The 10 Most Shocking Grey's Anatomy Moments

As we mentioned previously, there are a few implied rules on Grey's Anatomy, and Denny embodies two of the most important lessons we learn: no one is safe, and life is unfair. Here, Grey's gives us a shocking dose of reality. You can do everything to save the one you love. You can risk your career and throw caution to the wind. And it still might amount to nothing; your one love may still get taken away.

But the latter lesson is something Grey's reminds us of nearly every week: life is unfair. The show spent weeks and weeks building hope and happiness into the love story of Izzie and Denny. Ask any fan of the show: they are one of the most iconic and best couples in the entirety of the 10+ seasons. We watch everything fall perfectly into place, and then promptly fall apart. In this scene, we learn the hard truth, and that's what makes Denny's death the most shocking of all.