Spoilers and Spoiler Speculation: Benchmarking

[Chas411]

Oh god imagine.. No they were wise enough to realise Minnick wasn't working so I reckon they'll be wise enough to note that making an abusive ex spouse a regular might not get the best response..

Then again people really do love to hate Jo....

[OtterMommy]

2 hours ago, Chas411 said:

Oh god imagine.. No they were wise enough to realise Minnick wasn't working so I reckon they'll be wise enough to note that making an abusive ex spouse a regular might not get the best response..

Then again people really do love to hate Jo....

But....Marika Dominiczyk was anything but a household name and she wasn't a "draw."  In other words, casting her didn't actually bring anything extra to the show (and getting rid of her character was better than painless).  Matthew Morrison, on the other hand, is a much bigger name--not so big that he could easily find a better role, but definitely big enough to draw in some names who may not have watched Grey's in the past or to get former viewers to tune back in.  

I don't know where it's going.  I would think that there is no way they could feasibly make his character a regular, but so far it is following the common Grey's path of introducing someone and then keeping them on.  If they are trying to do that, I would much rather they did it with Greg Germann.

[Chas411]

Yeah but she was within the Shondaland family and I truly believe had she not been such a brutal actress then she'd have stayed around for longer. 

I get what you're saying about Morrison and sure he probably has a bigger draw but I'd be shocked if they kept him as a regular. Keeping a former abuser around as a regular is just guaranteed backlash.

[Pink ranger]

I think that Morrison enjoys having flexibility in his schedule to do a variety of things and to spend time  with his family. He recently announced that he was performing some concerts in Japan in February for instance.

I don't think that signing a 24 episode series regular contract right now is something that he would want. 

[Bort]

1 hour ago, OtterMommy said:

Matthew Morrison, on the other hand, is a much bigger name--not so big that he could easily find a better role, but definitely big enough to draw in some names who may not have watched Grey's in the past or to get former viewers to tune back in.

Except that I don't think I would call Morrison a "much bigger name." He was on some singing show (Glee) that has been off the air for years and, unless people follow Broadway, hasn't done much since. I would dare to assume that most Grey's watchers won't know him from Adam.

[OtterMommy]

1 hour ago, kariyaki said:

Except that I don't think I would call Morrison a "much bigger name." He was on some singing show (Glee) that has been off the air for years and, unless people follow Broadway, hasn't done much since. I would dare to assume that most Grey's watchers won't know him from Adam.

True, he's not, say, Geena Davis...but he is at least a recognizable name and that alone can get some former viewers to tune back in.  I also have a suspicion that he's the sort of actor who would welcome a regular job on a Shondaland show.

(I'm really hoping I'm wrong on all of this--I have no strong feelings about Matthew Morrison, but I'd like the DV story line to be dealt with and then done....)

[Deanie87]

I just can't imagine any scenario where a character who has done the things that Paul is supposed to have done could ever, ever, realistically join this show as a regular. I am not even sure how he could stick around longer than an episode or two, given that Alex, Meredith and DeLuca know him for what he is.  I guess they could go for a "he said/she said" situation but that would mean that regular characters (Bailey, Richard, Jackson, etc.) choose to believe a stranger over Jo. That would really not go over well. Unless it turns out Jo was lying this whole time, which...yikes. I can't think of a worse message to send, especially now, and that would mean the end of Jo. She would never recover and I can't see TPTB wanting to send her off that way. So my guess is that Morrison will be around for an episode or two at most, unless there is some kind of flashback at some point.

[Pink ranger]

11 hours ago, Deanie87 said:

 I guess they could go for a "he said/she said" situation but that would mean that regular characters (Bailey, Richard, Jackson, etc.) choose to believe a stranger over Jo. That would really not go over well. 

Paul went to John Hopkins Medical School,  so did Arizona. What if they where in the same class and so have known each other since before he met Jo?

Arizona might be fooled by his nice guy persona so might have trouble initially believing that he could be an abuser.  That angle isn’t positive but unfortunately realistic in DV cases. Jo actually said that everybody loved him and I think it deepens the story to show that somehow on screen instead of everybody knowing what he is immediately. 

[readster]

25 minutes ago, Pink ranger said:

Paul went to John Hopkins Medical School,  so did Arizona. What if they where in the same class and so have known each other since before he met Jo?

Arizona might be fooled by his nice guy persona so might have trouble initially believing that he could be an abuser.  That angle isn’t positive but unfortunately realistic in DV cases. Jo actually said that everybody loved him and I think it deepens the story to show that somehow on screen instead of everybody knowing what he is immediately. 

That would make sense too if they went that angle. Problem with a lot of shows that have had a spouse abusive is how they automatically go: "Your wife/husband is nuts. How could you be like that?" Of course I am reminded of Dana Delany's character on Desperate House Wives. They made her ex-husband such a super asshole that we were then suppose to believe he was respected by everyone and could make evidence disappear on a whim. Then when he was killed and everyone was told what happened, they had his previous co-workers: "Well, shit, never saw it!" When he was horrible all the time. Least with Paul, they are trying to show that in his professional career and everyday he has the super smile good persona. At home, he is evil!

[Deanie87]

1 hour ago, Pink ranger said:

Paul went to John Hopkins Medical School,  so did Arizona. What if they where in the same class and so have known each other since before he met Jo?

Arizona might be fooled by his nice guy persona so might have trouble initially believing that he could be an abuser.  That angle isn’t positive but unfortunately realistic in DV cases. Jo actually said that everybody loved him and I think it deepens the story to show that somehow on screen instead of everybody knowing what he is immediately. 

I agree and I would love to see something like this happen (if they remember those details.) Again, I don't think that Paul would work as a regular, but if AZ had some brief questioning of Jo or it became an issue with Alex while she was defending him, that would be great. I'm just trying to figure out a scenario where Alex knows he's there and doesn't go immediately ballistic, trying to have him removed from the hospital if nothing else.

[OtterMommy]

59 minutes ago, Deanie87 said:

I agree and I would love to see something like this happen (if they remember those details.) Again, I don't think that Paul would work as a regular, but if AZ had some brief questioning of Jo or it became an issue with Alex while she was defending him, that would be great. I'm just trying to figure out a scenario where Alex knows he's there and doesn't go immediately ballistic, trying to have him removed from the hospital if nothing else.

That actually doesn't sound like a bad angle, and would at least make some sense.  Paul may have kept in touch with Arizona in some way (Facebook, ran into her at conferences, whatever) and she might have mentioned something in passing that would tip him off about Jo/Brooke.  Otherwise, I don't know how he would have found her, unless she had already filed for divorce (and I got the impression from the show that she had decided to do it, but had not yet done so, so I could be wrong).

Plus it gives Arizona a story line that doesn't involve her jumping into bed falling in lurrrve with every bi/lesbian woman who shows up.

ETA: I actually don't have a problem with Arizona's sex life.  I have a problem with her developing these deep emotional bonds with women simply because they are the only other lesbians (or bisexual) women on the show.  And also because they are very annoying women.

[OtterMommy]

From the Out of Nowhere thread:

@RedheadZombie wrote:

Quote

I'm dreading a Sofia 2.0.  Bisexual woman has a fling with a man, and realizes she's pregnant when she's reconciled with her lesbian lover.  Lesbian and baby daddy clash and fight over ownership of the baby.  The last thing Arizona needs is another child.  I would be happy for Owen, as he's craved fatherhood for years.

@Joana wrote:

Quote

 

Oh.My.God. I hadn't even considered it, but now when I think about it, it's a real possibility. It would FINALLY resolve the "Owen desperately wants to be a father" storyline, it gives Arizona something meaningful to do, which she's lacked for more than a season, Sofia's comeback makes more sense as there will be drama about her adjusting to a new sibling, De Luca will also be involved as he's the baby's uncle, and generally, there's potential for huge mess and dramatics all around, which is something the show loves.

And didn't they say something big was coming up for Arizona this season? Yikes! 

 

 

That story line is so terribly bad on so many levels (and yet so unfortunately possible for this show) that I think I might be breaking out in hives.  Not only is it just Sofia 2.0, but it is also YET ANOTHER CASE of a doctor not knowing how to use birth control--and this time it's an OB/GYN because, yeah....

When I said I appreciated that they were getting back to "old school Grey's" with Vernoff coming back, this was not what I meant....

[readster]

55 minutes ago, OtterMommy said:

From the Out of Nowhere thread:

@RedheadZombie wrote:

@Joana wrote:

 

That story line is so terribly bad on so many levels (and yet so unfortunately possible for this show) that I think I might be breaking out in hives.  Not only is it just Sofia 2.0, but it is also YET ANOTHER CASE of a doctor not knowing how to use birth control--and this time it's an OB/GYN because, yeah....

When I said I appreciated that they were getting back to "old school Grey's" with Vernoff coming back, this was not what I meant....

What's worst is when the actors have been pregnant in real life and then putting up some BS reason to have them not be on for several episodes. Then they decide to write it in a year later because: "We have better writers." Where their pregnancies would have made sense (Amelia) instead of: "Oh, drama!" It makes people on Grey's who are doctors look like they are just horny teens who don't know how to put on a condom or use birth control. 

[Scatterbrained]

In addition to Arizona potentially being Paul's old friend, April might date him since she is so eager to "date someone  who doesn't work at this hospital" and also Arizona vouching for him might make him more attractive in April's eyes.

I think it would have been nice for April to move in with Arizona for a while after moving out of Jackson's.  NOT for any romantic stuff, but as two single mother friends supporting each other.  Of course, my mom's best friend moved in for a while in between my mom's bad relationships when I was a young child.  We lived in a two bedroom bungalow in a bad part of town.  I had to give up my bedroom and literally slept in a cot in the dining room, but I loved it.  Those were some good times while they lasted.  So, I am probably waxing and waning a bit nostalgic.  Besides, I guess that's Meredith's storyline thread through the ages....

[Chas411]

I was all for April dating Paul but don't see how it could realistically happen now. It would have been a great storyline had Jo not already seen him. Not that any of them would support Jo but they'd believe Alex so unless April is aware of the facts and dos it anyway I don't think she'll be involved.

[OtterMommy]

48 minutes ago, Chas411 said:

I was all for April dating Paul but don't see how it could realistically happen now. It would have been a great storyline had Jo not already seen him. Not that any of them would support Jo but they'd believe Alex so unless April is aware of the facts and dos it anyway I don't think she'll be involved.

I'm not a fan of the idea of April dating Paul.  A lot writing energy has been spent on making April look naive when she really isn't.  In some ways, she's the most aware doctor on the show.  Having her date Paul (because word of who he is would come out quickly, I would hope) would just make her look like a dumb, desperate woman.

[Joana]

The only way I could ever imagine this Paul person hanging around for more than a couple of episodes was if Jo hadn't told anyone about him. Then I could imagine a longer storyline with her keeping her secret fearing people wouldn't trust her, not wanting to relive the past etc. until finally snapping at some point. But, since Alex has seen him and knows who he is, the truth must come out immediately. And even if people would be reluctant to believe it at first, I can't imagine it going it for too long.

This is isn't like the time Penny was brought in as Callie's girlfriend. That had legitimate potential for a redemption arc, regardless of how ill conceived and clumsily executed it was. This one simply doesn't. 

Edited November 23, 2017 by Joana

[BaseOps]

I don't think Paul will be around for long. Based on how Vernoff has discussed the storyline, I really don't think they're going to try to get us to sympathize / warm up to his character. Even based just on how he appeared, it's quite clear that he's going to be a 'villain' in the sense that he did awful things to Jo and she's clearly shaken by his presence. It seems to me like they want to finally do the domestic abuse storyline justice, and it seems like everyone involved is quite proud of it (Camilla, Ellen, Justin, etc.). When asked their favorite moments of the series around the time the 300th aired, they said: 

ELLEN POMPEO (Meredith Grey) - We have an episode coming up about domestic violence, and it manages to have a lightness to it but also touch on the gravity that is domestic abuse.

JUSTIN CHAMBERS (Alex Karev) - The powerful stuff that's coming up may be my favorite.

CATERINA SCORSONE (Amelia Shepherd) - We have episodes coming up that deal with police bias and domestic violence. We need to talk about women and the vulnerability of women in our society. It's indicative of what our show has been about since the beginning.

[Bort]

I don't think April will be involved in this Jo storyline, I haven't seen any indication that she is. I wish they'd give her something to do, though. Even Andrew has a storyline right now, April is the only character with nothing going on at all.

[BaseOps]

2 hours ago, kariyaki said:

I don't think April will be involved in this Jo storyline, I haven't seen any indication that she is. I wish they'd give her something to do, though. Even Andrew has a storyline right now, April is the only character with nothing going on at all.

Vernoff hinted at a big episode coming up for her, I think it was to Entertainment Weekly. 

[Scatterbrained]

RE: April and Paul

In a recent episode (the gungina one) April, Maggie, and Arizona were shown "swiping" on their phones while talking about tinder.  I would assume he might be somebody's tinder date.  I doubt anyone would date someone like him if she knew more info about him.

[Layne]

On 11/23/2017 at 11:34 AM, BaseOps said:

CATERINA SCORSONE (Amelia Shepherd) - We have episodes coming up that deal with police bias and domestic violence. We need to talk about women and the vulnerability of women in our society. It's indicative of what our show has been about since the beginning.

Might Amelia unwittingly date him?

[BaseOps]

In the new first-look at the (still untitled) spin-off, there's also a few Grey's tidbits for the back-half of the season. The interview is with Stacy Mckee. There's also a photo with Meredith the lead character from the spin-off, Andy Herrera, who is played by Jaina Lee Ortiz. It sounds like she's coming into Grey's for an episode. 

Grey’s has been hinting at Ben’s decision to change jobs, but how will the show really start to introduce this spin-off as we head into the back half of the season before its launch?
Yes, they’ve definitely been setting the stage for Ben on Grey’s this season, and a little later this season, there will be an episode where we’ll actually get to meet one of the characters from the spin-off, just as a story within the episode. It’ll be Jaina’s character, Andy Herrera, and it’s going to be such a fun, fantastic introduction to her character. It will also showcase a really lovely story for Ben, where we get to just juxtapose his two worlds and see his reaction as he transitions from one world to the next. We’re actually shooting it right now. It’s going to be so good.

How much will the show actually cross over with Grey’s? When Private Practice did it, it was more of a major event, whereas shows from the Chicago franchise do it more weekly, but smaller cameos. Will you lean more toward that?
We’ll see. I don’t know yet. We just finished shooting the pilot, so we’ll see what the crossover potential is. There’s so much, which is so great. The worlds are so rich. Because they coexist, we have the option to do it just a little or a lot. We’re open to all of those possibilities. There’s just a tremendous amount of cross-pollination that could happen. I can’t tell you how many times I would walk into the Grey’s writers’ room and would pitch some crazy, amazing patient story, and everyone would be like, “Yeah, that’s great, Stacy, but all of the cool parts of that happens off-screen. We have to treat them once they get into the hospital.” Now, with this show, I get to do all of that off-screen stuff, so to me, the possibilities for cross-pollination are limitless, because what if we could just do it all if we want?

When it was announced that Jason was moving to the spin-off, a lot of fans thought that would spell bad news for Ben and Bailey. Do you want to give fans some hope?
I don’t think anyone should feel hopeless.

[JNM5505]

I don't want Amelia, Arizona, or April to be dating Jo's ex. I am hoping, and have heard guns will be brought up again, that Matthew Morrison's character gets shot. We know Jo owns a gun and keeps it in a safe. Alex probably knows where it is, but I don't want him to be the one to shoot him. We already had Alex's violent(?) past brought up when he beat DeLuca to a pulp. I would love to have Jo shoot him. But to go near any of the female A's? Nope. And as for April pursuing a new relationship, I'd really been hoping it was Arizona.

They're dropped several hints over the past four or so seasons, since Puttin' on the Ritz, so roughly one hundred episodes now. I could be wrong, but wasn't there a spoiler about April over the summer, that said she would encounter something entirely different? I imagine that would be lesbianism, or at the very least bisexuality. Now, I know if a couple gets together, Shonda always fucks it up and I love Aprizona's friendship more than anything right now. But I can't even think of anything more dramatic than that for April Kepner, who grew up in a religious family that probably preached against homosexuality. Also, I do not want her getting together with the Italian Vagina Queen! No thanks.

[OtterMommy]

1 hour ago, kinnej5 said:

They're dropped several hints over the past four or so seasons, since Puttin' on the Ritz, so roughly one hundred episodes now. I could be wrong, but wasn't there a spoiler about April over the summer, that said she would encounter something entirely different? I imagine that would be lesbianism, or at the very least bisexuality. Now, I know if a couple gets together, Shonda always fucks it up and I love Aprizona's friendship more than anything right now. But I can't even think of anything more dramatic than that for April Kepner, who grew up in a religious family that probably preached against homosexuality. Also, I do not want her getting together with the Italian Vagina Queen! No thanks.

I just don't see April switching teams.  For one thing, it has already been done with Callie (not that this show never repeats itself, but that is a pretty big character change).  Also, I'm not sure why it has to be that April and Arizona's friendship is anything more than what it is.  They aren't any closer than Meredith and Cristina were (in fact, they aren't even that close) and I'm really sick of friendships not being "enough" on shows.

What I think (and hope) it is, is that April becomes romantically involved with a man not named Jackson Avery.  This woman is in her 30s and has only ever slept with one man--and she wants to be in a relationship.  In fact, we've never seen April show any interest with anyone other than Jackson.  April has pretty much been defined only as a 1/2 of "Japril" for a number of seasons and I'd like to see her become "April" again.

There is also the very real possibility that it will be something professional, which would also be interesting.  April is too often portrayed as overly naive and childlike, when she is actually an accomplished surgeon.

April discovering she's a lesbian, or even bisexual, would be over the top sensational and unbelievable--not to mention a lazy reuse of a previous story line.

[BaseOps]

2 hours ago, OtterMommy said:

In fact, we've never seen April show any interest with anyone other than Jackson.  April has pretty much been defined only as a 1/2 of "Japril" for a number of seasons and I'd like to see her become "April" again.

 

 

She was engaged to Matthew. They even made it to the altar. 

[OtterMommy]

2 minutes ago, BaseOps said:

She was engaged to Matthew. They even made it to the altar. 

True...but Jackson was very much a part of that entire story line.  If I remember correctly, April's interest in Matthew stemmed almost as a reaction to Jackson (plus, honestly...I forgot about Matthew, so that shows how notable he actually was....)

[flickers]

I think April is too divisive a character to have a storyline on her own. They will always tie her to a more popular character, same as Jo.

Edited December 13, 2017 by flickers

[Chas411]

8 minutes ago, flickers said:

I think April is too divisive a character to have a storyline on her own. They will always tie her to a more popular character, same as Jo.

But then how do you explain a character like Maggie who sucks up all the screentime and gets numerous storylines when I personally don't think she'd be one of the more popular characters we've had despite the writers trying to make her happen at every opportunity. 

I'd also argue that I like April the most when she's far away from Jackson. I think she's at her most unlikeable when they're fighting. Same with him although I think he's just been at his most unlikeable since last season in general.

Popularity is subjective so I don't know if storylines would be created for characters perceived as divisive on the basis there's a more popular character to assist them.. 

[JNM5505]

As BaseOps said, April was involved with Matthew. She was also involved with Alex for a brief period, but had a melt-down when he wanted to have sex and she wanted to save herself, so Alex dumped her. At least, that's what I remember anyways. Could totally be wrong. :) But the point is, she wasn't only exclusively involved with Jackson during her time on the series, just like Jackson wasn't exclusively involved with April. He had been with Lexie and Stephanie at one point or another as well.

I think April Kepner, as a character, is capable of having her own storyline. Even if it may link with one or two other characters, I definitely have to say she's developed more in the past couple seasons than the six or so before that. Maggie, on the other hand, has barely had any character development in the three seasons she has been on the show, other than losing her mother to cancer. And yet, she is getting much more screen time than April.

I think that's ridiculous.

Edited December 13, 2017 by kinnej5

[Chas411]

Agreed but I think that comes down to the fact that Maggie is a clear favourite of the writers even if viewers don't feel the same. 

I think this season has been a bit better with sharing the love with other characters when it comes to screentime. April is the only one who's not gotten much but hopefully that might change in the back half of the season.

[moonorchid]

I think April can carry a story as much as any other female on this show, but for some reason April consistently gets the short end of the stick. 

 

I will say I feel like something is brewing for April in the second half of the season since the first eight episodes were used for reshuffling a lot of storylines and giving Meredith a Harper Avery. 

 

Maggie is very obviously being set up for a lot but she ha been plopped right into the center of the show when the writers decided to make her a part of Meredith’s “sisters” dynamic. It’s not a new thing that the farther ancharacter is from Meredith the less they get, with a few exceptions. 

[OtterMommy]

19 minutes ago, moonorchid said:

I think April can carry a story as much as any other female on this show, but for some reason April consistently gets the short end of the stick. 

 

Taking my response to the April Thread

[BaseOps]

I can't wait for this!

TVLine has learned exclusively that Ellen Pompeo is poised to step behind the camera later this season to direct another episode of the long-running ABC drama. Although the script is still being finalized and therefore is subject to change, sources tell TVLine that a portion of the episode will flash back to Alex’s (Justin Chambers) turbulent teenage years.

[BaseOps]

14x09 is called 'Four Seasons in One Day' according to SpoilerTV.

[Deanie87]

On 12/15/2017 at 3:26 PM, BaseOps said:

I can't wait for this!

TVLine has learned exclusively that Ellen Pompeo is poised to step behind the camera later this season to direct another episode of the long-running ABC drama. Although the script is still being finalized and therefore is subject to change, sources tell TVLine that a portion of the episode will flash back to Alex’s (Justin Chambers) turbulent teenage years.

Yay!  I hope this ends up being a semi-centric, even though they aren't my favorites.  Alex is the only character (other than DeLuca, I believe) who has never been part of one and I have been waiting YEARS to (hopefully) meet his mother and sister.  So I hope it doesn't get shoehorned into whatever else is going on in that episode.  I wonder if they will get James Remar back?

[Scatterbrained]

I bet April is going to win Jackson's contest.

[OtterMommy]

6 minutes ago, Scatterbrained said:

I bet April is going to win Jackson's contest.

Well, if it goes the way the last episode was heading, there isn't going to be a contest as Jackson has to convert all the money to bitcoin to pay the ransom.

That being said, I'd love to see Jackson NOT win the contest he is setting up so that he can win something.

[BaseOps]

Looks like Arizona definitely knows Paul somehow.

[OtterMommy]

2 minutes ago, BaseOps said:

Looks like Arizona definitely knows Paul somehow.

It also doesn't look like Maggie and Jackson took the hint when, they tried to make move on each other, blood rained down on them.  Most people would consider that a sign....

[readster]

21 hours ago, BaseOps said:

Looks like Arizona definitely knows Paul somehow.

Doesn't surprise me as they went to the same medical school together and would be close to the same age. I can so see her thinking: "I knew him in med school, how could he be abusive?" 

[gator12]

On 1/3/2018 at 11:55 AM, OtterMommy said:

It also doesn't look like Maggie and Jackson took the hint when, they tried to make move on each other, blood rained down on them.  Most people would consider that a sign....

I'm sure the head writer consider it a sign of love and that they are soulmate. 

[moonorchid]

5 hours ago, gator12 said:

I'm sure the head writer consider it a sign of love and that they are soulmate. 

I took it as a jab to fans who contiuely call them incest

[JNM5505]

Well, I have my Jaggie theory set and I am not telling anyone what that is. I just pray it comes true, just like my prediction of Derek's death (though he died differently) and Amelia's brain tumor. :)

I wouldn't be surprised that Arizona went to school with Paul.

Looking forward to the throwback into Alex's turbulent childhood. I hope we get James Remar back, though he was a sore sight both on 7th Heaven and Grey's Anatomy.

[Scatterbrained]

2 hours ago, kinnej5 said:

Looking forward to the throwback into Alex's turbulent childhood. 

I'm looking forward to it, too.  I think it will be nice for character depth and development.

[moonorchid]

4 hours ago, kinnej5 said:

Well, I have my Jaggie theory set and I am not telling anyone what that is. I just pray it comes true, just like my prediction of Derek's death (though he died differently) and Amelia's brain tumor :)

Aww cmon I love theories, now that you’ve said this it’ll drive me nuts, lol

[readster]

It's funny how they are trying to push the Spin off with Ben and more since Scandel is ending this season and I think everyone knows that Grey's is on borrowed time. However, I hate the way Bailey is reacting to everything. I think it would make more sense if they hadn't built Ben to be so gun-ho on career changes. Him from anesthesiologist to surgeon wasn't too much of a switch. Going to firefighter is a different story and the way they did it: "I find it exciting!" Then expect to be his gun-ho attitude to be more reason why it would be a perfect for him. If they had it where he was the medical consultant for the paramedic division or on sight. Then it would make more sense and Bailey would feel like Ben was jumping ship when he was so close to the finish line, but would agree it was an opportunity just not 100% with it. But you know, drama.

[OtterMommy]

2 hours ago, readster said:

I think everyone knows that Grey's is on borrowed time. 

The thing is, though, it is only sort of on borrowed time.  Yeah, the story lines are getting stale and they are having trouble keeping the characters' relationships stable, or at least realistic.  However, the ratings are still incredibly high for show--astronomically high if you think that this show has been around for so long.  ABC has said many times that they will keep Grey's on the air as long as people are still watching it.  (I don't know what the agreement between Shonda and ABC is, but I doubt that Shonda can just say, "Okay, I'm done!" unilaterally and ABC just has to go along with it).

I don't think I'm the only person who watches this show out of habit at this point.  I mean, the only character I'm interested in at the moment is DeLuca--and that is not because of his story lines.  But, I've invested over 13 years of my life watching this show and, as long as it doesn't hit my 3rd rail, I'll probably continue to watch it until its dying day (or my dying day...whichever comes first).  If the show were in this shape in the 5th or 6th season, I might be singing a different tune

So, I guess the show has 2 paths forward:

1 - Keep doing what it is doing until things get to a point where it is no longer drawing in new viewers and the "existing viewer" base starts shrinking (with the entire run of the show being available on streaming, it may continue to draw new viewers for a looong time).

2 - Somehow get the right fresh blood into this show that will reinvigorate it 

(3rd option, which I said is unrealistic...someone comes to their senses and realizes that, despite the ratings, this show has gone as far as it can go).

[BaseOps]

On 1/6/2018 at 10:18 AM, readster said:

It's funny how they are trying to push the Spin off with Ben and more since Scandel is ending this season and I think everyone knows that Grey's is on borrowed time. However, I hate the way Bailey is reacting to everything. I think it would make more sense if they hadn't built Ben to be so gun-ho on career changes. Him from anesthesiologist to surgeon wasn't too much of a switch. Going to firefighter is a different story and the way they did it: "I find it exciting!" Then expect to be his gun-ho attitude to be more reason why it would be a perfect for him. If they had it where he was the medical consultant for the paramedic division or on sight. Then it would make more sense and Bailey would feel like Ben was jumping ship when he was so close to the finish line, but would agree it was an opportunity just not 100% with it. But you know, drama.

In what world is Grey's on borrowed time? It was ABC's top-rated series nearly every week that it aired in the fall, and it still sits among the 5 top-rated dramas on all of network television. That's not even considering the fact that, globally, it's one of the biggest shows in the world. ABC rakes in ridiculous amounts from syndication / international streaming deals alone. It's going to run until (at least) season 16. 

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I've seen the first episode of the firefighter spin-off... Meredith and Bailey both appear. There's a thread already in the pilot that will likely be what continues to intertwine the shows (beyond just Ben).