The Grey's Anatomy Character Shonda Rhimes Regrets Writing Off

"Grey's Anatomy" fans know that there has been no shortage of characters going in and out of the doors of Seattle Grace Memorial Hospital throughout its 20+ seasons. This series is notoriously merciless when it comes to axing its characters; "Grey's Anatomy" fans have said goodbye to popular characters many times. Plenty of people who love the show believe that this is actually one of its strengths. Characters aren't sure to stay on the series simply because they're popular among fans. Instead, if the folks in the writers' room think it's time for a character to go, then it's time. Interestingly, though, there was one character who series creator Shonda Rhimes wished they hadn't chosen to kill off — and it's definitely not who you expect.

There are so many good answers to "Which 'Grey's Anatomy' character do you wish wasn't booted from the show?" Derek? Lexie? Mark? Denny? George? We could go on and on. Interestingly, while there are so many characters "Grey's Anatomy" fans were sad to see go, it seems that Rhimes was comfortable with the idea that they had run their course in the series. So, whose time at Seattle Grace did she think was cut too short? That honor belongs to Kyle Chandler, who played Dylan Young. If you're racking your brain right now trying to remember who that is, you're not alone. Believe it or not, he was only around for one episode. 

"Grey's Anatomy" Season 2, Episode 17, "As We Know It," remains one of its most famous episodes, despite the fact that the series has run more than a dozen seasons after that. The episode was the second part of a two-part episode, with the first part aptly named "It's the End of the World," which aired in the coveted time slot directly after the Super Bowl. If you're still not sure which episode this is, perhaps the phrases "code black" or "bomb in the body cavity" might jog your memory. Over the years, there have been plenty of wild medical problems, shocking procedures, and heartbreaking moments on "Grey's Anatomy." This particular episode definitely had all three. A patient was shot with a bazooka, and a bomb squad was called in to attempt to safely remove it without exploding the hospital. The bomb squad was led by the gentle and reassuring Dylan Young, played by Kyle Chandler. Chandler was joined by Christina Ricci, with both famous actors guest-starring for the special two-part episode. 

Shonda Rhimes herself wrote the script for this episode, and she was very clear about Dylan's fate from the jump. The script simply said, "Dylan explodes." So, Chandler came in knowing Dylan wasn't long for the world of "Grey's Anatomy," but that didn't stop him from having some opinions. "He would pitch me ideas on how Dylan, his character, could maybe not explode," Rhimes told Entertainment Weekly. 

Evidently, Kyle Chandler was willing to shoot his shot for a chance to stay on "Grey's Anatomy." As usual, though, Shonda Rhimes was committed to doing what was right for the story without letting emotions get in the way. "I would show him the line in the script that said, 'Dylan explodes,'" Rhimes told Entertainment Weekly, noting, "That's literally all it said. He was written to explode. But I did not expect to have Kyle Chandler. I didn't want to explode him."

While Rhimes might have had some regrets about losing Chandler, the decision worked out in myriad ways. For starters, the two-part episode guest appearance earned Chandler his first Primetime Emmy nomination, showing that everyone found the performance as compelling as Rhimes did. Less than a year after his "Grey's Anatomy" appearance, Chandler became one of the most important members of the cast of "Friday Night Lights," for which he snagged the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. The medical drama's main character, Meredith Grey, was also in the line of fire when Dylan famously exploded. After filming the scene with Chandler, actor Ellen Pompeo knew he was destined for greatness. "I remember thinking Kyle Chandler was amazing. I wasn't surprised his career really took off after that because he was so natural," she told Entertainment Weekly. Luckily, Dylan was able to make a special cameo in a later episode. At least he went out with a bang!