WhenGrey’s Anatomyfirst aired in 2005, no one, not even Shonda Rhimes, knew how long its success would last. There were plenty of other medical dramas airing at the time, likeScrubs,House, andER, but there was just something aboutGrey’s Anatomythat broke through to fans. Between Derek Shepherd’s (Patrick Dempsey) luscious hair, Miranda Bailey’s (Chandra Wilson) unparalleled sass, and the countless crazy situations Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and the other original interns found themselves in, there was always something to look forward to.
Now, with421 (and counting) aired episodesin the books, we know they cannot all be winners.
Grey’s Anatomy
Out ofGrey’s Anatomy’s 20 seasons, there have been quite a few seemingly random storylines and just bizarre episodes that felt completely out of place. Naturally, these are looked at as filler episodes where the primary plot takes a backseat, and viewers get a better understanding of at least one character through flashbacks or unusual circumstances. Surprisingly, fans feel like many of these filler episodes can and should be skipped when watching the series because they add little or no substance to the main storylines.
Check out whichGrey’s Anatomyfiller episodes can and should be skipped during your next binge session.
15Season 3, Episode 7 - “Where the Boys Are”
“Where the Boys Are” primarily follows the male doctors on a camping trip while most of the ladies are working back at the hospital. Meredith and Derek’s second chance at a relationship is up in the air, even though the ink on his divorce papers with Addison (Kate Walsh) is barely dry, and while Derek is away, Mark (Eric Dane) makes a few advances and inappropriate comments.
Cristina (Sandra Oh) is visibly distressed while Burke (Isaiah Washington) is away on the trip due to their little secret about his hand function not being completely restored.
The Following Episode Goes Into More Detail
While a few big situations are racking some characters' brains, the entire episode feels fruitless. Sure, it is amusing to see the guys get together for a “boys' sleepover,” as Izzie (Katherine Heigl) so kindly puts it, but there is no real need for the side plot. Alex (Justin Chambers) and George (T. R. Knight) get into a fight, which comes as no surprise given the constant tension between them, and George ultimately discovers that Burke’s hand is not fully healed.
Fans will certainly not miss much if they choose to skip over this episode because problems are further discussed in a more in-depth fashion in the following episode.
14Season 6, Episode 7 - “Give Peace a Chance”
While Meredith is still at home on bed rest after donating part of her liver to her father, Derek becomes the focal point of “Give Peace a Chance.” A lab tech named Isaac (Faran Tahir) approaches Derek with scans of a beautiful and dangerous spinal tumor, and when Derek has a glimmer in his eye, thinking about how he would attack it, Isaac reveals that it is his tumor.
The episode then follows Derek and the rest of the staff as he creates a game plan to cut the tumor out of Isaac. Webber (James Pickens Jr.) is completely against the operation, and after Derek deliberately goes through with it, Webber fires him.
The Next Episode Acts Like Nothing Ever Happened
Though the ending of this episode could have had a significant shift in the entire medical drama, Derek comes back in the next episode like nothing had ever happened. There is no talk about the most amazing surgery, nor does Richard enforce his decision to fire Derek. In all, “Give Peace a Chance” is a heartfelt episode that shows the lengths all the staff in the hospital will go to when it comes to protecting one of their own, but it is a filler episode that can be skipped.
13Season 6, Episode 15 - “The Time Warp”
With Derek as thenew Chief of Surgery, an old tradition is brought back to the hospital: lecture day. Richard, Miranda, and Callie (Sara Ramirez) are brought up on the stage in front of all their peers to talk about the good times and the bad in their medical careers.
Miranda talks about how her intern year was with a horrible and vindictive resident; Richard discusses how he and Meredith’s mother, Ellis, were judged back in the day when they tried their best to help a patient with HIV, and Callie manages to overcome her fear of public speaking when she shows how she and Alex made a man walk again.
A Flashback Episode
Overall, “The Time Warp” is a great reflective episode that sheds light on three primary characters. However, fans will not be missing much if they choose to skip it. Fans already knew Richard and Ellis had an affair when Meredith was little. Seeing Bailey in her pre-Nazi days is humorous and enlightening but really not necessary.
Then, the whole story about Callie changing a man’s life and later sleeping with Alex did nothing for her character arc. The idea of a whole flashback episode is nice when it comes to giving characters a bit more backstory, but in all, this is one that can be overlooked.
12Season 7, Episode 6 - “These Arms of Mine”
Season six ended with a two-part finale that dealt with a shooter in the hospital, and the sixth episode of season seven, “These Arms of Mine,” actually picks up with some of the same supporting characters and the tragedy that everyone experienced. The episode is unique because, instead of the regular camera angles, it is filmed like a documentary.
A camera crew comes in to interview the doctors and some of the patients, and they even manage to get in on Mark and Callie’s ground-breaking surgery. Tough questions are asked and answered, and it feels like several of the characters are content with sharing their experience.
More Distracting Than Important
If you are someone who does not like change within a series, it would be in your best interest to skip the episode. The change of camera angles and how the characters act can be somewhat of a distraction, but it is nice to see Cristina and Meredith open up about their traumatic experiences.
By the end of the episode, viewers can see that Cristina is still not mentally ready to be back in the hospital, but if you choose to skip this episode, you will easily be able to see that in the following episode when she actually decides to quit her job at the hospital.
11Season 7, Episode 18 - “Song Beneath the Song”
“Song Beneath the Song” is one of the most skipped episodes inGrey’s Anatomybecause of how different it is from the rest of the series. First, there is singing. Callie, who is pregnant with Mark’s baby, and Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) get into a car accident, and they are rushed to the hospital.
Callie hallucinates a version of herself singing and watching over all that is happening. She then imagines that Bailey, Hunt (Kevin McKidd), and Lexie (Chyler Leigh) also sing as they do everything they can to save both her and the baby. It is by far one of the most emotional episodes, but the singing ruined a lot of that emotion for fans.
Skipping This Episode Doesn’t Affect Character Arcs
Just like “These Arms of Mine,” “Song Beneath the Song” feels like a very experimental filler episode. Of course, Callie almost losing her life is a huge deal for everyone, and seeing everyone rally around her, Mark, and Arizona is amazing. However, the musical aspect just feels wrong.
If you were to skip this episode, you would go from watching Arizona propose and hearing the crash at the end of episode 17 to seeing that Callie and her baby both survived the crash and made it through surgery at the beginning of episode 19. No real arc is lost unless you want to see the mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion everyone went through to keep the two alive.
Related:Why Each Original Cast Member Left Grey’s Anatomy
10Season 8, Episode 7 - “Put Me In, Coach”
In order to break up the regular routine of the doctors, someone thought it was a good idea to throw in a bonding exercise for the Seattle Grace Mercy West crew. In an attempt to work on cooperating as a team, Hunt enters everyone in a friendly softball game against Seattle Presbyterian.
Unfortunately, he did not realize how horrible a bunch of doctors would be out on the field. Meredith and Cristina don’t even bother attempting to play, and Teddy oversells her pitching abilities. In the end, nothing truly significant comes from the group activity.
Quirky, but Not Important
The majority of employees in any profession will admit that they find forced bonding activities to be a pain, so seeing most of theGrey’s Anatomy cast in a situation too many fans have been in is quite comical. However, if you choose to skip over this quirky episode, no one will blame you. There are no major plot points addressed, but Alex does further help Meredith and Derek’s adoption with Zola; unfortunately, nothing is finalized by the end of the episode.
9Season 8, Episode 13 - “If/Then”
A lot of series like to have a “What If” episode where characters' storylines are completely skewed, and everyone lives a very different life with potentially different partners.Grey’s Anatomy’s"If/Then" starts off with Meredith loving the fact thatshe and Derek are now the parents of Zola, but she contemplates what would have changed had she done something different years ago.
The story then spirals into an alternate universe where everything is different. Ellis (Kate Burton) is alive and well (and married to Richard) because she never got Alzheimer’s. Meredith is a happy-go-lucky surgeon who is engaged to Alex and best friends with April (Sarah Drew). Everyone else also has a different life, but overall, no one seems truly happy with their situation.
It Doesn’t Add to Character Development
As unique and fun as this episode can be, there is no projection of anyone’s present storyline. You may find it amusing to see Meredith and Cristina hate one another for 40 minutes until they become friends and drink tequila at Joe’s after work, but most fans are grateful that this scenario did not actually play out. If you choose to skip the episode, which you should if you just want to stick to the main plot, then you will not miss out on anything that helps you better understand the characters.
8Season 10, Episode 9 - “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word”
It is no secret that Callie Torres is a fan favorite inGrey’s Anatomy; however, seeing an entire episode that focuses on the end of her career is not something anyone wants to see. “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word” puts Callie in a very emotional and vulnerable state as she is put on the stand against one of her former patients.
Unfortunately, a risky operation and several tough calls ended up costing her patient, who happened to be an Olympic athlete, both of his legs. Callie claims she did everything she could to help him, but he and his ruthless lawyer think otherwise.
Its Storyline Is Never Addressed Again
If you are a huge Sara Ramirez fan and want to see how amazing she is when it comes to showing every single emotion throughout a single episode, then go ahead and watch “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word.” However, it does not add to any Callie’s main storyline. The following episodes don’t even address the almost-lawsuit, and Callie goes back to being an incredible surgeon that takes on difficult cases.
7Season 12, Episode 11 - “Unbreak My Heart”
Jackson (Jesse Williams) and April’s relationship was a roller coaster from the start, and “Unbreak My Heart” takes fans on a whirlwind through their ups and downs over the years. In a series of flashbacks, you will see numerous fights the pair had, when they first got together, and when it felt like their love was completely unstoppable.
You will also see the two sign divorce papers after many therapy sessionsfailed to repair their relationship. Afterward, when April is with Arizona, a huge secret is revealed that makes matters a bit sticky.
Only Important if You’re a Fan of “Japril”
If you are not a fan of the “Japril” love story, then feel free to skip over this episode. There are a few scenes that are new (though they are set in the past) that make viewers better understand why Jackson was ready for divorce, but overall, most fans knew the pair was not going to last. There is a frustrating supporting storyline within this episode that makes it seem like Jackson had found love with a former patient of his, but in the end, it turns out the two just became really good friends after several years together.
6Season 13, Episode 8 - “The Room Where It Happens”
Rather than following the doctors around Grey Sloan Memorial as usual, “The Room Where It Happens” focuses on a single team of doctors in the OR as they work on an unidentified patient. Meredith, Richard, and Stephanie (Jerrika Hinton) are a part of this team, and the goal is for them to help the John Doe the best they can with what they are able to discover while he is open on the table.
Richard is the first one to tell everyone that they need to create a backstory for the mystery man, so they can think of him as a person with a history rather than a nameless patient. Everyone then thinks about people they have cared for, sending viewers into their traumatic pasts.
Kind of an Annoying Episode
The intimacy of the episode is ever present here because several of the surgeons think about horrible things that have happened in their pasts while trying to save a life, but that is not enough for some fans to want to actually watch this episode. In fact, some may find “The Room Where It Happens” rather annoying because it is wedged between a huge storyline about Alex potentially going to jail. If you want to keep things moving and stick with the present timeline, feel free to click past this particular episode.
Related:Grey’s Anatomy: The 15 Most Surprising Plot Twists Throughout the Series
