The character's transition from seasons four to five was positively reviewed, with Alex Keen of "The Trades" writing: "Her presence and confidence have increased quite a bit since last season, and actress, Chyler Leigh, does a fantastic job of making this progression feel seamless. Since the series has defused the tension between Little Grey and Big Grey (aka Meredith), Lexie has clear sailing through the season and steals the show as one of the best current characters on the series." The character's romantic relationship with Eric Dane's Mark Sloan has been acclaimed, with Chris Monfette of "IGN" writing: "Sloan's honest relationship with Lexie helped to make both characters infinitely more interesting and mature." "BuddyTV" lauded the development and progression of Lexie and Mark's relationship throughout season five, saying, "They are beautiful, and they can adapt to a hostile environment." "The Huffington Post" Michael Pascua praised Leigh's performance and Lexie's evolution in season six. Pascua wrote that he enjoyed Lexie's "humorous" and "emotionally connective" role as a "genuine character" during the merger and layoffs, commenting: "She still maintained that book-smart ability to repeat facts (like the merger cases) and shows a command of medical situations... She shouldn't be worried about the merger because she's a good doctor." "TV Guide" Adam Bryant praised Leigh's "powerful performance" in season six, writing: "The bond that is growing between Lexie and Meredith is nice to see. From Meredith finally saying out loud how she feels about Lexie, to Lexie being at Mer's side when she wakes up, I am really glad to see these sisters' happy." Lexie's storyline in season six was also praised by "PopSugar". Leigh served as a primary vocalist in season seven's musical episode, "Song Beneath the Song", and received rave reviews from television critics, including the "Boston Herald"s Mark Perigard. Leigh's performance in the season eight finale, which was also her character's final appearance, was deemed as "phenomenal" by "Digital Spy" Ben Lee.