Grey’s Anatomy: Meredith Grey’s Family Tree Explained
Meredith Grey's family tree has grown exponentially in the last couple of years. But how important are they to Meredith and Grey's Anatomy overall?
With Grey’s Anatomy continuing to introduce several dynamic and brand-new characters every year, Meredith Grey’s family tree has grown exponentially. First premiering in 2005, Grey’s Anatomy mainly chronicles the life and medical career of Meredith Grey, who moves back to her home city to start her residency at Seattle Grace Hospital (now known as Grey-Sloan Memorial). While each season sees Meredith learn new skills and take on several complicated cases, the show also places significant emphasis on the relationships she builds in the hospital as they help inspire her to become the strong and successful surgeon she is today.
However, Meredith isn’t the only ‘Grey’ to have featured in the show. While Meredith is usually at the center of most Grey’s Anatomy storylines, the writers also gave her family detailed character arcs. Although the majority of Meredith’s family members on Grey’s Anatomy weren’t likable, such as Thatcher and Ellis, their presence was needed as they drove much of the conflict and drama. Without Meredith’s family, the show wouldn’t have been the same.
Ellis Grey
One of the most important people in Meredith’s life was her mother, Ellis Grey (Kate Burton). Introduced in season 1’s “A Hard Day’s Night,” Ellis was an award-winning surgeon, who changed the field of medicine with her groundbreaking techniques in General surgery. She was deeply admired by her successors, with many of the main characters aspiring to be as talented as her. However, she was also flawed as Meredith resented her mother for neglecting her when she was a child. Sadly, Meredith and Ellis never resolved their issues together as Ellis was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and later passed away in “Some Kind of Miracle” (season 3, episode 17).
The complex relationship between Meredith and Ellis was an intriguing storyline as it helped drive the conflict in the first couple of seasons. However, this wasn’t the only reason why Ellis was important. As established through the seasons, the main reason Meredith became a surgeon was because she wanted to help her mother and find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. While she did want to be as successful as her, Meredith’s main goal has always been to save lives. She may have hated Ellis for never being there for her when she was younger, but she did eventually see why her mother loved to be in the surgical field.
Thatcher Grey
Similar to her relationship with her mother, Meredith also had a difficult relationship with her father, Thatcher Grey (Jeff Perry). Introduced in season 2, episode 18’s “Yesterday”, Thatcher didn’t receive the warmest welcome from Meredith as she struggled to forgive her father for abandoning her when she was a child. While the two tried numerous times to fix their relationship, unfortunately, the pair struggled to mend their bond as they faced numerous setbacks – including him blaming her for his wife, Susan’s, death (season 3, episode 22, “The Other Side of This Life”) and later losing touch with her after her sister, Lexie, died.
Given the stories Lexie and Molly told Meredith about how Thatcher was a good father to them, it was heartbreaking to see how much these details hurt Meredith. Although he may not have realized it, Thatcher abandoning Meredith ended up affecting every relationship she had as she constantly worried that they would leave her too. It was also disappointing that Thatcher died not long after he and Meredith met up for one final time (season 15, episode 11 “The Winner Takes It All”) since it would have been interesting to see how their relationship would have developed after they solved their issues. It just felt like wasted potential.
Alexandra ‘Lexie’ Grey
Alexandra “Lexie” Grey (played by Chyler Leigh) is one of the more memorable characters in Meredith’s family tree as she was the first person to have a positive influence on the General surgeon’s life. After making her debut in season 3, episode 24, “Testing 1-2-3”, viewers quickly discovered that Lexie was Meredith’s half-sister (via Thatcher) and would be beginning her residency at Seattle Grace. Although Meredith was adamant that she didn’t want a relationship with Lexie, she eventually let her in as Lexie refused to give up and showed Meredith that she could always rely on her if she was in trouble or had any problems.
Her relationship with Meredith was one of the many things Grey’s Anatomy fans loved about Lexie as their bond helped them to become better people. While Meredith helped Lexie become a confident and talented surgeon, Lexie helped Meredith with her abandonment issues. When Lexie began a romance with Mark, Meredith also grew protective of her as she didn’t want to see her get harmed. Their relationship may have come to an abrupt end after Lexie died in a plane crash (season 8, episode 24 “Flight”), but Meredith never fails to mention just how grateful she was to have her in her life.
Molly Grey-Thompson
The daughter of Thatcher and Susan Grey, Molly Grey-Thompson is Meredith’s youngest sibling. Played by Mandy Siegfried, Molly first made her debut in season 2, episode 22’s “The Name of the Game” as a patient at Seattle Grace Hospital; she was admitted after she discovered there was a complication with her pregnancy – which resulted in her making numerous visits to the hospital. Although she and Meredith never kept in contact after Susan’s funeral (season 3’s “Testing 1-2-3”), Molly was never hostile towards Meredith. Unfortunately, this was the last time viewers saw her as she eventually moved out of the country with her husband and children.
Molly may not have had the biggest role in Grey’s Anatomy, but she did have a small impact on Meredith’s story as her episodes gave Meredith a glimpse of what her life could have been like if she was raised by Thatcher. In a way, she also foreshadowed Lexie’s arrival at the end of season 3 as she constantly spoke about her older sibling who was also training to be a doctor.
Maggie Pierce
Debuting in season 10, episode 23’s “Everything I Tried to Do, Nothing Seems To Turn Out Right,” Maggie Pierce (Kelly McCreary) is considered to be one of Grey’s Anatomy’s most talented cardiothoracic surgeons. Although it initially looked like she was going to replace Cristina after she left for Switzerland, Maggie was soon revealed to be an important member of Meredith’s family tree when she confessed that she was Ellis Grey’s daughter (and Meredith’s half-sister). She had been placed into adoption shortly after Ellis gave birth to her in Boston and was now in Seattle because she wanted to learn more about her family.
Although Meredith initially struggled to bond with Maggie after she learned the truth in season 11, episode 2, “Puzzle with a Piece Missing,” the two eventually formed a strong relationship, with Maggie quickly becoming Meredith’s confidant. Together, the pair were also responsible for some of Grey’s Anatomy’s funniest moments as their bickering and random conversations brought plenty of laughs. Meredith may have denied it but Maggie’s arrival in season 10 came at the right time as her presence prevented the General surgeon from completely withdrawing into herself and keeping everyone at arms length. They may not always get along but Maggie was always her biggest supporter.
Zola Grey Shepherd
Zola Grey Shepherd (currently played by Aniela Gumbs) is the adoptive daughter of Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd. She made her debut in season 7, episode 20’s “White Wedding” after being admitted to Seattle Grace Mercy West because she needed emergency surgery. While she was initially one of the babies who had been part of Alex Karev’s (Justin Chambers) Africa project, Zola ended up being an important member of Meredith’s family tree as Meredith and Derek instantly bonded with Zola and eventually decided to adopt her.
While Zola had been used to show how Meredith and Derek adjusted to parenthood, season 18 saw her role grow as she expressed an interest in the medical field. Not only did she enjoy watching Ellis’ surgical videos or her mother and aunts operate, but she also loved solving surgical training exercises (which served to highlight her talents). Zola also played an important role in Meredith’s journey as their close (and supportive) bond helped Meredith overcome her fears that she would make a terrible mother. Considering Meredith had felt unwanted and abandoned all her life, it has been heartwarming to see how much Zola idolizes her.
Derek Bailey Grey Shepherd
Another important member of Meredith’s family tree is Derek Bailey Shepherd (currently played by Brody & Ryder Goodstadt); he is Meredith and Derek’s son, who first made his debut in season 9, episode 24 “Perfect Storm”. Like his siblings, Bailey embodies the best of Meredith and Derek as his mother often notes how he is one of the funniest and most wholesome people she has ever met. However, she is also aware that he has a bit of a rebellious streak as Amelia noted that they have to keep lighters away from him because likes to set fire to things (season 17, episode 2 “The Center Won’t Hold”).
While Bailey hasn’t had his own storylines in Grey’s Anatomy, his presence helped Meredith find a perfect balance between her personal and professional life, showing everyone that it was possible to be a good mother and a successful surgeon.
Ellis Grey Shepherd
Ellis Grey (currently played by Ella & Gracie Faris) is the youngest daughter of Meredith and Derek. She made her surprising debut in season 11, episode 22, “She’s Leaving Home” after viewers learned that Meredith had briefly left Seattle to come to terms with Derek’s death and the news that she was pregnant. Like her siblings, most of Ellis’ main scenes took place in Meredith’s house as she was often seen spending time with her aunts and mother, or playing with her siblings.
Although young Ellis didn’t get much screen time, her birth did play a significant part in Meredith’s season 11 arc. The “secret pregnancy” subplot helped Meredith make peace with her mother as she began to relate to some of her experiences and understand why older Ellis made them go to Boston after she split from Richard (she needed to heal because living in Seattle was full of painful memories). The Grey’s Anatomy writers also use Young Ellis to show how much Meredith has overcome her fears about parenthood and how she is constantly learning to make sure her children never feel neglected or unloved.
