Happiness is not a word used to describe the emotions felt during the 'Grey's Anatomy' season premiere last night. Frustration, however, is better suited.
Fans of the hit medical drama watched the agonizing episode, which killed off yet another series regular. Eric Dane's Dr. Mark Sloan, or McSteamy, passed away in a tear-jerking scene involving baby-momma Dr. Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez) and best friend Dr. Derek Shepherd.
If losing McSteamy wasn't torturous enough, fans also found out what happened to Torres' wife Dr. Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw). Arizona, who was in the fatal plane crash that killed Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh) and eventually Mark Sloan, suffered a leg injury in the crash. The bubbly blonde was mainly absent from the premiere episode, leading some to believe she also had died. Shortly after Sloan's death, however, fans found out that Arizona was bedridden after losing her leg to an amputation.
Seattle Grace-Mercy West looked to be on the road to recovery after losing Sloan, Robbins, Little Grey and even Dr. Christina Yang (Sandra Oh). Yang, thankfully, did not die but was shown at a different hospital away from best friend Dr. Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and estranged husband Dr. Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd).
Although Dane reported he was leaving the show over the summer, the how and the why were still unknown. Last night's episode revealed the how and today E! Online revealed that Dane's departure, along with Chyler Leigh and Kim Raver (Teddy), was due to budget constraints.
A source told E! Online that the budget tightening forced show creator Shonda Rhimes to cut down on the cast. "Some of the cuts were easy, and some weren't," the source told E! According to the report, Leigh and Raver's departures were mostly mutual. Dane's departure, however, was not.
'Grey's Anatomy' will flashback next week to give fans all the details surrounding the fatal plane crash and its aftermath.