Grey’s Anatomy: The Most Tragic Deaths In Season 16

Content Warning: This article contains references to homophobia, death, terminal illnesses, and miscarriage.

Death is always tragic under any circumstance and season 16 of Grey’s Anatomy brought with it its own set of tragic deaths. This season delved into the heartbreaking backstories of some of the leads, and of course, there were patients whom fans had grown to love and whose deaths left them shattered.

This season also picked up a new storyline about the Pac North General Hospital that included some relatively funny and some heartrending episodes. It also maturely handled various sensitive topics, such as miscarriages, homophobia, terminal illnesses, and of course, death.

9 The Unidentified Thief

One of the light episodes that still culminated in death was “Reunited,” where two estranged sisters had to decide whether they should take their other sibling off life support. However, in a turn of events, the sister, who was supposed to have been the patient, called up and it transpired that the patient was a thief who had made off with her bag.

While the twist in the tale was meant to be funny, many fans thought it was actually quite sad. The fact that the woman passed away without her loved ones by her side and that no one knew who she was was quite tragic.

8 Schmitt’s Uncle Saul

In “The Last Supper,” Levi Schmitt’s Uncle Saul passed away after battling a long-time heart condition. Initially, Levi blamed himself briefly as he had just come out to his uncle and thought that his confession had killed Saul. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

This Grey’s Anatomy episode handled a deep social issue — homophobia, albeit subtly. Uncle Saul, who had been married to Levi’s Aunt Gertie, had been in love and in a relationship with Daniel Schwartz. They decided to keep it hidden from Saul’s family, most of whom were homophobic and wouldn’t have accepted such a relationship. Fans were heartbroken when they realized that Saul and Daniel felt that they couldn’t go public with their relationship because of outdated beliefs in the former’s family.

7 Alicia

A young woman named Alicia was admitted at Grey Sloan in “It’s Raining Men,” after being hit by a stowaway, who fell from an aircraft. Her boyfriend, Josh, was devastated after she died while on the operating table.

The accident that caused the loss of such a young life highlighted the absolute randomness of life. Alicia and Josh had only just met and their young romance hadn’t even begun to blossom when it was nipped in the bud so tragically and suddenly. Alicia’s death spoke of the many unjust events in life over which people have absolutely no control.

6 Scott

In one of the most tragic patient deaths in Grey’s Anatomy, Scott sadly died after he was attacked by a bear (“A Diagnosis”). He had jumped in front of his wife to save her from the animal but ended up receiving some severe injuries in the process. Unfortunately, he passed away in the next room while his wife was receiving care close by.

Scott’s death certainly stunned fans, as many were shocked by how sudden it was. One moment he was sitting up talking and the next time the viewers saw him, the doctors were trying to resuscitate him. What made the storyline even more heartbreaking was his wife’s reaction. Even though their relationship wasn’t the same as it had been, fans could see that she still loved him in her own way and was devastated by this tragedy. The painful sobs certainly pulled at the fans’ heartstrings.

5 Bailey’s Baby

In season 16, Miranda Bailey found out that she was pregnant. However, as the season progressed, Bailey’s pregnancy took a tragic turn as she sadly had a miscarriage (“Let’s All Go To The Bar”).

While Bailey tried to repress her emotions by immersing herself in her work, she eventually opened up to Webber about the grief and pain she had been holding back. For most fans, this was one of the most heartbreaking and important storylines as it raised awareness of miscarriage and any stigmas around baby loss.

4 Noelle

Noelle was the young woman who had been rushed into the ER after she fell while painting a house (“Life On Mars”). As she was struggling economically, Noelle revealed that she had been rationing her insulin despite having Type 1 diabetes. Unfortunately, Noelle crashed in the OR and died despite Meredith and Owen’s best efforts.

Her death highlighted the gaping holes in the healthcare system that was unable to take care of those who were barely making ends meet. On the opposite end of the spectrum, however, was billionaire Griffin Ford whose error had caused severe injuries to several people but who managed to bribe Tom Koracick into giving him a fake diagnosis to explain away his mistake. Ford’s storyline juxtaposed against Noelle’s somehow made the latter’s story even more poignant.

3 Allison

Although Teddy Altman and Owen Hunt work as a couple for Grey’s Anatomy fans, there were some viewers who wished the show had explored Teddy’s relationship with Allison Robin Brown in more depth. The two had been in a bit of a clandestine relationship since Allison was involved with their roommate, Claire, who was also Teddy’s friend at the time. Sadly, around the time they were discussing whether they should tell Claire about their relationship, Allison died during the 9/11 attacks (“Love Of My Life).

While it was a complicated love story, fans did wish it had a better ending as everyone could see how much Teddy and Claire loved Allison. Even as the two women met up 20 years later and the truth was revealed, the viewers could see the impact Allison had on both their lives as they reminisced and remembered the most minuscule details about her. It was clear that the women were not only grieving because Allison was their girlfriend; they were also grieving because Allison was a great friend too.

2 Sabrina Webber

Sabrina “Sabi” Webber’s death in “Papa Don’t Preach” was one of the most heartbreaking in this season of Grey’s Anatomy. Initially coming to the hospital to see Richard and get treatment for a tumor on her heart, Sabi had to be rushed into the OR as she coded while waiting for the surgeon on-call. Despite Maggie’s best efforts, Sabi tragically died on the operating table.

Fans will recall Maggie’s guilt-stricken appearance as she desperately tried to save Sabi, despite her deteriorating condition. The storyline became even more heartbreaking when Sabi’s father blamed Maggie and filed a wrongful death lawsuit against her. Maggie struggled to cope with the tragic circumstances for a while after the incident, and her grief pulled at fans’ heartstrings.

1 Abigail Hayes

The story of Abigail Hayes was one of the most emotional storylines on Grey’s Anatomy. Facts about Abigail’s untimely death on Grey’s Anatomy were revealed in flashbacks in the episode, “Love Of My Life,” when Cormac had to attend a conference in the same hotel where he had met his wife years ago.

After witnessing the love between Abigail and Cormac Hayes blossom, fans were heartbroken when she died after a routine surgery caused undetected cancer in her uterus to spread throughout her body. Abigail had left behind two young boys alongside her widowed husband, and the tragedy was naturally devastating for all involved.

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