As the central character in Grey's Anatomy, it's fair to say that viewers feel that they know Meredith Grey the best. Her journey has been chronicled over 17 seasons, and fans have learned about her tragic childhood, complicated love story with Derek Shepherd, and relationships with the other characters.
While Meredith's story continues in every episode, some episodes feature especially interesting storylines, and after watching her reach highs and lows in her personal and professional lives, there are many reasons why Meredith is a relatable character. But while fans understand many of her choices, there are other times on the show when she doesn't make much sense.
Related: A Young Doctor Passionate About Pursuing Her Dream
Many fans like season 1 of Grey's Anatomy the most and it was great watching Meredith start working at the hospital and pursue her medical career.
Fans can relate to Meredith as someone who had a big dream and wanted to work hard. She knew she had a long road ahead of her and that it wouldn't be easy, and since she was used to being single-minded about her work above all else, she was fine with that. The wild surgeries Meredith has performed are fascinating and it's great to see what an amazing work ethic the character has.
Didn't: Had Many Intense Near-Death Experiences
Meredith has had many near-death experiences and while many people have had serious injuries or maybe needed surgery, it's hard to imagine viewers relating to this part of the show.
From almost drowning to the plane crash that took her fellow doctors' lives, Meredith has faced death in almost every season, and it hasn't been easy for her to survive.
Related: Struggled With Work/Life Balance And In Her Relationship
Many Grey's Anatomy fans enjoyed watching Meredith and Derek meet at a bar, realize they worked at the same hospital, and fall deeply in love. It was rough at the beginning as she had to learn to open up more and be vulnerable, and of course, Derek was married to Addison, which Meredith was in the dark about.
This was also an engrossing love story as once they started their family, Meredith struggled with work/life balance. Her relationship with Derek was very flawed as she still had her dreams and he wasn't always supportive, often prioritizing his own career.
Didn't: Committed Insurance Fraud
In season 16, Meredith committed insurance fraud as she wanted to save a young girl. She wrote down the name of her daughter, not the patient's, and seemed to feel that this was something she had to do. Of course, Meredith got into trouble, and she could have ended her medical career right there.
While viewers can understand why Meredith made this choice, it isn't something that many people would undertake, as it's difficult to risk getting fired and imagine losing a medical license or ability to work in the field again.
Related: Didn't Have A Picture-Perfect Childhood Or Family Life
While hopefully viewers of Grey's Anatomy can't completely relate to Meredith's childhood, as she watched her mom struggle with her mental health and things got very dark and difficult, it's true that Meredith's journey is still relatable.
Meredith didn't grow up in a typical family and she never got along with her mom and barely knew her dad. It's good to see that while her young life wasn't perfect, she was still able to persevere and get into medical school and begin her internship and career.
Didn't: Had Trouble Embracing Lexie And Maggie At First
Meredith found it tough to embrace her half-sisters Lexie and Maggie when she met them, although she did have big changes of heart and treated them much better eventually. Lexie even told Meredith in season 4 that she should be nicer to her.
This is tough to relate to, as fans love both of these characters and wish that Meredith had stopped being so intense and had been open to having family members around.
Related: Hired A Matchmaker And Wanted To Find Love Again
It was intriguing to see how Grey's Anatomy handled Meredith's dating life after Derek passed away.
She didn't fall for anyone right away and had some almost relationships that didn't work out, and then she treated Cece, a matchmaker. She ended up hiring her and agreeing to be set up on dates. The fact that Meredith wanted to find love again and was open to getting some help is definitely relatable. Many people use dating apps or services in order to find a partner.
Didn't: Slept With George When She Didn't Return His Feelings
George was super close with both Izzie and Meredith and liked both of them at different times. When he pursued a romantic relationship with either one, it didn't work out very well.
After George and Meredith slept together, it was clear that it was a mistake, as he had a crush on her but she didn't see him as anything more than a friend. Fans couldn't relate to Meredith's choice to have sex with George and it was hard to understand why she thought this was a good idea, as it only made things complicated and messy between them.
Related: Made Her Friends/Co-Workers Her Family
Cristina and Meredith's wonderful friendship is just one great example of how close Meredith became to her fellow interns.
Fans relate to Meredith's desire to make her pals her family. From living with her friends at her mother's house over the years to learning to confide more in other people, Meredith coped with the fact that she didn't have her parents around by creating her own village. This is something that many people do and it's very meaningful.
Didn't: Ran Away Following Derek's Shocking Death
Fans watched Derek over the years and he went through many highs and lows. His story ultimately had a tragic and shocking ending.
When Derek died, Meredith ran away, and her friends didn't know her whereabouts. This is hard to relate to, as she needed to lean on other people after experiencing such massive trauma, and her pals really wanted to be there for her. Everyone deals with grief differently, but many people wouldn't want to be alone or far away from home if they went through something similar.