Grey’s Anatomy’s Most Frustrating Storyline Isn’t Completely Nonsensical After All

Summary:

• Grey’s Anatomy is ABC’s medical procedural drama that has been going on since 2004.
• All the interns that were introduced in the first episodes are now gone from the show, Meredith Grey aside.
• The last one to leave was Alex Karev, but his departure still remains one of the most controversial subjects in the fandom.

Grey's Anatomy is known for several things. First of all, its remarkable longevity, which has led to all the other plot-related issues. By being closer to various soaps in length, but depriving itself of unrealistic soapy storylines, Grey's Anatomy forces itself to be boring and repetitive.

But when the character acts out of place and far more melodramatic than expected, it is considered a terrible decision by the entire fandom. Perhaps the issue wouldn't be so sensitive if it weren't for the departure of a character who was on the show from the beginning and had one of the most impressive arcs.

Alex Karev's fans around the world still can't believe that of all the ways to write the character off, Shonda Rhimes chose the worst one. The character who managed to become respectable and trustworthy went back to square one in a matter of minutes.

What Happened To Alex Karev?

The very last episode of Grey's Anatomy that Alex Karev appeared in was the episode titled Leave a Light On (S16E16). In this episode, Alex faces the harsh reality of having a full family that he had no idea about, including two of his children, Alexis and Eli.

While the story is deeply tragic, it connects Alex to Izzie Stevens, who was also one of the show's original characters. Izzie was written out of the show back in Season 6 when the actress decided to leave the cast due to working conditions that weren't right for her.

As it turns out, Izzie not only took the hearts of the fans with her but also something much more substantial. Something that Alex, who came from a very broken family and never had for herself, couldn't leave behind. The decision Alex made to reunite with Izzie was never about Izzie herself, it was about their children.

As a man of honor and as a character who has seen so much in his work at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, he couldn't live with the idea of continuing to be an absent father to his children. His only mistake was the cowardly way he left everything behind.

From Jo, who loved him dearly and obviously deserved at least a face-to-face goodbye, to his best friend Meredith, who relied on his support in the darkest moments.

Why Did Alex Send The Letters?

Unfortunately for viewers, the methods used by Alex have little to do with the choices made by the writers. When actor Justin Chambers, who played Karev, abruptly left the show, the writers were trying to figure out how to give a character at least some sort of happy ending without bringing the actor back for more days of filming.

This is what then-showrunner Krista Vernoff said about the situation in an interview with Deadline:

“I believe that there would’ve been at least as big an outcry if we had killed that character off-camera, and those were our choices. It was kill the character off-camera, or come up with some believable way that he gets his happily ever after”.

Whether this story is believable, and whether it can really be considered a happy ending, is for the viewer to decide. However, it was clear that the creative team behind the show didn't really have a lot of room to maneuver and tried to find the best solution for the worst possible situation.

If you want to refresh your memory of Alex Karev's arc finale, you can stream Grey's Anatomy on Hulu or Netflix. And if you're interested in seeing how the drama celebrates its 20th anniversary, keep an eye out for more news and updates!

Source: Deadline