Throughout the 20 seasons that have already aired, Grey’s Anatomy has had plenty of unexpected disasters that have left episodes ending with a cliffhanger, with some of them raising the bar because of how shocking they were. From storms to plane crashes, to bombs into patients, Grey’s Anatomy had its fair share of unbelievable events, which led to some of its characters’ deaths or their lives completely turning upside down. The unpredictable developments and the different pacing from the rest of the show made some episodes stick out for how shocking they were, whether they included deaths or new arrivals.
Becoming renowned for killing off its main characters, Grey’s Anatomy put them even more often in peril, forcing them to face unbelievable dangers that they sometimes survived. This more often than not happened in shocking episodes that set up or followed season and midseason finales, upping the stakes for the hiatus between a season’s part and the next. However, while various Grey’s Anatomy cliffhangers involved danger in the lives of Grey Sloan’s doctors, not all of the medical drama’s most shocking episodes followed that pattern, with a couple of them presenting surprising developments that didn’t endanger a doctor’s life.
Season 1, Episode 9, “Who's Zoomin' Who?”
Addison’s Arrival Shocked Characters & Viewers Alike
Compared to many other shocking Grey’s Anatomy episodes, its season 1 finale did not include severe danger for the medical drama’s characters. Indeed, only Richard’s life was momentarily in danger, but Derek removed all of Richard’s tumor and Grey’s Anatomy season 1’s finale revealed well before the episode’s end how his vision wasn’t impaired and he didn’t suffer from surgery complications. Still, Grey’s Anatomy season 1, episode 9 unexpectedly introduced Addison Montgomery-Shepherd, changing the trajectory of Meredith and Derek’s romance.
With “Who’s Zoomin’ Who?” revolving around secrets, hints about every single character keeping secrets were dropped throughout the episodes. However, the secret calls Derek kept ignoring did not seem more critical than those from the care home that Meredith hid from everyone else. Addison revealing how Derek was still married by introducing herself to Meredith as his wife guaranteed Grey’s Anatomy presented her in the most memorable way possible, but it also came like a bolt out of the blue for Meredith and viewers alike, setting up a high standard for Grey’s Anatomy’s shocking reveals in the future.
Season 2, Episode 16, “It's The End Of The World”
Meredith Jumping In The Bomb Medical Case Made It More Unsettling
Being its title character, several occasions saw Meredith Grey almost die in Grey’s Anatomy, often in unexpected ways, given her good health and young age. However, the first time Meredith foolishly and courageously risked her life happened on a day she didn’t even want to go to the hospital, overwhelmed as she was by Derek’s choice to try and make things work with Addison. Going to work resulted in Meredith assisting Burke in a surgery that involved live ammunition being in a patient’s chest, causing one of the hospital’s first massive crises.
The situation was dire for many of Grey’s Anatomy’s doctors, as Derek kept operating on Bailey’s husband, refusing to evacuate. However, shocking developments like the anesthesiologist leaving the paramedic with the hand on the bomb alone because he was afraid to die kept piling on in “It’s the End of the World,” gathering momentum until Hannah the paramedic ran away, putting everyone in danger. The live ammunition didn’t explode as Meredith took Hannah’s place in keeping the bomb stable, and the episode ending that way cemented it as one of Grey’s Anatomy’s most shocking.
Season 3, Episode 15, “Walk On Water”
Nobody But The Girl Knowing Meredith Fell In The Bay Upped The Stakes
Grey’s Anatomy season 3, episode 15 starting with Derek preoccupied with Meredith almost drowning in the bathtub had he not saved her and an ominous voiceover by Meredith already foreshadowed danger. However, the gruesome nature of the ferryboat disaster in “Walk on Water” made it easy to forget such omens, as plenty of patients died and the doctors at the scene were affected by the ordeal. This made Meredith being unintentionally pushed by a patient in the bay at the episode’s end harrowingly unexpected, as she had managed to stabilize him and they were ready to go to the hospital.
Meredith isn’t out of the woods until Grey’s Anatomy season 3, episode 17, when she finally wakes up after being pulled out of the freezing water by Derek and saved by Seattle Grace’s doctors. Meredith’s life being in danger over three episodes makes the ordeal particularly heart-wrenching for characters and viewers alike, as her survival isn’t guaranteed. However, season 3, episodes 16 and 17 cannot top “Walk on Water,” as that one ended with Meredith in the water without anyone but a little girl knowing about it, making her fate particularly uncertain.
Season 5, Episode 24, "Now Or Never"
Izzie's Illness & John Doe Being George Made The Episode Unforgettable
Izzie’s tumor storyline had been going on for some time by Grey’s Anatomy season 5, episode 24, making the danger she was in not feel entirely unexpected. However, with season 5, episode 23 ending with her brain surgery, Izzie was still very much in danger, and her unstable condition greatly contributed to Grey’s Anatomy season 5’s finale being among the most shocking episodes. The other major development increasing the unease perceived throughout the episode was George’s decision to join the army as a trauma surgeon, which united many in the common goal of stopping him from enlisting.
However, what cemented Grey’s Anatomy season 5, episode 24 as one with the most surprising developments was the revelation that the John Doe who stepped in front of a bus to save a girl was George O’Malley. The team already tried saving him when they didn’t know who he was, but the revelation rightfully sent them all into a frenzy, forcing them to fight to save Izzie and George from death in Grey’s Anatomy as they met at the elevator in their visions, a metaphor often synonymous with death, letting season 5 end with the fate of both doctors unknown.
Season 6, Episode 23, "Sanctuary"
The Hospital Shooting Was Entirely Unexpected & Impacted Many
Grey’s Anatomy season 6’s two-part finale hinted at the danger Gary Clark posed to the hospital early on, but only after he shot at Reed and Karev did season 6, episode 23 finally start to deliver the chaos it promised. Grey’s Anatomy season 6, episode 23 saw four doctors shot at and many more staff killed off as Clark disseminated fear throughout Grey’s Anatomy’s hospital.
While Gary Clark’s arc didn’t conclude until Grey’s Anatomy season 6’s finale, season 6, episode 23 put in serious danger Alex, who was being cared for by Lexi and Sloan, Bailey, who saved herself by lying to Clark about being a nurse, Percy and Derek, who were both hit by Clark’s bullets and risking their lives. The episode ending with Clark still at large and all those doctors in danger guaranteed it would count among the most shocking, as the gunman continued terrorizing the hospital in Grey’s Anatomy season 6, episode 23’s ending.
Season 8, Episode 23, "Migration"
The Doctors' Plane Crash Came Suddenly & Precedes Grey's Most Traumatic Episode
Grey’s Anatomy season 8, episode 23 saw the residents at a turning point in their careers. Drama already ensued because not everyone passed the boards, with April having it particularly rough as she saw everyone having a choice while all her chances became slimmer with each hospital rescinding their offer after news of her failing them reached them. However, drama also followed Karev, who for the first time had the choice between staying at Grey Sloan with Arizona or going to John Hopkins, and Meredith and Cristina, who followed different reasons when making their decisions.
Grey’s Anatomy season 8, episode 23 nonetheless felt like a regular day in the doctors’ lives, which made the last seconds of the episode all the more shocking because of how they delivered the unexpected and bone-chilling plane crash, letting the camera linger on an unresponsive Meredith in the middle of the woods and plane debris. Season 8, episode 23 preceded Grey’s Anatomy’s most traumatic episode of all time, setting it up without warning and letting the doctors fend for their lives in the crash site, as their colleagues didn’t even know they were missing.
Season 10, Episode 12, “Get Up, Stand Up”
Jackson Stopping April's Wedding Surprised All Those Involved
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Although many of Grey’s Anatomy’s best-delivered cliffhangers involved danger for the doctors, Grey’s Anatomy season 10, episode 12 saw Jackson crashing April and Matthew’s wedding to confess his feelings for April. Grey’s Anatomy season 10 teased April and Jackson’s feelings for each other multiple times, as Jackson and April tiptoed around them without being willing to admit them to themselves or one another, even after Jackson risked his life in a bus fire to save a child, causing April to fear for his life more than anybody else.
April and Jackson’s unresolved feelings being aired in front of the entire hospital wasn’t the only shocking development of Grey’s Anatomy season 10, episode 12, as Derek received a call from the president during April’s wedding, endangering the promise he had made to Meredith to reduce his workload so that she could focus on her research. However, “Get Up, Stand Up” essentially kickstarted April and Jackson’s relationship on Grey’s Anatomy in the most iconic way, delivering a love confession without showing how it truly landed until the end of episode 13, earning its place among Grey’s Anatomy’s most shocking episodes.
Season 11, Episode 21, "How To Save A Life"
Derek's Brutal Death Came As A Shock After 2 Car Crashes & Medical Negligence
Meredith and Derek’s problems cast their shadows over Grey’s Anatomy seasons 10 and 11, hinting multiple times at their relationship potentially ending being Derek’s exit storyline on the medical drama, especially with the presidential initiative taking up all of his time. However, Patrick Dempsey’s last episode as series regular on Grey’s Anatomy beautifully crafted a perfect goodbye for the character, albeit a tragic one.
“How to Save a Life” depicted Derek’s last day as a hero, keeping four patients alive until the emergency services’ arrival, and letting part of the tension lessen because a car crash already happened in front of Derek’s eyes. That’s when Grey’s Anatomy season 11, episode 21 delivered the finishing blow with the car crash involving Derek and the terrible choices his doctors made, one after the other, making the episode particularly heartbreaking and shocking because of Derek’s voiceover detailing their every mistake, which ultimately ensured his tragic fate.
Season 14, Episode 9, "1-800-799-7233"
The Surprise Arrival Of Jo's Abusive Husband Filled The Episode With Unease
Grey’s Anatomy already tackled Jo’s past, but season 14, episode 9 forcefully brought it to Grey Sloan Memorial with Paul Stadler’s arrival. Jo’s perspective was masterfully delivered by the episode, which put her experiences front and center, focusing on her terror seeing Paul invading her safe space. While Alex and Meredith were staunchly in her corner, all the other doctors who didn’t know about the abuse Paul subjected Jo to seemed dazzled by him.
Paul’s repeated attempts to get Jo alone and Jo’s evident fear made “1-800-799-7233” particularly distressing, especially as his arrival also affected Meredith and Alex. Their reactions to Paul all hinted something else, more dangerous could happen soon, and that materialized at the end of Grey’s Anatomy season 14, episode 9, when Alex and Jo could be seen looking over Paul’s unconscious body after a brutal accident. Meredith asking what did they do ended the episode in the most shocking way possible, hinting at their possible culpability, which wasn’t cleared up until the next episode.
Season 17, Episode 7, "Helplessly Hoping"
DeLuca's Stabbing Was Shocking, But His Death After The Surgery Was Worse
Andrew DeLuca’s stabbing and death were tackled in Grey’s Anatomy season 17 and Station 19 season 4’s crossover episodes, which had plenty of shocking developments both for DeLuca’s predicament and Meredith’s worsening COVID symptoms. With Maggie unreachable, Amelia worried about what to say to Zola as Meredith was put on the vent and DeLuca’s arrival to Grey Sloan as a stabbing victim, “Helplessly Hoping” put many doctors and patients in danger.
However, what made Grey’s Anatomy season 17, episode 7 particularly shocking was how DeLuca’s situation was dire, but Owen and Teddy had put their fight on hold to help him and save him. DeLuca was conscious and able to communicate with his sister Carina in “Helplessly Hoping,” only to die from a cardiac tamponade that Owen and Teddy couldn’t save DeLuca from, delivering a heartbreaking ending made even worse by their hesitancy to call the time of death, eventually called by resident Reza Khan in Grey’s Anatomy season 17, episode 7. Grey's Anatomy season 21 premieres on Thursday, September 26 at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.
