The Big Picture

Its a beautiful day to save lives, being one of Grey's Anatomys most famous quotes is ironic considering just how often the show tends to kill off its characters. Its expected in a medical show for patients to sometimes meet a tragic end, especially with some of the absurd cases that come through the doors. But to kill off main characters? Thats a pretty risqu move. Yet Greys went there, and has continuously gone there throughout the series. Every fan has that one character death that affects them more than the others, but looking at the show from a non-biased standpoint, theres one death that truly changed the show and turned it upside down. And its probably not the one you think.

A drama centered on the personal and professional lives of five surgical interns and their supervisors.

It can be funny to joke about how Greys Anatomy has a penchant for killing off its characters, but when you really take a step back and look at the sheer volume of deaths that have come out of the show, its a little jarring. Even the ones who managed to escape Shonda Rhimes' pen of death suffered a major trauma at some point in time. The first major character we said goodbye to was Denny Duquette (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) back in Season 2. Denny was a heart patient who fell in love with Izzie (Katherine Heigl), and while his fate never seemed all that promising, fans (and Izzie) still rooted for him to make it out alive. It even seemed like he was going to do just that until his heart finally gave out on him once and for all. It was a majorly tragic moment, especially so early on in the show, but it didnt affect the show or the rest of the characters the way other deaths did.

When you think of the major Greys character deaths, the first to come to mind is likely Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey). After all, hes McDreamy. How could the show possibly go on without him? Or maybe you think of Mark Sloan (Eric Dane) and his impeccable charm and character development. Both are solid choices. Heck, all the deaths in the show got me good. But theres one death that happened earlier that not only broke the hearts of fans everywhere but quite literally changed the trajectory of the show forever.

George OMalley (T.R. Knight) was without a doubt one of the most beloved characters on Greys Anatomy. Not only was he one of the O.G. interns, so he had that going for him. But he was also just a total sweetheart. He wore his heart on his sleeve, cared for his friends more than he did himself, and was always willing to help whoever he could. So killing him off was about the boldest move the show could have made, aside from killing Derek or Meredith (Ellen Pompeo). And the show didnt just kill him off, it gave him one of the most torturous deaths in the whole show. Hes brought to the hospital as a John Doe after being hit by a bus. A freaking bus! And since he was brought in as a John Doe, and cant speak to give his name, no one knows who he is, and therefore no one can call his family or friends to tell them whats happened.

The doctors scramble to save this mans life, all the while not knowing that hes one of their own. Until he writes 007 in Merediths palm, and then it suddenly clicks. Its Georges nickname. The patient on the table is George. Merediths cry is gut-wrenching when she realizes it, and everything seems to freeze when she announces it to her fellow doctors. Suddenly, its not just a patient theyre doing everything they can to save, its one of their own, and the stakes are so much higher.

Georges injuries prove to be too severe, and he passes away among his friends and colleagues. Its tragic and still gets the waterworks flowing all these years later. And yes, thats partly due to how beloved a character George is, but its also because you quickly begin to realize once hes gone just how much of an impact he had on everyone around him. He was Izzies best friend from day one. He and Callie (Sara Ramirez), despite being divorced from one another, were still close friends and had a lot of love for one another. He was one of the few men who hadnt let Meredith down. Lexie (Chyler Leigh) had a crush on him. And Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) named her son after him for crying out loud. She even admitted that he was her favorite intern.

George touched everyones lives in some way, big or small. But more than that, his death was the turning point that told audiences no one in the show was safe anymore. No longer were the deaths confined to just patients or recurring guest stars. Anyone could be visited by the Grim Reaper of Grey's Anatomy, and there was no way of telling who would be next or when. And as devastating as it was, Greys Anatomy has always been superb at invoking emotion. Whether it be anger, grief, or sadness. Or, in this case, all three. George will forever be missed by fans, and the characters themselves, and though the show has clearly remained successful, its never quite been the same without him. George'sdeath remains a poignant piece of Greys Anatomy history, and always will. No matter how devastating it may be.

Grey's Anatomy is available to watch on Netflix in the U.S.

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This 'Grey's Anatomy' Death Changed the Series Forever - Collider