Season 2 of Grey’s Anatomy is widely considered to be one of its best. It successfully juggled multiple engaging storylines, delivering a mix of drama and humor in equal measure while allowing the characters to further develop. It also featured some of the most gut-wrenching scenes in the whole series, which is really saying something.
There was not one single character who got away without making viewers cry and by the time this season had finished, you could fill an entire swimming pool with their tears. Be it unnecessarily cruel character moments, ruined relationships, or absolutely devastating deaths, here are the 10 most heartbreaking scenes from Season 2.
Bonnie And Tom Learn About The Doctors’ Surgical Plan (“Into You Like A Train”)
Honestly, this episode was so heartbreaking and hard to watch, it’s difficult to pick out just one scene involving these two heroic patients. Bonnie and Tom are two strangers who ended up impaled on the same pole after a horrific train crash. The pole can’t be removed without causing massive internal damage.
Ultimately though, their saddest scene together has to be the moment before they go in for surgery when the doctors tell them that they have to remove Bonnie off the pole because her chance of survival is lower. Bonnie is incredibly brave here and nice, kind Tom is helpless to save her. The tears never stopped flowing.
Alex Cheats On Izzie (“Much Too Much”)
Alex and Izzie were shaping up to become a really cute couple. It was an opportunity to display the softer side of Alex that hadn’t been seen much since his arrival. Izzie made him better because she made him care. And let’s face it, Alex was a complete jerk and something needed to change.
However, this particular change was for the worse. Yes, Alex had been going through a really rubbish time of it lately but that’s when you’re supposed to lean on your partner, not cheat on them with an annoying nurse to whom you gave syphilis. Izzie’s face just says it all when she catches them doing the McNasty.
Derek Chooses Addison (“Into You Like A Train”)
As if this episode wasn’t hard enough to watch as it was, right before one of the most devastating surgeries ever, Derek and Meredith are left alone to scrub and the tension is unbearable. Neither of them speaks until Derek offers some advice about Meredith’s banana bag.
In this scene, it wasn’t a case of what was said that was heartbreaking, it was what was unsaid. Meredith (and the viewers) caught on immediately and just like that, one of the show’s most popular couples was over. Obviously, they got back together in later seasons but no one knew that at the time.
Meredith Breaks Down Over Her Mother (“Make Me Lose Control”)
Everyone can relate to having a secret exposed for the whole world to see, none more so than Meredith Grey. Meredith’s mother, Ellis, has Alzheimer’s but made her daughter promise to never tell anyone. However, when Ellis is admitted to Seattle Grace, Meredith’s secret is made public knowledge.
To make matters worse, there is a chance she might also have liver cancer but to Meredith, this isn’t the awful news. The awful news is that Ellis might not have cancer and then will continue to suffer from Alzheimer’s for the rest of her life. Meredith breaks down in tears when she realizes that is a very real possibility.
Meredith Cries During Sex (“What Have I Done To Deserve This?”)
Okay, so this might not sound as heartbreaking as others on this list. However, this moment led to the dissolution of a sweet friendship and caused an unrequited love to completely implode with disastrous consequences.
George O’Malley, one of the most loveable interns, had a crush on Meredith since day one. They finally hooked up after the latter had had a tiring and emotional day, only for Meredith to start crying during sex. This was completely humiliating for George and he was clearly heartbroken that he wasn’t good enough for her, which led to the bond between the two doctors seemingly broken forever.
Bailey Refuses To Push (“It’s The End Of The World”/“As We Know It”)
So much stuff goes on in these two episodes, it’s actually crazy. A patient arrives in the ER with an unexploded bomb in his abdomen and is taken up to surgery. At the same time, Bailey’s husband gets in a car accident on his way and is taken to be operated on in the room next to the bomb guy.
Meanwhile, Bailey goes into labor. George and Addison try to conceal news of her husband but eventually Bailey finds out and panic sets in. She refuses to give birth until her husband is saved, literally refusing to push. It places both Bailey and her baby in danger and is heartbreaking to watch one of the most composed surgeons give in to fear and terror.
Doc The Dog Dies (“Losing My Religion”)
This is the first death on this list and as anyone who’s ever lost a family pet knows, the loss can be devastating. Meredith first gets Doc for the company after she and Derek break up. It’s obvious that Meredith really grows to love her pet pooch (much to the chagrin of George and Izzie). Eventually, she gives Doc to Derek and Addison.
Later in the season, Doc begins to fall seriously ill and Finn the vet tells Meredith that her dog has less than a year to live. When Doc’s time finally comes to a close, Meredith, Derek, and Finn are all present to pay their respects to the dying dog.
Cristina Collapses During Surgery (“Make Me Lose Control”)
Cristina Yang never wanted children. It was a running theme throughout her ten seasons on Grey’s and was prominent from the very beginning. However, that didn’t make the fact that she lost her first baby any less sad.
Although she arranged for an abortion and even named Meredith as her emergency contact person, nature took charge before anything could be done in the most heartbreaking way possible. Halfway through surgery Cristina collapsed and it was revealed that she had an ectopic pregnancy, according to Grey’s Anatomy Universe Wiki. Even if she was adamant she never wanted the pregnancy, it’s devastating to lose one from natural causes.
Derek Calls Meredith A Whore (“Damage Case”)
How far they’ve fallen. Just in the previous season, they were the most adorable relationship of the show but in this episode, Meredith and Derek are at complete odds. This scene is heartbreaking because usually, Derek is McDreamy. He’s the nice, kind, and funny surgeon who fixes brains and saves lives.
Here though, he’s a judgemental prick who can’t handle his ex-girlfriend getting over him by sleeping with other guys. His malicious tirade against Meredith is cruel and totally uncalled for, and she is well within her rights when she puts him in his place with a few choice words.
Denny Dies (“Losing My Religion”)
Izzie and Denny’s relationship was the highlight of Season 2. They shared some amazing chemistry together and Denny was just the sweetest guy. They went through a lot together as Denny was also a patient at the hospital due to his dodgy heart.
During the events of the three-part finale, Izzie cuts Denny’s LVAD wire in order to secure him a new heart. Things get extremely tense for a while but eventually, it looks as though the couple will get their happy ending. Tragically, however, Denny suffers a stroke after surgery and dies, leaving Izzie and the viewers completely distraught.
