‘Grey’s Anatomy’: Was Mark and Lexie’s Romance Overrated?

Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital has seen several major romances — from the famous Meredith and Derek relationship, to Cristina and Preston, to Calzona, and more. There’s always a new relationship brewing at the hospital, and fans can’t help but eat up all the drama that comes with the match-ups. One of Grey’s Anatomy’s most popular relationships was between bad boy Mark Sloan and Meredith’s sister, Lexie. The two were endgame for many fans, but the devastating loss that claimed both of their lives proved too much for their diehard fans. Although viewers shipped “Slexie,” some fans now believe the couple was overrated.

How did Mark and Lexie meet on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’?

Eric Dane, who played Mark, joined the cast of Grey’s Anatomy in 2007. Mark’s presence was immediately met with hostility and a face punch from Derek. Upon his arrival, Mark began flirting with Meredith, which angered Derek. It was later revealed that he and Mark were once best friends who had their own practice in New York.

However, their friendship turned sour when Mark slept with Derek’s wife, Addison Montgomery, played by Kate Walsh. This prompted Derek to leave New York and move to Seattle, where he found a job at Seattle Grace and found love with Meredith. When Addison tried getting Derek back, Mark made it clear that that ship had sailed and that Derek was in love with Meredith.

Mark asked Addison to go back to New York with him, but she refused. Instead, Mark got a job as a plastic surgeon at Seattle Grace, and soon every resident at the hospital couldn’t help but swoon over him. Dane was unsurprisingly promoted to a series regular in season 3.

Chyler Leigh joined Grey’s Anatomy in season 4, playing Mer’s estranged younger half-sister, Lexie. During the show’s fifth season, Lexie and Mark became more than coworkers, and their friendship blossomed into a full-on romance. When they started dating, Lexie was in her 20s while Mark was almost 40, which didn’t sit well with some viewers.

Was Mark and Lexie’s relationship overrated? Some fans think so

Fans have been shipping “Slexie” since they first got together. Many were impressed at the transformation Mark underwent from the resident bad boy to a loving man. Although fans hoped the show would give the couple a proper ending, others feel they were overrated.

One fan on Reddit said, “I realized they’re barely together for longer than a few episodes & they’re always playing games with each other. I don’t know why they’re favored so highly. I think their death made people think they liked them more.” 

The fan’s opinion gained traction, with others agreeing. One fan even said, “I only realized on my rewatch that they spent a whole season just pining over each other, and they died.” Another fan noted that Mark and Lexie were “extremely toxic together.”

What happened to Lexie and Mark?

Mark tried to fight his feelings for Lexie for a long time until he couldn’t. They tried to hide their relationship from everyone else, for fear that Derek would find out. Derek had cautioned Mark against going after Meredith’s sister, and he and Mark were regaining their lost trust — so Mark didn’t want to compromise his newly regained friendship with Derek.

Mark, however, told him about the romance, and the conversation ended in a fistfight between the two men. Derek finally got used to the idea of them dating, and they mended their relationship once more. After a short while, Mark and Lexie moved in together but broke up when Mark’s estranged daughter arrived in town and moved in with the couple. The couple’s romance became an emotional roller coaster ride for fans and the characters. They each moved on with other people, but still struggled with their feelings for one another until the plane crash claimed their lives.

After the crash, Mark found Lexie pinned underneath a part of the plane. Although conscious, Lexie was fighting for dear life — and before she breathed her last, Mark confessed his feelings for her. Later on, the doctors realized that Mark had sustained several internal injuries that proved too severe to heal, and he ended up losing his life as well.