Not since ER has a medical drama been extremely successful on television. That is, until Grey’s Anatomy came along. Admittedly, the show’s success is due to its interesting mix of characters. At one point, this included Addison Forbes Montgomery (Kate Walsh), who was one of the most intelligent characters surgeons to ever walk the halls of Grey-Sloan.
And while there may be mixed feelings about her, everyone can agree that Addison has always been her own person. She speaks her mind and she rarely holds back. Although she had committed some shameless acts during the course of her stay, fans can’t fault her for trying to do the right thing.
Showing Up To Seattle Grace ‘Unannounced’
Addison’s sudden arrival was shameless because she barged into Derek’s life again without permission. However, that’s not to say that she didn’t show up without warning. If fans can also recall, the first thing that Addison says on the show was, “You’d know if you’d bother to answer any one of my phone calls.”
That’s because she had been trying to reach Derek, but he had been avoiding her ever since called her back. It wasn’t right that she turned up unannounced but Addison did deserve to know where they stood. At least she could move on then.
Confronting Derek In The Process
There’s a good reason why people didn’t take a liking to Addison at first. When she made her debut on the show, Addison makes the shameless move of embarrassing Meredith after confronting Derek in front of their colleagues.
Around this time, one could just imagine how badly she felt upon learning that Derek had started seeing another woman even though they were still married. Granted, it was Addison who had cheated on Derek first. Just the same, she would have still felt betrayed at that very moment.
Having Another Tryst With Mark
Around the time that Addison could feel that her marriage was over, she makes the shameless decision of asking Mark to fly over for a brief rendezvous. After trying so hard to make things work with Derek and failing, she needed to feel loved and wanted.
Perhaps, there was also a part of her that was yearning to have an intimate physical connection with someone. That said, Addison also eventually realizes that Mark wasn’t the right man for her. And arguably, she wouldn’t have made that realization had they not hooked up that night.
Pinning Meredith’s Underwear On The Lost And Found Board
After Addison agrees to stay and work at Seattle Grace, she and Derek decide that they would try to make their marriage work. However, when the hospital hosted a prom for Richard’s niece, Camille, Derek and Meredith hooked up again.
Later on, Addison finds proof of their rendezvous in the form of Meredith’s underwear. Addison decides to wash it and post it on the hospital’s board. It might have been unprofessional but some people would agree that Addison deserved to have her revenge at this moment.
Taking The Day Off To Get Drunk
In the season 3 episode “I Am A Tree,” Addison strolls into Richard’s office wearing a baggy coffee-stained shirt just to tell him that she’s taking the day off. When he asks why, she simply says, “I need the day off…for drinking. I am feeling the need to do some drinking.”
And that’s exactly what she does throughout the episode. She even hangs out at Joe’s with Bailey while gorging on a basket of muffins that Izzie had dropped off earlier. While many would say the way Addison approach Richard was highly unprofessional, everyone would agree that she deserved the well-earned break after everything she had been put through.
Yelling At Derek In Front Of Everybody
Derek and Addison tried to make things work at first. The two even attended marriage counseling but clearly, their situation was more complicated than either must have initially thought. And so, upon seeing that Derek was annoyed after hearing that Meredith slept with a vet, Addison knew she had to speak up.
While they were walking in the hospital hallways, Addison shamelessly points out, “I’m not Meredith Grey!” Admittedly, she could have confronted Derek somewhere private. However, by having this outburst, she was able to send a clear message to Derek that he wasn’t fooling anyone.
Asking Bailey To Treat Her For Poison Oak When She’s On Maternity Leave
Towards the end of season 2, Addison agrees to care for Meredith and Derek’s dog, Doc. However, one day, after going out with Doc, Addison ends up with poison oak. Despite her discomfort, she musters the strength to find Miranda because she needed a personal consultation.
In fact, she barges into Miranda’s husband’s room just to ask for a consult. Granted, there may have been other doctors available who could have treated Addison. But as fans of the show would know, Miranda and Addison are good friends. Hence, Addison could also be assured that Miranda wouldn’t say anything.
Admits To A Patient That She Cheated On Her Husband
As it turns out, Addison was invited by Richard, who knew that a doctor of Addison’s caliber would be good for the hospital overall. When Addison started taking on patients, she asked Meredith to join her service to try and get to know her better.
While they are taking on a case, the two encounter a woman, who got cheated on by her husband. After hearing a part of Addison’s conversation with Meredith, the patient starts to shame Meredith, even asking her to be removed from her case. In response, Addison decides that she was the guilty party and demands that the patient apologizes to Meredith. It showed that she is capable of being honest with herself.
Sleeping With Karev
Almost soon after Derek and Addison agree to get a divorce, Mark Sloan waltzes back into Addison’s life. And when the couple agree to stay celibate for 60 days, it proved to be a real challenge for Addison to hold her end of the bargain. She soon begins to have feelings for Alex, which leads to the two hooking up in one of the on-call rooms.
And while her relationship with Karev never went further, the tryst allowed her to realize that neither Mark nor Karev were right for her. It also prompts her to get a fresh start.
Asking About McRebound
Addison’s first return to Seattle Grace was full of lighthearted moments, even in the OR. During the procedure, Addison wanders out loud about the woman that Derek is seeing this time around. She even uses the term McRebound, aware of the fact that Derek went by the moniker McDreamy at the hospital.
Unbeknownst to Addison, however, the woman that Derek is seeing was just beside her, assisting her in the procedure. The moment may have been awkward but fans were glad that Addison had been asking the question that was on everyone’s minds. Why weren’t Meredith and Derek together?
