Grey's Anatomy (season 10)

Plots

The season follows the story of surgical interns, residents, fellows, and attendings as they experience the difficulties of the competitive careers they have chosen. It is set in the surgical wing of the fictional Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, located in Seattle, Washington.

After the superstorm passes, Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital finds itself trying to save some of their own. Dr. Richard Webber (James Pickens, Jr.) is electrocuted and is found by an intern, Dr. Heather Brooks (Tina Majorino). However, before realizing the danger, she too steps into the water and is electrocuted. Luckily, the surgical staff are able to save Dr. Webber but Heather is not as fortunate, as Dr. Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) and Dr. Shane Ross (Gaius Charles) fails to resuscitate her. Subsequently, Dr. Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) reconnects with his father, Jimmy (James Remar), when Jimmy finds his way into the ER. Dr. Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington), Alex's new love interest, supports Alex during this reunion. Jimmy reveals to Alex that he has family in Florida, but much to Alex's dismay, it is not his family. Unfortunately, before Alex and Jimmy are able to reconcile their differences, Jimmy dies due to a botched surgery.

Sticking with the interns who become residents this season, Dr. Ross teams up with Dr. Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) to work on her research, heart conduits. Cristina receives a Harper-Avery Nomination, but as the majority of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital is owned by the Harper Avery Foundation, Cristina does not win. Dr. Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), with the help from Dr. Stephanie Edwards (Jerrika Hinton), is also busy at work with her research, a continuation of the research her mother, Dr. Ellis Grey (Kate Burton), conducted while she was still living. To do her research, she orders a 3-D printer, which not only aids Meredith's research, but also helps Cristina and Shane with their conduits. Derek and Dr. Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez) teams up with the White House to work on a brain mapping project, a project that will identify which parts of the brain are responsible for different functions. Dr. Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) is also at the helm of a project mapping out the human genome, a project that helps her save her bubble-boy patient, Braden. Alex accepts a job offer from Dr. Oliver Lebackes, a.k.a. Dr. "Butthole," to work at his private practice.

While separated, Dr. Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw) continues to sleep around, this time with Dr. Leah Murphy (Tessa Ferrer). After some heated fights, Callie and Arizona reconcile their differences and move back in together. They eventually decide that they would like to have another baby, and Arizona tells Callie that she would like for her to carry it. Cristina and Dr. Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) gradually take their relationship from complicated and painful to a place of real friendship where they both know they love each other but have accepted the fact that they cannot have a life together as much as they want to. Dr. April Kepner (Sarah Drew) and Dr. Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams) surprise everyone when they elope during April and paramedic Matthew's (Justin Bruening) wedding. Issues arise when April realizes that her faith, and Jackson's lack of faith, is going to be a huge problem when raising their children. Jackson, after some time apart from April and finding out that she's pregnant, tells her that he wants to go to church with her and his family.

After losing the Harper Avery Award, Cristina receives offers from many institutions asking her to speak about her research. One of those offers comes from a hospital in Zürich, Switzerland. Despite Dr. Webber's pleading Cristina to fight against the Harper Avery Foundation for not honoring her work, Cristina takes off to Switzerland where she unexpectedly reconnects with Dr. Preston Burke (Isaiah Washington), the owner of the hospital. Initially, Cristina believes that this is all a ploy to get her back in his life, but it's really only a job offer to take over Burke's hospital because he wants to step down and move his family closer to his wife's parents in Milan. After realizing that neither she nor any other doctor at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital will ever win a Harper Avery Award because of the Foundation's ownership, she accepts a job offer from Dr. Burke. Owen supports her decision as he realizes no good could come from him asking her to stay, but requests her not to leave him until she has to leave him for good, following which, they both spend two weeks leading to her permanent departure together.

While saying her farewell to her colleagues of the last seven years, there is a possible act of terrorism in Seattle, which later turns out to be just a gas main explosion. Cristina has a quick but emotional goodbye hug with Derek, Bailey, and Webber, leaves her shares of the hospital to Alex, and dances it out with Meredith one last time to an old favorite song. Owen, however, is busy saving a patient in the O.R., so they share a silent goodbye through the gallery's glass without exchanging a word with their eyes and imperceptible nods saying everything that was left unsaid. Meredith starts fighting with Derek when she adamantly states that she's not going to Washington, D.C. because Cristina makes her realize her life is in Seattle and she is just as important in the relationship as Derek is. The new head of cardio, Dr. Maggie Pierce (Kelly McCreary) tells Dr. Webber that her birth mother is Dr. Ellis Grey, and asks if he knows her.

Casting

In May 2012, it was announced that six original cast mates, Ellen Pompeo, Patrick Dempsey, Sandra Oh, Chandra Wilson, Justin Chambers, and James Pickens, Jr. had renewed their contracts through Season 10, as Meredith Grey, Derek Shepherd, Cristina Yang, Miranda Bailey, Alex Karev, and Richard Webber respectively. It was revealed in June 2013, that four out of the five interns from Season 9 would be returning as series regulars, including Camilla Luddington, Gaius Charles, Jerrika Hinton and Tessa Ferrer. It was announced in July 2013 that Bobby Campo and Heather Hemmens were slated to guest star in the two-part season premiere. In August 2013, TV Guide reported that Dexter alum James Remar is set for a "mysterious" story arc. It was later revealed that Remar would be playing Alex Karev's drug addict father, whom he hasn't seen in more than twenty years. In October 2013, it was announced that Hector Elizondo would be returning to the show, as Callie Torres' father, for a 'Callie-centric' episode that would air mid-November. Other guest stars in November were Valerie Mahaffey and Gordon Clapp.

It was announced in January 2014 that Nickelodeon star Keke Palmer would guest star in an upcoming episode slated to air in March 2014. It was also announced that Greek alum Paul James had been cast in a potentially recurring role. It was also announced in January that the role of Zola (Meredith and Derek's daughter) was recast and would now be played by Heaven White, who is significantly older than Jela K. Moore, the actress who previously played Zola.

On March 6, 2014, it was revealed that Isaiah Washington would reprise his role as Preston Burke for one episode in May 2014. It is believed that his reappearance will have ties with Cristina Yang's (Sandra Oh) departure from the show after ten years. Dr. Burke was Cristina Yang's love interest for much of his three years on the show. Washington was fired seven years ago after he made a homophobic slur against cast mate, T.R. Knight. On March 18, 2014, it was announced that another Grey's Anatomy alum would return in May and stay until the end of the season. Caterina Scorsone will return to play Amelia Shepherd, one of Derek's four sisters. Scorsone was a regular on the Grey's Anatomy spin-off, Private Practice, where she also portrayed Amelia Shepherd.

In April, news broke that Kelly McCreary would guest star in the Season 10 finale. It wasn't known until the season finale aired that her character, Dr. Pierce, was hired by Dr. Yang to be the new head of cardio. It was also discovered at the end of the episode that Dr. Ellis Grey was her birth mother.

On August 13, 2013, Sandra Oh revealed that after the tenth season she would be leaving Grey's Anatomy. It was announced on March 25, 2014, that Gaius Charles and Tessa Ferrer were not having their options picked up for Season 11, meaning that Season 10 would be their last season as regulars on the show. On January 23, 2014, it was announced that Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey had renewed their contracts for another two seasons, as Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd respectively, meaning their characters will be staying on the medical drama for seasons 11 and 12. On May 2, 2014, it was announced that the rest of the six original cast mates, Justin Chambers, Chandra Wilson, and James Pickens Jr., excluding Sandra Oh, had renewed their contracts for another two seasons (11 and 12). Sara Ramirez also renewed her contract for another two seasons.

Development

Grey's Anatomy was renewed for a tenth season on May 10, 2013. This season is to include the 200th episode of the series, the fourth episode to air, "Puttin' on the Ritz". This season was also split into two batches of episodes, each batch consisting of 12 uninterrupted episodes (excluding holidays). The mid-season premiere aired on February 27, 2014.

Ratings

Grey's Anatomy's tenth season opened up to 9.27 million viewers with a 3.4/9 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic. "Everybody's Crying Mercy" served as the season's most viewed episode. "Man on the Moon" was the season's least viewed episode, with 7.02 million viewers and a 2.3/6 Neilsen rating/share in the 18-49 demographic. At the time, the season finale was the series lowest watched season finale with 8.92 million viewers and 2.6/8 in the 18-49 rating demo. Grey's Anatomy, in its tenth season, ranked 15th overall in total viewers (12.12 million). This is eleven spots higher than Season 9, which was ranked 26th. In the 18-49 key demographic, Grey's Anatomy ranked 5th. The last time a season of Grey's Anatomy was ranked 5th in the 18-49 key demographic was Season 1. The highest ranking for the 18-49 key demographic was 3rd for Seasons 3, 4, and 5. Last season, Grey's Anatomy was ranked 10th. For the 2013-2014 primetime TV schedule, Grey's Anatomy was the #1 drama in the 18-49 key demographic.

Critical reception

The tenth season of the medical-drama received positive reviews from the critics with many referring to the season as a return to form for the long-running show. The season holds a 100% positive score on Rotten Tomatoes and a "Fresh" rating. Annie Barett of Entertainment Weekly gave a positive review to the season and wrote, "There's true sorrow here along with the passion, which keeps their dynamic so intriguing to me."

The A.V. Club also praised the tenth season of the show stating, "At its best, Grey's Anatomy is about everyday bravery, sacrifice, and courage. At its worst, it's a melodramatic, moralizing soap opera. Both sides are on display as the show heads confidently into its 10th season."

The Loop also acknowledged the return to form giving a positive review, "After a shaky start to its tenth season...Grey's Anatomy has picked up the pace over the past two episodes and is once again showing a great deal of promise that it can revive itself after nearly a decade on the air."

Many sources, including Rachel Simon of Bustle and Nicole Pomarico of Wetpaint, claimed that Sandra Oh's performance during her tenth and final season on Grey's Anatomy is worthy of an Emmy nomination. Simon stated "She made us care about Grey’s in a way we hadn’t in years, bringing us into Cristina’s life and mind fully and ferociously. The show has been good for several seasons now; because of Oh’s performance this year, it once again became great."

On Oh's exit Entertainment Weekly wrote, " Cristina and Meredith is the friendship to end all friendships—some would even argue it’s what the show is about. Cristina is Meredith’s person. How could she possibly function without Cristina in her life? More than that, Cristina on her own was a great character. She didn’t want kids, she didn’t need a man, and she’d rather receive compliments on her brain instead of her beauty. She was everything we needed in a character—and more. Seeing her go was devastating. "

Episodes

The number in the "No. overall" column refers to the episode's number within the overall series, whereas the number in the "No. in season" column refers to the episode's number within this particular season. "U.S. viewers in millions" refers to the number of Americans in millions who watched the episodes live.