Meredith Grey, the central protagonist of the long-running medical drama Grey's Anatomy, is a strong, empowered character, but it is the flaws in her nature that make her all that much more relatable and real to the audience.
As one of Shondaland's most inspiring heroines, Meredith has had a lot going on in her life. And she has overcome every hardship that might have easily destroyed others in her place. But even if she has saved many lives and been a great mother to her kids, she has also acted rashly and been cold and distant to those who deserved better.
Worst: Cold & Rude
Meredith is not the warmest of people and especially in the first few seasons, she even appeared somewhat stuck up. She didn't stand out as being particularly kind and was positively cold and rude to certain people like Lexie, who didn't deserve such behavior.
She was also very rude to Maggie Pierce at first, and that was even before she had revealed herself to be her half-sister. Meredith is generally never forthcoming to new people, and especially those who claim some kind of familial connection to her, even if that is through Derek. For instance, she was not a ray of sunshine to Derek's sisters, Amelia and Liz, let alone her own half-sisters.
Best: A Good 'Person'
Meredith might have been cold to others, but she was a very good friend, at least to Cristina, her 'person', and then later to Alex who had taken on that mantle.
She followed the code between friends, keeping secrets for Cristina and looking out for her. For instance, she knew something was wrong with Burke's hand but didn't divulge anything to Derek or anyone else as she was shielding Cristina. Still, later, she was skeptical of her getting married to Owen right after the traumatic shooting incident of season 6, and tried to caution Cristina against hurrying into something she might regret.
Worst: Leaps Without Looking
Meredith is thoughtless at times. She leaps before thinking about the consequences and other people often have to pay for her actions. For instance, when she took off with little Zola, her action almost cost her and Derek their chance to legally adopt the baby. And all this happened because she had taken it in her hands to tamper with Derek's clinical trial in the first place and had been fired from the hospital.
What she did was well-meant, but she didn't think about how it could affect her, Derek, and even the hospital's reputation. Still later, when she committed insurance fraud to help a patient, her actions put DeLuca in trouble as he took the blame onto himself, and both Alex and Richard were fired from Grey Sloan Memorial for standing up for her.
Best: A Good Parent
Meredith might have abducted Zola at one time before she officially became her mother, but in time she has become a truly good mom.
Derek's tragic ing forced her into becoming a single parent, and she always puts the needs and well-being of her children first. She doesn't want her dates to meet her kids until she's sure that everyone involved is ready for it. And even in the current moment in season 17, as she is fighting for her life, it has been said more than once that she is hanging on to life because she can't leave her children.
Worst: Untrusting
Meredith is very untrusting when it comes to people. This could be a defense mechanism since she has been hurt by a lot of the people she loves before. But her untrusting nature makes it difficult for her to make friends, or even be likable.
She trusted neither Thatcher nor Susan Grey when they turned up in her life, even though the latter, especially, was nothing but sweet to her.
Best: Cares Deeply
Meredith cares deeply for her patients and doesn't give up easily. She is so invested in saving patients that in one of the recent episodes before the show had gone on its winter hiatus, she couldn't help herself when she saw a patient in the opposite cabin coding and ran to help her even though she was herself still severely ill from the coronavirus.
Meredith's devotion to her patients was best highlighted in the season 16 episode, "My Shot", where her friend Alex Karev gathered an enormous number of people whose lives she had saved over the years to vouch for her in front of the medical licensing board.
Worst: Goes Back On Her Promise
When Derek received as an opportunity of a lifetime in DC, Meredith agreed to move with him, however unwillingly. But then she made an about-turn and refused to go after Cristina told her that in spite of Derek’s dreaminess, it was Meredith who was the sun in their relationship.
Fans are divided in this, as many believe that Meredith was right not to want to give up her life. But the fact remains that going back on promises was kind of a pattern for Meredith. For instance, in the pilot, she had promised Cristina that the latter would get whatever advantage was up for grabs if she helped her figure out the problem with Katie Bryce. But the moment Derek asked her to assist him in the surgery, she was unable to keep her promise.
Best: Can Make Huge Sacrifices
Meredith might have gone back on her word to Derek, but the very fact that she was ready to give up everything familiar to her and move to a different city for Derek’s sake, initially, showed that she was able to make huge sacrifices.
At the end of the day, Meredith is inherently good and willing to take huge risks for the sake of those she loves. She asked the shooter Gary Clerk to shoot her so that Derek would be able to have his surgery in the thrilling season 6 finale "Death And All His Friends", and in the episode where a patient turned up with a bomb in his chest, she slid her hand on it without regard for her own life.
Worst: Whiny
Meredith Grey, at least at the beginning of the series, complained almost incessantly and was rather annoying in her ways. She perpetually overthought matters and appeared dark and pessimistic.
True, she had not had an easy childhood and was having a difficult time with Derek who had decided he would have to give his wife a chance instead of staying with Meredith. But she projects her feelings onto others, complaining about whatever or whoever comes in her way.
Best: Pushes Herself
In spite of all her varied traits, Meredith Grey's best trait is that she is able to pick herself up and move on. After all, her life is dotted with absolutely devastating tragedies one after the other, and after each incident, she has pushed herself and gone from strength to strength.
Whether it was the hospital shooting where Derek nearly died in front of her, or the horrific plane crash where her little sister Lexie died before her eyes, or Derek's shocking death, Meredith has always met every challenge that got thrown her way and comes out on top of them.
