The Best ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Couple Isn’t Meredith and Derek — This Is

When it comes to the couples of Grey’s Anatomy, there’s no denying that the most popular and best-known couple is that of Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek (Patrick Dempsey). We follow their love story from the pilot episode, all throughout the series, through every up and down, through thick and thin, until death made them part. They’ll forever be one of the most iconic pairings in Grey’s Anatomy, but are they the best couple? Not exactly. There are a few couples in the running for that spot, and it’s hard to narrow it down, but at the end of the day the title for best couple has to belong to Lexie (Chyler Leigh) and Mark (Eric Dane). I know, I know, putting another couple above Meredith and Derek probably seems wrong, but the fact of the matter is, Lexie and Mark took what Meredith and Derek had and did it better. Though their time on the show may have been brief and ended in tragedy, the time we shared with them remains special, and they’ll forever hold a place in our hearts.

Mark and Lexie Are a Healthier Version of Meredith and Derek

It’s hard to ignore some of the similarities that Mark and Lexie share with Derek and Meredith. After all, when they get together Mark is an attending and Lexie is an intern, just like Meredith and Derek were when they first got together. And the most obvious similarity is that Mark is Derek’s best friend, and Lexie is Meredith’s sister, so there’s a direct link already. But Lexie and Mark’s relationship feels a bit more fleshed out than Meredith and Derek’s. Their love story wasn’t immediate. In fact, it was forbidden by Derek, which put things off to a rocky start. Also, they didn’t even get along all that well in the beginning. It took some time for them to become the couple we know and love, but they quickly captured viewer’s hearts — and each other’s. Mark was careful about getting involved with Lexie, he didn’t want to hurt her, and he didn’t want to screw up what they had. But when he couldn’t resist her charms any longer he gave up his playboy ways for her, which was a stark change from the Mark we first met. It was the first sign that this wasn’t just an average relationship for the show, this one was bigger and more unique, and fans settled in for a wild ride with the pair.

There was a lot that made Mark and Lexie stand out, but one of the most glaring differences between them and Meredith and Derek, was how good they were at communicating. As with any relationship, things weren’t always smooth sailing for the pair, but rather than resent one another or argue all the time, they’d face the tough conversations head-on. Despite these conversations sometimes leading to a split, it was refreshing to see them confront their problems and try to work through them. And even though they did break up a couple of times, they never had any malicious feelings towards one another. They just wanted each other to be happy, and it always felt obvious that they’d eventually find their way back to one another. They always cared for each other, even when they weren’t together, and offered support to one another countless times. Like when Callie (Sara Ramirez) was in surgery after her accident, Lexie sat with Mark and comforted him as they waited for an update. And after the hospital shooting, Mark admitted Lexie to psych because she wasn’t dealing with her trauma. They always wanted the best for one another, even if they couldn’t be the one to provide it.

Mark and Lexie Were Meant To Be

Mark and Lexie had a sort of magnetic pull about them. No matter who they were with or what was going on in their lives, they always ended up being pulled back to one another. Which is why it’s so surprising to look back and see how much time they spent apart. Their love for one another was so strong and influential that it felt like they were never apart. Something that is always surprising to remember on a rewatch is that, at the time of the plane crash that claimed Lexie’s life, and eventually Mark’s, they weren’t together. Lexie’s final moments are spent holding Mark’s hand, and telling him that they are “meant to be.” Even though they weren’t boyfriend and girlfriend at that moment, they immediately fell back into those roles. It was clear that Lexie’s injuries were fatal, it was just a matter of time, and Mark wasn’t going to let her die without knowing how he felt about her. As heartbreaking as it was to watch, even so many years later, it truly sums up the entirety of Mark and Lexie’s relationship. They may not have always been physically together, but a piece of their heart was always with one another, making their love feel eternal.

Even the actors believe that Mark and Lexie were made for one another. In a 2021 interview with US Magazine, Eric Dane spoke of Mark and Lexie’s relationship, and how he believes they are endgame. “Mark and Lexie are together forever in the afterlife,” he said. “Mark would’ve found Lexie. He would’ve found her eventually.” There’s truly no better way to say it. We see Mark sleep his way through a lot of the hospital staff, and we know that he has a long history before that. But the first time we see him truly let his guard down and give his all to someone, without any hiccups, is with her. There’s no doubt in his mind that Lexie is the one for him, and it’s as if all of his playboy ways were simply biding time until he met her. She was, without a doubt, his true love, and he was hers.

There are many couples in Grey’s Anatomy that stand out and have a longstanding impact on the show, but there’s just something about Mark and Lexie that has always had fans hooked, even to this day. The show even brought them back during Meredith’s Covid-limbo, giving fans the comfort of knowing that they found each other in the afterlife and are as in love as they ever were. Even now, so many years after their deaths, Lexie and Mark remain such a pivotal part of Grey’s Anatomy. They live on through the staff at Grey Sloan Memorial, through the hearts of fans, and there will never be another Grey’s couple quite like them. They were one of a kind, and to this day remain one of the best and most beloved couples in the show’s history.