Grey’s Anatomy has had some phenomenal season finale episodes throughout its 9 year run. As we prepare for the ninth Grey’s Anatomy season finale tonight, check out how we think the 8 predecessors rank.
In the 8 previous Grey’s Anatomy season finales, we’ve endured a shooting, a plane crash, weddings, deaths, hundreds of surgeries, and uncountable tears. We have loved and lost many of our favorite characters, and while it may have been sad to see them go, we have loved all the drama they have brought. While we anxiously await tonight’s finale, here is how we think the previous 8 Grey’s Anatomy season finales rank.
8. “Unaccompanied Minor” (season 7)
The seventh season finale left a lot to be desired. It’s not particularly bad or anything, but it just didn’t impress like so many of the others. Not to mention, we really do love warm and fuzzy Meredith and Derek, so seeing them fight over things like Meredith’s dumb clinical trial lies just frustrates us. We all know now that it works out for the best later, but it doesn’t make it any more fun to watch.
7. “Freedom: Parts 1 & 2” (season 4)
While not the most exciting finale on this list, this episode is actually quite enjoyable, it just lacks the dramatic elements that so many other finale episodes have had. When you combine the drama of saving a boy trapped in concrete with the resolution of the clinical trial story line, this episode has what all Grey’s episodes have: great drama, it just doesn’t pack the same punch that other episodes have. We do have to give credit to Meredith for the candle house in the woods, that was seriously cool.
6. “Didn’t We Almost Have it All?” (season 3)
The majority of this finale was spent focusing on Christina and her wedding to Preston Burke, and while ridiculously comical (Does anyone else still see visions of Christina with no eyebrows? Comic gold.), it just isn’t our favorite. It did provide us with plenty of laughs and some minor hyperventilating while Christina has a mental breakdown toward the end of the episode, but when ranking the finales, it just doesn’t land high.
5. “Flight” (season 8)
While we lost 3 major players as a result of this episode, it doesn’t rank as high purely for entertainment value. It was a really hard episode to watch, and maybe we STILL just aren’t quite over the shock of it a whole season later. Seeing so many of our favorites in jeopardy while also watching those left behind at Seattle Grace continue to go about their days, completely unaware that at this exact moment, one of their closest friends is dying was gut-wrenching and horrible. It made for good drama, but it’s always hard to say goodbye.
4. “Here’s to Future Days”/”Now or Never” (season 5)
Season 5 was rocked with all sorts of turmoil, including both Izzy’s cancer scare and Owen’s PTSD fits, and the finale was no different. The penultimate episode of season 5 brought a wedding and smiles all around, while the 2 part season finale caused more tears than toothy grins. The biggest plot point, John Doe being George came as a total surprise, especially with the latent potential of his military story line. We also see the Izzy/Karev story line peak as she recovers from surgery and finally gets her memory back. The highlights of this episode are what make it memorable and keep it from falling further than fourth on our list.
3. “Who’s Zoomin’ Who?” (season 1)
The finale to the first season was not as life or death as most have been since, but it also brought us one of the most iconic scenes of the series. George got to hit Karev for giving him syphilis, the Chief entrusted his career and life to Derek, but nothing trumps the final scene of the episode. The arrival of Addison Shepherd was a major game changer for the network drama, and her iconic, “And you must be the woman who’s been screwing my husband” line to close the first season may have created one of the most dramatic cliffhangers you never saw coming.
2. “Deterioration of Fight or Flight Response”/”Losing My Religion” (season 2)
The second season is widely regarded by fans as the best of the series, and the finale is just a small part of that. While it’s kind of a shame that the bomb-in-the-body-cavity episode was not a season finale (and therefore could not be ranked in this list), the finale raised the stakes for a majority of the characters. Meredith and Derek’s relationship progressed, Izzy loved and lost the man of her dreams, all of our favorite interns had to make the choice between standing up for their friends and their careers, and we got to see everyone in pretty dresses and tuxes. The resolution to the Danny Duquette/Izzy Stevens relationship was one of the most effective story lines that Izzy had on the show. Izzy’s character seemed to get more frantic and unbelievable as seasons progressed, but she shined particularly bright during this 2 hour special.
1. “Sanctuary”/”Death and All His Friends” (season 6)
The most heart-stopping of any finale in the history of Grey’s Anatomy. Period. It was shock, after shock, after shock, all the way through this 2 hour thrill ride. You start with the shock of Reid’s sudden death, and the camera lingering on her to give you adequate time to adjust to what just happened, later you get Bailey being dragged out from under her patient’s bed by her ankles, and the look of terror on her face is palpable. Add in the scare of Christina figuring out that the shooter is looking for Derek, Christina and Meredith watching him get shot, Christina operating at gunpoint, Jackson’s miracle – idea to save Derek’s life, and Meredith’s miscarriage, and this episode just never stops. It is punch after punch straight to the gut, right up to the end. We certainly hope that this season’s finale, “Perfect Storm” gives us the same type of thrill.
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