‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Hits a New Milestone — A Look Back at 6 Favorite Moments (PHOTOS)
Most Enduring Romance
Meredith and Derek
From their first tryst through her “Pick me, choose me, love me” entreaty to his death, the love between Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) was unbreakable. The highlight: their Post-it note wedding. (“Now or Never,” Season 5, Episode 24)
Best Friends Forever
Meredith and Cristina
During a night out, Meredith and Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) each named the other her “person,” leading to a cultural trope and a story of female friendship that ranks with TV’s best. (“Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head,” Season 2, Episode 1)
Most Memorable Guest Star
Heroic bomb squad leader Dylan Young saved the docs operating on a patient with a bomb inside his body — then sacrificed himself when the device exploded as he carried it down an evacuated corridor. (“It’s the End of the World” and “As We Know It,” Season 2, Episodes 16 and 17)
Craziest Medical Case
Tree Guy
The man who swallowed small doll heads, the woman with blood so toxic it caused the OR staff to pass out…Grey Sloan Memorial has treated many complicated patients. But the case of a man with disfiguring warts so large his hands looked like horned tree bark was exceptional in its pathos. (“Superfreak,” Season 7, Episode 3)
Biggest Tragedy
The Plane Crash
“We keep dying,” Cristina wailed as she, Meredith, Derek and others fought to survive in the woods after their small medical plane crashed. First to succumb was Meredith’s half sister, Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh), who passed as love Mark Sloan (Eric Dane) held her hand. After their rescue, he too died from his injuries, in the Season 9 premiere. (“Flight,” Season 8, Episode 24)
Most Harrowing Story
The Shooter
A man seeking vengeance for his wife’s death stalks the hospital, wounding and killing staff in two of the drama’s most tense and emotional episodes. The scene where Bailey (Wilson) comforts dying resident Charles Percy (Robert Baker) is a true heartbreaker. (“Sanctuary” and “Death and All His Friends,” Season 6, Episodes 23 and 24)
On February 28, Grey’s Anatomy will air its 332nd episode (8/7c, ABC) and surpass ER as TV’s longest-running primetime medical show.
“This is something we never would have thought about achieving during the shooting of the pilot,” says original cast member Chandra Wilson (Dr. Bailey), who also directed the historic installment, in which the doctors celebrate Catherine’s (Debbie Allen) life-saving surgery.
We spotlight some unforgettable favorites.
Grey’s Anatomy, Thursdays, 8/7c, ABC
