18 Things That Literally Make No Sense About Grey's Anatomy
Even fourteen seasons in, Grey's Anatomy is still a show that gets people talking. There are some true fans who are always going to watch and love this dramatic hospital series… and then there are people who gave up after the third or fourth season, claiming that it just wasn't the same after that. We probably know some people in each camp, and chances are, we're still tuning in every single week.
Breaking up with a television show is a tough thing to do and the hospital drama still has a lot of good things going for it. There are still a lot of reasons to watch, like Meredith's inspiring story and the sense of humor that the doctors have despite being in crazy situations on a regular basis. Oh, and all the dating drama. That's pretty fun to watch, too. That being said, there are some things about this show that have us shaking our heads and wondering. And we know that a lot of other true, loyal fans feel the exact same way. Read on to find out 18 things about Grey's Anatomy that literally make no sense! (But we're not going to stop watching. Shondaland, we love you!)
18 How Many Vital Characters Shonda Has Perished
If there's one show where the most characters pass away, it would have to be this one. At first, it's shocking and sad and super powerful… but when it keeps happening, it kind of makes fans wonder if this is going to keep happening and if there's any point caring about the characters.
A lot of characters die on this show, and honestly, some of the best characters have passed away, like Lexie and Mark, and it just doesn't make sense. Technically, those passings were interesting storylines, and that's obviously why those creative decisions were made… but the fans loved those characters and would love to still see them on the show today. It doesn't make sense to just off such popular, amazing characters, and we still miss them.
17 Why So Many Beloved Couples Break Up
There are so many couples on Grey's Anatomy that most fans would agree should still be together this season. Those include Callie and Arizona and Jackson and April.
These couples all seemed super in love at first and then, slowly but surely, their relationships started disintegrating. They started fighting all the time and acting like it was just so impossible to stay together. Before we knew it, they were broken up, and we were wondering why they couldn't just work it out. There are some TV couples that fans really care about and want to stick around, and those two couples are it. It doesn't make sense why these two pairs couldn't make it work. It seems like with some serious conversations and some hard work and effort, they could totally still be in love today.
16 Why Callie Never Came Back
When news broke that Sara Ramirez was leaving the show, it was big news, and pretty sad. The actress wanted to move on to other things, so yeah, it does make sense that her character, Callie, would leave the show too… but at the same time, it doesn't make sense at all.
Why didn't her character return to Seattle? That was never really talked about or explained that much. Yeah, she fell in love and moved to New York with her new partner, but it seems like she would want to stay at the hospital that she knows and loves. It's tough to make a big move and a big change like that, and this is just another OG character who is now off the show, which makes us so sad.
15 Amelia And Owen's Quickie Marriage
Amelia and Owen got married in the season twelve finale, but honestly, their relationship never seemed like a very good idea. They started dating and got married pretty quickly, and while that's totally fine if a couple is crazy in love (whether on a TV show or IRL), that didn't seem to be the case.
Yes, Owen was nuts about Cristina, and they were such a beautiful couple. They went through so much together and really seemed well suited to each other… well, besides all the drama that they went through, but hey, this is Grey's Anatomy that we're talking about. That kind of stuff is bound to happen. Since Owen and Amelia aren't even a thing anymore, it doesn't make sense that they even dated to begin with.
14 Bailey Being So Mad About Ben's Firefighting Career Change
We all know that the Grey's spinoff Station 19 is about firefighters and that Ben is going to be on that show, so it makes sense that his character would start talking about his ambitions as a firefighter on the hospital drama.
What doesn't make sense is that his wife, Miranda Bailey, is so pissed off about it when she first hears about it. Wouldn't we expect someone so tough and inspiring to be happy that her husband had found a new dream and something that he was totally passionate about? Sure, it's dangerous and risky, but he would obviously be super careful. It just seems strange that she was so mad and wouldn't even talk to him about it or listen to him explain himself.
13 Amelia's Brain Tumor
A while back, it was revealed that Amelia had a brain tumor. She's totally okay now, but in recent episodes, the general suggestion has been that her tumor might have been the reason behind all of the decisions that she's made for several years, from over-using substances to her relationships.
That just doesn't really make that much sense. It seems like an easy explanation and plot point. It also seems to make her past storylines and struggles feel less moving and powerful. As fans know, Amelia is a character who was on the Grey's spin-off Private Practice, and her storylines were so beautiful and sad on that show. It just lessens the impact of her story to say that it was all because of her medical situation.
12 Why Meredith Can't Have Another Love Story
In season thirteen, it seemed like Meredith Grey was getting another chance at true love and happiness… and it almost happened twice.
She had a crush on Nathan Riggs but ultimately it didn't work out, since he was still in love with Megan Hunt, who was discovered alive and unwell, but still alive and that was what counted. Before that, she slept with someone for the first time since losing Derek, and after being with Dr. Will Thorpe, she totally freaked out. None of these potential love stories panned out and it doesn't make any sense. Meredith has been through so much that it's definitely time for her to find love again. Why can't she?! Fans would absolutely love it and she deserves to be happy.
11 There Are Characters That Only Last A Season (Or Less)
There always seem to be new characters each season on Grey's Anatomy, from Owen's sister Megan Hunt (played by Abigail Spencer) to Dr. Nicole Herman (played by Geena Davis). These recurring guest stars only last a season or even less. Sometimes they're just there for a handful of episodes.
Of course, a lot of TV shows do this, but with a show that already has such a massive cast, it can feel like way too many characters to keep track of. It can just seem like way too much to deal with. If new characters are going to be introduced, it would be great if they stuck around for a long time so we could really get to know them, especially since so many original characters are no longer on the show.
10 Why Jo Took So Long To Tell Alex About Her Past
Jo's husband finally showed up at the hospital in a recent episode, played by Matthew Morrison, and now he's gone, which is pretty good news for fans of Jo and Alex. Now they can get married in peace… hopefully. You never know with this show.
When Alex originally was talking about getting married, Jo said no and even dumped him, and that just doesn't make any sense. She was hiding the fact that she ran away from her crazy and dangerous husband and changed her name, but honestly, why would she even do that at all? Why wouldn't she trust Alex enough to tell him the truth? Of course, he would love and support her because deep down, he's a big sweetheart. She took way too long to tell him about her difficult and tragic past.
9 Bailey's Heart Attack
In episode eleven of season fourteen, Bailey checked herself into another hospital and said that she thought that she was having a heart attack. The doctors didn't believe her (and no one working there did).
This doesn't make any sense. Why wouldn't the other hospital be able to tell what she was going through? Bailey asked for a stress test and they said that she didn't need one and wouldn't even listen to her. It's confusing that they didn't want to give her one and that they didn't want to really check if she was having a heart attack or about to have one. They knew that she's a super accomplished, awesome doctor and yet they didn't want to listen to her. That just seems really strange and not what would have happened in that situation.
8 Season 14's Hacking Episode Made No Sense
In episode nine of season fourteen, the hospital's entire computer system is hacked, and it's super dramatic. Bailey isn't sure how to deal with and calls in the FBI and stands there asking them questions (while getting advice from a tech-savvy character who is feeding her the questions).
This is another storyline that doesn't make a lot of sense. Because when this happens, there is no other way for the doctors to, well, do their jobs and function. They can't look up patient charts or order tests or even get into certain rooms. A hospital that big and important would definitely have a back-up system or another way of functioning. It just seems like they would plan for something like that since so many lives would be at stake.
7 Why The Characters Seem So Down/Sad Most Of The Time
Sure, Grey's Anatomy is a drama, which means that it has moments of sadness and darkness like anything in that TV genre. But the characters honestly and truly seem really down most of the time… and that's another thing that is a bit confusing.
Of course, they've all struggled and gone through hard times. They've lost people who they loved, whether family members or romantic partners and have had to roll with the punches a few too many times when it comes to hospital changes. But do they really have to be so sad all the time? Aren't they successful? Shouldn't they be happy because they're doing what they love every day? No one can be happy all the time, that's true, but they really don't seem to ever celebrate their accomplishments or just enjoy life.
6 Cristina's Continued Absence
When Cristina Yang left the show in season ten, it was pretty heartbreaking for long-time fans. Cristina was, quite simply, one of the best characters on the show, if not on any TV show in general. She was hilarious and strong and inspiring and just so great.
Since then, Cristina is super absent from the show, and it doesn't make sense since she is Meredith's best friend in the whole world. Her person. Her confidante. The one who gets her more than anyone else. She's only mentioned sometimes and it seems like Meredith has only talked about phoning her a handful of times. You would think that they would FaceTime or Skype or even have her on the show at least once since she's been gone.
5 All The End-Of-Season Crises Are A Bit Unrealistic
At a certain point, when a show seems to follow the same formula over and over again, it starts to feel stale and feels less powerful. That seems to be what is happening with Grey's Anatomy.
Yes, traditionally TV shows want to have a big season finale since that's an important episode, but on this show, does it really make sense? There is always a massive crisis at the end of every single season, and now that season fourteen is on the air, it has become a bit predictable. Since things usually do work out just fine for the doctors (for the most part… but the core characters are alive and well each season), that makes these episodes a bit less impactful. We feel like, yes, the characters will suffer for a bit, but then things will go back to the status quo at the hospital.
4 The Over-The-Top Medical Cases
There has been a lot of media attention about how Grey's Anatomy has unrealistic medical cases. The NY Daily News wrote about a study saying that the show gives people "false expectations" of what it'll be like to go to the hospital. And there are countless articles asking if the cases ring true or not.
Yes, this is absolutely a television drama, and so the cases have to be compelling enough to keep viewers coming back week after week. But at this point, since the show has been on the air for so long, it seems like some of these things couldn't actually happen… or like the patients couldn't actually survive them. Characters often have weird objects in weird places (that seems to be a running theme on the show), and it's just a bit unrealistic.
3 How Only Two OG Characters Are Still On The Show
Back in the day, aka the first season, there was a core group on Grey's Anatomy that were the best of friends. They were navigating being interns together and living in Meredith Grey's house. This group included Meredith, Alex Karev, Cristina Yang, Izzie Stevens, and George O'Malley.
Now, only Meredith and Alex are still on the show, and everyone else is gone, for one reason or another. And, honestly, it makes us nostalgic and kind of sad just thinking about the early days of this series. Things would look a lot different if Cristina, Izzie, and George were still around, and we would really love to see them still hanging out with Meredith and Alex. This group was such a big, important part of the show and they were so special, and now we're supposed to care about so many other characters instead. It's just not the same.
2 The Random Interns
Every season, there seem to be more interns on this show, but do we even remember their names (or hear them in the first place)? That would probably be a "no."
When Meredith and Alex and the other members of their friend group started at the hospital in the first season, they were interns, and since then they have risen the ranks and are now in their respective specialties. (Well, the ones that have stayed are doing that… meaning just Meredith and Alex.) Now, there are new interns all the time, but they either hang in the background of the major storylines or seem to just disappear when a new season begins. Why are these interns even on the show? Wouldn't it be possible not to even mention them at all since there are so many other characters?
1 April And Arizona Leaving The Show
Recently, news broke that Sarah Drew (April) and Jessica Capshaw (Arizona) would be leaving the show after the current season… and fans weren't happy.
This Bustle.com writer called it "a blow to a less flashy form of feminism" and that's a good way of putting it. Basically, people are wondering if the actresses were fired because Ellen Pompeo (Meredith) is now making so many millions for her role, but there's no official word on that. Ellen was all, "No way" but there's no actual way to know. All we do know is that it's sad that these actresses (and their lovely, strong, inspiring characters) won't be on the show anymore. It just doesn't make any sense to have such good characters leave and we're shaking our heads about it even after getting used to the news.
References: Nydailynews.com, Bustle.com, comopolitan.com