Grey’s Anatomy is such a long-running series that it inevitably is packed with several small details, hidden meanings, and easter eggs that are easy to miss since they are scattered throughout fifteen seasons. This show has many complex, lovable characters that have carried it for a decade and a half.
Through countless changes such as losing several cast and crew members throughout the years, Grey’s Anatomy has always managed to make things interesting and keep viewers on their toes.
The key to keeping the audience coming back for more every week, to keep them speculating and immersed in the show, Grey’s had to have some pretty fascinating characters. And that it did. The best thing about the doctors of Grey Sloan is that they are firmly rooted in realism and they make the fans feel close to them.
We know these characters well, but let’s take a look at some hidden details you may not have noticed before.
IZZIE’S NICKNAME
Izzie had a very interesting past that was touched on in the first season of Grey’s. Alex took to belittling her over the fact that she was a model, but Izzie’s past was later revealed to be much more complex than it appeared. Katherine Heigl’s lovable character dug her way out of a trailer park and gave up a child in order to pursue her medical career.
Another tidbit about Izzie’s past is her mother. The two had a complicated, rather odd relationship. One notable thing about this was that Izzie’s mom constantly called her “Cricket.” This is never explained, but it’s a cute detail.
MEREDITH’S SIMILARITIES TO ELLIS
To this day, some people and coworkers become intimidated by Meredith when they realize that she is Ellis Grey’s daughter - the Ellis Grey. Ellen Pompeo has done an amazing job of portraying Meredith for over fifteen years, and one thing she absolutely nails is portraying Ellis’ daughter.
Meredith constantly conveys traits similar to those of her mother’s, whether subtle or completely obvious. Through mannerisms, decisions, ambition, and strength, Meredith and Ellis make a very believable mother and daughter.
MAGGIE’S QUIRKS
Maggie is best known for being a child prodigy, attending medical school at an extremely young age and excelling at a rapid pace. She became a cardiothoracic surgeon in no time and everyone was shocked to see such a young woman when she applied for the position of Chief of Cardio at Grey Sloan.
Since Maggie’s intelligence has far surpassed pretty much any of her other traits, some quirks are expected. But Maggie is one of the most unique characters when it comes to some strange mannerisms and patterns of speech.
ALEX’S INCONSISTENT PAST
Alex has quite the sordid past, and his childhood was one of the most abusive and troubled out of any other character’s. Alex’s evolution was iconic and touching, and throughout the episodes that Grey’s has focused on him over the years, they’ve barely touched on his past.
We know a few things about Alex’s history and the rest of the Karev family, but some of those details seem to get mixed up and scrambled in a few episodes.
JO’S INCONSISTENT PAST
Similar to Alex, Jo is another question mark when it comes to her past. We know that she’s struggled, we know that she had a horrible forced marriage and to escape it, she changed her identity. But we don’t know much more than that.
Grey’s Anatomy has dedicated the majority of entire episodes to Jo and the storyline with her ex-husband, Paul Sadler. But the series has yet to delve much deeper.
THE BLURRED HISTORY OF CATHERINE AND RICHARD
Catherine was introduced at a time where Richard was still working on his marriage to Adele, so he turned down Catherine’s blatant attempts to win him over. Yet the two seemed to have quite a history, and as time went on, Richard eventually reunited with Catherine during Adele’s battle for Alzheimer’s, and the two promptly became an item.
Catherine and Richard’s history appeared to be a complex one, and perhaps they were even more than friends at some point in the past.
APRIL’S RELIGION
A strange thing about April Kepner was her shortlived first appearance on the show back in season 6. When the Mercy West residents moved over to Seattle Grace, none of them were exactly likable - least of all April. The sweet, soft-spoken April Kepner that we all know and love was nowhere to be found when she was first introduced on the show.
To make this even stranger, April also never mentioned anything about her religion for quite some time. Her Christianity and beliefs were just randomly touched on several episodes after she became a series regular.
JACKSON’S HEREDITARY ISSUES
Jackson’s character has gone through little development and changes since he was first introduced in Grey’s Anatomy’s sixth season. His behavior still tends to be selfish and immature, and he still has a very obvious superiority complex.
One detail about Jackson is that he often talks about wanting to distance himself from the Avery family as a whole, and he seems to be under the impression that he is somehow the “good” Avery.
THE HISTORY OF DEREK AND ADDISON
Grey’s Anatomy introduced the notorious, soon-to-be fan-favorite, Addison Montgomery, in the last few minutes of the season 1 finale. Addison not only took Seattle Grace by storm, but she captivated audiences’ hearts in no time.
Derek and Addison’s relationship was a very turbulent and dysfunctional one, but when they mention their past together, it’s presented with a very different vibe. It seems to be the Grey’s writers’ intention to make it feel as though Addison and Derek had their own little world, and Meredith was an outsider looking in.
HOW MEREDITH RAISES HER KIDS
Meredith’s parenting skills obviously far surpass those of her mother’s, but upon close inspection, they’re still pretty questionable. The main thing is the fact that Meredith is a mother of three young children, and yet it feels as though she rarely ever sees them.
With this in mind, Grey’s could be deliberately paralleling Meredith’s story to her own mother’s; conveying Meredith choosing her work time and time again.
