The medical drama has dragged on for far too long
Grey’s Anatomy—ABC’s hit medical drama created by the incomparable Shonda Rhimes—first hit the small screen in 2004. Entering its thirteenth season this month, the show has been a huge hit. During its third season, it was the number one scripted show on television and remained number one for three years.
Unfortunately, that’s when Grey’s Anatomy’s ratings started to freefall. By the eighth and ninth seasons, its rank had dropped to eighth place and seventh place, respectively. While it has recently made a remarkable comeback in terms of ratings, there are aspects of this medical drama that simply fail to resonate with its original audience. After 12 years of dedicated Thursday night viewings, even some die-hard fans like myself are saying it’s time to throw in the towel.
Here are four reasons why it’s time for Grey’s Anatomy to pull the plug. Spoilers to follow.
- They killed McDreamy
For most devout Grey’s Anatomy fans, this point needs no explanation. I can still remember how angry I felt during this episode. It felt like a personal attack; like Shonda Rhimes killed McDreamy because she knew I would be upset about it.
- Hasn’t Meredith suffered enough?
Throughout the course of the last 12 years, we’ve seen poor Meredith Grey endure everything from a mass shooting to the plane crash that killed her sister. We’ve tuned in faithfully as she watched the man she loved go back to his wife in season two, and as she almost drowned in season three. We even stayed loyal to the show after she lost some of the most important people in her life; first George, then her sister, then Yang, and most devastatingly, McDreamy. As a true Grey’s Anatomy fan, when Meredith hurts, I hurt—and a girl can only handle so much misery!
- They are running out of storylines
How many rare catastrophes have to happen to the same group of people before it becomes unrealistic? Grey’s Anatomy has been running for so long that the writers seem to be running out of things to do. Every character has either cheated or been cheated on, has fallen ill or has been involved in an outrageous accident. When they run out of things to do, they bring in a new character and repeat the cycle all over again.
- Too many characters are gone (because most of them are dead)
As I’ve already mentioned, we’ve lost so many characters over the course of the series that the original show is barely recognizable. One of the great things about the show in its earliest seasons was the friendship and romantic dynamics between the interns. They were relatable, they were funny, they were pretty messed up, but that’s what drew us to those characters. Now, three out of five of the interns are gone, and when they left, they took some of the heart of the show with them. For fans of the show, losing George, Izzie, and Cristina was like American Idol losing Simon, Randy, and Paula. It’s just not the same.
Not to mention the loss of other major characters such as Addison Montgomery, Mark Sloan, Lexie Grey, and Preston Burke. And obviously we’re all still upset about McDreamy.
All these points considered, Grey’s Anatomy has been performing exceptionally well even into seasons 10 through 12. The drama remains one of the most popular shows on television and has been able to capture a whole new audience. I would argue the continued success is due in part to a feeling of loyalty felt by long-time viewers. I don’t feel the same excitement about watching the show as I used to, but I’ve dedicated so much of my TV-watching life to Grey’s Anatomy that giving up on it now just feels wrong. I hope my fellow Grey’s fans agree with me when I say that Shonda Rhimes is a genius, but perhaps it’s time for her to dream another McDreamy.
Photo Courtesy of Grey’s Anatomy.