After 18 seasons, it’s safe to say that the long-standing series, Grey’s Anatomy, has had some great seasons and some not-so-great ones. With many twists and turns, character deaths and catastrophic, anxiety-inducing events, the series has kept viewers hooked for 16-years. 

Although I keep wondering when the heck and how it’s going to end, I have to say that I am a sucker for good-looking doctors with exciting and secretive personal lives. 

As someone who has binged the entire season three times, it is safe to say that I am quite the expert. Below are my top 3 favorite seasons of the series. 

Season 1

Coming in at number one! Every TV show fanatic knows that nothing is as good as the original cast members, and for Grey’s Anatomy, that is especially true. The main characters, Meredith, Alex, Christina, George and Izzie enter the OR room as fresh-faced interns. Through studying for the Board exam, long nights in surgery and the eventual romance of Meredith and her attending, Derek, the clan sticks together. 

Season 5

A few more new characters are introduced including, Meredith’s lost long sister, Lexie; orthopedic doctor, Callie; plastics surgeon, Mark Sloan and the show’s favorite redhead, Owen. As most of the series goes, Mark and Lexie begin a casual relationship. Personally, I love this duo together. Out of the many pairings throughout the series, they are my favorite.  

But, more importantly, this season is when character catastrophes and the viewer waterworks, really begin. 

Izzie starts to have hallucinations which turn out to be a brain tumor. The development of this plot brings out Izzie as a character who previously did not get much attention. Additionally, viewers see the gang rally to stick by her throughout treatment.  

Now for the tearjerker that still gets fans today. George gets hit by a bus and at the same time, Izzie flatlines from her cancer. George does not make it despite the crew’s greatest efforts. Izzie on the other hand gets a second chance. 

Season 8 

This season is incredible, but the ending is tough. Another character and fan-favorite is introduced: Teddy Altman, Owen’s former colleague from onsite ER’s in Iraq. 

Starting with this character, Teddy marries a patient so that he can use her health insurance. The pair fall in love but it ends tragically when Henry’s illness returns and he dies in surgery. Fast forward to the end and probably the most tragic deaths of the series. The doctors are in a plane crash that kills Lexie and Mark and severely injures the others.

When this happened, I truly almost stopped watching the series. But. I preserved, and I will say that although these are the seasons I keep rewatching, the rest of the series is great. 

At the present, no one knows when the heck this series will end and I am not complaining! 

Grey’s Anatomy is available for streaming on fuboTV, Hulu Plus and Netflix.