'Grey's Anatomy' shocker! Except, you know, not
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I guess my shock meter isn't all that finely tuned, because when I read the description for the next new Grey's Anatomy episode, my reaction was not so much "Wha?!?!" as "Hmm."
Yet this morning I saw all sorts of items online about how Shocking! and and Gasp!-inducing the news was. All this from one little sentence in the description of the March 12 episode. It reads: "After learning at a deposition that more of his patients have died than survived, Derek decides to quit, even as Meredith refuses to give up on him."
OMG! Is McDreamy really quitting? Is Patrick Dempsey leaving the show, just like everyone else may or may not be!?!
Yeah -- no.
Here's the thing: If a network is putting out information like that in a press release (a similar version of the logline will also probably show up in your TV book or on-screen guide) it probably doesn't qualify as shocking, or even very surprising. (Despite a "shocker" headline, EW's Michael Ausiello rightly calls shenanigans on the chances of Dempsey actually leaving the show; I'd envision torches and pitchforks advancing on ABC headquarters if that were to happen).
The reason my eyebrows didn't raise when I read the episode description is because that feels like a logical progression for Dempsey's character. Derek's loss of the pregnant aneurysm patient (Jennifer Westfeldt) last week clearly wrecked him (did anyone else get an ER-"Love's Labors Lost" vibe from the episode? I did, and not just because the patient was preeclamptic), and combined with the less than ideal results of his and Meredith's clinical trial, it's no wonder the guy feels beaten down.
The "Meredith refuses to give up on him" part of the logline could be good too. The dark and twisty one has come a long way emotionally this season, and I think it could be very interesting to see a bit of role reversal in their relationship, with her trying to help him through some rocky psychological territory.
I think I'd even say I'm looking forward to seeing how this story plays out. Which is probably what ABC wanted in the first place.
Any thoughts on the forthcoming Derek-quits storyline? How do you think it will play out?
The character arcs on this show have become truly bothersome. There doesn't seem to be any consistency in their behavior and Derek is just about the worst of them all. He's rather suddenly gone from conscientious, warm and thoughtful to throughly de****able.
I used to tolerate this show because my spouse watches it. P-Demps was one of the few things I liked (though I've always felt many of the actors were more enjoyable to their characters and the sloppy writing). Derek's behavior as a doctor and in his personal relationships is one of many reasons it's become unbearable. It may have worked if it had played out over the course of the season, but there seemed to be a rush to get him from point A to B in time for the crossover non-event, or possibly to transform him into someone no one in their right mind would want to marry.
I doubt he'll leave the show, which is facing a lot of cast turnover this season as is. This all feels like a set up for some Emmy-baiting catharsis episode later in the season.
So *you're* the one still watching it!
"did anyone else get an ER-'Love's Labors Lost' vibe from the episode?" Uh yeah, I did. To the point where I flat out told my sister, who is a die hard fan, that Grey's Anatomy essentially plagerized ER.
Yawn.
I'm disgusted with Grey's. It has wasted half a season's worth of episodes, at least 10 episodes, on the "Izzy/Denny the ghost" plot line but with other characters it has rushed things to the point where it feels off.
Yes, McDreamy has been long overdue for a serious plot line but this new development just seems too rushed. Are we to believe that a supposedly world-cl*** neurosurgeon who makes the cover of medical journals and gets written up for accomplishing impossible surgeries is seriously going to consider dropping out of his profession because of a few dead patients, most of which we, the viewers, never saw? Uh, no, I don't think so. And the whole Meredith being there to support him, yawn. Not interested in seeing that.
I am just waiting...with all the characters who are supposed to be leaving but no one is supposed to know about it until after it happens this will be my last year watching Grey's. And, no, I don't believe Dempsey is one who is or will be leaving. I have been waiting all season to see a recovery from last seasons disaster, it is not happening at this point and from the "rumors" that keep hitting it will not be happening.
They need to bring back Dr. Burke to shake things up at Seattle Grace. Why doesn't ABC do that as a bit of stunt casting?
Derek and Meredith completely bore me. Gimme more Christina/Hunt and Lexie/Mark!
I agree with Jocephus. The chance to see Kevin McKidd is what got me watching Grey's again.
Personally I have not seen enough 0f Mer/Der this season and I CAN'T wait!!!!! The fact that Mer will be the strong one is a MUST see---she has come so far----I have been waiting ALL season 4 a good storyline about these 2....hope it is as good as it sounds!!!!!!!!!!!!