Oh, Shonda Rhimes. No one knows quite how to break our hearts like she does.
From plane crashes and mass shootings to the occasional illness, characters no character from Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, or How to Get Away With Murder is safe.
Here are the 24 most shocking deaths from Shondaland, ranked by the level of shock and heartbreak.
Reed Adamson, Grey’s Anatomy
One of the most difficult episodes of Grey’s Anatomy to watch included a mass shooting at the hospital. Among the victims was one of the new residents who came from the merger with Mercy West, Reed Adamson, who was shot squarely in the forehead.
Charles Percy, Grey’s Anatomy
Rarely does a new intern or resident stay around for very long on Grey’s Anatomy, but Charles Percy died a horrible death as another victim of the hospital shooting. Bailey tried to save him, but it couldn’t be done.
Craig Thomas, Grey’s Anatomy
Cristina’s mentor in Grey’s Anatomy Season 9 was the best friend she had at her new job. He also taught her a lot of important lessons before he suddenly dropped dead during surgery, leaving her to finish the procedure. It was just so incredibly sad.
Heather Brooks, Grey’s Anatomy
Seattle Grace Mercy Death, as Cristina Yang once called it, claimed another victim when Heather Brooks was electrocuted in a freak accident at the hospital.
Verna Thornton, Scandal
Scandal’s Verna Thornton was already sick and dying, but the surprise of her death came from how it actually happened. Verna didn’t die of natural causes. She was murdered by Fitz in her hospital bed.
Emily Sinclair, How to Get Away With Murder
Emily Sinclair got involved in the wrong case on How to Get Away With Murder, and wound up dead when Asher ran over her with his car. It wasn’t pretty. At all.
Sam Keating, How to Get Away With Murder
Deaths on How to Get Away With Murder are brutal, and Sam Keating’s was no exception. He was in the process of strangling Rebecca, when Wes saved her by killing Sam with a fatal blow to the head. What did he use? The trophy, of course!
Ellis Grey, Grey’s Anatomy
Meredith had a near death experience on Grey’s Anatomy Season 3 Episode 17, where she saw her mother, who had just passed away. Ellis gave Meredith the final words she needed to hear, saying she was “anything but ordinary.”
Harold O’Malley, Grey’s Anatomy
George O’Malley’s father was a sweet, sweet man, and his death was unbearable to watch. The worst part was seeing George desperate to save him — it was completely heartbreaking.
Adele Webber, Grey’s Anatomy
Like Ellis Grey, Adele Webber suffered from Alzheimer’s, but she didn’t start showing symptoms until later in the series. Her decline was painful to see, especially because of how it affected Richard.
Rebecca Sutter, How to Get Away With Murder
Brutal, brutal, brutal. Rebecca Sutter was mysteriously killed at the end of How to Get Away With Murder Season 1, and her murder became the next major mystery on the show. Turns out, she was killed by Bonnie, who was trying to protect Annalise.
Daniel Langston, Scandal
Daniel Langston was Sally Langston’s husband, but he was known for having wondering eyes. Unfortunately, he met a shocking end when Sally stabbed him to death. It was not a scene for the faint of heart.
Harrison Wright, Scandal
We didn’t see this one coming, but hey, no one is safe in Shondaland. Harrison Wright was one of Olivia’s gladiators, until he was shot thanks to orders from Olivia’s dad, the supremely evil Rowan Pope.
Henry Burton, Grey’s Anatomy
Remember sweet Henry?! He was a favorite patient in the hospital on Grey’s Anatomy, and formed an important bond with Teddy when she married him so he could continue to have health insurance. His death was an especially painful one, but the goodness is that Scott Foley, who played the Henry, found himself on Scandal shortly after — as a very different character.
Susan Grey, Grey’s Anatomy
If you’re a hypochondriac, you probably shouldn’t watch Grey’s Anatomy. Meredith’s step-mother, who had gone to great lengths to make Meredith feel as though she was part of the family, came to Seattle Grace for a case of hiccups, and wound up dead. It was horrible.
Jerry Grant, Scandal
You know how I said Rowan Pope was an evil, evil man? Yeah, he also had Fitz’s son, Jerry, poisoned because Fitz had taken” his child, Olivia. The actual killer was Tom Larsen, who was a secret service agent working undercover as a member of B613.
James Novak, Scandal
This one was especially hard to swallow. We loved sweet James Novak, Cyrus’ husband and the reporter who just wanted to do the right thing. He was shot to death by Jake Ballard in a suprising, awful turn of events. Jake sat with him while he died a slow and painful death.
Denny Duquette, Grey’s Anatomy
Denny Duquette’s death was one of the most heartbreaking moments in Grey’s Anatomy history. He was a long-time patient at Seattle Grace, and Izzie fell head over heels in love for him. He was even going to propose, but he died before he had the chance.
Pete Wilder, Private Practice
Thankfully, Pete’s death took place off screen on Private Practice, but that didn’t make it any less heartbreaking. He had already had one heart attack, which was hard enough to watch, but a second one killed him when he was out for a run.
Lexie Grey, Grey’s Anatomy
Leave it to Grey’s Anatomy to wait until everything seems just about perfect for everyone to have a plane crash. The crash claimed two vitcims and left others injured. One of those victims was Lexie Grey, Meredith’s half-sister. Mark was there with her as she died, for one of the most heartbreaking scenes we’ve ever seen on the show.
Mark Sloan, Grey’s Anatomy
We had already lost Lexie in the plane crash, but Mark’s injuries placed him in a coma. He was on life support for as long as the living will he signed would allow it. It was totally devastating. RIP McSteamy.
Dell Parker, Private Practice
Dell was basically the best guy ever. He was a young single dad who worked hard and tried to help everyone. Sadly, it was when he was doing yet another good deed in rushing Maya to the hospital to have her baby that he died in a fatal car crash.
George O’Malley, Grey’s Anatomy
This was a death that was especially cruel. It already seemed like George could be leaving the show as he prepared to head over seas after joining the army. But then, sweet George was hit by a bus outside the hospital when he pushed a woman out of the way, saving her life. The doctors all tried to save him, but he was unrecognizable. He was considered a John Doe until he traced the numbers 007 on Meredith’s hand. Yes, I even just got chills writing about it. So. Many. Tears.
Derek Shepherd, Grey’s Anatomy
Look. George’s death was unbearable, but Derek’s? No way we’re ever getting over that one. He too was in the process of saving lives. Actually, he had just done so, when he stupidly checked his cellphone while his car sat right in the middle of winding road. He was hit by a truck, taken to a crappy hospital, and we had to hear all of his thoughts as they tried to save him but couldn’t. We even heard it when he realized it was too late, and he knew for sure he was going to die. It was absolutely gutwrenching.