dr. Miranda Bailey
James Pickens Jr.
Dr. Richard Webber
Justin Chambers
Dr. Alex Karev
Seasons
21
Main Genre
10 Season 10 (2013-2014)
No. of Episodes: 24
Cristina Yang saying goodbye to Meredith Grey in Grey's Anatomy
Image via ABC
The central relationship of Grey's Anatomy was the friendship between Meredith and Cristina, and the show was never really able to recover from Cristina's exit in the Season 10 finale. Season 10 was not at the same quality level as some of the show's earlier seasons, but it was still better than anything that came after it. It was a very important season of reflection for both Meredith and Cristina.
The most interesting plotline in Season 10 was Cristina losing the Harper Avery award based on a simple technicality, that she worked at a hospital owned by the family. Other significant plot points this season were Meredith and Cristina's big fight, April leaving Matthew at the altar for Jackson, and the twist of Maggie's existence being revealed at the end of the season finale.
9 Season 9 (2012-2013)
No. of Episodes: 24
Season 9 of Grey's Anatomy was particularly interesting for the aftermath of the plane crash that killed Lexie (and eventually Mark). The season showed the crash having huge ramifications for each of the individuals involved, and for the hospital itself, particularly financially. The season started with the loss of Mark Sloan while the hospital welcomed a new batch of interns. Additionally, Cristina was in Minnesota for the beginning of the season.
Season 9 definitely suffered from growing pains for a while, adjusting to the losses of three major characters (although Teddy would later return many seasons later), and the addition of a new group of interns. However, the focus on the aftermath of the plane crash was really fascinating, and it definitely carried the season. Grey's Anatomy has had so many tragedies, and sometimes the show just sweeps them under the rug afterward. This season lingered on it instead, and it was really powerful.
8 Season 7 (2010-2011)
No. of Episodes: 22
Sandra Oh in Grey's Anatomy as Cristina Yang
Image via ABC
Like Season 9, Grey's Anatomy's seventh season focused on the aftermath of a tragedy at what was then called Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital. After a shooter attacked the hospital, Cristina had the hardest time bouncing back and even left her job for a while. The season was strong for a lot of reasons, primarily Cristina's arc, but also for Meredith and Derek adopting Zola.
There was a lot of clunkiness to Season 7 as well, which was best exemplified by the disastrous Grey's Anatomy musical episode. However, the birth of Sofia was great, as was Meredith's moral dilemma when serving on the Alzheimer's trial. The season was the weakest of what was the best of Grey's Anatomy's run: its first eight seasons. It got caught between the merger in Season 6 and the eventual comedy of Season 8, so it was less cohesive.
7 Season 1 (2005)
No. of Episodes: 9
Meredith Grey in The Grey's Anatomy pilot
Image via ABC
Grey's Anatomy's first season may not have been its best, but it is a true classic. The season introduced the characters that have caused fans to stick around for twenty more. It saw the doctors dealing with more small-scale issues than they would later go on to face, like workplace relationships, medical emergencies, family drama, and a very strict Dr. Bailey.
The highlight of the season was definitely the end of its finale, "Who's Zoomin' Who?" At the end of the episode, Meredith was walking out of the hospital with Derek, and it seemed like all was well. That is, until she found his wife, Addison, waiting there. This moment changed the series for the better, leading into an era of Grey's Anatomy that was clever, fast-paced, and full of drama.
6 Season 4 (2007-2008)
No. of Episodes: 17
Seth Green as a patient being treated by Lexie Grey in Grey's Anatomy. She is covered in his blood.
Image via ABC
The first three seasons of Grey's Anatomy work as their own thing, as do Seasons 5-8. Season 4 was sort of its own thing, caught as a transitional season. In many ways, it was doomed from the start, with a clunky transition of the interns into residents. Some of the worst plot lines included hated characters like Hahn bullying Cristina, Izzie and George's awful relationship, and Derek dating Rose.
For all of the parts of Season 4 that did not work, it had some great moments, too. There was a hilarious Halloween episode, as well as a devastating bus crash that saw a teen killed by a pencil. There was also the clinical trial that saw Derek and Meredith achieve success and be reunited. Best of all was the house of candles that Meredith built for Derek, as she told him that she was finally ready to be in it for the long haul.
5 Season 8 (2011-2012)
No. of Episodes: 24
Mark (Eric Dane) feels Lexie's (Chyler Leigh) pulse after a plane crash in Grey's Anatomy
Image via ABC
Season 8 of Grey's Anatomy is best remembered for the devastating plane crash in the season finale that killed Lexie Grey, and eventually Mark Sloan. However, up until that point, it was less intense than many of the other seasons. Season 8 leaned heavily on comedy and relationship storylines, with the baseball game, the start of Teddy and Henry's relationship, and the love square between Lexie, Mark, Jackson, and Julia.
Another devastating episode saw Henry die while being treated by Cristina, who did not know that he was on the table. The season was less cohesive than many of the show's other seasons, but it had a good balance of some Grey's Anatomy's saddest moments and some really fun and enjoyable ones. The season also had the show's most romantic speech, which was Lexie's big love confession to Mark.
4 Season 6 (2009-2010)
No. of Episodes: 24
Alex Karev and Jackson Avery fighting in Grey's Anatomy
Image via ABC
Season 6 of Grey's Anatomy is primarily remembered for the merger of Seattle Grace Hospital with Mercy West Hospital, as well as the hospital shooting in the two-part season finale. The season had a big task of getting fans past the losses of George and Izzie, and bringing in the new characters. It focused heavily on romantic drama, and the brutal consequences of the merger.
One of the more compelling and devastating storylines of the season was Derek betraying Weber in order to be made Chief of Surgery. There was also the introduction of Teddy, which was really interesting for Cristina. It showed Cristina's professional needs being met for the first time, leading her to briefly choose Teddy over Owen. The season had a significant focus on drama and tragedy, and it worked very well.
3 Season 5 (2008-2009)
No. of Episodes: 24
Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey and Patrick Dempsey as Derek Shepard in Grey's Anatomy Season 5 Episode 19
Image via ABC
Season 5 of Grey's Anatomy is a truly iconic season of television. It had some big moments for the show, like Derek briefly leaving surgery after the death of a patient. There was also Derek's elevator proposal to Meredith and their post-it note wedding, as well as Alex and Izzie's wedding. The strangest plot line was definitely Izzie's rekindled relationship with the long-dead Denny, who was either a ghost or part of her brain tumor.
Season 5 also had the interns in a secret club where they performed surgeries on each other, leading the residents to realize that they were not teaching properly. Most notable was the death of George O'Malley in the season finale, when he was going to enlist in the army, and ended up jumping in front of a bus to save a stranger's life. This was the first of many main character deaths in the show, and it changed Grey's Anatomy forever.
2 Season 3 (2006-2007)
No. of Episodes: 25
Once Grey's Anatomy found its footing after Season 1, its early seasons were TV drama gold. Season 3 was really special, for its high stakes, medical emergencies, relationship drama, and complicated realizations. There was an interesting and heartbreaking plotline of Cristina sacrificing more and more of herself for Burke, before finally being left at the altar by him in the season finale.
One of the more iconic parts of Season 3 was the ferry crash which led to the Alex and Ava plot, as well as to Meredith going on a rough personal journey, and ultimately processing Ellis' death. This was a big season related to Meredith and her mother, and it even foreshadowed Maggie's existence. There was also the doomed marriage of George and Callie, and the brief first appearance of Lexie. This season had everything.
1 Season 2 (2005-2006)
No. of Episodes: 27
A still from the ABC series Grey's Anatomy.
Image via ABC
There is truly no season of television out there like Grey's Anatomy's best season, Season 2. After a solid first season, the show's second season took things to new heights. The medical emergencies were clever and iconic, such as when two people got stuck on a pole together and had to choose who would live. There was also the patient with a bomb in his chest, which led to Meredith risking her life and putting her hand on it.
The season had great romantic tension among its characters, primarily between Derek and Meredith, but also with Izzie, Alex, and Denny. The highlight was definitely the storyline of Izzie cutting Denny's LVAD wire in order to steal a heart, which got all the interns in trouble and led to Denny's death. It was dramatic, intense, and heartbreaking, and it defined the rest of the show.
Grey's Anatomy is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.
NEXT: The Saddest Character Exits on 'Grey's Anatomy', Ranked