Grey's Anatomy has done it all over 16 seasons, from wild surgeries to epic love stories to friendships ending. At the heart of it all is Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), the super ambitious surgeon who is following her mother's path even if she wouldn't admit it. Meredith has been through it all, from losing a husband to raising kids to dealing with countless major changes at the hospital where she works.
Even though Meredith is the main character on the dramatic series, she has made a lot of mistakes and has a lot of moments when she doesn't seem very well-drawn. Read on to find out 10 ways that Meredith's character got worse on this popular hospital drama.
Her Friendships Besides Cristina Aren't Fleshed Out
One of the best aspects of Grey's Anatomy is the friendship between Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) and Meredith. But since Cristina left for Switzerland in season 10, Meredith hasn't had the same kind of connection with anyone else.
One way that Meredith has gotten worse over the course of the show is in terms of her friendships. They just aren't as well-developed. Even when Meredith hangs out with Alex Karev (Justin Chambers), it doesn't feel the same as when she and Cristina would talk about deep subjects or dance it out.
After Derek, Her Character Stopped Being Developed
Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) was always pretty good for Meredith. He convinced her that there was a life outside work, he started a family with her, and he loved her.
But since Derek died, it feels like Meredith's character development has been at a plateau. She has kept all of her same tendencies, such as being closed off from new people, wanting to do everything on her own, and being too tough.
Her Main Personality Trait Is Being Miserable
Even if the biggest fans of Grey's Anatomy had to list Meredith's personality traits, it would be hard not to just say "she's totally miserable" and call it a day.
Meredith spends a lot of time complaining or moping around, and she isn't very kind to the people around her. This feels like a flaw with her character development. Whenever she's in a good mood or actually cracks a joke, she goes right back to being "dark and twisty."
She Doesn't Learn From Her Professional Mistakes
In the 15th season, Meredith actually lost her job because of a huge mistake that she made: she was guilty of insurance fraud. This is surprising because back in season seven, Meredith was working on an Alzheimers' clinical trial and she cheated in order to get the results that she wanted.
It's pretty crazy that Meredith doesn't learn from her professional mistakes and that she seems to be doing the same thing over and over again.
She Always Acts Better Than The Other Doctors Or Interns, Which Is Frustrating
Many fans have said that the interns are lackluster on Grey's Anatomy and while that's true, it's hard not to feel bad for them. The other characters do treat them pretty badly and act like they have no reason for being at the hospital.
Meredith is definitely the worst when it comes to this... but she acts this way toward the doctors on her own level, too. Meredith got worse and worse on the show because she always wants things done her way, and she doesn't want to listen to someone else's opinion.
After Derek's Death, She Runs Away, Which Was A Poor Creative Choice
Derek's death was a major moment on Grey's Anatomy and yet it was treated so weirdly. Meredith literally runs away and doesn't mourn his death with the other characters, which is what long-time fans would have expected.
It seems like a poor creative choice to have Meredith disappear. This took her out of the main story and didn't make any sense. It's yet another example of how this character has gotten worse over the many seasons that the show has been on the air.
Her Stubbornness Is A Major Character Flaw That Never Gets Better
Meredith is the kind of doctor who believes that she's so talented that she can't ever be wrong. Whenever she messes up at the hospital or in her personal life and someone tells her that she did something wrong, she can't admit it.
Meredith's stubborn attitude is another way that she got worse as the show went on. It's a major character flaw that never gets any better.
She Has A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy About Tragedies, Which Is Repetitive
It's true that Meredith hasn't had an easy road and that her life could definitely be a lot better. But her constant self-defeatist attitude is tough to watch as it's so repetitive.
Meredith really believes that bad things are always going to happen to her and it sometimes seems like that's a self-fulfilling prophecy. It can get really old having to watch her approach life in such a negative way all the time.
Her Dating Life Is The Same Thing, Over And Over Again
After Derek's death, Meredith keeps trying to date someone new and then something inevitability goes wrong. It feels like watching the same storyline over and over again and it's frustrating.
From Nathan Riggs (Martin Henderson) to Andrew DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti), Meredith thinks that she can open herself up to love again and then decides that she can't. She seems to take the easy way out and finds a lot of excuses for why she has to be single.
Another problem with Meredith's character? She always acts like other people are out to get her, and she never trusts new people or even her own family.
Whether it's Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) or Maggie (Kelly McCreary), Meredith doesn't welcome her sisters with open arms and, in fact, keeps them at arm's length for quite a while. It feels like she never grows as a person, that's for sure.