Thread:Tooniee/@comment-4884910-20130710210431/@comment-4287993-20130711190814

Well basically because the actors all wanted to leave the show and if Shonda felt like their death served as a great storyline. I read in an interview yesterday that Lexie originally wasn't on the plane and would just die because of something simple, like slipping at the hospital and bumping her head. However, Shonda didn't feel like that her death wouldn't have maximum impact then and decided to put her on the plane too. She also said that she was trying to come up with a storyline to keep Mark alive, but the other writers said that this wasn't possible as it would require Mark willingly leaving Sofia and Callie (and he'd never do that, especially when Arizona's leg was amputated).