The Big Picture

• Amelia Shepherd was introduced in Private Practice, where we learned more about her past.
• Amelia's relapse changed the series dramatically, showcasing raw, emotional character beats.
• Amelia's pregnancy and recovery journey led to significant personal growth and character development that stands out in Grey's Anatomy.

Shonda Rhimes’ catalog of shows is constantly expanding. From her most recent series, Bridgerton, to older ones such as Scandal, Shondaland is constantly pumping out captivating series that keep audiences hooked. But of them all, Grey’s Anatomy is the most well-known. After all, it is the longest-running show in her repertoire, and despite its downfall in recent years, the show has maintained a loyal fan base. Throughout the series, we’ve seen characters come and go, and even some who have come back after their initial exit, but little have had quite as much impact as the addition of Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone). Her first appearance on the show came in Season 7, when she arrived in Seattle to visit her older brother Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey). But that wasn’t the first time fans had met Amelia. At least, not if they watched the Grey’s Anatomy spin-off series Private Practice. Amelia was first properly introduced to us in Season 3 of the spin-off, where she soon became a main character. It was only after the show ended that she transitioned over to Grey’s Anatomy, where she has remained a main cast member since Season 11. In that time, she has become a fan-favorite character, and more than that, has become one of the show’s most important and well-developed characters. But the road to get to that point was long and winding, and it all began in Los Angeles.

Amelia Was Introduced in 'Private Practice'

We first learn of Amelia in passing in Grey’s Anatomy. We learn that Derek has four sisters, and we meet them all throughout, but Amelia was always described as the “wild child” of the bunch – so much so that, as a teenager, she was dubbed “Hurricane Amelia”. But there was a reason for her actions. We learn early on that Derek’s father died when he was young, and that he was there when it happened. But he wasn’t alone. Amelia was there too, at the young age of five. The tragic story goes that he and Amelia were spending the day at their father’s convenience store when two men suddenly entered the store in an attempt to rob it, and ended up murdering their father in front of them. Understandably, this sent Amelia into a dark place, one she was unable to find her way out of for years. She began drinking and abusing pills, and it got so out of hand that she ended up overdosing and was dead for three minutes before she was revived by Derek. This experience was her initiative to get sober, which she remained for years. During those years, she became a dedicated student and eventually went on to medical school where she studied neurosurgery, much like her older brother. Her career brought her to Los Angeles where she reunited with her sister-in-law Addison, which was beneficial for her in a lot of ways.

But it was also in Los Angeles that she relapsed. She started smoking cigarettes after learning Derek was shot in the hospital shooting over on Grey’s Anatomy, and though he survived it was a shock to the system. Addison took away her cigarettes and urged her to visit Derek and make amends, as they had had a bit of a rocky relationship over the years. For a while things were going really well for Amelia. She joined the practice in Los Angeles and found a support system in Addison, and especially Charlotte (KaDee Strickland), who previously had her own struggles with sobriety. It really seemed as though Amelia was on a great path, until a single slip-up caused an avalanche and she found herself back at step 1. Addiction isn’t linear, and Private Practice really dives into that fact with Amelia’s character, which can be tough to watch at times but ultimately makes for some of the best character development on television.

Amelia’s Relapse Changed the Series

Amelia’s relapse happened accidentally, and it’s a really honest portrayal of how easily it can happen. While at Charlotte and Cooper’s (Paul Adelstein) wedding, Amelia mistook a glass of champagne for ginger ale, and though she spit it out, it did reignite a craving for alcohol. She began going out and drinking more often, even going so far as operating on a patient while intoxicated. But it was the death of her friend Michelle (Sydney Tamiia Poitier) that truly flipped the switch in Amelia. Michelle was one of Amelia’s friends, and she had previously lost her mother to Huntington’s disease, which gave her a very real chance of developing the disease herself. Since she saw what her mom went through with the disease, Michelle was adamant that she didn’t want to live like that. So when she was tested for the disease, she told Amelia that if she was positive she planned to take her own life in order to not let the disease run her life. Amelia instead told Michelle to live her life while she was still healthy, and that when the time came that it was too unbearable she would help her take her own life in a more humane and peaceful way.

Amelia kept her promise and agreed to help Michelle die once she returned and announced that she had begun to show symptoms. But shortly after administering the fatal drug, Michelle had a bad reaction and needed to be taken to the hospital where she was ultimately saved. She and Amelia made a deal afterward that Amelia wouldn’t drink if Michelle agreed not to take her own life. That they could get through their respective ailments together. But shortly after they made the deal, Amelia came home and found Michelle dead from an overdose. The death triggered something in Amelia and she started taking pills and partying every night. Her world seemed to just completely plummet downhill, and it only became more severe when she met a man named Ryan (Wes Brown). Together the pair would take drugs and acquire new ones by using Amelia’s prescription pad. Her downward spiral seemed never-ending and it led everyone at the practice to stage an intervention.

During the intervention, Amelia grew aggressive and began experiencing withdrawal symptoms. After hours of trying to get through to her, Amelia finally seemed on board with going to rehab. But then Ryan walked in and Addison caught a glimpse of the watch on his wrist. It was Amelia’s father’s watch, the one he was wearing when he died. Addison begins to tell the story behind the significance of the watch, but before she can get very far, Amelia begins to yell at her and tells her she can never tell that story, hurling cruel insults at Addison and leaving her devastated. Amelia’s intervention is one of Private Practice’s biggest moments, for many reasons. Not only was it one of the most bleak moments on the show, but it’s also some incredibly raw acting that you can feel through the screen. Amelia’s pain is palpable, and yet we as viewers know that the road to getting her through it is going to be long and winding. It’ll likely only get worse before it gets better. And it does.

Amelia’s Pregnancy Shaped Her Into a New Person

After the intervention, Amelia and Ryan went back to their hotel where they took the last of their pills and vowed to get sober together come morning. But come morning Ryan was dead from an overdose, and Amelia’s world sort of just crumbled down around her. It was her final straw and the incentive she needed to get clean. But the pain was far from behind her. The journey to recovery was always going to be long and difficult for Amelia, but Private Practice doubled down on this by having Amelia find out she’s pregnant with Ryan’s baby. As if that wasn’t hard enough to come to terms with during recovery, she also learned that her baby would be born without a brain, and wouldn’t survive. It was a crushing moment, and it felt like it was just yet another blow to Amelia, but in a way, her son’s death only made her stronger. She donated his organs to save other infants, and kept attending AA meetings, and by the series finale, she’s one year sober and has fallen in love again. Her journey throughout Private Practice is long and hard, and can feel a little difficult to watch at times, but ultimately it helped shape her into the character we know and love today.

Amelia’s Character Development Is the Heart of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’

As we know now, Amelia eventually moves to Seattle and begins working at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, alongside her brother. There are still loose ends that need to be tied up when she moves, for starters, her relationship with Derek, and her fiancé James (Matt Long) who’s back in Los Angeles. But she eventually decides to break things off with him and she and Derek become closer than they had been in years. So, when he died, it put Amelia in an unimaginable position. After working so hard to get her life on track, this horrible thing happened and it seemed as though she was going to backslide. At first, she doesn’t let her emotions show and instead says she’s fine and that she’ll make it through, but it slowly eats away at her until she finally blows, taking out her anger on Richard (James Pickens Jr). This is also around the time Owen (Kevin McKidd) returns from an army mission, and he’s the only one who manages to get through to Amelia and get her to finally open up and feel her grief. It’s like we can see the weight of the world lift off of her shoulders and she slowly begins to heal in that moment.

Amelia isn’t a perfect character by any means, and she still has moments where she reverts to old habits, but her character development from Private Practice to Grey’s Anatomy is clear as day. Her growth from an immature young girl, to a strong, independent woman is a beautiful transition. We haven’t seen that sort of character development on the show in years, and Amelia is an ever-evolving character. She has her flaws, and there are moments where she’s anything but perfect, but she feels like a real person. With real struggles, and real insecurities. She’s not a caricature tailor-made for a medical drama, she has layers, and she has depth, and she’s easily the best part of the new era of Grey’s Anatomy. Amelia is a character that fans have always wanted nothing but the best for, and to see her make that happiness for herself is so gratifying and poignant. Her journey is influential, and it’s beautiful to see.

Grey's Anatomy is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.

WATCH ON HULU