Besides being known as the longest running American medical drama, Grey’s Anatomy is also characterized by the carousel of characters that have come and gone. It’s not a surprise at all, with such a large ensemble cast and with the show running for almost 20 years now. A common narrative device — courtesy of creator Shonda Rhimes and crew — to manage actors’ behind-the-scenes drama and contract expirations has proven to be controversial but effective: killing them off. One that still hurts and should’ve been handled differently at the time was the death of Chyler Leigh’s Lexie Grey.
Introduced in the Season 3 finale, Lexie was Meredith’s (Ellen Pompeo) half-sister. Yes, family twists are also one of Grey’s Anatomy’s staples, and Lexie was one of the earliest ones. For five seasons, we got to know who she was, with her eventually becoming a fan-favorite. When Leigh’s contract expired, she opted out of the show, looking to spend more time with her family. There was no foul play involved, as both her and Rhimes came up with what ultimately became her tragic end. Still, in retrospect, Leigh’s exit should’ve been executed in a way that would’ve allowed her to reprise her role as Lexie.
Lexie’s Death in the Season 8 Finale Was Brutal and Tragic
While Season 8 is considered one of the best of Grey’s Anatomy, its finale proves to be a bit more divisive. In “Flight,” half the doctors of Seattle Grace, who were headed to Boise to assist in a surgery, are left stranded in the woods after their plane crashes. A Lost-like sequence reveals how injured everyone is, but the one in the worst place turns out to be Lexie, whose lower body is crushed by plane debris. Mark (Eric Dane), who by this point was totally devoted to Lexie, stays by her side at every moment. The most heartbreaking goodbye takes place as they visualize the life they could’ve (and should’ve) had together.
Besides being unexpected, Lexie’s death was brutal. Seeing her as the crash’s first victim turned the episode into a tragic experience. An inconsolable Meredith shows her pain throughout the whole episode, and not even Cristina (Sandra Oh) can sooth it. The devastation is only heightened when Mark succumbs to his internal injuries and also dies in the Season 9 premiere. Making matters abysmally worse, Cristina shares gruesome details when going through a PTSD episode about how the wolves in the woods didn’t eat them because they were busy with Lexie.
Lexie Grey Deserved More on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
At first seeming like a mere roadblock in Meredith’s way to emotional stability, Lexie became so much more — and still had more to give. Her healthy upbringing clashes with Meredith’s darker nature. They eventually make peace and their relationship evolves into a real sisterhood. Lexie’s dazzling essence also affects Mark in such a way that he decides to leave his womanizer era behind and own up to his actions. By Season 8, their on-again-off-again relationship had finally reached common ground where they could finally plan a stable future together.
Although she humanizes Mark and Meredith, Lexie isn’t only a plot device. She becomes her own character by growing personally and professionally. Going through a shooting (in one of the show’s best episodes), the consequential PTSD, and her father’s death, end up building her up instead of bringing her down. She matures with the blows life deals her, but still remains the most goodhearted and brightest soul the hospital has seen. Her skills, like her photographic memory, prove extremely useful and earn her a promotion as a surgical resident. Those were just the early steps to seeing her grow and thrive as a surgeon. Had Lexie survived, it would’ve been totally understandable to have her leave Seattle Grace following Mark’s death — and the door would still be open for future appearances.
Lexie’s Death Truncated Future Opportunities To Have the Character Return
Okay, yes, Lexie already returned during Season 17, while Meredith was in her middle ground between life and death. She gives one of the strongest pieces of advice when she reminds her that — even with a global pandemic raging on — life is worth celebrating. This is one of the greatest encores we get to see at Meredith’s beach, but it is still only a ghostly apparition fueled by Meredith’s state of mind while battling COVID. Had Lexie been alive, her returning to Seattle to look after Meredith and her recovery would’ve caused a greater impact.
Leigh’s reasons for exiting the show are totally understandable, but killing off Lexie removed any opportunity of having her back in the mix. Teddy (Kim Raver), Addison (Kate Walsh), and Jackson (Jesse Williams) are just some of the characters that have left the show, but have been intertwined with the story in later seasons, with their returns being earned and heartfelt. Raver’s Teddy even became a series regular again after an absence of six seasons (and has perhaps overstayed her welcome). Lexie deserved an encore of this kind. With Pompeo stepping down from starring in the show, Zola’s (Aniela Gumbs) education has been sped-up to apparently fit her in as some type of Doogie Howser who can still carry the Grey name. In a what-if situation, having Lexie return would’ve been the best way to sort out the fact that the show is still named Grey’s Anatomy.
More than a show, Grey’s Anatomy quickly became a rollercoaster of emotions. Each season finale turned into a whole event which had the burden of delivering something more impactful and emotional than the previous season — while also making creative choices that fit with its actors’ decisions. Since Lexie had already cemented herself as one of Grey’s Anatomy’s essentials, her death made sense as a blow that would cripple the fanbase but would also keep the show in everyone’s minds. And it worked. Here we are 12 years later talking about the twist! With the show gearing up to start its 20th season on March 14, it’s clear the killing-off-beloved-characters formula is going nowhere. We’ll just have to wait and see who’s next, hoping our hearts won’t be torn apart once more.
