Warning! This article includes mentions of addiction and gun violence.
The explosion’s consequences can force Meredith to surrender her role as Grey’s Anatomy’s most tragic character to another one in season 22. Grey’s Anatomy highlighted multiple times how dark Meredith’s story was, whether in the medical drama’s timeline or beforehand, in relation to her family or her life in Seattle.
Meredith’s family drama in Grey’s Anatomy guaranteed her backstory’s tragic nature. Between Thatcher abandoning Meredith and building a new family after Ellis left him, and Ellis simultaneously being the basis against whom Meredith would always be compared and completely unsupportive of her life choices in the few moments of lucidity after her Alzheimer’s diagnosis, Meredith’s family undoubtedly brought her pain.
Meredith’s life in Seattle wasn’t particularly more forgiving. While it led to Derek and Cristina, Grey’s Anatomy ripped Meredith’s loved ones from her, whether by killing them off or having them move somewhere else. Despite this and the multiple times Meredith almost died, Grey’s Anatomy season 21’s ending might bring on the ousting of Meredith as the most tragic character.
Monica Beltran’s All But Confirmed Death Makes Amelia The Unluckiest Grey’s Anatomy Character
Grey’s Anatomy season 22’s trailer only raised more questions about who will die from the explosion at the end of season 21. With several key characters remaining unseen in the trailer and the focus being on Amelia, Meredith, and Winston’s reactions going from heartbroken to shocked, it’s clear that someone will die, and their loss will be felt greatly.
Grey’s Anatomy season 22’s confirmed cast and episode guide offered a clue impossible to ignore in the form of Natalie Morales’s absence from it, hinting at Monica Beltran dying in Grey’s Anatomy season 22’s premiere. While undoubtedly sad, Monica’s death wouldn’t be as major as that of other characters, but it can help make Amelia Grey’s Anatomy’s most tragic character.
Monica’s introduction in Grey’s Anatomy season 20 clearly set her up as Amelia’s love interest, letting them at first butt heads on many of the cases they had to work together on, only for Amelia to pick up on their connection and ask Monica out. Monica’s divorce stopped anything from happening between them, instead unexpectedly pushing Monica and Winston together.
Even without something romantic happening, Monica was Amelia’s biggest supporter by Grey’s Anatomy season 21. Amelia’s impossible cases could have led to her downfall, but she took them head-on thanks to Monica’s belief in her. Their reliance on one another in their most delicate moments makes Monica and Amelia’s bond fundamental for both, making Monica’s likely death heartbreaking for Amelia.
Amelia’s History In Private Practice & Grey’s Anatomy Is Among The Most Tragic
Monica’s probable death can act as the event that leads her to break after a long series of tragedies in her life. The full extent of Amelia’s addiction problems came up in Grey’s Anatomy right after Derek’s death, which left her feeling heartbroken and alone, as Meredith effectively left Amelia to grieve by herself, with only Owen to help her.
However, it was Private Practice that detailed Amelia’s struggles with addiction, as she went through multiple relapses before she could get sober. Before then, Private Practice heartbreakingly had Amelia go through waking up next to her dead fiancé and giving birth to Christopher only to realize he was anencephalic, forcing her to deal with two massive losses one after another.
Grey’s Anatomy season 22 premieres on ABC at 10 p.m. ET on Thursday, October 9, 2025.
Grey’s Anatomy explained at length how seeing his father gunned down in his store influenced Derek’s life and beliefs, as well as how witnessing that with Amelia led Derek to be protective of her. However, Grey’s Anatomy rarely showed Amelia’s side of it, letting her briefly discuss it, even though it was just as affecting for Amelia as for Derek.
Grey’s Anatomy season 14 didn’t let Amelia get any reprieve, announcing the existence of her brain tumor. Beyond fearing for her life, it led Amelia to mistrust her decision-making process in plenty of surgeries she took on because of the tumor’s position. These events, even before Grey’s Anatomy season 22, easily make Amelia one of the show’s most unfortunate characters.
Why Amelia’s Story Is Sadder Than Meredith’s
Amelia’s history is littered with tragedy, making the likely loss of Monica, who had become one of the most important people in her life, particularly affecting in Grey’s Anatomy season 22. At the heart of what makes Amelia Grey’s Anatomy’s most tragic character instead of Meredith is how Amelia’s struggles are ongoing.
Meredith withstanding the death of her sister, close friends, and husband, along with her own close calls with death, makes her somebody whose worst is in the past. Everything Meredith went through in Grey’s Anatomy, she moved on from, being stronger as a result. Meredith’s successful romance with Nick effectively lets her live her happily-ever-after.
Amelia losing her closest friend in Seattle with Monica’s likely death nevertheless pushes her to be at her most alone in Grey’s Anatomy season 22. Not only that, Amelia will have to go through Monica’s death while also struggling with her addiction, something that always becomes more difficult for her to deal with when tragedies like this happen.
This makes Amelia’s path uphill in Grey’s Anatomy season 22. Hopefully, Amelia won’t have to face the loss alone, as Grey’s Anatomy’s 450th episode’s synopsis revealed Meredith will spend time with Amelia, supporting her.
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- Release Date
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March 27, 2005
- Directors
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Rob Corn, Kevin McKidd, Debbie Allen, Chandra Wilson, Allison Liddi-Brown, Jeannot Szwarc, Tony Phelan
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Ellen Pompeo
Dr. Meredith Grey
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Chandra Wilson
Dr. Miranda Bailey
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
