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The Worst Episodes of Grey's Anatomy

Every episode of Grey's Anatomy ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of Grey's Anatomy!

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Follows the personal and professional lives of a group of doctors at Seattle's Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Worst Episode
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    Grey's Anatomy Season 16 Episode 16 - Leave a Light On
    4.4/10(2923 votes)

    S16:E16

    Bailey and Ben face a huge, life-altering decision, while Meredith and several of the doctors reflect on the past.

    Director:Debbie Allen
    Writer:Elisabeth R. Finch

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  2. Grey's Anatomy Season 17 Episode 9 - In My Life
    5.2/10(1710 votes)

    S17:E9

    After a heart-wrenching loss, Teddy struggles to cope and it triggers memories of her past. When Owen brings her home, she must face some long-standing truths. Meanwhile, Amelia tries to help the situation by encouraging Owen to accept and forgive Teddy.

    Director:Kevin McKidd
    Writer:Tameson Duffy

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  3. Grey's Anatomy Season 11 Episode 21 - How to Save a Life
    5.7/10(3821 votes)

    S11:E21

    Derek witnesses a horrible car accident and springs into action to save lives.

    Director:Rob Hardy
    Writer:Shonda Rhimes

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  4. Grey's Anatomy Season 18 Episode 12 - The Makings of You
    5.7/10(804 votes)

    S18:E12

    Nick whisks Meredith away to his Minnesota cabin for a romantic weekend, leaving Winston and Maggie to care for Meredith’s children. Meanwhile, Amelia and Kai grow closer.

    Director:Debbie Allen
    Writer:Felicia Pride

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  5. Grey's Anatomy Season 7 Episode 18 - Song Beneath the Song
    6.1/10(4928 votes)

    S7:E18

    A cataclysmic event leaves the doctors shaken; Callie, on the verge of a life-changing moment, starts imagining about the hospital and her friends.

    Director:Tony Phelan
    Writer:Shonda Rhimes

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  6. Grey's Anatomy Season 16 Episode 12 - The Last Supper
    6.2/10(1113 votes)

    S16:E12

    Jackson creates an uncomfortable situation when he invites new girlfriend, Vic, to what he thinks is Richard and Catherine’s anniversary celebration, only to discover the dinner was called for different reasons. Elsewhere, Levi brings Nico on a trip to visit an ailing family member.

    Directors:Debbie Allen, Nicole Cummins-Rubio
    Writer:Jason Ganzel

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  7. Grey's Anatomy Season 17 Episode 12 - Sign O' the Times
    6.2/10(1378 votes)

    S17:E12

    Maggie is preoccupied with Winston while trying to treat a patient wounded in the Seattle protests. Meanwhile, Levi is tested by an emergency, and the doctors struggle to treat a patient who doesn't believe in COVID.

    Director:Michael Medico
    Writer:Jase Miles-Perez

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  8. Grey's Anatomy Season 19 Episode 7 - I'll Follow the Sun
    6.3/10(750 votes)

    S19:E7

    It’s Meredith’s last day at Grey Sloan Memorial and the doctors plan a goodbye surprise, while Nick confronts her about the future of their relationship. Elsewhere, the interns compete to scrub in on Maggie and Winston’s groundbreaking partial heart transplant procedure, and Richard asks Teddy an important question.

    Director:Debbie Allen
    Writer:Krista Vernoff

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  9. Grey's Anatomy Season 19 Episode 9 - Love Don't Cost a Thing
    6.6/10(525 votes)

    S19:E9

    Simone is met with a life-changing decision upon the return of someone from her past. Blue shadows Maggie on a risky procedure, while Jo and Link tend to a pregnant woman. At the intern house, Lucas and Mika throw a party filled with surprises.

    Director:Kevin McKidd
    Writer:Jess Righthand

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  10. Grey's Anatomy Season 16 Episode 19 - Love of My Life
    6.7/10(1053 votes)

    S16:E19

    Richard preps to present his PATH pen at the LA Surgical Innovation Conference but becomes distracted by his issues with Catherine. Maggie and Teddy run into people from their past at the same conference, while Hayes relives moments from when he met his late wife.

    Directors:Debbie Allen, Allison Liddi-Brown
    Writers:Kiley Donovan, Andy Reaser

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  11. Grey's Anatomy Season 17 Episode 6 - No Time for Despair
    6.7/10(1120 votes)

    S17:E6

    Grey Sloan Memorial faces new pressures as Seattle Pres is overloaded, and Grey Sloan Memorial is now on surge capacity protocol. Meanwhile, Owen and Amelia are faced with one of the most controversial surgeries of their careers.

    Director:Pete Chatmon
    Writer:Jase Miles-Perez

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  12. Grey's Anatomy Season 17 Episode 14 - Look Up Child
    6.7/10(1061 votes)

    S17:E14

    Jackson pays a visit to his father that helps set him on the right path.

    Director:Debbie Allen
    Writers:Felicia Pride, Elisabeth J. Finch

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  13. Grey's Anatomy Season 19 Episode 8 - All Star
    6.7/10(542 votes)

    S19:E8

    Teddy makes a challenging decision. Meanwhile, Maggie and Winston aren’t on speaking terms, and Link leans on Jo for emotional support as he preps for a surgery on a well-known athlete. Simone and Lucas are surprised by an unlikely visitor.

    Director:Allison Liddi-Brown
    Writer:Briana Belser

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  14. Grey's Anatomy Season 3 Episode 22 - The Other Side of This Life
    6.8/10(1829 votes)

    S3:E22

    Meredith works on her relationship with Susan and Thatcher. Cristina has to deal with her mother and Burke's. Alex continues to tend to Jane Doe/Ava. Meredith and Derek's relationship has a problem that needs resolution quick. Addison sees her god-daughter which leads to a job offer outside of Seattle. Derek has to perform surgery. Burke has a reservation about marrying Cristina. Many new people guest star in the course of Addison's road trip to California. Addison considers moving to be closer to her old med school friends until she discovers that drama she wishes to leave behind isn't exclusive to Seattle. Her friends who she thought had it all, are divorced. A pregnant woman must discover who the father of her child is.

    Director:Michael Grossman
    Writer:Shonda Rhimes

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  15. Grey's Anatomy Season 13 Episode 8 - The Room Where It Happens
    6.8/10(1966 votes)

    S13:E8

    A difficult surgery brings back pivotal memories for Meredith, Richard, Owen and Stephanie, as they work together to save a life.

    Director:Debbie Allen
    Writer:Meg Marinis

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  16. Grey's Anatomy Season 17 Episode 11 - Sorry Doesn't Always Make It Right
    6.9/10(865 votes)

    S17:E11

    The Grey Sloan doctors are stuck in the middle of a fight between a newlywed couple who are injured in a car accident and brought to the hospital for treatment. Meanwhile, Jackson’s generosity with COVID-positive patients goes a bit too far, and Hayes works to rebuild Maggie’s confidence and convince her to perform an extremely risky heart surgery.

    Director:Giacomo Gianniotti
    Writer:Julie Wong

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  17. Grey's Anatomy Season 13 Episode 15 - Civil War
    7.0/10(1091 votes)

    S13:E15

    Richard, Jackson, April and Catherine tackle a grueling trauma case intensified by hospital politics. Amelia finally faces her feelings about Owen, and Meredith gets caught between Nathan and Alex over a patient.

    Director:Nicole Cummins-Rubio
    Writer:Elizabeth J.B. Klaviter

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  18. Grey's Anatomy Season 16 Episode 17 - Life on Mars?
    7.0/10(809 votes)

    S16:E17

    A wealthy inventor arrives at Grey Sloan and asks Koracick for help, while Meredith struggles to save a woman with diabetes who has been rationing her insulin. Jo and Link fight to save a young man who fell onto train tracks, and Jackson and Vic's relationship hits a snag.

    Directors:Debbie Allen, Michael W. Watkins
    Writer:Jase Miles-Perez

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  19. Grey's Anatomy Season 17 Episode 16 - I'm Still Standing
    7.0/10(752 votes)

    S17:E16

    Levi gets accepted into the vaccine trial. Meanwhile, Amelia and Owen treat a car crash patient, and Hayes and Jo are met with Luna’s legal guardian.

    Director:Michael W. Watkins
    Writers:Meg Marinis, Andy Reaser

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  20. Grey's Anatomy Season 18 Episode 2 - Some Kind of Tomorrow
    7.0/10(776 votes)

    S18:E2

    Meredith seeks advice from Amelia. Meanwhile, Richard is reenergized as he takes teaching to a new level at the hospital, and Winston treats a patient suffering from kidney failure.

    Director:Kevin McKidd
    Writer:Felicia Pride

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  21. Grey's Anatomy Season 22 Episode 9 - Fortunate Son
    7.0/10(327 votes)

    S22:E9

    Richard continues to navigate his health. Meanwhile, Meredith and Nick are visited by Nick's estranged sister from Boston.

    Director:Kim Raver
    Writer:Julie Wong

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  22. Grey's Anatomy Season 12 Episode 11 - Unbreak My Heart
    7.1/10(1577 votes)

    S12:E11

    The evolution of April and Jackson’s relationship is revealed through a series of flashbacks dating back to when they first met. Simultaneously, we follow the years-long progress of one of Jackson’s patients.

    Director:Rob Corn
    Writer:Elizabeth J.B. Klaviter

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  23. Grey's Anatomy Season 17 Episode 17 - Someone Saved My Life Tonight
    7.1/10(854 votes)

    S17:E17

    It’s wedding day for Maggie and Winston. Meanwhile, Meredith takes on a new role at the hospital, and Jo makes a life-changing decision.

    Director:Kevin McKidd
    Writers:Meg Marinis, Andy Reaser

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  24. Grey's Anatomy Season 18 Episode 1 - Here Comes the Sun (II)
    7.1/10(993 votes)

    S18:E1

    As the city of Seattle revels at the Phoenix Fair celebrating the city’s rebirth post-COVID, the Grey Sloan doctors treat a patient who encounters illegal fireworks. Meanwhile, Bailey has her sights set on hiring new doctors, but she’s having trouble finding viable options. Owen and Teddy attempt to take the next step in their engagement, and Meredith has a surprising opportunity when she meets a dynamic doctor from her mother‘s past. The crossover starts on Station 19 S05E01 Phoenix from the Flame (I).

    Director:Debbie Allen
    Writer:Meg Marinis

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  25. Grey's Anatomy Season 18 Episode 7 - Today Was a Fairytale
    7.1/10(646 votes)

    S18:E7

    Dr. Hamilton takes his frustrations out on Meredith, so Nick gives her a chance to blow off steam by scrubbing in on a surgery. Back in Seattle, Link and Jo take their kids to a fairytale theater performance that goes wrong. Bailey and Dr. Lin attend a recruitment fair in hopes of attracting more doctors to Grey Sloan but find themselves ill-prepared.

    Director:Debbie Allen
    Writer:Julie Wong

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Worst Episodes Summary

"Leave a Light On" is the worst rated episode of "Grey's Anatomy". It scored 4.4/10 based on 2923 votes. Directed by Debbie Allen and written by Elisabeth R. Finch, it aired on 3/5/2020. This episode scored 0.8 points lower than the second lowest rated, "In My Life".