Shondaland is a significantly prominent company today. With a collection of hugely successful shows, podcasts, and much more, this company is one of the most inspiring in the modern world. With the notable success that Shondaland has seen over the years, it's hard to believe that the company had such a humble beginning. Grey's Anatomy premiered on television on March 27, 2005. At this time, creator Shonda Rhimes had not yet become showrunner, and Meredith Grey was not yet a household name.
A lot has changed since then, and Shondaland has grown into one of the most well-known television companies to date. Boasting not only the longest-running medical drama ever, Shondaland's collection of beloved TV series includes: How To Get Away With Murder, Station 19, Scandal, Private Practice, and many more. One of Shonda Rhimes' (who is the head of the franchise and is heavily involved in all of these shows) notable talents is writing the relationships her characters have with one another. These bonds and romances are often the most beloved aspects of the series', and in some cases, the most hated.
OWEN HUNT AND AMELIA SHEPHERD (GREY'S ANATOMY) - WORST
Grey's Anatomy has a collection of beautiful romantic relationships that have kept fans coming back for more over its fifteen years on the air. But with these beloved relationships aside, Grey's does has a problem when it comes to rather contrived romances.
Amelia Shepherd appeared sporadically throughout Grey's Anatomy and was a series regular in Private Practice. When the Grey's spinoff came to an end in 2013, Amelia was added to the main show's cast and quickly built up her reputation as an esteemed neurosurgeon at Grey Sloan Memorial. Quickly, she developed a romance with Owen Hunt, and while they may have been endearing at first (in small doses), the couple became insufferable pretty fast, and the on-again-off-again nature of their relationship has long since gotten old.
ADDISON MONTGOMERY AND JAKE REILLY (PRIVATE PRACTICE) - BEST
Addison Montgomery made the transition from Grey's Anatomy to Private Practice in 2007. Having grown tired of the drama that surrounded her life in Seattle, the neonatal surgeon moved to Los Angeles in hopes of starting a new life.
Her romantic relationships before she moved to California, were dysfunctional. She had a stale marriage with Derek, and an unhealthy affair with Mark Sloan. Considering her romantic history, fans were happy for Addison when she finally found love with widower and fellow surgeon, Jake Reilly. By the time Private Practice came to an end in 2013, Addison, at last, got her happy ending, with her son and husband - a well-deserved storyline for her character.
BONNIE WINTERBOTTOM AND ASHER MILLSTONE (HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER) - WORST
Peter Nowalk's How To Get Away With Murder is perhaps even more dysfunctional in the relationship department than Grey's Anatomy or any other Shondaland show, for that matter.
Many of the characters on HTGAWM are dysfunctional and self-destructive, which means their relationships with each other are quite often unhealthy. Bonnie and Asher's romance is a prime example of this. The two characters are quite diverse in age, and even with that aside, they are very different people. Bonnie and Asher's dynamic began as a fling very early on in the series and was dragged out far too long.
LEXIE GREY AND MARK SLOAN (GREY'S ANATOMY) - BEST
Despite their significant age gap, these two managed to have a beautiful bond, that captured the hearts of several people in the Grey's fanbase.
Lexie Grey was introduced in the series' third season, and her romance with Mark Sloan didn't begin until later on. This would be the beginning of an epic - ultimately tragic - love story. These two had the chemistry, the spark, and the allure that makes them still captivating to this day. Despite the fact that they endured several issues throughout their relationship, and were often a prime target for typical Grey's drama, Lexie and Mark remained a fan-favorite till the end.
QUINN PERKINS AND HUCK (SCANDAL) - WORST
Perhaps one of the most controversial relationships ever to exist on a Shondaland show, Scandal's Huck and Quinn have definitely made their mark.
Quinn was one of the most beloved characters on Scandal, and her evolution from the adorably awkward new girl in the series premiere, to the gladiator she became, was very satisfying to watch. Quinn's relationship with Huck began as an endearing one, with him showing her the ropes of working at Olivia Pope & Associates. But once their dynamic became romantic, Huck proved to be toxic for Quinn. This romance was short-lived, but destructive nonetheless.
BEN WARREN AND MIRANDA BAILEY (GREY'S ANATOMY/STATION 19) - BEST
After Bailey's messy divorce with her long-time husband, Tuck, it was beautiful to see the fan-favorite general surgeon/warrior woman find her true love in anesthesiologist, Ben Warren.
Their romance developed over a few seasons, and they married in season 9. Seeing Ben, Bailey, and Tuck JR. become a family was a beautiful storyline and a very satisfying happy ending for Dr. Bailey. Even with Ben choosing to become a firefighter and subsequently moving over to the Grey's spinoff, Station 19, Ben and Bailey's love story lives on.
ANDY HERRERA AND JACK GIBSON (STATION 19) - WORST
Station 19 has not yet become a hit with Shondaland fans. The firefighter drama is now on its second season, and primarily relies on guest appearances by Miranda Bailey, Meredith Grey, and other popular Grey's characters, along with the odd crossover episode.
However, being a Shondaland show, Station 19 does have the usual knack for romantic relationships. The fling between fellow firefighters, Andy and Jack, quickly turned into an intriguing on-again-off-again dynamic, that keeps fans coming back for more. However, that allure doesn't change the fact that Andy and Jack have proven to be pretty bad for each other.
CALLIE TORRES AND ARIZONA ROBBINS (GREY'S ANATOMY) - BEST
The first main same-sex relationship on Grey's Anatomy, Callie and Arizona will always hold a very special place in fans' hearts. These two were adorable from the beginning, and one of the best relationships Grey's Anatomy ever created.
The usual overinflated drama that Grey's writers feel the need to inject into every relationship, ultimately became Callie and Arizona's demise. Losing that relationship, and later, both Callie and Arizona would prove to hurt the series, as fans still love and miss the characters' beautiful romance.
MEREDITH GREY AND DEREK SHEPHERD (GREY'S ANATOMY) - WORST
Though they are often revered as the love story everyone should want for themselves, when you look past the nostalgia and the undeniable chemistry that Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey had, MerDer weren't actually that great.
McDreamy was dreamy, except for when he was choosing his estranged wife over Meredith, berating Meredith for trying to move on, being borderline adulterous, and almost making Meredith uproot her life in Seattle so that he could expand his own career. Sure, Meredith and Derek will forever be iconic, but their relationship was definitely not as dreamy as the romanticization that surrounds it would have you believe.
CONNOR WALSH AND OLIVER HAMPTON (HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER) - BEST
Connor and Oliver's relationship quickly became a fan-favorite before Oliver's actor, Conrad Ricamora, was even a series regular. There was just something about the dynamic between bad-boy Connor and sweet, lovable Oliver, that gave it allure and intrigue. Though they often suffered a great amount of drama and heartache, Oliver and Connor finally married in HTGAWM's most recent season. Their happy ending was very well-deserved, and fans could not have been happier to see the two finally wed.
Even after all the drama that occurred in the early stages of their romance, Connor and Oliver have a beautiful relationship - definitely one of the most lovely in all of Shondaland.