For ten seasons of Grey's Anatomy, the bond between Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and Cristina Yang (played by Sandra Oh) went unmatched. The two met on their first day as surgical interns, where they were placed with a resident known as "The Nazi," professionally known as Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson). During their internship year, which spans across the first three seasons, Meredith and Cristina go through love, loss, quite a bit of death, a debatable suicide attempt or two, a failed wedding, and everything else one would expect in a drama-filled hospital. Needless to say, every episode is packed full of drama and lovable characters. Perhaps that is why the show has successfully lasted 19 seasons.
Medical professionals have weighed in on Grey's Anatomy, per CBR, just like they have on other hospital-related shows. One of the biggest downfalls the show seems to have in comparison to professional life in a real hospital is the way relationships are portrayed. Between couples constantly hooking up in the on-call rooms, the dozens of flings that take place, and the rollercoaster-like relationships, the medical aspect is often overshadowed. However, sex sells, and Meredith and Cristina play a big part in that. Check out the best and worst relationships between the twisted sisters.
9 Cristina and Owen
Cristina's relationship with Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) originally started off with the same feeling as whiplash. When the two first met, there was unspoken passion radiating, but Owen had to shortly leave to complete his tour in Iraq. Two months later, Owen returned to Seattle Grace Hospital as the Head of Trauma Surgery, but he was distant with Cristina. It was later revealed that he was dealing with some PTSD due to his last tour, but the two pursued a relationship anyway.
The pair did not work well as a couple due to their overall goals and values in life. Cristina's lifelong plan was to be an extraordinary cardiothoracic surgeon while Owen wanted the standard family. Owen saw work and the pleasures of life as two separate things, while Cristina saw the pleasure of life being the work she did inside the hospital. Their relationship continued to spiral downward with emotional and physical affairs on his end, Owen trying to keep Cristina away from cardio surgery, and his ultimate resentment and grudge that she had an abortion.
8 Cristina and Colin
Dr. Colin Marlow visited Seattle Grace Hospital with the plan to become the next Chief of Surgery. Upon seeing Cristina, he greets her with a hug and a hand on the butt. To her fiancé's, Preston Burke, surprise, Cristina tells him that the two of them dated when she was Colin's student at Stanford. While the audience only gets the aftermath of her relationship with him, Colin's advances and snide remarks are inexcusable. Cristina has to go out of her way with flaunting her engagement to get him to see that he is officially in her past. His one redeeming characteristic, however, is that he sees her for the driven woman she is. Colin overheard a conversation between Cristina and Preston, where she asks him a question to which she already knows the answer so that he can have his ego boosted. Colin calls Cristina out on this behavior, and decides that she is no longer the woman he loved years ago.
7 Cristina and Preston
The relationship between Cristina and Preston Burke (Isaiah Washington) started off as a mentorship, but it inevitably turned into something romantic. The problems between the two started when Cristina found herself lying to those around her, as well as herself, to save Preston's career. While she was receiving extra time in the OR being his hands, she was no longer focused on herself. Preston, who was rightfully grateful for Cristina's help, later asked her to marry him despite her views on weddings and marriage. He became passively controlling by making Cristina go through the standard wedding rituals. The scene that makes him a redeemable character is when he chose not to go through with the wedding. He told Cristina that if he loved her, not who he was trying to make her, but if he loved her for who she is, then marrying her would not be such a hassle. Years later, Preston gifts his research hospital to Cristina as he chooses a slower pace of life.
6 Meredith and Finn
Most critics will say that the veterinarian, Finn Dandridge (Chris O'Donnell), was Meredith's ideal guy. Between his understanding of boundaries, love for animals, and willingness to make Meredith happy, he probably was a prime boyfriend candidate. The reason for the relationship being ranked the lowest on this list for Meredith is due to how she treated him. Meredith directly told Finn and Derek that she could not make a decision between the two, so she would simply date both. That was red flag number one. Afterwards, when Finn and Derek are speaking by themselves, Finn discovers that Meredith tells Derek nearly nothing about him, but Finn knows quite a bit about Derek. The final straw was that Meredith left Finn during the hospital prom to go have sex with Derek. Finn deserved better.
5 Meredith and Nick
The relationship with Nick Marsh was not a bad one, but their timing was simply off. Meredith at the time was a mother of three juggling a project in Minnesota, where Nick was working, and her job in Seattle. After her project was completed and successful, Meredith went back to Seattle full time to help with the failing residency program. Nick followed her to help with the hospital, but later left. Fate brought him back into Meredith's life, and they gave their relationship another shot. Nick realized Meredith was too busy for the relationship he was trying to pursue. In all, Nick also had the potential to be a good match for Meredith, and she was mutually beneficial toward him. Their work-life balance was their downfall.
4 Meredith and Cormac
Meredith received an unusual gift from Cristina in the form of an attractive Irishman, Cormac Hayes. He transferred from Cristina's research hospital in Zurich to Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, formerly known as Seattle Grace Hospital. It took some time for the two to warm up to one another, but Cormac's charm won Meredith over. Their romantic relationship did not last long between Meredith contracting COVID-19, and Cormac's son being uncomfortable with his father dating since his mother's death. That is not to say the two had a bad falling-out. They each understood the other's heartache and pain of being a widow. Both were raising children during the trying times of the Covid-19 outbreak and Black Lives Matter movement. There relationship ended in a rather respectful manner.
3 Meredith and Andrew
Meredith and Andrew took their time easing into a relationship. After a drunken kiss, many sessions of flirting, and a battle between an equally chivalrous suitor, the two became an item. Between the two, Andrew was the first to confess his love for Meredith. Meredith later reciprocated those words when she went to turn herself in and plead that Andrew was not guilt for her insurance fraud. When Andrew was out of jail, he truly stepped up as an amazing man for Meredith. He helped with housework and made sure Meredith's three kids did not feel unloved. Andrew, other than Derek, was Meredith's only love interest who inserted himself into her family's life. When all the post-jail events took place for Meredith, Andrew was right by her side to aid in any way needed. Unfortunately, their relationship came to an end after Andrew realized he could not live up to the epic love that she had with Derek Shepherd.
2 Cristina and Shane
Shane Ross, a second-year resident, is a wildly inappropriate partner for Cristina, yet he is the best man for her. They do not exclusively have a romantic relationship, but from their professional relationship and "on-call room time," it can still be counted as a win for both characters. Shane shares Cristina's drive when it comes to the workplace. He understands that he will never surpass her in the field, but studying under her is the next best thing. When Cristina is gifted the research hospital in Zurich, Switzerland, Shane does not hesitate to ask Cristina to take him. Their relationship was mutually beneficial because their love was focused on the medicine, not one another.
1 Meredith and Derek
Derek Shepherd started off as "the guy in the bar," but through 11 seasons of equal parts heartache, passion, and forgiveness, he went down as Meredith's true love. Their relationship should not be considered easy by any means. However, the love and trust they had in one another both in their personal and professional lives gave them the ability to overcome all hardships. From the iconic sticky note "marriage," their adopting of Zola, and Derek's ability to help create a family that Meredith so desperately needed, the match was the greatest. They were able to push one another in their professional fields to come to solutions as well as help one another grow to be a better person. In short, this relationship was the goal for many.