'Grey's Anatomy' Creator Explains Why She Killed 'Em Off

If you haven’t seen the newest “Grey’s Anatomy” yet, then stop reading! For real. Don’t ruin this for yourself.

If, however, you have, and you were shocked and saddened, thrilled, disappointed, pleased, or whatever emotion overcame you had you thinking, why, why??  then Shonda Rhimes, creator of the show, has ready her explanations to hopefully soothe you.

So, why did Rhimes kill off key characters Lexie Grey and Mark Sloane in a horrible plane crash? WHY, SHONDA?

On Lexie: “The death of Lexie Grey haunts me. It does. I adored that character and I couldn’t imagine the show without her. It was important to me that her exit would have maximum impact. The plane was going to crash no matter what. I honestly wasn’t sure, because of contract negotiations, who was going to die in that crash. In my early finale plans, once I knew Chyler was leaving the show, Lexie wasn’t originally even on the plane. She was going to die back at the hospital by doing something as simple as slipping and hitting her head. She would have been dying over at Seattle Grace while other people were dying in the woods. Which wasn’t my favorite plan. She would have died without Mark at her side. Without the chance to say goodbye to him. Without the chance to hear that he loved her. I wanted them together when she left us.

On Mark: For me, this one is the most tragic. I’m VERY attached to Mark Sloan. He’s part of the fabric of the show. Before he ever even appeared on the show, the characters discussed him. He is one of the originals. I had many options for ways Mark could leave the how. But any option that didn’t include him dying required him to a) grieve for Lexie indefinitely and b) willingly walk away from his daughter. We fought about this incessantly in the Writers Room. I didn’t want to Mark to die but, as the writers rightfully argued back, Mark couldn’t abandon Sofia and he certainly couldn’t abandon Callie once Arizona’s leg was amputated. And even if he left, he’d what? Wander the Earth forever loving Lexie, missing his child and never finding happiness. Hmm…that doesn’t sound like what I want for my beloved Mark Sloan. I kept pitching that he goes to L.A. and runs off with Addison. I loved that idea. But it still required Mark to abandon his child and abandon Arizona. And it meant that I’d have to scrap all the plans I had for Addison this season – and her plans are wonderful. Also, that would somehow suggest that everything he said to Lexie when she was dying was easily forgotten. So…I fought it and I debated it and tossed and turned about it but in the end, I had to do what was right for the integrity of the character. Mark would never abandon willingly Sofia and he would never willingly abandon Callie. So Mark dies. And he and Lexie get to be together in a way. Their love remains true."

What did you think of their deaths? Necessary, or no?