Apart from becoming recognized as the longest-operating American health-related drama, Grey’s Anatomy is also characterized by the carousel of characters that have come and gone. It is not a surprise at all, with such a huge ensemble cast and with the show operating for practically 20 years now. A frequent narrative device — courtesy of creator Shonda Rhimes and crew — to handle actors’ behind-the-scenes drama and contract expirations has confirmed to be controversial but efficient: killing them off. One particular that nevertheless hurts and should’ve been handled differently at the time was the death of Chyler Leigh’s Lexie Grey.

Introduced in the Season three finale, Lexie was Meredith’s (Ellen Pompeo) half-sister. Yes, household twists are also one particular of Grey’s Anatomy’s staples, and Lexie was one particular of the earliest ones. For 5 seasons, we got to know who she was, with her ultimately becoming a fan-favourite. When Leigh’s contract expired, she opted out of the show, hunting to invest extra time with her household. There was no foul play involved, as each she and Rhimes came up with what in the end became her tragic finish. Nevertheless, in retrospect, Leigh’s exit should’ve been executed in a way that would’ve permitted her to reprise her function as Lexie.

Grey’s Anatomy

A drama centered on the individual and specialist lives of 5 surgical interns and their supervisors.

Release Date

March 27, 2005

Principal Genre

Drama

Seasons

20

Lexie’s Death in the ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season eight Finale Was Brutal and Tragic

Though Season eight is regarded as one particular of the finest of Grey’s Anatomy, its finale proves to be a bit extra divisive. In “Flight,” half the physicians of Seattle Grace, who have been headed to Boise to help in a surgery, are left stranded in the woods just after their plane crashes. A Lost-like sequence reveals how injured every person is, but the one particular in the worst shape turns out to be Lexie, whose decrease physique is crushed by plane debris. Mark (Eric Dane), who by this point is completely devoted to Lexie, stays by her side at each and every moment. The most heartbreaking goodbye requires spot as they visualize the life they could’ve (and should’ve) had with each other.

Apart from becoming unexpected, Lexie’s death was brutal. Seeing her as the crash’s initial victim turned the episode into a tragic encounter. An inconsolable Meredith shows her discomfort all through the entire episode, and not even Cristina (Sandra Oh) can soothe it. The devastation is only heightened when Mark succumbs to his internal injuries and also dies in the Season 9 premiere. Producing matters abysmally worse, Cristina shares gruesome particulars when going via a PTSD episode about how the wolves in the woods didn’t consume her and the other people mainly because they have been busy consuming Lexie rather.

Lexie Grey Deserved Much more on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’

At initial seeming like a mere roadblock in Meredith’s way to emotional stability, Lexie became so significantly extra — and nevertheless had extra to give on Grey’s Anatomy. Her healthier upbringing clashes with Meredith’s darker nature. They ultimately make peace and their partnership evolves into a true sisterhood. Lexie’s dazzling essence also impacts Mark in such a way that he decides to leave his womanizer era behind and personal up to his actions. By Season eight, their on-once again-off-once again partnership had reached frequent ground exactly where they could ultimately program a steady future with each other.

Even though she humanizes Mark and Meredith, Lexie is not only a plot device. She becomes her personal character by expanding personally and professionally. Going via a shooting (in one particular of the show’s finest episodes), the consequential PTSD, and her father’s death, finish up constructing her up rather of bringing her down. She matures with the blows life bargains her, but nevertheless remains the most goodhearted and brightest soul the hospital has noticed. Her abilities, like her photographic memory, prove really helpful and earn her a promotion as a surgical resident. These have been just the early measures to seeing her develop and thrive as a surgeon. Had Lexie survived, it would’ve been completely understandable to have her leave Seattle Grace following Mark’s death — and the door would nevertheless be open for future appearances.

Lexie’s Death Ruined Future Possibilities To Have the Character Return

Okay, yes, Lexie returned in the course of Season 17, although Meredith was in her COVID-induced limbo among life and death. Lexie offers her sister one particular of the strongest pieces of guidance when she reminds her that — even with a worldwide pandemic raging on — life is worth celebrating. This is one particular of the greatest encores we get to see at Meredith’s beach, but it is nevertheless only a ghostly apparition fueled by Meredith’s sickly state of thoughts. Had Lexie been alive, her returning to Seattle to appear just after Meredith and her recovery would’ve had a higher effect.

Chyler Leigh’s factors for exiting the show are understandable, but killing off Lexie removed any chance of getting her back in the mix. Teddy (Kim Raver), Addison (Kate Walsh), and Jackson (Jesse Williams) are just some of the characters that have left the show but have been intertwined with the story in later seasons, with their returns becoming earned and heartfelt. Raver’s Teddy even became a series typical once again just after an absence of six seasons (and has probably overstayed her welcome). Lexie deserved an encore of this sort. With Pompeo stepping down from starring in the show, Zola’s (Aniela Gumbs) education has been sped up to apparently match her in as some variety of Doogie Howser who can nevertheless carry the Grey name. In a what-if predicament, getting Lexie return would’ve been the finest way to sort out the truth that the show is nevertheless named Grey’s Anatomy.

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‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 20 Desires To Kill Off Some Interns

It is time to bring back Seattle Grace Mercy Death.

Much more than a show, Grey’s Anatomy promptly became a rollercoaster of feelings. Every season finale turned into a entire occasion that had the burden of delivering a thing extra potent and emotional than the earlier season, although also creating inventive selections that match with its actors’ choices. Because Lexie had currently cemented herself as one particular of Grey’s Anatomy’s essentials, her death created sense as a blow that would devastate the fanbase but would also hold the show in everyone’s minds — and it worked. Right here we are 12 years later speaking about the twist! With Grey’s Anatomy at the moment airing its 20th season and getting been renewed for its 21st, it is clear that the killing-off-beloved-characters formula is going nowhere. We’ll just have to wait and see who’s subsequent, hoping our hearts will not be torn apart after extra.

Grey’s Anatomy is offered to stream on Netflix in the U.S. Season 20 is at the moment airing on ABC, and will return May well 2nd.

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