Lexie Grey

Alexandra Caroline Grey
Grey's Anatomy character
Chyler Leigh as Dr. Lexie Grey
First appearance	"Testing 1-2-3" 3x24, May 10, 2007
Created by	Shonda Rhimes
Portrayed by	Chyler Leigh
Information
Nickname(s)	Lexipedia Three Little Grey
Aliases	Lexie
Age	25
Specialty	General Surgery
Occupation	Surgical Resident at Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital
Title	M.D.
Relationships
Romances	Mark Sloan (boyfriend) Alex Karev (ex-sexual relationship) George O'Malley (ex-crush)
Parents	Thatcher Grey (father) Susan Grey (mother; deceased)
Siblings	Meredith Grey (paternal half-sister) Molly Grey Thompson (sister)
Relatives	Laura Grey Thompson (niece) Eric Thompson (brother-in-law) Derek Shepherd (brother-in-law)

Alexandra Caroline Grey, more commonly known as Lexie Grey, is a fictional surgeon from the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy. The character is portrayed by Chyler Leigh, and was created by Shonda Rhimes. She was made an official series regular for season four. ^[1] The character is a surgical resident at the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital.

Background

Lexie is the daughter of Thatcher Grey and his second wife, Susan. She also has a younger sister, Molly Grey Thompson. Her older half-sister is Meredith Grey, born to Thatcher and his first wife, Ellis Grey. She graduated from Harvard Medical School before being accepted in Seattle Grace's Intern Program. She was to start her internship at Massachusetts General but her mom's sudden death brought her to Seattle. She was very popular in high school, having a great group of friends, being crowned prom queen, and being class valedictorian. During her elementary school years, she skipped the third grade. It is also known that she has photographic memory, which was mentioned on the Season 4 finale when she read the residents' files and memorized everything that she read. It was highlighted in the fifth season when she remembered an illness she came across while reading medical journals for George's review. She not only remembered the diagnosis but the name of the journal, the volume number and the page number of the article - which in turn led her to be nicknamed "Lexipedia" by Alex Karev and Cristina Yang.

Because of her relationship with Meredith Grey, she tends to speak her mind more often with residents. She objected when Cristina Yang made them line up in the cafeteria to discuss which interns to pass on to George (who was now a resident) saying that they were being treated like "livestock." When Alex Karev took over the several cadavers Lexie had initially put out for the other interns, she also objects. However, she is seen to eventually acquiesce to the residents' orders.

Character history

Season Two

Lexie is mentioned in the episode in which her sister Molly is brought to Seattle Grace pregnant. The baby Molly carried needed surgery. It was the first time Meredith learned that her father Thatcher had actually remarried, and she also learned that her other half-sister, Lexie, was studying in Harvard University.

Season Three

She was introduced in the penultimate episode of the third season in which she met Derek Shepherd at Joe's Bar. Her mother Susan suddenly died when Lexie was just about to start her internship at Mass Gen. In the third season finale, Derek confesses to Meredith he met another woman (though he doesn't specify who, since he doesn't know) and when she asks if she should be worried, he confirms her fears, stating that it was the highlight of his week. Lexie would make her first appearance in Seattle Grace when she introduced herself to George by the last few minutes of the finale.

Season Four

Lexie is assigned to surgical resident Cristina Yang for her year-long medical internship, and bears striking similarities to her half sister, Meredith Grey. She tries on several occasions to bond with Meredith, who wants nothing to do with her. Meredith sees Lexie's life as the one she could have had if her father hadn't left her and her mother, and thus has no desire to bond with her initially. Later, Meredith sits down with Lexie and explains the circumstances around her mother's death when Meredith was caring for her, suggesting they might kindle friendship.

Lexie learns that George O'Malley is repeating his intern year and helps him keep the other interns unaware of his failure. She and George develop an unlikely friendship over intern struggles and their strained relationships with Meredith and Callie, respectively.

She has entered into a casual-sex relationship with Alex Karev, similar to the one between Meredith and Derek Shepherd. Lexie was angry when she learned that Alex still had feelings for Rebecca Pope who believed they were still a couple. She bonds with a patient named Nick, played by Seth Green, who admits he likes Lexie; however, he dies in Lexie's care and she is devastated. Meredith allows her to stay over the following night and decides to try and repair their relationship, making Lexie breakfast the next morning (unaware that she is allergic to eggs and causing her a massive breakout of hives.) She and Meredith have a good relationship after that, with her referring to Meredith as her sister, and constantly apologizing for Rose's actions. George moves in with her after Izzie kicks him out, and she steals items from the hospital to furnish their unsightly apartment. At the end of season four, Lexie and George share a quick kiss on the lips. It is uncertain if this a friendship kiss or hints to a romantic relationship in the fall, though Lexie's expression makes it clear her interest falls to the latter.

Season Five

In season five, Lexie is shown to have been smitten with George. Mark Sloan notices this and vows to be less mean to George if she'll admit her feelings to him. This starts Mark and Lexie's playful banter, with him teasing her about her "lack of taste in men" and she constantly retorting with his "reputation" around the hospital. As a result, Sloan is slightly more polite to the two of them and George misunderstands, thinking Lexie and Sloan are sleeping together.

Lexie continues to vie for George's affections in the following episodes. She correctly diagnoses a patient who had been experiencing constant pain at an eight for several years, much to Cristina's chagrin and her colleagues' amazement, and the consequent revealing of her photographic memory caused her to be nicknamed 'Lexipedia'.

George finally passes his intern exam and seems to pay less attention to Lexie. The final straw occurs when he receives his new interns and Lexie discovers he hadn't the decency to even ask to have her assigned to him. She breaks down in front of him, calling herself stupid and him a jerk. By the next episode, Lexie had chosen to forgive George and makes a peace offering, leaving her feelings for him undiscussed.

She, with the other interns, form an underground 'teaching' club, where they learn to put IVs in each other, as their residents don't bother to teach them. A new intern, Sadie, comes to Seattle Grace. After Meredith asks if Lexie is a secret cutter, she begins to think that they should be more careful but Sadie says they will "learn only so much by being careful" and cuts her own back and offers to let an intern stitch her up. Lexie watches disapprovingly. After the Chief of Surgery praises Lexie about the quality of her suturing, Cristina Yang grows suspicious and orders the interns to stop practicing medical procedures on themselves. Sadie and Lexie develop a close friendship.

Lexie is the only one aside from Callie, Meredith, and Derek who sees right through Mark Sloan and isn't afraid to tell him the truth. He visits her at Joe's once and asks her about her photographic memory, and she impresses him with what she can do. Their platonic relationship turns romantic after she becomes impressed when he fixes a woman's vocal chords. She shows up at his room later and the two sleep together. In the episode after that, Mark tells her it was a "one-time thing" but to Callie, he reveals it was more than just sex because apparently he and Lexie talked and laughed for hours after they slept together. Though he and Lexie make an agreement not to give in anymore, Mark realizes he can't deny his attraction, and asks Lexie to come home with him again. Their sexual relationship continues until during the midst of another sexual encounter, Lexie accidentally injures Mark's penis. While Mark receives surgery to correct the injury, he remains embarrassed and tries to push Lexie away, although she refuses and instead chooses to comfort him.

Later, when he and Derek are decorating Derek and Meredith's room with flowers for Derek's proposal, Mark talks to him about love and the future, and seems to be very serious about Lexie and their relationship. Lexie later breaks up with Mark when he doesn't want to come forward about them being a couple. When Mark and Derek's friends Addison, Naomi Bennett and Sam Bennett come to Seattle Grace, Addison soon notices the tension between Lexie and Mark, and wonders if they are together. Later, Lexie hears about a fight Mark had with Derek, and understands that it was partly because Mark told Derek about his relationship with her. When she arrives at his hospital room where Callie is treating him, she finds Mark beaten up, his hand injured. Lexie tells him he was being stupid, but Mark says it was worth it, and smiles proudly when both realize people will soon know about them.

In the next episode "I Will Follow You Into The Dark", Lexie tries to get Mark to talk to Derek, but Mark, who still has his injuries and can't operate yet, refuses to do so and walks away angry. Later, Lexie tells him that she knows everybody is against them and their chance of survival as a couple is very low, but she wants to try it anyway. She also tells him she's sorry for breaking his hand, his penis, and just him. Mark tells she didn't break him, she's the one who put him back together, and then they walk out together. Lexie grows more and more agitated by Derek's refusal to speak to Mark and begins to compulsively overeat, until the two reconcile their friendship.

In the season finale, Mark thinks about buying a house and asks Lexie to move in with him, but Lexie doesn't think it's a good time for moving in together. Mark is upset by this, and takes a patient's advice about "fighting like a girl", and decides to buy a house by himself anyway, in an attempt to make Lexie believe he is moving on.

Season Six

Despite their argument earlier that day (in season five), Mark and Lexie seem to have made peace and are there for each other when news arrives about George's death. Mark later moves into his own apartment across the hall from Callie, which visibly upsets Lexie. Mark asks Lexie several times to move in or at least get her own drawer, but she initially keeps refusing until she finally caves after a reassuring conversation with Callie and happily moves in with Mark.

It is also revealed on Episode 2 that Lexie and the fellow interns of her class have progressed to first-year residency, and are no longer interns. The merger with Mercy West Hospital caused three-quarters of her class to be cut from the Seattle Grace surgical program, notified by an email sent from Chief Webber to the relinquished staff, and luckily, Lexie and Steve - another notable intern, find themselves safe. Mark finds her crying in grief and relief and consoles her.

When Lexie brings in a blood-coughing Thatcher Grey, it is revealed his liver has been damaged by his alcoholism and needs a transplant. Since Thatcher used to be an alcoholic and hasn't been sober that long, he can't be put on the transplant list yet, so Lexie gets herself tested. This upsets Mark, who doesn't agree she didn't discuss this with him. Lexie is not a match, but discovers Meredith is, and begs her to do the transplant. Meredith gives in, but makes it clear to Thacther she's doing this for her sister Lexie, not for him. Mark makes up with Lexie after a patient reminds him that 'you always have to be there for the people you love, even if they do things that don't make sense'. Thatcher and Meredith both make it through the surgery.

In the tenth episode of the season - titled, "Holidaze", Mark and Lexie cope with the sudden arrival of Sloan Riley, who allegedly is Mark's daughter. After a paternity test, it is revealed that she actually is Mark's daughter. Mark announces that Sloan is going to move in with him and Lexie. Sloan, at 18, is shown to have the typical teen personality, with a big mouth and a self-obsessed attitude, hinted when Lexie gives her 50 dollars to spend for a christmas gift for Mark and only to buy him a Seattle Snow Globe. The storyline continues when Lexie gives the final straw to Mark to ask her how long Sloan was going to stay and to get to know his daughter better, and threatens him with no more sex. Sloan reveals that she is pregnant, was kicked out by her mom, and had nowhere else to go, Mark is supportive but totally shocked.

References