‘Grey’s Anatomy’: The 3 Highest-Ranked Episodes After Sandra Oh’s Exit as Cristina Yang, According to IMDb
After 17 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy, many characters have come and gone. One of the biggest exits from the TV show was the departure of Sandra Oh and her character, Dr. Cristina Yang.
Best friend to Dr. Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), Cristina left Seattle for a new job. It marked the end of an era for Grey’s Anatomy. Fans had to say goodbye to yet another original cast member. It also left some wondering how the show would fare without Oh but the medical drama continued, airing some of its top-rated episodes in her absence.
Sandra Oh left after ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 10
After a decade of playing an intern-turned-star-surgeon, Oh bid farewell to Grey’s Anatomy after 10 seasons. Shonda Rhimes, the show’s creator, had Cristina’s departure play out over the course of a season instead of having a dramatic exit in one single episode.
Discussing her decision to move on from Grey’s Anatomy in 2020, Oh said she knew it was time to go not because of drama on set but because of a feeling she had about herself as an actor.
“When the time came, it was really a deeply internal, creative knowing that I had,” she said on the Awards Chatter podcast. “When [creator Shonda Rhimes] checked in with me, she goes, ‘What do you want to do?’ And I’m like, ‘I think I’m ready to go.’”
Oh left the series and has since starred in the award-winning TV show, Killing Eve.
3. ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 14 Episode 7: ‘Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story’
The third highest-rated episode since Oh’s departure aired in 2017. Directed by Debbie Allen (Catherine Fox to Grey’s Anatomy fans), the doctors are reminded of people from their past while treating patients who were injured during a roller coaster accident. According to IMDb, “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story” has 9.1 stars out of 10.
2. ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 12 Episode 9: ‘The Sound of Silence’
“The Sound of Silence” marked a particularly intense episode of Grey’s Anatomy. Directed by Academy Award winner Denzel Washington, the episode chronicled the events of a traumatic event for Meredith. A patient brutally attacked her and her fellow doctors rush to save her life.
Rated 9.3 stars out of 10, “The Sound of Silence” is a standout episode for Pompeo. Not only can the Grey’s Anatomy star not watch it without crying but she once admitted being directed by Washington was a series “highlight” for her.
1. ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 15 Episode 19: ‘Silent All These Years’
This 2019 episode of Grey’s Anatomy forces Dr. Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington) to confront her past. It centers around consent and IMDb users give it 9.5 stars out 10. Another episode directed by Allen, there are flashbacks and different perspectives told from the point of view of various characters.
Watch these episodes and the rest of Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix.
