Grey’s Anatomy – a TV show that started in March, 2005 and is now, even after so many years and seasons – is a big part of our lives. Grey’s Anatomy episodes are dramatic, sometimes a little over-the-top but extremely exciting. The struggle to find and hold love, to save patients and to deal with personal issues – this show has every single element that’s required to make a drama TV show epic!
Even after fourteen seasons, Grey’s Anatomy has been renewed for its fifteenth season! So how about we have a look at the best Grey’s Anatomy episodes so far?
#1 Who’s Zoomin Who? (Season 1, Episode 9)
This episode is one of the best Grey’s Anatomy episodes in the first season. It’s funny, heart-wrenching and everything that Grey’s Anatomy has made itself to be.
George is suffering from a rash that he later learns is Syphilis. Izzie and Cristina go against Bailey and have an autopsy of a patient, which serves as a life saver for the patient’s daughter. Cristina, on the other hand, is stuck in a turmoil of her own. She’s avoiding Burke so she doesn’t have to tell him about, wait for it, her pregnancy. George, further on in the episode, finds out that Olivia had cheated on him with Alex – who was the reason George got the Syphilis.
Meanwhile, chief gets a secret surgery and Meredith finally tells Derek about her mother’s Alzheimer’s. But the best and the cruelest part of the episode is when Derek and Meredith are talking near their car and a certain red-head barges in on their conversation.
That certain red-head is Derek’s wife.
#2 As We Know It (Season 2, Episode 16)
This episode was downright earth shattering. With suspense, drama, urgency, love and fear – this episode is completely action-packed and by far one of the best Grey’s Anatomy episodes – all seasons! This entire episode keeps the viewer hooked and begging to know what happens.
Meredith’s monologue in the episode is sad, haunting and made my heart clench. There’s a bomb in the building, in a patient’s body. Bailey is in labor; Derek is operating on her husband. He’s afraid; he doesn’t want to be the one who kills her husband. Just as Burke doesn’t want to kill everyone in the building. – he’s operating on the patient with the bomb. He doesn’t want to mess up, either. Especially not when one of the doctor’s – Meredith’s – hands is stuck inside the human cavity – with the bomb.
Addison and George help Bailey have the baby. Everyone’s battling their own demons. Who would win? Them? Or their demons?
#3 Didn’t We Almost Have It All! (Season 3, Episode 25)
Webber’s monologue talks about how being a doctor is taking up a responsibility; a responsibility wherein you can look at the patient’s family and tell them that they did everything they could to save the patient.
The doctors are all tied up in different cases – a miscarriage, a torn aorta, a climber with an ax in his head, and…a wedding. Cristina is out of her wits about this wedding but the Meredith and Izzie are there to let her know that she can do it. Richard has a tough decision to make – who will be the chief of the hospital after him. Meanwhile, George is struggling with not passing the intern exam and his relationship with Callie.
Cristina bonds a little with Burke’s mother and tries to get to terms with the fact that she’s actually getting married. Just before walking down the aisle, she realizes that the vows she’d written on her hand have been washed off. She freaks out and her voice can be heard in the church. The doubts and fears get to Burke and he decides to not go forth with the wedding.
Cristina goes home later and realizes all Burke’s stuff is gone. With Meredith by her side, Cristina mourns her loss.
#4 Freedom, Part 2 (Season 4, Episode 17)
Derek and Meredith are working on their last patient for their clinical trial. Bailey has handed over the clinic to Izzie for the day. Izzie is struggling with the pain of watching Alex deal with Rebecca, who’s just tried to commit suicide. This episode is one roller coaster ride of emotions.
Meredith, who can see Cristina struggling, gives her sparkle pager to Cristina to make her feel better. George decides to confront Richard who then allows George to retake the internship test. Meanwhile, Richard is preparing to win over Adele again. And, Callie finds a new love interest – Erica.
Among all of this, there’s a boy who’s trapped in cement. (But that’s obviously secondary because McDreamy is looking for Meredith and we can’t wait to know what happens!)
McDreamy finally goes back to his trailer after searching everywhere else. He notices that Meredith isn’t there either but then sees some candles in the distance.
Meredith has created a floor-plan of their house with candles. She points out where their kitchen will be, their living room and a room where their kids could play. Our favorite couple finds a way to be together – giving us a hope of a happily ever after.
#5 Elevator Love Letter (Season 5, Episode 19)
Owen, a man Cristina has learned to adore, is strangling her. Callie hears noises and intervenes before things could get worse than they already are. Due to Owen’s PTSD, Cristina is left absolutely traumatized and they break up.
Izzie’s tumor has got all of her friends worried and especially Derek – because he’s the one who has to operate. Callie deals with her regret of always being hateful towards Izzie.
Everyone is waiting for the verdict – will, or will not Izzie be okay? Their doubts are eased when Bailey finally comes out and informs them that she will be okay and tumor free!
Meredith waits for another elevator to arrive (since Richard blocked her from getting onto the first one) and is surprised to see that the second elevator – Derek is there and the elevator has scans and files covering the inside of it! Derek invites her in and shows her the files and scans – all of which are their surgeries together. He proposes to her again – and this time, she finally says yes!
The absolutely beautiful proposal made the 5 season-wait completely worth it!
#6 Sanctuary and Death And All His Friends (Season 6, Episode 23 & 24)
Honestly, I couldn’t choose one. Season 6 has two of the best Grey’s Anatomy episodes and just like the bomb-episode in season 2 – these two are equally dangerous and heart-wrenching!
A shooter is active in the hospital creating an atmosphere of absolute chaos and fear. The hospital is on a lockdown.
Meanwhile, Meredith finds out that she’s pregnant and Owen is confused between Teddy and Cristina which pushes Cristina to break up with him.
Things are about to get worse as Derek confronts the shooter and gets shot.
In this episode, every character is struggling to do the right thing and keeping themselves, and the ones around them safe. Jackson and Cristina try to save Derek but have to stop when the shooter shows up again. Meredith thinks that Derek is going to die which results in her having a miscarriage.
The pain and loss that these two episodes result in are unimaginable and utterly mind-boggling.
#7 Song Beneath The Song (Season 7, Episode 18)
The urgency and pain of the situations in this episode are heightened by the songs that are a part of this episode.
On their way to a concert, Arizona proposes to Callie – immediately after which a truck slams into them and badly injures Callie and her unborn baby. Panicked and hallucinating – Callie sees a healthy version of herself singing ‘Chasing Cars’ and is later joined by all the other doctors.
In these moments of chaos – Grey’s Anatomy activates our tear ducts to the point where we don’t know how many tissue boxes we’ll need.
Watch the episode to get the actual feel of it and know why this is one of the best Grey’s Anatomy episodes ever.
#8 Flight (Season 8, Episode 24)
Meredith, Mark, Derek, Lexie, Arizona and Cristina fight for their lives as their plane crashes in the woods. Out of everyone, Lexie is the most injured by being stuck under a piece of the plane.
Meredith looks for Derek who was sucked out the side of the plane and is injured somewhere in the words. Mark and Yang try to save Lexie but realize that there’s nothing they can do and a heartbroken Mark holds Lexie’s hands and tells her of the life they would’ve had while she counts her last breaths.
Eventually, Meredith and Derek find their way to each other and they fix Derek’s hand the best they can.
The episode shows the turmoil and struggles everyone has to face in order to survive. By the end of the episode, Owen finds out that none of the doctors made it to Boise.
The drama in this episode is on point and you’ll bite your nails off wondering what will happen next.
#9 Going, Going, Gone and Perfect Storm (Season 9, Episode 1 and 24)
Since I couldn’t choose – here are the two best Grey’s Anatomy episodes from season 9!
Episode 1 – The plane-crash, from season 8 finale, has left Mark broken and Callie and Derek are devastated that they would have to take Mark off of life support. Cristina, who has moved away to Rochester, is pushed to come Seattle by Meredith. Arizona survived the car crash but had to get her leg amputated – something that she hates Callie for doing. Meredith has become a very strict mentor to her interns that gets her the name ‘Medusa’. This episode deals with the harsh after-effects of the crash – how one incident altered a part of every single one of them forever.
Episode 24 – A storm, not just the metaphorical, has made its way to Seattle and has caused a power outage in the hospital. At the very same time, Meredith goes into labor. She gets a C-Section and although the baby is born healthy, Meredith suffers a serious abdominal bleeding due to her fall from the stairs earlier.
The chaos of the episode is reflected when a bus explodes and yet another crisis has found its way into the doctors’ lives and when we learn that Richard has been electrocuted due to the water in the basement. It’s not a good day for Grey’s Anatomy and yet again, our hearts are left broken.
#10 Fear (Of The Unknown) (Season 10, Episode 24)
Cristina is about to leave for Zurich when a possibility of a terrorist activity delays the flight. Cristina runs to the mall to get a European charger but before she can reach the mall, it so happens that an explosion has taken place at the mall. The injured are taken to Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.
The doctors begin helping the injured – even Cristina scrubs in. But since it was her time to leave, Meredith calls her out. Shane realizes that the education he wants is being taught by Cristina and demands to go to Zurich with her. Cristina agrees.
Meredith shoves Cristina in a cab and asks her to leave for her own good. Cristina finds her way back to Meredith – she couldn’t leave before they danced it out! sobs You need to watch this episode to know how bitter-sweet it will make you feel!
#11 How To Save A Life (Season 11, Episode 21)
Honestly, this episode was a terrible game changer. Derek suffers a car crash that can change his and Meredith’s life forever.
The most heart-breaking episode in the history of Grey’s Anatomy episodes. You’ll have to watch it to know how Grey’s Anatomy has the ability to completely break your heart.
#12 The Sound Of Silence (Season 12, Episode 9)
While taking care of a patient, Meredith is attacked brutally by him. The episode follows her struggles with her pain and suffering through the terrible after-math. Her jaw has to be wired shut in order for it to heal which makes speaking impossible for her. When Meredith realizes that her kids are afraid to see her, she has a panic attack which causes Penny to cut the wire so that Meredith can breathe. Meredith becomes bitter, angry and isolates herself. Richard, then, meets her and talks about the power of forgiveness. Meanwhile, Amelia tries to make amends with Meredith.
#13 Ring of Fire (Season 13, Episode 24)
Grey’s Anatomy is a master at epic finales. And season 13’s gives us just that!
Bailey commands a mass-evacuation as the fire rages on in the hospital. Stephanie braves the crisis and performs a surgery on Erin’s leg – even with the fire getting closer by the minute. With Erin, she then tries to get to the roof but upon realizing that she can’t find her key-card (which is needed to open the door to the roof), she wraps Erin up in a soaked blanket – ready to give up herself. She notices a keycard within reach and tries to get a hold of it before the fire does. Meanwhile, Owen and Amelia – despite knowing what’s going down at the hospital – pack to leave to see Owen’s sister.
Help finally reaches Stephanie and Erin. After inquiry about the fire, Bailey fires Eliza. In the end, Owen learns that his sister is really alive.
#14 All Of Me (Season 14, Episode 24)
Honestly, if I had to pick the funniest episode (and obviously the best & the cutest) in Grey’s Anatomy – it would be this. A little different from the usual finales and dramatic Grey’s Anatomy episodes – this one’s light hearted with so much chaos and confusion.
Alex and Jo are finally getting married and everything goes for naught when a lot of people reach the wrong venue because of an inefficient GPS link, the wedding planner has severe allergic reaction, Alex and Jo get stuck in a shed, and the pastor gets late. They decide to call of the wedding.
Arizona is worried about how things would be if Callie and she gave their relationship a shot again and is pacified by April.
When the pastor finally arrives, Matthew proposes to April and they get married. Meanwhile, Bailey and Ben treat the bride’s mother (they reached the wrong ceremony) and watch the bride’s wedding on livestream. In the end, Meredith gets ordained and finally performs Alex and Jo’s wedding ceremony.
Basically – everyone gets their happily ever after (at least for as long as Grey’s Anatomy would let them have it)!
Grey’s Anatomy episodes have the ability to make you chuckle and tear you apart – all at the same time. One moment you’re laughing, and the other – you’re sobbing in one corner, wondering why life and love had to be so hard. But it’s all bitter-sweet and now, a part of our lives that is absolutely indispensable!
These were some of the best episodes of Grey’s anatomy TV Show. Leave a comment below and share your favorite Grey’s anatomy episodes.
