Spoilers and Spoiler Speculation: Benchmarking

[Chas411]

3 hours ago, funnygirl said:

Maybe Maggie ends up hooking up with Mathew Morrison's charming-but-bad character? 

That could be interesting. Could definetly make for a cliffhanger.

[OtterMommy]

Why does every character on this show need to be in the midst of some relationship angst?  Really?  And, if they absolutely must all be in romantically involved with someone, do they all seem to think that they are limited to the GSMMWSGH dating pool? (Still miffed that Meredith chose Derek over Finn......)  

I cannot see Jackson and Maggie together.  The only reason I could see they would do this is to somehow extricate Jackson from April so that Jesse Williams could leave the show..

[Chas411]

I don't know why but I could see Jackson/Maggie having a thing so that April would be free to maybe date the Glee guys character possibly Jos ex? Her ex is supposed to be charming so I feel like when he arrives he'll have everyone fooled until she sees him.

[FnkyChkn34]

On 4/8/2017 at 3:22 AM, Chas411 said:

I don't know why but I could see Jackson/Maggie having a thing so that April would be free to maybe date the Glee guys character possibly Jos ex? Her ex is supposed to be charming so I feel like when he arrives he'll have everyone fooled until she sees him.

Didn't Jackson just say something about being like Maggie's brother?  And that's why Diane went to him in the first place, knowing that he'd look over Maggie?  It all sounded ridiculous to me because they aren't biologically related in any way and Jackson doesn't look to Richard as a father figure, let alone a step-father, but they've now planted that seed.  The writers can't make them romantically involved if they want the viewer to think they are like siblings.  

[OtterMommy]

1 hour ago, FnkyChkn34 said:

Didn't Jackson just say something about being like Maggie's brother?  And that's why Diane went to him in the first place, knowing that he'd look over Maggie?  It all sounded ridiculous to me because they aren't biologically related in any way and Jackson doesn't look to Richard as a father figure, let alone a step-father, but they've now planted that seed.  The writers can't make them romantically involved if they want the viewer to think they are like siblings.  

The writers could do that, if they wanted to.  It wouldn't work and it would greatly up the tawdry level on this show, but based on how this season has gone, it wouldn't surprise me if they tried it.

That being said, once I finally watched this episode, I didn't get a potential-romantic vibe from it but rather, as @FnkyChkn34 said, more of a sibling vibe.  That doesn't make that much sense either, but whatever.  I do think the show is trying, unsuccessfully, to make a tighter knot of the cast and this might be part of that.  We've already had Arizona confiding in Riggs which makes, really, no sense since I don't think the two characters have ever really had anything to do with each other.  But, we have the "sisters three" on one hand, and then Richard and his sort-of progeny (Maggie, Meredith, and Jackson), then whatever Jackson and April are doing, and we are not allowed to forget Owen and Amelia...so I can see the writers thinking they had to kind of platonically put Riggs and Arizona together in some way to make this all one not-happy, bizarrely dysfunctional family.

[BaseOps]

It's interesting how little we know about the final 4 episodes of the season considering how close they are. This week is 13x20 and then there's only 4 to go - and we don't even have a press release for 13x21. All we know is that a mysterious new doctor shows up and he's probably Jo's ex, but even that part is speculation. I suppose we also know that Maggie will find out about Mer / Riggs and Steph has to be written off somehow, but it's still not a lot to go on. 

[Pink ranger]

Quote

Scoop: GREY'S ANATOMY on ABC - Thursday, April 27, 2017

News Desk Apr. 10, 2017  

Tweet Share

On the episode “Don’t Stop Me Now” – Bailey and April work to fix things between Richard and Catherine. Meanwhile, Eliza continues to pursue Arizona, and one of Alex’s previous patients returns to Grey Sloan, on “Grey’s Anatomy,” THURSDAY, APRIL 27 (8:00-9:01 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network. 

“Grey’s Anatomy” stars Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey, Justin Chambers as Alex Karev, Chandra Wilson as Miranda Bailey, James Pickens Jr. as Richard Webber, Kevin McKidd as Owen Hunt, Jessica Capshaw as Arizona Robbins, Jesse Williams as Jackson Avery, Sarah Drew as April Kepner, Caterina Scorsone as Amelia Shepherd, Camilla Luddington as Jo Wilson, Jerrika Hinton as Stephanie Edwards, Kelly McCreary as Maggie Pierce, Jason George as Ben Warren, Martin Henderson as Nathan Riggs and Giacomo Gianniotti as Andrew DeLuca.

“Grey’s Anatomy” was created and is executive produced by Shonda Rhimes (“Scandal,” “How to Get Away with Murder”), Betsy Beers (“Scandal,” “How to Get Away with Murder”) and Mark Gordon (“Saving Private Ryan”). William Harper, Stacy McKee, Zoanne Clack and Debbie Allen are executive producers. “Grey’s Anatomy” is produced by ABC Studios.

Guest Starring is Debbie Allen as Catherine Avery. 

“Don’t Stop Me Now” was written by Andy Reaser and directed by Louis Venosta.

source

[funnygirl]

Well, it was a good five consecutive episodes without MEHnnick. And I'm pretty sure it's been made clear that Arizona and her are already (unfortunately) together. 

Aside from the Alex stuff, this episode sounds like a dud.  

And I guess Matthew Morrison/Jo's ex won't be showing up until episode 22. 

[BaseOps]

12 minutes ago, funnygirl said:

Well, it was a good five consecutive episodes without MEHnnick. And I'm pretty sure it's been made clear that Arizona and her are already (unfortunately) together. 

Aside from the Alex stuff, this episode sounds like a dud.  

And I guess Matthew Morrison/Jo's ex won't be showing up until episode 22. 

 

 

Minnick was actually in the last episode, though it was - thankfully - very brief. I'm not sure why she needs to 'continue' pursuing Arizona when they seem to have made it clear that they're together. 

I wonder which of Alex's old patients will be back? Perhaps it's someone we've never seen. 

Edited April 10, 2017 by BaseOps

[Scatterbrained]

9 minutes ago, BaseOps said:

I wonder which of Alex's old patients will be back? Perhaps it's someone we've never seen. 

It's the pregnant lady he stood in line with at the courthouse, noticed her hand/arm rash, and recommended she be seen in his clinic (when he was on probation).  He diagnosed her cancer.  She chose not to seek treatment in order to carry the baby to full term.  She is coming in to have the baby, according to rumors.

Edited April 10, 2017 by Scatterbrained

[Scatterbrained]

Cancer was quite the co-star this season: Alex's patient, Richard's mom, Maggie's mom,  Japril's Montana case, and I'm probably missing one or more cases, off the top of my head.

i have a feeling the last four episodes are gonna be a wild, fast ride; like the log flume at the amusement park, or something.

ETA: I wonder if they have been holding off on  Jolex storylines and episodes until next season due to Camilla's pregnancy.

Also, wouldn't it be funny if they didn't write Stephanie out, even though we are all expecting them to?  She would just fade away like Cross did this year when he was on another show.  If her new show doesn't work out, she might just fade back in.  LOL.

Edited April 10, 2017 by Scatterbrained

[BaseOps]

So the finale is indeed a fire. Probably. 

With Grey’s Anatomy heading toward a big event in its season finale, a new tease from Shonda Rhimes may spell doom for the hospital  — that, or the hospital may play host to the victims of a fire. You decide: “Debbie Allen and I like to say that the episode is on fire,” Rhimes told EW at the Scandal 100th episode party on Saturday night. “That’s the only way we’re going to describe it. It’s a pretty exciting episode that’s very on fire.”

Allen, who wrapped directing the Grey’s finale on Friday, concurred: “I can only tease that it’s going to be hot for real; it’s on fire. We had night shoots and we were up all night for a couple of weeks, but boy it was great. I was so excited every day.”

Does this mean the actual hospital will be on fire in the finale? “I don’t know about that,” Rhimes said coyly.

However fire may or may not play a role in the finale, it sounds like someone could get burned. “You should be worried,” Allen cautioned. “Be worried, because it’s that kind of night. It’s going to be that kind of a ride.”

In fact, Allen reveals that the events of the season finale will give fans an indication of what’s coming next year. “I think season 14 is going to be spectacular,” Allen said. “We’re planting some seeds that you won’t see coming, but you will be waiting to see how it’s all going to play out.”

Edited April 10, 2017 by BaseOps

[Deanie87]

They've done nothing but plant seeds for the last two seasons. How about finally getting all of these seeds to blossom for god sake! I find it actually insulting that the are now talking up season 14 while we have yet to see the shit that started in season 12 wrapped up. I don't know whose job it is to map out these seasons and storylines,  Debbie Allen, Stacy McKee or William Harper or a combo of all three, but they really suck at it. 

[funnygirl]

46 minutes ago, Scatterbrained said:

It's the pregnant lady he stood in line with at the courthouse, noticed her hand/arm rash, and recommended she be seen in his clinic (when he was on probation).  He diagnosed her cancer.  She chose not to seek treatment in order to carry the baby to full term.  She is coming in to have the baby, according to rumors.

So then really the patient will end up being Arizona's, but maybe she'll let Alex assist, or he'll hang around to see if she's okay. 

I guess at least he'll have more screen time (by an extra scene or two) then he did in episode 19. 

[BaseOps]

This season, in particular, has felt like a lot of stalling - still no Meredith / Riggs advancement, still no movement on Alex / Jo, lots of treading water between Jackson and April, total stagnation between Owen and Amelia, etc. I hope the end of this season brings some changes - when next season rolls around, I want new stories to explore, not the same rehashing of what we've seen. 

[Layne]

3 hours ago, funnygirl said:

AndI guess Matthew Morrison/Jo's ex won't be showing up until episode 22. 

 Isn't he on the plane with Mere and Riggs?

[Starscream]

Being on fire, the way they put it, could mean a lot of things.  Maybe the show will go back to its roots and everybody will be doing it like rabbits in the finale.  Maybe that's why Bailey is so eager to get Catherine and the Chief back together, so Richard will get out of the on-call room and BCB can make her triumphant return.

2 hours ago, BaseOps said:

This season, in particular, has felt like a lot of stalling - still no Meredith / Riggs advancement, still no movement on Alex / Jo, lots of treading water between Jackson and April, total stagnation between Owen and Amelia, etc. I hope the end of this season brings some changes - when next season rolls around, I want new stories to explore, not the same rehashing of what we've seen. 

I blame all the babies.  They're certainly the reason why this Meredith and Riggs storyline is so protracted and why Amelia has been acting nuttier than ever.  It's also probably why we seem to have had an inordinate number of episodes focusing on very small groups of characters this season.

[BaseOps]

57 minutes ago, Starscream said:

Being on fire, the way they put it, could mean a lot of things.  Maybe the show will go back to its roots and everybody will be doing it like rabbits in the finale.  Maybe that's why Bailey is so eager to get Catherine and the Chief back together, so Richard will get out of the on-call room and BCB can make her triumphant return.

I blame all the babies.  They're certainly the reason why this Meredith and Riggs storyline is so protracted and why Amelia has been acting nuttier than ever.  It's also probably why we seem to have had an inordinate number of episodes focusing on very small groups of characters this season.

 

 

Totally, so I sort of give the writers a pass - but, with those actresses out, I wish they had worked harder to develop the stories they were focusing on. Like, Minnick has been around all season but we don't really know anything about her. She's more of a plot point than a character, which is fine for a short time but now we're supposed to root for her and Arizona. She should have been better developed given the time they had. I feel the same about Deluca; we know nothing about the guy. We knew so much about Meredith, Izzie, George, and Christina by the end of their second season on the show. 

And I think the fire is literal - there were lots of fire trucks spotted on set of the finale.

Edited April 10, 2017 by BaseOps

[flickers]

Even with the pregnant actresses out, there's like 25 other regular characters they could have given a decent storyline.

[Coxfires]

Quote

Totally, so I sort of give the writers a pass - but, with those actresses out, I wish they had worked harder to develop the stories they were focusing on. 

So much of this. With the bloated cast they have, this could have been an opportunity to center real story-arcs around the other characters, particularly the men. I know that this is a mainly women-driven show, but come on, couldn't Alex, Jackson or even DeLuca benefit of this for a while. Instead of the big pile of nothing that we got out from the Alex situation, couldn't we get a real psychological analysis of the character? Deal with the why of his violence instead of restricting him to being sad to have to work for the clinic? Take the opportunity to bring some of his family or go deeper in there? And DeLuca, why not get the opportunity to know him better? But no, they wallowed in half-assed stories with a stupid resolution, that invalidates everything, with no consequences whatsoever.

I think it goes beyond the pregnancies, the writers are just out of ideas, or at least of good ones, none of the storylines going on are interesting, people act like 15 year-old teenagers, and it results in this uninteresting, boring season. 

Edited April 11, 2017 by Coxfires

[BaseOps]

Given the ratings of everything else on ABC, I'm a bit shocked that they haven't tried to get Shonda to create a Grey's spinoff with some of the existing characters. I mean, NBC did a freaking Blacklist spinoff and that show had already gone below a 1.0 at points (they also have 15 different 'Chicago' shows). CBS has 3 NCIS series and they're spinning off The Big Bang Theory next year. The CW is basically 300 different DC superheroes who all interact. A Grey's spinoff would be a lot more easily digestible by casual viewers, as it would basically be a new hospital drama - with a different angle - a la Private Practice. Like, move Catharine, April, and Jackson over to the Avery Hospital and add a bunch of sexy new doctors, let Richard and some other docs stop in every once in a while. I thought the prison hospital from 13x10 could make an interesting spinoff with a lot of potential. They could do Owen and April at a military hospital, etc. These are just off the top of my head... I'd be shocked if someone at ABC hasn't thought about it. They'll likely only be renewing one new drama this year, Designated Survivor, which is at a 1.1. Anything else they could renew is well below an 0.9 and even Scandal got down to a 1.2, while the lowest Grey's has ever done is 1.7 and Private Practice was viable for them for years. 

[Deanie87]

Quote

I blame all the babies.  They're certainly the reason why this Meredith and Riggs storyline is so protracted and why Amelia has been acting nuttier than ever.  It's also probably why we seem to have had an inordinate number of episodes focusing on very small groups of characters this season.

None of the excuses work for me anymore, at least as far as what I want to see, which is mainly Alex and Jo.  Some of the storylines have been going on for years now, years if you consider that Alex first proposed to Jo in season 10.  Every new season brings a flurry of articles and interviews about how this is finally the season that we explore Jo both personally and as a doctor, and this will finally be the season that Alex becomes a grown up, etc. And yet, it never happens. Shonda claims that season 11 was going to have a huge storyline for them but it got scrapped because of Dempsey, Season 12 comes along, and same thing, lots and lots of promotion, then...I don't know SaRa leaves and Penny has to become the greatest resident known to man I guess.  Then this season they can conveniently use Camilla's pregnancy, even though they start filming in July and they seem to be able to work around most other pregnancies.   Here we are and Jo's marriage and identity still haven't been addressed, and Alex has gone from homeowner twice over and seemingly stable, to beating people have to death and yet fucking again, crashing at Meredith's and playing nursemaid to her and the sisters.

To be fair, Camilla did get more to do than she usually does at the beginning of the season, but I don't understand why Minnick dominated the middle part of the season when the Alex and Jo story stalled completely.  Also, as far as I'm aware, Justin Chambers isn't pregnant, yet he has had mere minutes of screen time in the last 5 or so episodes and those minutes have pretty much only been about Riggs and Meredith.    So once again, the big story that has been promised (and the main reason why I still tune in) has been stalled and pushed back to the next season.  And come the premiere of season 14, I'm sure we will get all kinds of platitudes about domestic violence, etc. and then something else will come up and the storyline will either get stalled again, or drawn out to the mid=season finale only to be ended in 3 minutes.  And the the worst part is, there are plenty of promo photos, interviews and behind the scenes shots/videos that suggest that stuff is getting written for Jo and Alex, and filmed, but then it gets cut.  So apparently Camilla isn't too pregnant to actually haul her ass to the studio to film, but she is too pregnant to have any of it actually make it to the episode.   So their absence on screen doesn't seem to be the case of them accommodating the actors.  And I'm sure that this may be the case for other actors on the show as well, but it doesn't seem to happen so consistently to anyone other than Alex (and then by extension Jo), which doesn't make sense because they ARE actually in the middle of story.

So what it boils down to, as always, is that those in charge have favorites and those favorites' storylines never seem to be on the losing end of any kind of backstage issues, they get plenty of character development and plenty of screentime.   Any other explanations, to me, are just hollow excuses.  The solution is to quit this whole show, but apparently I am unable to do that and I guess I'll stick with it to the bitter (and boy do I mean bitter) end.

[funnygirl]

Especially because they've shot quite a few episodes this season out of order and months before they were set to air (episodes 10, 16 and I think 20 were all filmed last fall), and knowing at the beginning of the season that Camilla was pregnant and sure to be on maternity leave by mid-March/April (depending on due date), they could've made the time to construct the big Alex/Jo story accordingly. They had the Fall half of the season to do so, but instead they introduced a character that has failed at every turn (Minnick) and included a random bottle episode that stalled stories and focused on 4 characters that did not include Jo or Alex, when including either of them could've been beneficial to their larger arc. 

There are no more excuses, as far as I'm concerned. It's just laziness. They are purposefully dragging things out or stalling them completely because they know the well is running dry. Congratulations, Grey's still continues to excel in ratings even when it's hitting series lows like the rest of network television, but that doesn't mean it should keep going. Easy money and time slot filler, aside, the show is dragging it's feet. 

Edited April 11, 2017 by funnygirl

[BaseOps]

Alex and Jo did get a ton of focus in the first 9 episodes, and there was at least one more after the break (with the abusive father), plus Jo was one of only 3 characters in the prison bottle episode. I get that we want to see more, but that's how this show has worked for years. No one has story in all 24 episodes - Meredith was absent from 3 episodes and had a very minimal storyline for the first several episodes, and even recently. DeLuca is in and out, ditto for Steph, April hasn't anything to do lately, Owen had nothing at all to do while Amelia was away, etc. Having Alex's storyline reemerge in the last chunk of the season is typical. He got a lot more to do this year than he did in the previous 2. 

[Court]

I don't even like Jo and it bugs me that the storyline was completely dropped. I want to watch that.  Not Minnick. Not stupid Amelia. 

[BaseOps]

The main storylines have basically been: 

Alex / lead-up to the trail - episode 1 - 10

Minnick / 'Civil War' - episode 7 - 15

And then a jumble of stuff since then - Meredith / Riggs, Maggie's mom, Amelia / Owen, remnants of the 'civil war' story, etc. I wish they had paced things better; like Deluca randomly revealing his love for Jo to Steph after weeks of not even seeing them together; using Minnick as a prop rather than actually developing her as a love interest for Arizona. In that sense, it's the same as Penny - they brought her in as a catalyst for issues at the hospital with Meredith and other characters, and pairing her with Callie made for a good surprise / conflict. Now they've brought Minnick in as a catalyst for issues at the hospital and pairing her with Arizona made for good conflict. The thing is, it's hard to care when it feels like it's just a story point and not a real connection. Also, why the hell was Leah brought back and then never used again? Not that we need another character, it's just another point that feels random and never amounted to anything. 

[Deanie87]

Quote

He got a lot more to do this year than he did in the previous 2. 

Which is just about as low as the bar has ever been set.  There were just as many characters back in season 9-10 and yet they managed to give most characters something.   I don't expect 24 episodes, at this point, I don't even expect 6 episodes of focus, but I do expect a reasonable storyline with continuity and progress.  If that only takes 2 episodes to do, then that's fine, but that's just never the case with his character.  Alex seems to be popular mainly as he is useful to Meredith, and everybody hates Jo, and yet they only seemed to be featured in cliffhangers that never get resolved. 

I don't even think that its fair to say that Alex and Jo got a ton of stuff from episodes 1-9.  Alex got a lot in the first 2-3 episodes for sure, and Jo was a minor part in that.  Then he was ignored for a bit, got one episode in the clinic and then the cliffhanger mid-season finale.  Jo got a side part in Alex's storyline, but it was mostly Meredith who was with him.  Then Alex was missing almost entirely from the first two episodes back after the cliffhanger finale.  Jo got the bottle episode and the one about the abusive patient and those actually focused on her, not Alex, but we still didn't really learn anything we didn't already know. I'm sure that Alex will figure in the last couple of episodes of the season as he usually does and that will end with yet another cliffhanger that will still relate to issues that have been going on for 2+ seasons now.  So I personally don't think that he got a ton of stuff this season and neither did Jo, and what they did get did nothing to further their storyline in any way.  The last real conversation the two of them had was in NOVEMBER in episode 13-9.  That's just ridiculous to me. I would take only 3-4 episodes of focus a season if they ever progressed anything or if any of these storylines had a beginning, middle and end that make sense, but they don't.   Or even if they ever had Meredith (or Maggie, or Arizona or Amelia or anyone) ask Alex about what is going on with Jo just to get a sense of where they are.  It would take 20 seconds, but it never, ever happens.  Instead he staples papers or stares at Maggie's mom's boobs and listens to THEIR problems. Alex told Mer that Jo was married back in episode 9 and Meredith has never followed up one time.  And yet, Maggie just got a 2-3 episode arc that revealed a lot about her and it had a beginning, a middle and an end.  So apparently, the writers are capable of it, they just only choose to do it for a handful of characters.  It pisses me off.

Edited April 11, 2017 by Deanie87

[Rose-1]

1 hour ago, Deanie87 said:

It would take 20 seconds, but it never, ever happens.  Instead he staples papers or stares at Maggie's mom's boobs and listens to THEIR problems. Alex told Mer that Jo was married back in episode 9 and Meredith has never followed up one time.  And yet, Maggie just got a 2-3 episode arc that revealed a lot about her and it had a beginning, a middle and an end.  So apparently, the writers are capable of it, they just only choose to do it for a handful of characters.  It pisses me off.

I agree with all of your post but this right here is my endless problem with this show and it's happened for going on 3 years now, and I'm just about at the end of my tether. The fact that they haven't had a meaningful conversation pisses me off to no end, but it's also the fact that Merlex are STILL so one-sided as well that really turns me off the show. Because a few years ago, they were someshing I truly enjoyed, like Meredith and Cristina. But now..Realistically, in what friendship ever would you expect one person to be going through what Alex is going through, and that friend not show one semblance of interest in their life? I know this is tv but seriously, it does nothing but cement that Alex is only a priority when it suits other characters. And the bias is so obvious now that they might as well have the characters say it! It's just so hard to stomach because we have been watching this show for over a decade, and the blatant dip in quality of the writing is saddening.

Another thing is that if the writers would make it clear that they had no interest in Jo, or Jolex then fine, I'd just stop watching, but it's the constant reassurance that is the worst part! Its like you said, It's like clockwork - they acknowledge the rubbish writing for them, blame it on something, and then promise that THIS year they'll dive into it. And yet somehow Jo's domestic abuse storyline has now turned into a love triangle, where she's barely even present, and Alex staples and moans. Eugh 

[BaseOps]

3 hours ago, Deanie87 said:

Which is just about as low as the bar has ever been set.  There were just as many characters back in season 9-10 and yet they managed to give most characters something.   I don't expect 24 episodes, at this point, I don't even expect 6 episodes of focus, but I do expect a reasonable storyline with continuity and progress.  If that only takes 2 episodes to do, then that's fine, but that's just never the case with his character.  Alex seems to be popular mainly as he is useful to Meredith, and everybody hates Jo, and yet they only seemed to be featured in cliffhangers that never get resolved. 

I don't even think that its fair to say that Alex and Jo got a ton of stuff from episodes 1-9.  Alex got a lot in the first 2-3 episodes for sure, and Jo was a minor part in that.  Then he was ignored for a bit, got one episode in the clinic and then the cliffhanger mid-season finale.  Jo got a side part in Alex's storyline, but it was mostly Meredith who was with him.  Then Alex was missing almost entirely from the first two episodes back after the cliffhanger finale.  Jo got the bottle episode and the one about the abusive patient and those actually focused on her, not Alex, but we still didn't really learn anything we didn't already know. I'm sure that Alex will figure in the last couple of episodes of the season as he usually does and that will end with yet another cliffhanger that will still relate to issues that have been going on for 2+ seasons now.  So I personally don't think that he got a ton of stuff this season and neither did Jo, and what they did get did nothing to further their storyline in any way.  The last real conversation the two of them had was in NOVEMBER in episode 13-9.  That's just ridiculous to me. I would take only 3-4 episodes of focus a season if they ever progressed anything or if any of these storylines had a beginning, middle and end that make sense, but they don't.   Or even if they ever had Meredith (or Maggie, or Arizona or Amelia or anyone) ask Alex about what is going on with Jo just to get a sense of where they are.  It would take 20 seconds, but it never, ever happens.  Instead he staples papers or stares at Maggie's mom's boobs and listens to THEIR problems. Alex told Mer that Jo was married back in episode 9 and Meredith has never followed up one time.  And yet, Maggie just got a 2-3 episode arc that revealed a lot about her and it had a beginning, a middle and an end.  So apparently, the writers are capable of it, they just only choose to do it for a handful of characters.  It pisses me off.

 

I totally agree in terms of the content of the story - it was lacking most of the way through and ended way too abruptly. But that is true of every storyline on the show right now... Jackson and April (they sleep together then don't share a scene for weeks), Riggs and Meredith, Minnick and Arizona, etc. I wish we were getting more meat to every story, I'm just saying at least this year they actually gave Alex something that wasn't just him being a sounding board of Meredith and Maggie. In terms of screentime, he's at the higher end of the cast this season, despite the last few episodes. I hope that with Camila having just had her baby we'll get something at the end of this season that opens the door to actually tell some story with her and Alex next year... but that's happened before, and it usually leads nowhere. I'd at least like to have them either get together or break up for good. This ongoing nothingness is awful. 

[Coxfires]

Quote

I totally agree in terms of the content of the story - it was lacking most of the way through and ended way too abruptly. But that is true of every storyline on the show right now...

For me this is the biggest issue with this show right now. Characters are featured in an episode, but in the end, the are not developped.

Yes, Alex appeared and had scenes in the first 9 episodes, but what more do I know about him? Why did he react so violently? Could he do it again? What are the consequences on his psyche? I can't answer any of these questions. And same for Jo and DeLuca, who were involved in the arc, we are basically all back to square one, so it was 9 episodes for nothing. 

Riggs and Meredith is a joke, and the pseudo-triangle with Maggie is beyond ridiculous for people their age. For April and Jackson, well, at least they are back together I guess. I hope Minnick will get Penny-ed and leave ASAP, because that is hell of a fail of a character.

The whole season feels like a giant filler, but maybe this is why ratings are still high. I mean, you can put the episode in the background and still call your friends, iron your clothes or play Candy Crush while it plays, you know you won't miss anything big anyway.

[GSMHvisitor]

7 hours ago, Coxfires said:

Yes, Alex appeared and had scenes in the first 9 episodes, but what more do I know about him? Why did he react so violently? Could he do it again? What are the consequences on his psyche? I can't answer any of these questions. And same for Jo and DeLuca, who were involved in the arc, we are basically all back to square one, so it was 9 episodes for nothing. 

That's exactly my biggest problem too. It was just a storyline for storyline's sake and not done, because the writers actually cared about further exploring/developing any of these characters. It felt like the writers were thinking "Oh, we haven't given Alex any real storyline in years. We need to do something with him." And then they went and made him do this horrible, horribly brutal thing and they didn't even bother to go deeper into his character to at least explain where it all came from or what it meant for him, how he felt about it. And there have been zero consequences. He just walked up to Bailey, asked for his job back and she made him promise never to do something like that again, and that's that. NOTHING came out of it. But Shonda Rhimes has to "reinvent that show every once in a while or otherwise she'd get bored" (She said something like that in an interview at the beginning of s13 IIRC). Yeah that's what really matters, never the characters, only cheap OMG moments. [insert eye rolling emoji here]

[Rose-1]

Yeah, agree totally GSMHvisitor and what's painfully ironic is that they COULD have 'reinvented' or at least taken apart and let us see the inner mentality of a character with Alex, after having done something so awful. If they were going to have him beat deluca within an inch of his life, the ridiculous overkill of that could have been forgiven if they then went on a PROPER redemption journey with his character, which is what I was expecting - therapy in the form of anger management for one  (I always thought jo could've benefited from that too), because someone doesn't typically lose themselves to the point he did unless there's a much deeper complex issue there - so there was a big opportunity for a full exploration of his mentality that led to this - and maybe once and for all we could have gotten a glimpse at his background from HIS perspective. Because all we've ever had a snippets here and there, and that one brief time his brother came. If they HAD to make it about Alex's violent act, then that's what they should've done. Instead, they sacficed BOTH this and Jo's domestic violence story for a goddamn love triangle that I'd bet barely a single person is even interested in seeing. And it was all basically a cheap gimmick for finale and premiere ratings as you guys have said. What an utter waste and disappointment this show has become 

Edited April 12, 2017 by Rose-1

[Crazy Bird Lady]

What Alex did was despicable. Doctors take an oath to "do no harm". 

Alex doesn't deserve to still be a doctor.

[Deanie87]

And neither did Izzie, neither does Meredith, neither does Bailey, neither does Richard...and on and on it goes.

[BaseOps]

If we're being honest, would any of our 34985649567 current series regulars still be doctors in the real world at this point? I mean, maybe Jackson or Deluca? I can't think of anything awful they've done medically off the top of my head but there's probably something. Also, Alex punched Deluca but Maggie also punched a patient's mom last year, and Owen punched Riggs. All very different situations, of course, but... these doctors love to punch people. 

Edited April 13, 2017 by BaseOps

[OtterMommy]

4 minutes ago, BaseOps said:

If we're being honest, would any of our 34985649567 current series regulars still be doctors in the real world at this point? I mean, maybe Jackson or Deluca? I can't think of anything awful they've done medically off the top of my head but there's probably something. Also, Alex punched Deluca but Maggie also punched a patient's mom last year, and Owen punched Riggs. All very different situations, of course, but... these doctors love to punch people. 

There was also at least one other time that Owen punched a patient (season 8 episode 4....my favorite ep).

So, yeah....I think we're left with Jackson and Deluca, the latter of whom is still an intern.  I guess April, who has made mistakes, but mistakes that are at least believable...even if it resulted in at least one death.  But then, she has also been fired (and re-hired) at least twice....

[BaseOps]

13x22 - Leave It Inside - April and Andrew consult with a patient who has an inoperable heart tumor; Alex and Eliza disagree about the treatment of a young patient; Stephanie and Ben make major decisions.

[OtterMommy]

2 hours ago, BaseOps said:

13x22 - Leave It Inside - April and Andrew consult with a patient who has an inoperable heart tumor; Alex and Eliza disagree about the treatment of a young patient; Stephanie and Ben make major decisions.

Sounds at least promising.  We get some DeLuca and the possibility of Alex taking on Minnick (which could be great fun).  I really don't care what Stephanie and Ben have as their big decisions.  We already know the general outcome of one of them....

But, why is April consulting on an inoperable heart tumor?  She's trauma--not cardio (or oncology....)

Sigh...this show....

[Nobodysfan]

On 24. 3. 2017 at 11:12 PM, Scatterbrained said:

I keep wondering if his sister might have survived the wreck and had a child who somehow ends up on Owen's doorstep.

Sorry, been away, it took me  a long time to respond, this is a possibility.  However, wouldn´t Riggs be the father or maybe not?

Edited April 15, 2017 by Nobodysfan

[Scatterbrained]

44 minutes ago, Nobodysfan said:

Sorry, been away, it took me  a long time to respond, this is a possibility.  However, wouldn´t Riggs be the father or maybe not?

The way I see it, it could go either way.  If it's not Rigg's baby, then Owen would be next of kin (assuming his sister died, or is in a coma, or something AND the "baby daddy" is unknown, or dead, or also lost).  There could be drama over whether or not the kid is Riggs', and whether he wants to be an ista-dad right now, or not.  Then, somehow, Owen comes into play.  

I am very right-brained.   My mind tends to explode with ideas and I know that some of them are completely nutty.  I appreciate how everyone kindly entertains my ideas.  :)

[Chas411]

18 hours ago, OtterMommy said:

Stephanie and Ben make major decisions.

If This is career related (most likely) and Jo is once again not included then that's really annoying.

[Maukie99]

23 hours ago, Scatterbrained said:

The way I see it, it could go either way.  If it's not Rigg's baby, then Owen would be next of kin (assuming his sister died, or is in a coma, or something AND the "baby daddy" is unknown, or dead, or also lost).  There could be drama over whether or not the kid is Riggs', and whether he wants to be an ista-dad right now, or not.  Then, somehow, Owen comes into play.  

I am very right-brained.   My mind tends to explode with ideas and I know that some of them are completely nutty.  I appreciate how everyone kindly entertains my ideas.  :)

 

 

Rather, Nathan and Meredith get a baby together instead of a lost son or a lost daughter emerges and says hello Dr. Riggs I believe they are my father. Lol. How do you get it. O.ô

Edited April 16, 2017 by Maukie99

[OtterMommy]

Please, for all that is holy, no more babies....

[Maukie99]

4 minutes ago, OtterMommy said:

Please, for all that is holy, no more babies....

 

Do not tell me but Shonda and the others. It is possible that we will have a baby. Watch the video of Merthan 13x24. Or listen to it.

[Bort]

Please do not presume to speak for an entire fanbase.

If there is another poster whose opinions or comments you simply cannot abide, there is an "Ignore User" feature that can be accessed by hovering over their username / avatar with your mouse.  Feel free to use it if necessary.

And lastly, if there is a post that crosses the line, just report it. Don't engage, don't try to put someone in their place with a witty rejoinder; just report it, move along and let the mods handle it.

[Deanie87]

On 4/16/2017 at 10:16 AM, Chas411 said:

If This is career related (most likely) and Jo is once again not included then that's really annoying.

I have a feeling that Camilla is done for the season and we won't see her again until next season.  There may be a small DeLuca scene or maybe one with  Steph, but I think that whatever may have been planned for her was postponed. Yet again. I just hope that they explain her absence, but it won't surprise me if they don't. 

[Chas411]

How many episodes left? Unless she had to leave suddenly I think it's sloppy that they wouldn't have a filmed a couple of scenes in advance. Especially with the addition of the potential ex husband... But then again this season has sucked... And it's Jo who the writers make minimal effort for so....

[OtterMommy]

6 minutes ago, Chas411 said:

How many episodes left? Unless she had to leave suddenly I think it's sloppy that they wouldn't have a filmed a couple of scenes in advance. Especially with the addition of the potential ex husband... But then again this season has sucked... And it's Jo who the writers make minimal effort for so....

My guess is that, yes, we will see Jo again, at least briefly.  I don't know how they'd introduce the character we believe to be the ex without her.  The filming order this season was especially wonky, so I'm sure that she had pre-filmed some scenes.

 

On 4/16/2017 at 7:16 AM, Chas411 said:

If This is career related (most likely) and Jo is once again not included then that's really annoying.

I don't know...I can see how they could create a situation where Ben and Stephanie independently make career decisions which wouldn't include Jo and it would make sense.  However, my gut feeling is that Steph's decision is professional and Ben's is personal (again, based on nothing more than my gut...)

[BaseOps]

Camilla definitely filmed stuff in advance for the final few episodes, like Caterina and Ellen did earlier in the year. It's likely why she hasn't been in the last several episodes - she was filming ahead for the last 3 or 4 of the season.

[BaseOps]

Slightly new info from the full 13x22 press release; "Stephanie and Ben make decisions that could affect their careers". Obviously Steph needs to be written out, but I wonder what it could be for Ben? He and Bailey have been really stable lately, and it seems like the writers have even gone out of their way to give them some nice scenes together. Could he be leaving too? 

Edited April 17, 2017 by BaseOps