Why Meredith's Mom, Ellis, Hates Her In Grey's Anatomy

Grey's Anatomy depicts many complicated professional and personal relationships, and one of the most difficult to watch is doubtlessly that between Ellen Pompeo's Dr. Meredith Grey and her mother, Dr. Ellis Grey. Typically played by Kate Burton, with the exception of one flashback episode where she is played by Sarah Paulson, Ellis is depicted as a competitive and unrivaled surgeon, but not a very good mother. The emotional abuse Meredith experienced with her mother affects her entire life; Meredith eventually seems to accept that Ellis ended up in a role she wasn't meant for, but respects her memory as a groundbreaking surgeon.