The only Grey's Anatomy character Shonda Rhimes regrets killing is not the one fans expect

In his early days Grey's Anatomy had so many guest stars that new Netflix viewers say: “Hey! I know him!” Similar to Law and Order: SVU, Grey's Anatomy is a crime series in which many actors take their first steps. But in the second season there was a guest star who was already quite famous, and his very brief appearance in the series prompted Shonda Rhimes to keep him on for longer.

One of the most iconic episodes of Grey's Anatomy is Season 2, Episode 17, “As We Know It,” but many fans simply refer to it as the “Bomb in the Body Cavity” episode. The episode premiered in 2006 after Super Bowl XL as the second half of a two-part story, the first part of which was “It's the End of the World.” Although the first season of Grey's Anatomy was a runaway success in the medical drama genre. The two-part event of the second season made the series a real star as an intense drama in which practically anything can become a medical emergency. The episode's popularity was further boosted by two high-profile guest stars of the 2000s, Christina Ricci and Kyle Chandler. Sadly, Chandler's character never saw the outside of Seattle Grace Memorial Hospital again after he was blown up by the homemade bazooka.

Shonda Rhimes didn't want to kill Kyle Chandler's character

At the time of the episode, Meredith Grey was going through a rough patch in her love life when Derek Shepherd decided to sort things out with his wife, Addison Montgomery. Chandler's character, a bomb disposal expert named Dylan Young, was hospitalized when a patient was brought in with a homemade bazooka inside his body. For a while, it seemed Dylan was going to stay. Meredith and Dylan had a fun relationship that was brimming with chemistry. He was the tough and assertive rule follower and she was the nervous intern who would crack a joke when she was nervous.

It was disappointing when the potential for new love exploded right when Dylan did. Over 10 years after “As We Know It” aired, Entertainment Weekly looked back at the episode with Rhimes, star Ellen Pompeo and episode director Peter Horton. The script, written by Rhimes, included Dylan’s death as a simple explanation for “Dylan explodes.” But apparently Chandler toyed with the idea that Dylan might surviveor at least not to die in an explosion:

Shonda Rhimes:
“He was pitching me ideas about how Dylan, his character, might not explode, and I showed him the line in the script that said, 'Dylan explodes.' That was literally all it said. He was written to explode.”

At the time, it would have made sense for Chandler to try to change his character's fate so that he could possibly stay in the game a little longer. Grey's Anatomy was nominated for several Emmy Awards for the first season and a regular role in the series guaranteed every actor a breakthrough in their career. Additionally, Chandler was a natural in front of the camera, which may have influenced Rhimes' attitude toward euthanasia for his character:

“But I didn't expect to have Kyle Chandler there. I didn't want to blow him up.”

Fortunately for Chandler, Rhimes, and any viewers upset by Dylan's sudden death, the character made a brief return in Season 3. When Meredith “died” by drowning during a 911 call, she woke up in an in-between state where she saw Dylan and Denny Duquette. Just as he was alive, Dylan was inevitably stubborn enough to convince Meredith to return to life. Meredith and Dylan's limbo meeting was a flawless conclusion to the character, even if his death ended his brief story at just the right time. However, his return to the series also emphasized the missed opportunity for a romance between Meredith and Dylan. But as Grey's Anatomy Fans know that Meredith's heart was only attached to one person.

Kyle Chandler was never destined for life on Grey's Anatomy

Chandler's guest appearance on Grey's Anatomy earned him his first nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award. It became one of his best known roles until Friday Night Lights When “As We Know It” aired in February, Chandler was already cast in the lead role in the sports drama series, which is based on the non-fiction book and 2004 film of the same name. Although Chandler is known for his Grey's Anatomy role, he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series for Friday Night Lights.

If it had been up to Chandler and Rhimes and Dylan had survived the bomb blast, Chandler probably would not have hired Eric Taylor in Friday Night Lights. Randomly, without Grey's Anatomy, Friday Night Lights would have had a different Eric. In 2020 Chandler told Entertainment Weekly that Rhimes suggested the idea of ​​introducing himself to Peter Bergthe Friday night lights Film and developed the NBC series:

Kyle Chandler:
“She was the one who suggested that I go over and [creator Peter Berg] to
Friday Night Lights
. I said, 'I'm not old enough to be a coach.' And of course you know how that turned out.”

And the rest is history. Chandler was the only one suited for Eric Taylor, and alternated between the roles of supportive husband and no-nonsense football coach in Texas. It's easy to see some similarities between Dylan Young and Eric Taylor; both took their jobs seriously but knew when to be fair and sensitive. Perhaps Dylan was simply destined to be in the Grey's Anatomy The afterlife is too early.

Why the bombshell episode is still a memorable Grey's Anatomy episode

Chandler could star in a thousand films and television series, but Grey's Anatomy Fans will always remember him as Dylan, especially because his episodes were so well written. The two-part event summarized everything that Grey's Anatomy the most eccentric medical drama on television. There was not one, not two, but three life-changing emergencies that harmonize the episodes perfectly with the soap opera romance. Dr. Bailey went into labor, George O'Malley supported her while Bailey's husband underwent emergency brain surgery, Meredith emphasized her own death wish by wrapping her hand around live ammunition, while Izzie and Alex rekindled their toxic affair.

“As We Know It” is often considered one of the best Grey's Anatomy episodes by numerous publications. It is also one of the highest rated episodes of the series on IMDb, and for all the right reasons. The episode had an outrageous medical case, thrills, great music, sex, and ends with a really cheesy dialogue between Meredith and Derek. If that isn't the highlight Grey's Anatomywhat then?

“Grey's Anatomy” can be streamed on Netflix and Hulu.