Meredith Grey’s story has been followed by fans for about two decades now, with the 18th season of Grey’s Anatomy having just concluded and the 19th set to premiere in the fall. After so many years, it's only natural that the show's seasons represent peaks and valleys in quality.
Fans on Ranker have cast thousands of votes to determine which season they think is the best. These range from the fallout of the hospital shooting in the eighth season to the merging of Seattle Grace with Mercy West in the sixth. Since fans from around the world have voted, these rankings represent more or less a consensus about which Grey’s Anatomy seasons are the best and which are the worst.
Season 17
The COVID-19 pandemic was adapted in a major way by Grey’s Anatomy, with Meredith suffering from the illness for the majority of the 17th season. Viewers appear to have liked this more self-contained outline where the characters were separated for their own arcs.
The season saw the departure of major characters, including Jackson, De Luca and Koracick, all of whom saw their arcs closed out. The guest appearances of the people whom Meredith had lost over the years as part of her hallucinations also brought closure to storylines years in the making.
Season 10
This season saw the departure of Meredith’s “person” in Grey’s Anatomy, as Cristina left the hospital to head out on her own in Europe. As a result, a lot of the season is about how Meredith and Cristina’s paths have diverged, ultimately leading to their goodbyes.
Other plotlines included Derek’s move to the White House to work on a brain mapping project, the separation of Callie and Arizona, and the marriage of Jackson and April. The season closed out stories from the previous one and effortlessly moved on to the latest plotlines.
Season 9
The ninth season did a commendable job in introducing new characters like Jo and Stephanie while writing off Mark Sloan to shift the story in a fresh direction. Meredith and her friends became attendings, signaling the end of their rookie careers and the start of their professional life.
The change in the way the hospital was run after the plane crash — it was renamed Grey Sloan Memorial this season — was the primary narrative thrust. The fallout from the accident brought certain characters such as Meredith and Derek closer while others like Callie and Arizona saw their relationships permanently damaged.
Season 7
While there are quite a few filler episodes in this Grey’s Anatomy season, it featured mature storylines like Meredith and Derek’s bid to adopt a child. Other plotlines like the love triangle between Mark, Lexie, and Jackson, along with Mark’s role as the father of Arizona and Callie’s baby came into play.
Richard having to deal with the Alzheimer’s diagnosis of his wife and Meredith’s involvement in the matter also takes up a chunk of the season’s story, which fans liked to follow. It also deals with the fallout from the hospital shooting and the way the characters respond to it.
Season 3
The third season was the last one to feature the original group as interns, with the characters finishing off this phase of their lives. Cristina and Burke’s wedding was the primary arc the season shaped around, with the finale featuring him leaving Cristina when he realized she didn’t love him.
Meredith’s own breaking of her relationship with Derek due to their unspoken issues came into play now that Derek had let go of Addison. The latter’s own failed relationship with Mark and Alex led to the backdoor pilot for Private Practice, which saw Addison depart from the series.
Season 5
Izzie’s cancer was the main storyline for the fifth season, culminating in a heartwarming wedding with Alex right before she sought treatment. It was the finals season for George, whose death came in the shocking season finale where he’s hit by a bus.
It was the first season that showed Meredith and Derek settling into their relationship and actually working at it, which fans preferred over constant drama. Another fan favorite pairing was Cristina and Mark, with the latter’s introduction to the series well-received enough for him to be upgraded as a series regular.
Season 1
Meredith Grey is established as the main character in Grey's Anatomy's pilot, and she's one of the few characters to appear in every episode of the long-running series. This one featured Meredith and her group’s struggles as interns, along with their romances with people around the hospital.
At the time, the new series focused on the medical cases, and viewers enjoyed following the latest issues the inexperienced doctors had to face. The arrival of Addison in the season’s finale remains one of the most shocking moments in the series that served as a major hook for audiences to come back for the second season.
Season 8
Meredith and her group were about to finish off their residencies by the eighth season, marking the end of the career paths that had started from the show’s beginning. It deals with arcs like Meredith and Derek’s adoption of their daughter, the final phase of Lexie and Mark’s love story, and Cristina and Mark’s separation.
Mainly, though, the season has received praise for the place crash scenario, where the primary characters had to survive after the accident. It killed off Lexie and eventually led to Mark’s death as well, while the others had to contend with the impact of their loss and find a way to live.
Season 2
Its second season garnered Grey’s Anatomy the reputation of being one of the saddest dramas airing on TV. This was a result of Izzie’s relationship with Denny, who ended up dying in the season finale after Izzie sabotaged her career to keep him alive. Along with that, the bomb episode was another story that captivated audiences.
Meredith had to deal with Derek returning to Addison, with the love triangle becoming the main backdrop for the season. Alex’s botched relationship with Izzie and George’s disastrous hookup with Meredith added to the tension. It was a perfect second season that gave fans the drama and intrigue they wanted.
Season 6
The sixth season saw the merger with Mercy West hospital, bringing in new characters such as Jackson and April, while Arizona was cemented as part of the regular cast. Alex’s life went into steep decline after Izzie decided to divorce him, resulting in a love triangle between him, Lexie, and Mark.
Since George had died and Izzie departed, the dynamic within the group changed as the newcomers were added in to shake things up. It looks like it worked to the show’s benefit, as Ranker fans have cast over a thousand votes to name the sixth season as the majority favorite.