In Grey's Anatomy Season 8, April Kepner becomes the Chief Resident, but she struggles to gain respect and manage the role, while Dr. Webber resigns as Chief of Surgery, with Owen Hunt taking over that leadership position. April's tenure involves her facing challenges and proving her capabilities despite initial doubts from others.
April steps up as Chief Resident while managing a clinical trial. Callie and Cristina deal with a difficult spinal surgery while Alex and Teddy must find alternative ways to operate on a patient. Meredith struggles to follow her new rule of not talking to Derek about work while at the hospital.
He later reclaims the role of chief in Season 7 but resigns again in Season 8 to protect Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) from the consequences of a major clinical trial violation.
Later, April agrees to go on a date with Robert Stark, believing him to have a good side. Her fellow residents make fun of her which prompts her to break up with him. April also impresses Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) and she is ultimately granted the position of Chief Resident in the Season 7 finale.
Dr. Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) became Chief in season 8. Finally, in season 12, Dr. Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) became Grey Sloan's first female Chief.
Meredith and Derek's love had to remain Meredith and Derek's love. As painful as it was for me as a storyteller, because I had never really thought that was going to happen, it preserved what felt true to me, was that Derek was going to have to die in order for that love to remain honest.
Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh)
Killed in a plane crash just 15 minutes into the season 8 finale, Lexie Grey's death was a complete shock and absolutely gutting. In her final moments, the love of her life, Mark Sloan, holds her hand and promises that they are going to be together forever.
She is consoled by Mark and, after becoming a surgical resident, agrees to move into his new apartment with him.
The saddest Grey's Anatomy deaths often involve core characters like George O'Malley, Lexie Grey, Mark Sloan, and Derek Shepherd, whose losses deeply impacted Meredith and the core group; fan-favorite Andrew DeLuca's tragic stabbing, and patient/love interests like Denny Duquette, Adele Webber, and April's baby Samuel Norbert Avery also rank high due to their emotional storylines and connections to the main cast, often involving suddenness or prolonged suffering.
Owen and Teddy start sleeping with each other again, and in the season finale, Owen proposes to Teddy, which she accepts. In the beginning of Season 18, Owen and Teddy got married at the Emerald City Bar after their wedding at the Park was interrupted by a bicycle accident.
Like Derek, all four of his sisters are doctors. His father owned a shop when he was younger, and one day two robbers approached him and demanded that he give up the watch his wife Carolyn had saved tirelessly to buy for him.
Sandra Oh and Ellen Pompeo remind us that behind the magic of Grey Sloan, the real story is one of unwavering friendship and sisterhood. 💖🩺 Sandra Oh and Ellen Pompeo share one of the most celebrated friendships in television history, forged on the set of Grey's Anatomy.
Fans frequently skip Grey's Anatomy's musical episode ("Song Beneath the Song"), the "what if" episode ("If/Then"), the documentary episode, episodes with heavy guest stars, the carousel scenes, and sometimes the entire COVID-19 season, due to cringe, discomfort, or disinterest in special format episodes that break the normal narrative.
Shortly after, she discovers O'Malley's affair, leading to the end of their marriage. Professionally, Torres excels when she is appointed Chief Resident but soon struggles with the role and is eventually demoted.
“Earlier this year, I made the decision that Season 8 would be my last,” Leigh shares in an exclusive statement to TVLine. “I met with [series creator] Shonda [Rhimes] and we worked together to give Lexie's story appropriate closure.”
'Grey's Anatomy' creator Shonda Rhimes. With Rhimes' blessing, Pompeo landed a $20 million a year contract in 2017. Though she wanted to check in with Rhimes before entering negotiations, Pompeo had no qualms about telling the network what she felt she was worth.
Few noticed this detail… but Cristina was there. She held Meredith's hand during Derek's funeral. No words needed — just love.
Brad Everett Young, the actor and celebrity photographer known for his work on television and in Hollywood, has died at the age of 46. According to his publicist, Paul Christensen, Young was killed in a car accident on the 134 Freeway in California on Sunday, September 14.
Heigl made her final series regular appearance as Izzie in the sixth season, leaving Seattle after Alex refused to resume their marriage. The actress requested to be released from her contract 18 months early, in order to spend more time with her family.
Chyler Leigh's Grey's Anatomy character, Lexie Grey, was killed during a plane crash in the eighth season of the show. Lexie was then eaten by wolves off-screen in a scene that's been much-memed. Leigh said she's "down with" her character's demise on the Call It What It Is podcast.
The actress returned as Lexie Grey on Grey's Anatomy Season 17 Episode 10, but it wasn't feasible for the actress to fly to Malibu to shoot the scenes. Leigh is a series regular on The CW's Supergirl, which films in Vancouver, meaning that Leigh would have had to quarantine if she left the country.
What was George O'Malley's role at Seattle Grace Hospital? George was a general surgery resident at Seattle Grace Hospital prior to his death. Shortly before he died, he signed up to be a trauma surgeon with the Army, but he died before he could leave for basic training.
In 2019, Leigh revealed that she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder a decade earlier.
Smith acknowledged that her dismissal was likely driven by the ABC network rather than series creator Shonda Rhimes, stating: "It definitely seemed like [Shonda's] hands were tied." Rhimes also addressed the situation, stating, "We didn't have a controversy with Dr. Hahn.
Ever wonder why Lexie stuffed her face in Season 5? In real life, Chyler Leigh was pregnant – so while “Grey's Anatomy” used the usual filming techniques to hide her baby bump, they also made Lexie stress eat. Lexie chows down at home, but especially at work.