Greetings, reader!
It's time for the final post of my Grey's Anatomy theme month, and I saved the most fun concept for last. The series is known for its messy and complicated relationship drama, inspiring endless debates among fans on who was whose engame and which pairings were underrated or overrated - so I went and ranked every couple from the show.
I ruled out the multitude of platonic hook-ups (so, no Callie and Mark), as well as pairings that were purely teased without anything happening (so, no Meredith and Link), as well as ruling that at least one member of the couple has to work at the hospital and be a major character in the series (so, no Joe the Bartender and Walter). I ranked the couples based on a combination of all the factors that make a fictional couple good: the couple's chemistry, iconic moments, their healthiness and mutual respect, and how attached and invested I become in their storyline all count as positives, while elements like toxic dynamics, things ending especially badly, the couple being forgettable and unnecessary/overkill drama count as negatives. Here is my ranking of every Grey's Anatomy couple, based on the show's 20-season (and counting) run!
Oh, and a spoiler alert is in order, obviously.
70. Jo Wilson and Paul Stadler
This arguably shouldn't even be counted, as it's more of a victim-and-abuser situation than a romantic couple. But, they were married (poor Jo), and something had to be ranked last, so this was a no-brainer in that regard. It takes a lot for a pacifist like me to rejoice in anyone's (real or fictional) death, but man, Paul Stadler sure was one of 'em.
69. Jo Wilson and Jason Myers
Jo's tragic luck with men continued with this douchebag, who also turned out to be violent. Thankfully, his time on the series and in Jo's life was short-lived.
68. Miranda Bailey and Tucker Jones
F**k this absolute joke of a man, who was lucky enough to be together with a goddess and didn't treat her like one. I'm glad Bailey finally realized she deserved better.
67. George O'Malley and Izzie Stevens
Friends-to-lovers is a great trope, but not like this! NEVER LIKE THIS!
66. Arizona Robbins and Leah Murphy
I was a big Arizona enjoyer for most of her time on the show, but she had her lowpoints, and taking advantage of an emotionally vulnerable intern was most definitely one of them. At least this mess of a relationship brought some good with it, as the hospital was finally forced to reckon with the implications of its attendings-sleeping-with-interns rite of passage.
65. Simone Griffith and Trey Delgado
(For those who stopped watching at a sensible moment, these are characters introduced in season 19).
Trey Delgado exists in the show's mythos for the sole reason of Simone having such a terrible love interest that it will feel like a massive payoff when she chooses the better love interest over him. And you know what, it worked. Simone and Trey are a bad couple, in a very purposeful manner, and Trey's treatment of her really paves the way for the potential of Lucas and Simone (more on them later).
64. Maggie Pierce and Clive
Clive seemed alright, but a bit boring - and then his wife showed up. Poor woman.
63. Izzie Stevens and Hank the Hockey Player
I should really re-watch the first season in order to be able to rank this more accurately. Low points for memorability at least, as I only very barely remember the dude's existence.
62. George O'Malley and Olivia Harper
George, you were one of my favorites, but your love life was a fucking mess of self-sabotage. Nurse Olivia most definitely deserved someone who's as much into her as she's into them (don't we all?), and O'Malley wasn't it.
61. Maggie Pierce and Ethan Boyd
I guess they were alright, but I must once again deduce points for lack of memorability - because who the f**k even was Ethan?
60. Arizona Robbins and Eliza Minnick
I grudgingly put this duo barely above the utmost deep-end bad ones, because at least they had some degree of chemistry (a bit of a win-by-default, as Arizona has it with literally everyone), and they genuinely cared for each other as long as it lasted. But, y'know, Minnick was a big jerk.
59. Alex Karev and Lucy Fields
This short-lived relationship started out with an okay amount of chemistry and potential, but Lucy really did Alex dirty, thus leaving a sour taste for the whole relationship.
58. Meredith Grey and Will Thorpe
Will was a really well-written, purposefully bad love interest - the writers knew that the viewers wouldn't warm up to the first guy Meredith is with post-Derek no matter what, so they got that out of the way with this red-herring pallet-cleanser of a man, paving the way for better dudes to come.
57. Teddy Altman and Andrew Perkins
Remember that time when Teddy was with a character so obscure that he isn't even the show's foremost Andrew? Yeah, that happened.
56. George O'Malley and Callie Torres
It started out kind of sweet, and I really care for both characters and belive they cared for each other as well. But man, they were not meant to be romantically, they got married for all the wrong reasons, and it ended in such fucked-up way. Poor Callie.
(Fun fact: this is the highest-ranking couple to involve O'Malley. Here, outside the top fifty. Man, the writers did him dirty. Meanwhile, Webber's lowest-ranking pairing still makes the top fifteen).
55. Jackson Avery and Maggie Pierce
I know a lot of fans would put this clown show straight into their bottom three, no questions asked. I will say that they weren't as bad as people say, simply because they had a few sweet moments and they genuinely loved each other for a while there. But yeah, it was littered with red flags from the semi-incestuous implications to the couple's lack of chemistry and communication skills, and it went on for way too long.
54. Owen Hunt and Emma Marling
She deserved so much better. Fun fact: that is my comment for every single one of Owen Hunt's relationships. Some have additional thoughts as well, but "she deserved so much better" is definitely the common thread across them all.
53. Mark Sloan and Julia Canner
They seemed happy(-ish), but from a dramaturgical standpoint, Julia's character development begins and ends at "Woman who isn't Lexie because Shonda Rhimes likes to hurt the viewers' feelings".
52. Jo Wilson and Todd Eames
Very forgettable and might be ranked too high due to recency bias, but hey, at least Todd seemed like a genuinely sweet guy which is always a nice change of pace for Jo's history with men. Fun while it lasted, I suppose.
51. Jackson Avery and Priya
They seemed to have potential on paper, but we never got to know Priya well enough for this to feel like anything to be invested in.
50. Alex Karev and Rebecca/Ava
I get that they really, genuinely fell hard for each other, so points for that. Point deductions for massive red flags, ethical breaches and a dynamic that was harmful for both of them.
49. Carina DeLuca and Maya Bishop
Apparently most of this side-character love story happens on the spin-off Station 19. From the glimpses we see on Grey's, they seem quite happy together (but one would need context in order to rank them higher).
48. Meredith Grey and Cormac Hayes
The protagonist and McWidow had potential, but they never got the timing right. Shame.
47. Owen Hunt and Amelia Shepherd
Some might rank this couple higher because they did last long and had some memorable moments. But, the thing is - they were so bad for each other, and as is the running theme with Dr. Hunt's relationships, Amelia deserved so much better.
46. Mark Sloan and Addison Shepherd
They had chemistry for sure, not to mention a genuine caring for each other. But still - the relationship hailed from a very f**ked-up place, and it makes all the sense in the world that they didn't last in the long run.
45. Jackson Avery and Stephanie Edwards
They were cute, but they didn't exactly have an abundance of chemistry, and we all know how it ended (poor Stephanie).
44. Derek Shepherd and Nurse Rose
Like the previous entry, this is a relationship that could've worked if it wasn't very clearly written to be a temporary obstacle ahead of something inevitable. Hard to be particularly invested in those couples.
43. Meredith Grey and Finn Dandridge
Had to put this right next to Derek and Rose, because it's the same damn thing the other way around. Finn was sweet, but I doubt viewers would have noticed if the character's actual name had been "Not-Derek".
42. Maggie Pierce and Andrew DeLuca
Oh, right, this happened. Fun(-ish) while it lasted, but clearly no long-term potential for either individual.
41. Alex Karev and Lexie Grey
This couple worked surprisingly well when considering their wildly differing personalities. Solid, but nothing particularly deep.
40. Callie Torres and Erica Hahn
More of a bridge for Callie's bi awakening than an actually interesting relationship in itself. But hey, good for Callie!
39. Jules Millin and Benson Kwan
Okay, technically these two new interns haven't become an item yet, but the buildup across seasons 19 and 20 is clear enough that I'm already putting them on the list (and ranking them fairly high, because I enjoy their banter).
38. Jackson Avery and Vic Hughes
Seemed like a solid and respectful relationship for as long as it lasted, but I feel like only saw half of it unfold as I wasn't watching Station 19 simultaneously (also Jackson with anyone other than April feels a bit cursed).
37. Cristina Yang and Preston Burke
Many fans would rank this higher, and I get it - they had their moments, and the relationship was important for Cristina's character development. But at the same time, I never really enjoyed them together, and Burke didn't treat her half as well as she deserved.
36. Levi Schmitt and Carlos Garcia
Travelling nurse Carlos was around for only one episode, but dammit, I was enthralled by the chemistry and potential in this pairing! I'm hoping they pull another Nick Marsh and have Carlos return several seasons later, possibly to be Levi's endgame love interest.
35. April Kepner and Matthew Taylor
Matthew is alright, and these two definitely have their sweet moments. But, can't rank 'em too high, because Jackson and April were so epic that ultimately this coupling can't help but feel like a distraction.
34. Mark Sloan and Teddy Altman
A hard one to rank - their chemistries and personalities weren't nearly enough of a match in order to work in the long run, but for this moment in both character archs, this fling was exactly the pallet-cleanser both characters needed. A nice change of pace.
33. Callie Torres and Penny Blake
I know she has her haters, but I'm an average Penny enjoyer. These two were cute together.
32. Miranda Bailey and Eli Lloyd
Eli was a cool and hot dude, and just the breath of fresh air Bailey needed while temporarily broken up with the man who was always going to be her endgame.
31. Derek Shepherd and Addison Montgomery
Ranked around the middle of the list because it makes all the sense in the world that these two fell in love and got married, but it makes even more sense that their marriage was unhappy and didn't last.
30. Teddy Altman and Tom Koracic
They had sweet moments and I'd like to rank them higher, but honestly, Tom's heart was so much more in it than Teddy's that it felt inevitably unfair.
29. Cristina Yang and Owen Hunt
Many fans would rank this notoriously iconic couple higher, and I get it - they had their moments, and their chemistry was undeniable. But very few of the show's couples hurt me as much as this one, because Owen kept proving time and again what a shitty partner he was, with his actions constantly keeping their union from reaching its full potential. Say it with me - she deserved so much better.
28. Jackson Avery and Lexie Grey
These two rascals were cute together, and obviously a strikingly hot couple. But not for one second did it feel like something that could last in the long run, as they had "let's couple these two attractive characters up for a while of fun, before they move on to their actual endgames" written all over them.
27. Stephanie Edwards and Kyle Diaz
Edwards never got a truly proper endgame-coded love interest, which honestly doesn't matter - not every character needs one, and Edwards seemed quite content being 'married to the work'. Still, Kyle Diaz is the closest she got to true love, and their story was a beautifully heartbreaking one.
26. Amelia Shepherd and Kai Bartley
These two made for one of the hotter couples in the show's recent years, and Kai was exactly what Amelia needed after her breakup with Link. Their romance ended somewhat abruptly, and I wouldn't be against them having another go at it if Kai were to return some day.
25. Taryn Helm and Mika Yasuda
Call it recency bias if you will, but this coupling from the newest seasons has so far shown tremendous potential. I was rooting for Helm and Yasuda from their first flirtatious encounter, and I hope they manage to figure things out in the long run, as their chemistry is immensely enjoyable.
24. Teddy Altman and Henry Burton
A classic Grey's Anatomy case of two people falling for each other and beautifully overcoming obstacles in order to be together, only for one half of the couple to be brutally murdered for the sick enjoyment of notorious serial killer Shonda Rhimes.
23. Maggie Pierce and Winston Ndugu
We're now in the hard-to-rank portion of "couples that were storybook perfection until the writers decided to utterly ruin it with some forced and abrupt drama". Maggie and Winston were one of the show's sweetest and most healthy couples for several seasons, but the way in which things ended left such a sour taste that I can't rank them any higher than this.
22. Amelia Shepherd and Atticus Lincoln
The same trajectory as Maggie&Winston, but this one hurts even more, because #amelink was so good while it lasted. Their journey of ending up together was an absolute joy to witness, their chemistry was off the charts, and their overcoming of their first obstacles was empowering. But, yeah, the writers severely dropped the ball on this one, turning things so toxic that both characters turned into the worst versions of themselves when together. What a shame.
21. Levi Schmitt and Nico Kim
Many fans wouldn't rank Schmitt&Nico this high, as they definitely had their bad moments and it makes sense that they didn't last. But for me, their love story is among the most sweet and memorable non-endgame romances in the show - they both learned and grew a lot via each other, their good times were triumphant to witness, and they clearly remain with a strong caring for one another.
20. Jo Wilson and Atticus Lincoln
The build-up to these two getting together was overdone, but I'm a sucker for friends-to-lovers (and glad that Jo is with a safe, stand-up dude after all she went through).
19. Meredith Grey and Nathan Riggs
Nice of this chill Aussie dude to show up and help a post-Derek Meredith get her groove back. Fun while it lasted, and ended in a way that was happy and right for both parties.
18. Owen Hunt and Teddy Altman
Why is this trainwreck of a marriage ranked so high? Well, my initial opinion of them as a couple was the Owen Hunt classic (she deserves so much better), but honestly, Teddy became so unlikable from season 16 onward that (and I can't believe I'm saying this), these two deserve each other. Their drama is pretty f**king fun to follow after the point you've lost your respect for both characters. They're like the shithead version of Derek and Meredith.
17. Nathan Riggs and Megan Hunt
A larger-than-life love story told with impressively little screentime. Would be even higher, but absolutely f**k the writers for breaking these two up offscreen for no good reason in season 18. Unforgivable.
16. Arizona Robbins and Carina DeLuca
Not as powerful of a love story as many below it - but Arizona and Carina were so fun together! And hot. And just a joy to follow.
15. Meredith Grey and Andrew DeLuca
Speaking of hot, this combo of two particularly attractive actors (even by this show's standards) was quite something. While their chemistry wasn't quite an all-time high, Meredith and Andrew were good for each other in many ways, making for one of the show's more respectful and non-toxic pairings.
14. Andrew DeLuca and Sam Bello
Whoa, three DeLuca's in a row! But yeah, what started out as a messy and loaded relationship made an impressive turn to be really heartfelt - only to end in an utterly tragic manner. Classic Shonda.
13. Richard Webber and Catherine Avery
I honestly didn't think Richard would find love again, after losing both of the arguably love-of-his-life women to Alzheimer's. But, in his sunset years, he found Catherine. While their journey has been a rocky one, their genuine affection and profound respect for one another is clear, and their romance is quite refreshing.
12. Alex Karev and Izzie Stevens
The wedding episode alone puts this in the top 15. These two were pretty legendary.
11. Simone Griffith and Lucas Adams
No, really, hear me out - while the overall quality of the show has declined, the relationship drama has continued to rock, and this romance between two new interns introduced in season 19 is honestly among the best-built love stories in the show's run!
10. Izzie Stevens and Denny Duquette
Cute, dramatic, and ultimately tragic and heart-wrenching. Vintage Shonda.
9. Richard Webber and Adele Webber
Just think about the moment in season 8 where Richard's 1000th surgery is interrupted when Adele, whose Alzheimer's was getting worse and worse, wanders into the gallery with utter confused panic, and Richard calms her down by singing My Funny Valentine to her from the OR. That moment alone confirms a top ten placement for them.
8. Meredith Grey and Nick Marsh
I love so much about this against-the-odds love story: how Nick basically is a male version of Meredith (the dude even looks like her), how he was introduced in one random episode only to return after several seasons of me secretly wishing to see him again because they had such great chemistry, and especially how the romance doesn't try to outdo Meredith&Derek. The writers recognize that no one would ever match Derek for Meredith, but Nick was the best option for post-Derek happiness that she had, and the pairing works wonders together.
7. Alex Karev and Jo Wilson
Might be even higher, if it wasn't for the piss-poor way in which Alex was written off the show. But, yeah, the character development and growth that these two gained via each other is powerful stuff.
6. Richard Webber and Ellis Grey
I'm vehemently anti-cheating, but the story of this ill-destined affair deep in the show's backstory is so powerful that it couldn't help but get to me. The Richard-Ellis lore is such a larger-than-life element in the show's core, and the episodes focusing on their past always hit me right in the feels.
5. Lexie Grey and Mark Sloan
Star-crossed lovers who never got the timing right. Mark and Lexie make for a beautifully tragic, even haunting love story.
4. Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd
A hard one to rank, as there would be good reason to put 'em at #1 - it's the show's most central and iconic couple, after all. Still, on a subjective level, the story of #merder didn't hit quite as hard for me as a select few favorites. Meredith and Derek are below the top three because at their worst, they veered almost into Ross-and-Rachel territory in terms of hurting each other over and over again and drama for the sake of drama. But they're still this high because, well, you know as well as I how iconic they were at their best. The candlelit house, the elevator proposal, the post-it marriage...the stuff of legends.
3. Callie Torres and Arizona Robbins
These two were my emotional support lesbian couple for many seasons, and then they utterly broke my heart. A lower placement could be argued due to how things ended, but I still felt an urge to rank #calizona this high - at the end of the day, they just made me feel so much. Their best moments touched my heart even more than Mark&Lexie or Meredith&Derek, and their worst moments hurt so much (most of the characters in the series have cheated, but Arizona cheating on Callie felt more like a personal betrayal of me as a viewer than any other). I'd like to think that these two were meant for each other, and would've stayed together if things had gone differently, but the plane crash and its aftermath brought so much trauma with it that things could never be the same for them.
And yes - even despite all the pain and understandable reasons for their breakup, I am one of those fans who have chosen to believe in the headcanon that after both characters leave the show, they find each other off-screen, reconnect, and just maybe decide to give things another try. I mean, why would Sara Ramirez' cover of The Story be playing in Arizona's final scene, if not as a clear clue to the audience that some hope still remains?
2. Miranda Bailey and Ben Warren
Gotta love these two. They're the healthiest major couple of the series by a country mile - of course they also have their problems, but they're always dealt with in a mature, respectful manner at the end of the day. I get why many of the show's love stories can't be like this, as it would make for less entertaining relationship drama, but I'm sure glad we got this one dose of perfection. Ben and Bailey are always there for each other, sexy as hell together, and just ultimate marriage goals.
1. Jackson Avery and April Kepner
I had to think long and hard about my specific ranking of the highest places - the top four is clearly above all others, but the ranking between them (and the top two especially) was the toughest part of the whole list, as any of them could be argued to deserve first place. But, when all is said and done - Jackson and April may not have the iconic pop culture status of Meredith and Derek or the always-good-for-each-other perfection of Ben and Bailey, but there's no getting around the fact that their story touched me more than any other on the series. These two were larger than life, and I'm there for all of it.
As I mentioned before, I'm a big fan of the friends-to-lovers trope (except if your names happen to be Izzie Stevens and George O'Malley). And this right here is arguably the best instance of that trope, in any media, ever. No, I'm not kidding. Jackson and April arrive on the show with a pre-existing friendship in season 6, and their inevitability as a couple wasn't clear from the start. It was during the season 7 premiere, when they share a meaningful look during Cristina's wedding, when I first got the idea that these two ending up together might work. I shared this idea with my fiancée Martta, who thankfully delivered a believable "What? You're reading into things" to avoid spoiling me.
Nothing between the two happens for such a long time that I kinda gave up hope, although I kept clinging to the idea that something should happen and that I would definitely give those characters a romantic arch if I was a writer on the show. Well, when sparks finally flew near the end of season 8, I was speechless - those few scenes are the hands-down hottest, most electric chemistry ever seen on the show, and it just felt so right.
After a while of bliss, #japril broke up, and I was sad. Instead of saying "Hey, you never know, they might end up together again" or something, Martta looked me in the eye and said "Yeah, sorry, they're better as friends" with the utmost credibility, so I believed her. And gave up hope again. Not knowing that Martta, being the angel that she is, knows me so well that she knew what a payoff the couple's reunion would be for me, and she knew that it would hit even harder if I don't see it coming, so that this extra bit of manipulation was just what I needed for the ultimate viewing experience.
And it worked - the moment in the season 10 midseason finale Get Up, Stand Up, where Jackson interrupts April and Matthew's wedding (leading to them running off together), is honestly a top 3 moment of the entire series for me. The use of Total Eclipse of the Heart in the soundtrack, Jesse Williams' heartfelt acting, it's all so perfect that the scene transcends real-life values (a moment like that shouldn't work because doing that in real life would be a dick move regardless of your feelings, but in that particular moment in that particular story it can't help but work, because as a viewer I was so invested in their romance that it couldn't help but feel right). Chills, absolute chills.
Then a bunch of stuff happens that isn't fun to talk about. After their share of happiness, the couple faces unspeakable tragedy with the loss of their newborn child Samuel - and much like the case of the plane crash for Callie and Arizona, this incident is so horrible that it splits up the formerly happy couple, as their ways of coping with the pain are so differing that their attempts to stay together end up hurting each other. It was understandable given the circumstances, but it still hurt like hell, and seeing either one of the characters paired up with anyone else in later seasons just felt wrong.
When April was written off the show, I was clinging on to what felt like a fool's hope that somehow things would work out between her and Jackson after all that time, but off she went with Matthew. Once again, all hope seemed lost.
And then came Jackson's exit arch.
In Jackson's second-last episode as a series regular, we see April for the first time after her departure, as the two discuss what to do about their joint-custody baby now that Jackson is moving to Boston. Seeing April again was nice, although it felt painful to see the characters not being together, knowing that there isn't any hope - and then, near the end of the episode, April confesses that she and Matthew broke up. And my heart f**king leapt. Was the series really going where I thought it was? Going against all odds to once again bring these two characters together, after all hope seemed lost for like the fourth time?!
Yes, it was. We never actually see them getting back together, as they decide to move together for the good of the baby, with the exact relationship between Jackson and April being left open for interpretation. That is, until they make a brief appearance in the show's 400th episode You Are the Blood, featuring a kiss scene that confirmed to the audience that their wildest dreams had indeed become true. All in all, the story of Jackson and April is a goddamn roller coaster, with some truly tragic and difficult moments - but the fact that they endured, and found happiness together over and over again no matter what obstacles life hurled at them, is a testament to just how true their love always was. Absolute cinema.
Thank you for reading! Tune in next week as I honor the recently aired second season of The Last of Us by ranking the greatest-ever zombie episodes from TV shows.
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