Grey’s Anatomy’s 10 Most Disappointing Moments

Published on January 29, 2016. Updated April 30, 2019

Over the years, Grey’s Anatomy has had more than one instance where fans wanted to walk away from the show. At this point there is no telling who will get killed off, who will break up or what will happen to the main characters. We’ve learned to xpect the unexpected while watching Grey’s, but that doesn’t mean fans don’t still get upset, angry, or disappointed when certain unfortunate things happen. There’s so many to choose from, but here’s our list Grey’s Anatomy’s 10 most disappointing moments!

10. Burke Left Cristina

It didn’t take long for Cristina become a favorite character of the show, so fans were very invested in her happiness and storyline. One of the best romances on the show was between her and Burke, and that’s why it was absolutely disappointing and completely devastating when he left her at the altar on the day of their wedding.

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9. George Cheated On Callie

Stable relationships are hard to come by on Grey’s Anatomy; however, George O’Malley and Callie Torres could always be relied upon for being the moral compasses in most situations. They were adorable together, and it was nice to see George stop pining over Izzie (and Meredith). That’s why it was unbelievable that once he was married to Callie, he hooked up with Izzie! This completely wrecked fans’ image of George.

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8. Derek and Addison

It was clear really early on that the main love story was going to revolve around Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd, but it all went downhill quickly when Addison showed up announcing herself as Derek’s wife. As if it wasn’t shocking enough to find out Derek was married, it was made worse when he made the decision to go back to Addison even after Meredith’s epic, “pick me, choose me, love me” speech.

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7. Izzie and Denny

The saga between Izzie Stevens and patient Denny Duquette was one of the best storylines for viewers to get invested in, but writers took things a little too far when Izzie had sex with his ghost. Their love and story was too great to end with such a strange and very unnecessary moment such as this. It did not do Izzie or Denny justice.

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6. The Musical Episode

When a show has gone on for so long as Grey’s Anatomy has, writers really have to be creative to find ways to keep storylines and characters fresh and interesting, hence the “Song Beneath the Song” episode in season seven. Although many fans were looking forward to this episode, the end result was disappointing and very awkward for the most part. Some could really belt it out, others however, should have just stuck to acting.

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5. Zola Gets Taken Away

Over and over again Meredith reminds us how unlucky, sad and tragic her life is, and while this gets a little old over the years, there are some instances were it was hard to believe something terrible was happening to Meredith…again. It was a truly heartbreaking moment when Zola was taken away from Meredith and Derek by the adoption counselor after they tried to conceal Meredith being fired.

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4. Cristina and Owen

Fans never thought they could get over the devastation that was Cristina and Burke, but then Owen Hunt came into the picture and there was a new character for fans and Cristina to love. Once again all we wanted was for Cristina and Owen to be happy, yet time and time again it was destroyed. The most disappointing moment was when Owen cheated on Cristina to get revenge for her having an abortion, shattering any illusion of those two working it out, much to the fans’ dismay.

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3. Cristina Leaving

After so many questionable storylines, and a decline in interest, many were crushed when it was announced that Cristina Yang was leaving Seattle (and the show). A lot of viewers hung on to the show even as it went into decline because of Cristina’s character, making it upsetting that they actually let her go.

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2. The Plane Crash

No show has been more apt to kill a main character, or several main characters, than Grey’s Anatomy. The plane crash episode was shocking and a great hook for viewers, but quickly became even more upsetting when the aftermath meant not all of the character’s were going to make it. To kill off not only two favorite characters, but a favorite couple with Lexie and Mark, was tragic for fans, and disappointing knowing that no one on the show was safe.

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1. Derek’s Death

Of course, the main topic to come out of the show from all twelve seasons. Nothing indicates a show coming to its end then when the longest running stars are killed off, which is exactly what happened to Patrick Dempsey’s Derek Shepherd.