3 Reasons Grey's Anatomy Shouldn't be on the Air
Show Should be Cancelled in a World of Tedious Dramas
Nov 4, 2009
Grey’s Anatomy is defying convention by having both high ratings and consistently top caliber execution. It really shouldn’t still be on the air, let alone standing strong in the ratings. Here are three reasons why it's surprising that this ABC drama hasn't gotten the axe.
3 Reasons Grey's Anatomy Shouldn't be on the Air
1. Long Story Arcs
Grey’s isn’t a show for instant gratification. It doesn’t solve problems or reach satisfying, feel-good conclusions in hour blocks of time. This show doesn’t start and stop with story lines, testing the waters and reinventing as they go.
Instead, the writers commit to the arcs they envision, despite popular opinion. The stories of the characters are ongoing. The trials and tribulations of being an intern lasted several years. So did the on-again-off-again Meredith/Derek romance drama. The race for chief was also ongoing and involved many of the stars at that time. And more recently, the decision Dr. Bailey (played by Chandra Wilson) made to specialize in pediatrics or continue down the general surgery path wove through a significant portion of the season.
2. Not a Show for Short Attention Spans
Long story arcs require healthy attention spans, something with which television viewers aren’t typically endowed. Viewers need to keep track of what’s going on with each character from episode to episode, as the show is known for building around major arcs. And without the patronizing “last time on …” treatment, fans are left to their own memories.
3. Mastery of the Slow Reveal
Grey’s writers are adept at the slow reveal. Attentive viewers knew Alex, played by Justin Chambers, had a screwed up childhood and that he spent too much of it in bars with his “lounge lizard” parents. But fans didn’t know he spent some very young years caring for his junkie father until Lexie arrived. Neither did fans know his mother had a psychiatric breakdown until Ava/Rebecca had one. That's a lot of crazy for one guy to handle.
Viewers knew Christina was hardcore and pretty darn callous. But it wasn’t until George’s father died when she shared with her colleague that “there’s a club called the dead dads' club” and, like her, you can’t be in it till you’re in it. Then last season, she revealed that her father bled out in her arms following a car accident. She could feel his heart as he died. That’s when she knew she wanted to be a surgeon.
The Big reveal--The Ghost of Denny
One of Grey’s biggest reveals was met with chagrim by many viewers—the ghost of Denny reveal. For many episodes, Izzie, played by Katie Heigl, saw, heard, and….felt… her dead fiancé. Internet rumors mounted about how and why she was experiencing Denny before viewers learned she had a brain tumor.
More reasons why Grey's Anatomy shouldn't be on the air
From sex to brain cells, there are many more reasons why this hit show continues on despite the odds. Stay tuned for more of those reasons.
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