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10 of the Most Shocking ‘Grey's Anatomy' Moments as Measured by Our Tears

From McDreamy to McSteamy, Grey’s Anatomy is chock-full of sexy doctors, twisted storylines and indelible moments. The show’s creator Shonda Rhimes,—mastermind behind Scandal, Private Practice and many other highly addictive TV dramas—cooked up countless cathartic Grey’s Anatomy moments over the past 13 seasons. Ugly cry with us as we recount ten of Grey’s most poignant moments as quantified by a puddle of stray false eyelashes, unruly emotions and, primarily, our tears.

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When Meredith Declared Her Love…and Got Rejected In Season 2

Yep, and Derek still chose Addison. (For the time being, at least.) We just can’t…

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And Denny's Departure

This one was a doozy. At first all was wonderful with the world and sweet patient Denny was in stable condition following his heart transplant, and he finally built up the courage to propose to his nurse turned crush turned eternal love, Izzie Stevens. Just as the tears of joy started streaming down our face, Rhimes threw a charred teddy bear into our limbic system, and Denny flat-lined mere seconds after he popped the question. BRB, crying so hard, we just fainted.

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When Dr. Burke Stood Cristina Up At The Alter In Season 3

Who knew the words "he’s gone" could evoke such emotion, especially from the stoic yet oddly lovable Dr. Cristina Yang. Dr. Preston Burke = MONSTER.

And The Elevator Scene In Season 5

*Sigh* The fifth season of Grey’s concluded with this elevator scene—you know, the one when George metaphorically escorts Izzie to heaven (and simultaneously destroys our hearts).

When Lexie Said Her Final Goodbye In Season 8

Lexie was the little Grey we didn’t even know we needed. "Mark, I'm dying. Please tell Meredith I love her and that she is a good sister." We get that the show takes place in a hospital, but seriously, must every attractive character meet with utter and tragic doom?

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When Adele Left Us In Season 9

Adele’s fate was sealed the second her dementia kicked in. But nothing could have prepared us for the chain of events that lead to her unexpected post-surgery heart attack. In her famous words, "Don't look at me like that. Like I'm damaged goods. I'm still me. I'm still here." *Shakes head and bites lower lip*

When Jackson Objected

OK, there have been countless Japril moments that made us feel we might actually be turning into Sybil. That said, we love this moment from Season 11. Happy tears were shed, indeed.

The End Of Mcdreamy In Season 11

No words, Shonda. No frickin' words.

When Callie Lost Custody Of Sofia In Season 12

Although Arizona—being the sweetheart that she is—eventually settles on a shared custody solution, this scene had us wondering the same thing as Callie: How in the hell did this happen?

And Maggie Pierce's Mom Slipped Away

We have to admit: Pierce’s mad dash to find a cure for her mother’s inflammatory breast cancer in season 13 gave us the slightest bit of hope for a rainbows and unicorns Grey’s Anatomy final season. But, no. The mother-daughter story line ends in devastation and, yet again, we were forced to claim "allergies" Friday morning at work.



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Greta Heggeness

Senior Editor

Greta Heggeness is a California-based editor at PureWow and has been writing about entertainment since 2015. She covers everything from awards shows to exclusive celebrity...
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