Spoilers and Spoiler Speculation: Benchmarking

[statsgirl]

The show may want to write him off and bring in a new character.  But Kevin McK likes directing.  I wonder if he'd want to stay on the show where he could act and do the occasional directing spots, or if he would want to leave entirely and like Gregory Smith concentrate on directing.

I'm not thrilled that Teddy's going to be back because I'm really tired of Owen's emotional cheating with Teddy, first on Christina and then on Amelia.  Just end it by either having her take him off or it being Teddy's final episodes.

[Chas411]

I honestly just think Owen is done at this point. I can't see anywhere else for him to go that isn't stale or a redo of an old storyline. They seem to have dropped him and Amelia entirely so I can't see where else they can go with him bar bringing in another love interest who won't give him kids or even if she does st this point the baby storyline has been done to death.

[OtterMommy]

Has there been any talk of Kevin McKidd leaving?  I could be wrong, but it seems like there is at least some " chatter" about actors playing major roles leaving before they actually leave.  It wasn't a secret that Sandra Oh was leaving, but I remember there being months of talk before Chyler Leigh and Sara Ramirez left and it was no secret that T.R. Knight and Katherine Heigl were on their way out the door, thanks to their story lines (and reports of things said off camera).  Even though the show tried to keep Dempsey's departure a secret, I still remember there being talk of him leaving so that he could race cars...or something like that. 

I don't really care if Owen stays or goes, but I just don't see that sort of stuff around Kevin McKidd.  My gut feeling is that he isn't going anywhere, although I admit I could be wrong.

As for Kim Raver, could she possibly be coming back as a regular?  Nothing against the actress or the character, but I don't see the sense around that one.  They already have a "cardio god."  I don't know how they could weave her into the current setting of GSMH realistically (not that realism really matters with this show.)

[funnygirl]

2 hours ago, Chas411 said:

I honestly just think Owen is done at this point. I can't see anywhere else for him to go that isn't stale or a redo of an old storyline. 

The same could be said for most of the characters. Arizona, for one, who at this point is just a revolving door of relationships. 

If the show is going to insist on adding more characters full time for next season (and they will), I rather it be Teddy than someone like Sister Deluca or whatever other new person they try to shoehorn in between now and the season finale. 

Edited February 26, 2018 by funnygirl

[Scatterbrained]

11 hours ago, OtterMommy said:

Has there been any talk of Kevin McKidd leaving?  I could be wrong, but it seems like there is at least some " chatter" about actors playing major roles leaving before they actually leave.  

Not that I am aware of, it's just a lot of fan speculation.  It was speculated that he might be leaving before the Kim Raver news came out, and now there is even more speculation.

 

I think people are speculating about this because they tied up a lot of his character's personal life loose ends at the beginning of this season.  Then the culling of characters started happening (Riggs, Ben) that people are speculating that his character might be heading out  as well.

[emcmac87]

So the episode description for next week’s episode spoils what the “family connection” is. The person who has the patent knew Ellis Grey. Shocking I know.  

[OtterMommy]

In the Media thread, @anna0852 wrote:

Quote

Well I'm going to assume Arizona is moving to New York so that Sophia is close to Callie. And I'm going to guess that April gets killed off. Because there is no way in hell she will walk away from her daughter.

Unfortunately, I think it is a forgone conclusion that April will be killed off.  They already have her in a downward spiral that I had hoped would result in sort of a rebirth for her character....but I can't see the point in doing that if they are getting rid of her.  As for Arizona, I can possible see her going off to NYC, but I have a feeling that her departure will be linked with April's.  The two characters are very close and if they kill of April, and it seems they will, I can see Arizona leaving because of that.  Maybe it will be to NYC, although I don't know how they can sell that (if they plan to put any effort into it) without an appearance by Sara Ramirez and it really looks like that won't happen.  Maybe she'll go to Italy and take Nympho DeLuca with her (which would not be my choice, but I'm all for getting rid of THAT character).  

[anna0852]

I pretty much agree @OtterMommy.  I think April will die, simply because this show likes drama and her taking a job at Seattle Pres isn't dramatic. What I'd like to see is April continue to spiral until something happens, something that on the surface appears to be self-harm. It turns out it wasn't but the initial thought is there. I like the idea of the grey (pardon the pun) area for a character that you'd never expect that from.

If Arizona isn't killed at the same time as April, then I think she's either going to NYC because it's better for Sophia or she'll follow Carina to Italy to study those maternal mortality rates. Given that SaRa isn't coming back anytime soon I actually vote for moving over death. Right Sophia is living with Arizona. Killing Arizona without Callie levitating across the country to get to her daughter would be difficult to explain.  

While audience love happy endings (guy and girl get together, now there's babies, good careers, etc...) it makes it really hard when an actor then wants to leave. Especially when it's a Meredith/Derick situation. The only option is really to kill the character and then they can't ever come back (barring dreams/flashbacks/hallucinations). That's why I'm positive April is dead. She and Jackson have split but she wouldn't leave Harriet. 

[OtterMommy]

2 minutes ago, anna0852 said:

I pretty much agree @OtterMommy.  I think April will die, simply because this show likes drama and her taking a job at Seattle Pres isn't dramatic. What I'd like to see is April continue to spiral until something happens, something that on the surface appears to be self-harm. It turns out it wasn't but the initial thought is there. I like the idea of the grey (pardon the pun) area for a character that you'd never expect that from.

You mean, like a TUMOR???

Actually, I can totally see them going with the tumor idea because it worked so well before.  Sigh.

[funnygirl]

I don't think either are going to get killed off. 

And Sara Ramirez doesn't have to make an appearance for Arizona to take Sofia and move to NY if that's what came to be. Arizona moving to Italy with a woman she's barely in a relationship with would be as bad as Callie moving to NY with Penny, not to mention make things more difficult for Sofia with her mothers in different countries.  

I should hope that since tptb have released this departure information with 11 episodes left to air, that they will do both Arizona and April justice. 

[Scatterbrained]

Part of me thinks the actresses found out when the latest script came out.

[HighHopes]

Is it possible that there will be a fire that April is injured/dies in? Tying in the new show, and oh! if only Jackson had stuck with his original spray on skin idea for the contest!! Also, I have zero medical knowledge, and will admit that I was only half paying attention to the contest proposals so I may be completely wrong with what Jackson was originally working on... 

[JNM5505]

So Jessica Capshaw and Sarah Drew are leaving the show. I really hope it ends being April/Arizona. Honestly, I don't know how this can end well for April, other than Arizona swooping in and giving her 100% support, and it evolves into something over the next eight or so episodes. We still have half an hour left of this episode. We will see.

[Chas411]

There's big backlash from these exits. I don't care what they say - I think it was either budgetary or the fact that they weren't Part of a ship (since April got kicked off hers). While I thought they might crap all over April before she goes I'm not sure they will now given how pissed everyone already is about how both actresses are being treated.

Edited March 9, 2018 by Chas411

[moonorchid]

6 minutes ago, Chas411 said:

There's big backlash from these exits. I don't care what they say - I think it was either budgetary or the fact that they weren't Part of a ship (since April got kicked off hers). While I thought they might crap all over April before she goes I'm not sure they will now given how pissed everyone already is about how both actresses are being treated.

I’m petty, I hope they get dragged for this. I’m glad people aren’t just taking it. What happened was foul and now the illusion of the “culture” of the show is shattered.

[bybrandy]

1 hour ago, Chas411 said:

While I thought they might crap all over April before she goes I'm not sure they will now given how pissed everyone already is about how both actresses are being treated.

They?  The show?   Because I assume that has already been written and whatever Kepner's story is whatever Kepner's story is and there isn't a lot of time to alter things before her final episodes.  I imagine they will crap all over Kepner before she goes.

And I really had no idea who how attached i"d become to April before my own reaction to this news.  It might bother me less if I didn't feel she was bussed (Georged?) for the non starter that is Jaggie.   

I loved Robbins more in the beginning and I feel like this character has a lo of potential to be salvaged but I'm uninterested enough in her story this season to be that invested in how it ends.   That said, I can think of many, many things to do with both these women in subsequent seasons.

[Chas411]

53 minutes ago, bybrandy said:

They?  The show?   Because I assume that has already been written and whatever Kepner's story is whatever Kepner's story is and there isn't a lot of time to alter things before her final episodes.  I imagine they will crap all over Kepner before she goes.

And I really had no idea who how attached i"d become to April before my own reaction to this news.  It might bother me less if I didn't feel she was bussed (Georged?) for the non starter that is Jaggie.   

Has the last episode been written? I just feel they might give April a better ending given as you've said its more or less been copped by everyone that she's been bussed for Jaggie. I think they've done so many things wrong here (announcing it on international women's day - as a show who prides themselves on female empowerment being one) that they might try salvage it by giving her an ok send off.

That being said though Sarah Drews obvious devastation makes me think it might also be a permanent death kind of exit though. 

I also don't think it helps that Jaggie had their first big moment on the day that they announced Sarah Drew was being kicked to the curb. Lame. 

[anna0852]

So something @Stacey1014 said in the episode thread got me thinking. What if Jackson gets concerned enough about April's behavior to seek full custody of Harriet? April is already spiraling and losing her daughter might be what puts her over the edge and ends up being the catalyst for her death. Whether it's intentional or accidental, Jackson is then left racked with guilt over having taken Harriet away and then contributing to April's demise. So guilty in fact that he backs off from Maggie so that while Sarah Drew has left, we are not stuck with the boring Jackson/Maggie pairing.

Edited March 9, 2018 by anna0852

[tua20782]

20 minutes ago, anna0852 said:

So something @Stacey1014 said in the episode thread got me thinking. What if Jackson gets concerned enough about April's behavior to seek full custody of Harriet? April is already spiraling and losing her daughter might be what puts her over the edge and ends up being the catalyst for her death. Whether it's intentional or accidental, Jackson is then left racked with guilt over having taken Harriet away and then contributing to April's demise. So guilty in fact that he backs off from Maggie so that while Sarah Drew has left, we are not stuck with the boring Jackson/Maggie pairing.

 

The main reason they fired Sarah Drew is so we continue with the Maggie/Jackson romance so I doubt this is how it goes.

Edited March 9, 2018 by tua20782
Spelling

[Bort]

Yeah, Sarah Drew being let go is most likely to perpetuate the Jackson/Maggie pairing. As long as April is still around, the April/Jackson fanbase will continue forever. If she’s gone, well, it’ll die out. Just ask the Alex/Izzie fanbase.

[tua20782]

1 minute ago, kariyaki said:

Yeah, Sarah Drew being let go is most likely to perpetuate the Jackson/Maggie pairing. As long as April is still around, the April/Jackson fanbase will continue forever. If she’s gone, well, it’ll die out. Just ask the Alex/Izzie fanbase.

I just think the new showrunner is uninterested in the people who don't directly relate to Meredith Grey and by extension her sisters. Soooo..ergo "creative reasons"

[JNM5505]

My friend (who posted on PTV briefly a couple years before I joined) said she heard that it was so they could pay Ellen Pompeo more money.But wasn't there a news release shared on here about a month or two ago about Ellen getting a raise? Or is that the same thing and we're just finding out the official news on April's fate now? Also, has it been confirmed that they are going to kill her off? To be honest, I expected her to commit suicide before the February (?) mini hiatus. Is it bad I wish it had gone that way in that episode instead of having to go through this? :/

[BaseOps]

1 hour ago, kinnej5 said:

My friend (who posted on PTV briefly a couple years before I joined) said she heard that it was so they could pay Ellen Pompeo more money.But wasn't there a news release shared on here about a month or two ago about Ellen getting a raise? Or is that the same thing and we're just finding out the official news on April's fate now? Also, has it been confirmed that they are going to kill her off? To be honest, I expected her to commit suicide before the February (?) mini hiatus. Is it bad I wish it had gone that way in that episode instead of having to go through this? :/

Honestly people are making a much bigger deal out of Ellen's pay raise than it really is. She isn't getting that much more than she already was. With Dempsey and Oh gone they freed up a lot of money, and we also lost Riggs and Ben as regulars this year and Stef last year. There's no way they didn't have the money to continue paying Sarah and Jessica. Keep in mind, Ellen divulged in her HR interview that Grey's has generated $3B for Disney. They have the money.

I have felt that Arizona sort of just drifted since Callie left, but I've really been enjoying her this year with Carina. And I think April has the strongest episode of her characters entire time on the show just a few weeks ago (when Matthew's wife died). So I'm just a bit confused as to why exactly this HAD to happen. I do believe that Vernoff wanted to cut some people because the cast was unreasonably large and that makes it harder to tell stories. But... cut fucking DeLuca or Amelia / Owen. Restrain yourself from making the new interns regulars next year. 

I do believe part of it is refocusing the show on Meredith & her inner-circle like the early days, which makes sense with Jackson hooking up with Maggie and the inevitable Owen / Amelia repairing. Jo and Meredith are closer now, Alex is her BFF, she has a long rich history with Richard and Bailey, etc. But these actresses have been with the show for nearly a decade each and they have huge fanbases. It's seems very silly to me to be cutting beloved characters (and cast-members) when they're willing to stick around. April / Jackson is such an easy way to make so many fans happy.

Edited March 9, 2018 by BaseOps

[OtterMommy]

No, I don't think it had to do with Ellen's pay raise.  In the grand scheme of things, she isn't now making an unreasonable amount of money.  I do, however, think that they are trying to circle this show around Meredith.  The argument, I guess, is that it was originally about Meredith.  But...it wasn't.  It was about Meredith and Derek.  And Meredith and Ellis.  And, by the best of all, Meredith and Cristina.  Meredith never was, and I still don't believe she is, a strong enough character to be the true center of something.

Think about it ...  you have Meredith.

Then you have Meredith's sisters, Amelia and Maggie.

And then you have the men in Amelia and Maggie's lives, Owen and Jackson,

Then you have Meredith's "person", Alex, and his SO.

And then you have her father figure, Richard.

That leaves a bunch of interns and residents (who, let's face it, are probably pretty cheap and most won't be staying around long), Miranda (who, as an original cast member and the character who ties Grey's to Station 19, isn't going anywhere) and Arizona and April.

In that scheme, which two characters don't fit?

[Bort]

3 minutes ago, OtterMommy said:

In that scheme, which two characters don't fit?

Well, in the case of Arizona, I agree that she lifts right out.

But as Jackson’s ex-wife and the mother of his child, not to mention that she does have a lot of history with Meredith (further back than Maggie or Amelia do — although with less “family” ties), I think there was plenty still they could have done with April. Case in point: her current storyline.

[OtterMommy]

10 minutes ago, kariyaki said:

Well, in the case of Arizona, I agree that she lifts right out.

But as Jackson’s ex-wife and the mother of his child, not to mention that she does have a lot of history with Meredith (further back than Maggie or Amelia do — although with less “family” ties), I think there was plenty still they could have done with April. Case in point: her current storyline.

I agree there is a lot they could have done with April (and Arizona), but keeping her in orbit of Meredith would have been harder.  They have history, but they don't seem to have any sort of a close relationship.  Plus, since they seem so damned determined to push ahead with pairing Jackson and Maggie, April would be a diversion from that and, as a result, a diversion from Meredith's circle. 

The Arizona/April relationship--which, personally, I thought was the best currently on the show until about 2 episodes ago (not that a better relationship came along, but this one went a bit south) also kind of steals some of Meredith's thunder.

My gut feeling, and I could be wrong--but I'm also pretty sure I won't stick around to find out--is that they want this to finally become the Meredith show and anyone who doesn't serve that is out.

[BaseOps]

I don't think they're making it any more Meredith's show than it was originally. It has always worked best, in my opion, when most stories anchor back to Meredith. That doesn't mean she needs to be involved in every story by any means, but that it makes the most sense to have an anchor other than the hospital itself. Certain seasons were just too damn bloated and it felt like nothing was connected. Now, I'd trade Maggie & Amelia for April & Arizona any day. But from a storytelling perspective, I get why April and Arizona maybe feel more expendable... still, I think it's a really dumb move. They should have cut DeLuca or paired him back with Maggie to actually make him relevant. Jackson and April are established more than enough to exist on their own, and they both have PLENTY of relationships to existing cast members (April/Owen, April/Jackson/Catherine, etc.) 

I'm not going to quit watching the show over this by any means, but I've been enjoying this season so much that this news is perhaps hitting extra hard. It just seems uncessesary. And I don't think Ellen is happy as I keep seeing people on Twitter insinuate. If you pay attention to BTS stuff, she seems to be the closest with Camila and Jessica, so I doubt she wanted to see Arizona go. 

I'm feeling a bit of 'careful what you wish for' because I've been begging for a big cast trim for ages, and while Steph and Ben were never favorites of mine and Riggs I could do with or without, saying goodbye April and Arizona at this point feels like a big loss. 

[Qoass]

My feeling is that I'd rather they didn't kill anybody off because the mortality rate of this particular group of people is already off the charts and I like the door being left open for a return engagement towards the end of the show's tenure. I also wish they had kept it a secret so I would be genuinely shocked when the hammer falls.

[statsgirl]

I can really see the difference this year with the new show-runner.  Some things I like, the increased focus and Meredith and all things Meredith I didn't.

I know that Japril has a loyal following but I don't think it's a large enough part of the overall audience to justify needing to get April off the show to do Jackson/Maggie.  My sense is that like Arizona, April isn't close enough to Meredith and Vernoff doesn't care about her enough to keep her on the show.

It's too bad because I've never liked April as much as I do this season.  She's like the anti-Meredith, complex enough to figure things out and needing to work for everything she gets.

[Lady Calypso]

1 minute ago, statsgirl said:

I know that Japril has a loyal following but I don't think it's a large enough part of the overall audience to justify needing to get April off the show to do Jackson/Maggie.  My sense is that like Arizona, April isn't close enough to Meredith and Vernoff doesn't care about her enough to keep her on the show.

Japril is a surprisingly very popular couple, from what I've seen. I never liked the couple myself, and I still don't, but I do think there's a reason why they're going to likely go the kill April off route. People not liking Jackson/Maggie isn't just about their anti-chemistry; it has a heavy impact on Japril as well. I don't think it's one of the biggest parts of the audience and I think April doesn't need to die for them to keep forcing this Jackson/Maggie pairing (as I think people would rather an independent April than a dead one), but I've seen this couple being equated to some of the greats of this show. Though I guess for the casual audience, they may not care at all. But the show has been surviving without this couple for...what, a season and a half? I don't know when the two split up exactly, but they haven't been together all season, at least. It doesn't seem to have hurt the show much at all. 

Either way, I do think Vernoff really, really wants Meredith, Maggie, and Amelia to be at the forefront of the show. And with April and Arizona, neither woman is close with any of those three directly. 

[Joana]

I'm wondering if Arizona's confrontation with that OB will somehow mark the beginning of the end for Arizona at GSMH. I guess not, as there's still a lot of time before the season finale, but I can't help thinking there's got to be something more to that scene because it seemed so odd and out of place. 

I really have no idea how they're going to write her off. It would be ridiculous to have her go to Italy with Carina after all the drama with the custody over Sofia when Callie moved. Unless Callie is killed off off-screen in the meantime, which would obviously be hideous, but sadly, I wouldn't put anything past this show anymore. 

[BaseOps]

I really hope they just have some grant some up for Arizona and Carina in New York. It's super easy, but I'd rather that than something that doesn't make sense. And I don't want Arizona dead. I was just thinking how odd it is that Vernoff would want to off these two considering Arizona and April were both introduced when she was the head writer back in seasons 5 and 6.

[Joana]

Maybe her research gets her a job for the government and she moves to DC, so it makes it much easier for Sophia and Callie to see each other and everybody wins. 

[Catznip]

45 minutes ago, BaseOps said:

I really hope they just have some grant some up for Arizona and Carina in New York. It's super easy, but I'd rather that than something that doesn't make sense. And I don't want Arizona dead. I was just thinking how odd it is that Vernoff would want to off these two considering Arizona and April were both introduced when she was the head writer back in seasons 5 and 6.

this is a bad move for the show. Arizona and April attract a certain demographic in the viewership. In the past the show gambled with letting go fan favorites (Mark, Derrick, Callie) and yet viewerships maintained high. Now, the release of 2 of their leading characters is a big risk. 

[moonorchid]

2 minutes ago, Catznip said:

this is a bad move for the show. Arizona and April attract a certain demographic in the viewership. In the past the show gambled with letting go fan favorites (Mark, Derrick, Callie) and yet viewerships maintained high. Now, the release of 2 of their leading characters is a big risk. 

They are hanging their hat on those left behind...and what do they have going on: jaggie, jolex, owelia, meredith the sun, mer/jo bff, Miranda and Richard with some Catherine mixed in and some interns. None of that compels me or even makes me want to watch as a comfort thing.

[Catznip]

I agree.  Although, I kinda liked Jo when she was fooling around with Deluca. They have chemistry, forget about Alex..  I'm a late comer, I started watching the show around season 9 or 10,  the writing was interesting.  Then I binged on the earlier seasons and love it! Season 12, 13 and 14 were just horrible. Although, 14 started out good but after hearing this news, I will only watch to see how it will end for Arizona and April.

Edited March 10, 2018 by Catznip

[Scatterbrained]

Jo and DeLuca are probably next.

[LexieLily]

If Arizona is leaving, who gets her seat on the hospital board? Was it ever established concretely that Alex got Cristina's seat and shares?

[Scatterbrained]

7 hours ago, LexieLily said:

If Arizona is leaving, who gets her seat on the hospital board? Was it ever established concretely that Alex got Cristina's seat and shares?

I don’t think thy care about that.  That’s just a “detail” to them and some details are so unimportant.  Think about all the lack of details regarding Meredith’s kids over the years.

[beautifulGA]

Arizona and April bring in 'targeted' audience, Shonda's statement shows that even she knows that Arizona and April represent two underrepresented communities. 

So yeah, I think it is pathetic that even after knowing all this, they choose these two actresses to got rid of. The backlash on social media is justified. One of my friends told me that the backlash this time is bigger than what they received when Derek or Callie left. Maybe it has more to do with that Patrick and Sara got exit that was a mutual decision. But this? Jessica and Sarah's statement shows that they have been pretty much fired.

Now the heat Ellen is receiving may or may not be completely justified but then again you have Ellen showcasing herself as a token of feminism and yet we didn't see something Jessica Chastain~Octivia Spencer ish here.

Anyways, as network ABC probably welcomes all this beef up and attention. I will probably never understand why they choose two underrepresented characters when you have fossils like Webber, Hunt etc on the show or the useless characters like Maggie, the delucas etc.

Maybe it has more to do with the fact that ABC or Greys getting rid of Maggie or Amelia or Owen or Webber or Delucas and interns wouldn't have caused such shit storms. It would have been an luke warm like Stephanie's exit.

[Deanie87]

Anyone know what the contract status of the actresses was?  If their contracts simply didn't get renewed then its not like they got fired outright, though the way it was done was still shitty.  I agree that it was most likely a combination of money and creative.  I'm sure that it wasn't a case of the network or producers going to Ellen and saying, "We'll give you the $20 million but that means that some of your co-stars have to be let go," but she probably also understood that it was a possibility.  I don't think its fair to blame her, and if they didn't give her the money, she may very well have walked away, thus most likely ending the show and putting all of those people out of work anyway. 

As for the creative angle, I don't believe it has to do with the specific characters of Arizona or April, because there are plenty of characters who have absolutely nothing going on (mostly the men: Alex, Owen, Richard) but they all somehow have a connection to Meredith, however tenuous. They have clearly been trying for a more Meredith-centric show since Derek and Cristina left, but they failed to have Mer make any connections with the majority of the existing cast so they had to bring in Amelia and Maggie, both of whom I would gladly substitute for April and Arizona.  Add to that the fact that Drew and Capshaw are likely second-tier salaries, and the choice becomes obvious, at least to the producers/executives.  

I am kind of bummed because this is the most interesting I have found April in years and because I always liked Arizona's friendship with Alex and Richard.  I hope that they both get happy endings, and that April doesn't get killed off, not only because it has been done 1,000 times on this show, but because its unnecessary.  I would rather have her decide to do a tour in the military or something, even if it would be out of character for her to leave Harriet. Mothers in the military do it all the time.  

Whatever happens, Grey's will be fine.  I simply don't believe that any single character or couple is that important to the show, no matter how big the backlash, and the majority of viewers are not online and take it as it comes out of habit or because they are newer viewers who recently caught up through Netflix.  It’s kind of a win/win. If the show improves, great and if not and the ratings drop then it gets wrapped up quicker before it can devolve further.

Edited March 10, 2018 by Deanie87

[GSMHvisitor]

The contract situation would be interesting to me too. I've seen some things floating around on twitter that definitely sounded like they're contracts were up and simply weren't renewed.

It still pisses me off though, because somehow I always thought if there's one thing the actors who have been on the show for a long time can count on, is that TPTB will make sure that they can stay there as long as they want too. There are so many characters who are not very interesting anymore. Bailey hasn't done much for me since around s6. Richard has had long phases without proper stories. Same for Alex. Yet they are still there. I know now they are kind of valued, because they are originals. But I wonder why they weren't written out around s8.

Anyways, I always stupidly thought TPTB are just very loyal to their longtime actors.  And what makes it worse is that it sounds like the show won't go on for more than 2 years anyways. That's not set in stone of course but Ellen said she's probably do two more seasons and then be done in a recent interview. And I don't find it okay that Sarah and Jessica who loved their jobs are not allowed to stick around until the end of the show, which can't be that far away anymore.

I know at the end of the day it's just a business and if the network doesn't want to give more money, cuts have to be made. But I'm still disappointed that they didn't find another way. All that talk about how Shondaland is one big amazing family turns out to mean nothing anymore. But when I think back to how T.R. Knight and the actor who played Pete on Private Practice were treated, it probably was never worth much anyways.

Edited March 10, 2018 by GSMHvisitor

[Chas411]

I think Shondaland is a big old amazing family once you're in the click. If you fall out of favour it can get quite nasty which is why I think both ladies are trying to be as classy as possible about it. Chances are if they stay in with Shonda and co, they'll get work in one of her other shows however if they fall out they'll simply lose out on other potential opportunities. Nobody wants to end up as Heigl.

From the differences in the statements I feel like Drew is taking a harder hit. Given also Jesse Williams statement I'm starting to think they may actually be killing April off. 

Edited March 10, 2018 by Chas411

[BaseOps]

10 hours ago, Scatterbrained said:

Jo and DeLuca are probably next.

Jo definitely isn't going anywhere. Vernoff has made it clear that she wants Alex / Jo together and they're working hard to push this new Meredith and Jo bond.

[funnygirl]

1 hour ago, Deanie87 said:

Anyone know what the contract status of the actresses was? 

Jessica's is up at the end of this season. She had signed a three year deal at the end of season 11. Not sure about Sarah Drew. 

 

@beautifulGA

Quote

One of my friends told me that the backlash this time is bigger than what they received when Derek or Callie left. 

Patrick had the biggest backlash, so much so that the cast was put on a gag order to not even talk about it. Sara announced her departure right after the season finale, so that was unexpected and shocking but there was the summer hiatus as a buffer. I think with Jessica and Sarah, viewers have reached their limit of losing more tried and true characters and, rightfully, people are annoyed. 

[Chas411]

Maybe they'll finally give her a specialty 

[Pallas]

11 minutes ago, Chas411 said:

Maybe they'll finally give her a specialty 

"Death...Death is your gift..."

[Catznip]

37 minutes ago, funnygirl said:

Jessica's is up at the end of this season. She had signed a three year deal at the end of season 11. Not sure about Sarah Drew. 

 

@beautifulGA

Patrick had the biggest backlash, so much so that the cast was put on a gag order to not even talk about it. Sara announced her departure right after the season finale, so that was unexpected and shocking but there was the summer hiatus as a buffer. I think with Jessica and Sarah, viewers have reached their limit of losing more tried and true characters and, rightfully, people are annoyed. 

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that they knew and planned for Callie's departure and they kept the suspense to attract the viewers. However, they didn't expect the backlash for Sara's exit.  This, i feel, is a marketing scheme. They blasted these departures right before the spring sweeps, adding Ellen's new deal,  and they are banking that viewers will draw to the suspense on how Arizona and April will exit from the show. It's totally a disregard to the loyalty that for the next two seasons which i feel will be the last, they couldn't keep 2 long standing characters to ride out the show.

3 hours ago, beautifulGA said:

Arizona and April bring in 'targeted' audience.

True and True.  i will not enjoy the MER-ry go land!

[Joana]

1 hour ago, GSMHvisitor said:

Anyways, I always stupidly thought TPTB are just very loyal to their longtime actors.  And what makes it worse is that it sounds like the show won't go on for more than 2 years anyways. That's not set in stone of course but Ellen said she's probably do two more seasons and then be done in a recent interview. And I don't find it okay that Sarah and Jessica who loved their jobs are not allowed to stick around until the end of the show, which can't be that far away anymore.

Yeah, this is the real bummer for me too. It's not like the show still has a number of seasons ahead of it and the departure of these two characters is going to be major game changer and allow for new creative possibilities or whatever. It's likely going to more of the same old, same old until the show has run its course and it's so disappointing to see two characters that could still have a lot to offer be written out, while some that have been nothing but dead weight for years and should have been written out long ago very likely get to stay until the end. 

[Deanie87]

1 hour ago, BaseOps said:

Jo definitely isn't going anywhere. Vernoff has made it clear that she wants Alex / Jo together and they're working hard to push this new Meredith and Jo bond.

I would have been completely fine with Jo and Alex going off into a happy ending rather than April and Arizona, but I think that you're right and they will stay together, relatively happy and backburnered until the end of the series.  My guess is that in the next episode, Jo is going to research fellowships across the country, Alex will feel suprised/sad/abandoned but not say anything, and in the end, Jo's project with Meredith will be the reason she stays.  So a couple of seasons ago, Alex wouldn't leave to travel with Jo because of Meredith and now Jo will stay because of Meredith.  Full circle.  How long until Alex feels like the third wheel?