Grey’s Anatomy Season 11 brought us the most horrible, shocking death yet, but it also offered a lot of great moments.
Much of the season returned to its core, allowing us to see Meredith deal with new struggles and shine as a surgeon.
Read on for the best episode, biggest shock, most romantic moment, and more.
Best Episode
On Season 11 Episode 14, titled “The Distance,” it’s finally time for Amelia to take on the impossible in this episode and try to remove Dr. Herman’s tumor. It not only offered an opportunity for all of the other surgeons to come together as they gathered to watch, but it also let Amelia shine as a mentor. The surgery places Amelia very obviously in the shoes of Derek, as she stands there with the clock ticking, trying to decide where to start. Even Richard says he’s seen Derek in exactly that position before.
Episode That Made Us Want to Punch the Television Set
Season 11 Episode 22, the episode that followed the death of Derek, was an utter disappointment. At least if we were going to lose such a key character, more time should have been spent on the way each character dealt with it. The massive time jump was too much, and there were too many missed opportunities.
Best Kiss
Amelia shows up to visit Owen, but finds herself embarrassed and starts to walk away. He stops her and says, “I’m going to kiss you now, so don’t say anything,” before they have the most memorable kiss of the season. #Omelia for the win!
Most Underutilized Character
Alex Karev. While it was nice to see Alex’s character continue to evolve as the guy who supports his friends and actually gives some pretty decent advice, we simply didn’t get enough of him this season. And by extension, we didn’t get a chance to see more of his relationship with Jo, either.
Worst New Character
Maggie has potential, but she hasn’t won us over yet. It’s hard enough to handle the fact that Meredith has another new-found sister she never knew about, but she’s also not a character we’re ready to love.
Character We Grew to Love
April Kepner was one of my least favorite characters from the time she arrived. That is, until this season. April has become tougher, stronger, and more surprising since the loss of her child and her decision to go overseas. You have to agree with Bailey on this one: “I like this Kepner. I never thought I would like Kepner. You know, old Kepner – there was pigtails, bunny rabbits, and smiling. Lots of smiling. But Kepner the reboot, Kepner 2.0, she’s crazy. She’s fierce. She’s womaned up. Thank you, United States Army.”
Favorite Guest Star
Geena Davis as Dr. Herman was one of the best things about this season. Herman was completely unlikable at first, but she became an interesting character to get to know, all while providing a way for other characters develop as well. When Amelia’s surgery saves her life yet renders her blind, her wisdom is key: “The point is, I’m going to get to figure it out. Something is going to happen next. The point is, I’m alive. And I wouldn’t be if you hadn’t been such a pain in my ass.”
Most Horrible Death
Need I even say it? I don’t know if we’ll ever get over the death of McDreamy, and the way he went out, while written in way that was actually poetic, was down right awful. RIP Derek Shepherd.
Most Heartbreaking Storyline
April and Jackson losing their baby. It was just so, so hard to watch as April and Jackson struggled to decide what do to about their sick child. But the worst was watching as April held the baby in her arms until he died.
Most Romantic Moment
Derek calls post-it. Meredith and Derek struggled all season, and he even left for a while to go to D.C. (where, let’s not forget, he kissed another woman). But he comes back for Meredith, saying he can’t live without her.
Couple We Need Back Together
Okay. Callie and Arizona needed some time apart. Sure. But enough already! As much as these two have been through together, it’s time for them to reconnect. We can only hope that will happen next season.
MVP
Amelia Shepherd. True, a lot of what we love about her was seen on Private Practice, but it makes sense to have here, especially with Derek gone. There’s a lot to explore with her character, and she offered some of the most powerful moments of the season. It was Amelia who shined in the episode following Derek’s death, as she finally broke down in front of Owen and brought us all to the worst kind of ugly tears. Give Caterina Scorsone an award!
