Grey’s Anatomy: What happened to the Bailey we used to know?
By Meg Dowell
So far this season, it feels like every attempt Grey’s Anatomy is making to build up sympathy for Miranda Bailey is only making it impossible to feel sorry for her.
This article contains spoilers for Grey’s Anatomy season 16 episode 4, “It’s Raining Men.” Come back after you’ve watched the episode if you don’t want to know what happens!
We need to talk about what’s happened to Miranda Bailey. And not just her menopause or her pregnancy, but the state of her character in general.
She used to be the strong, independent surgeon who could handle almost anything — and what she couldn’t handle, she sought support in conquering. Now she’s just over-dramatic and seemingly incapable of functioning in any area of her life, and it’s hard to watch. And not in an “I feel so sorry for her” kind of way, either.
This last episode made it clear that Meredith’s actions feel like a personal betrayal because she was her student. She taught her how to be the skilled surgeon she is today. The mentor/mentee relationship runs deep. It makes sense that Bailey is devastated by what has happened.
But the hurt Bailey feels because of this event has been magnified to such an extreme that it’s almost impossible to feel sorry for her. How can you, when she’s being so irrational and over-emotional? Can you really completely blame hormones for this? That’s apparently what the show wants us to do. I’m personally not sold.
The same way Amelia’s brain tumor pretty much attempted only to erase the seasons’ worth of inexplainable behavior of her character, Bailey’s menopause and pregnancy feel a lot like cheap plot devices to “explain” why she hasn’t been acting like the Bailey we have always known.
What happened to the Bailey who was tough and intimidating but kind and… human?
To be fair, Bailey has been through a lot in recent seasons, dealing with anxiety and OCD, a heart attack, and problems in her marriage — not to mention dealing with all the chaos and trauma that Grey Sloan Memorial seems to attract.
And it’s not that menopause, pregnancy, and the stress of a job like chief of surgery can’t completely derail a person’s ability to cope emotionally with… well, everything.
But ever since we first met her, Bailey has been a tough, strong, admirable character. She has had plenty of moments where the stress of it all has broken her down, even in earlier seasons of the show, but that’s to be expected. That establishes her character as relatable, reminding audiences that even the strongest can’t be strong all the time.
The latest developments in her story just feel wrong. Instead of the no-nonsense, tough leader, she has become erratic and mean. She takes everything personally, crumbles under even the slightest hint of a break in the natural order of her universe, and even though it has become very clear she cannot handle her job, she refuses to let someone else have it — presumably because she wants the status and recognition. Probably out of jealousy. Selfishness, even.
For someone who has always prided herself on trying to teach younger doctors to be better doctors, she seems to have completely disregarded the fact that this is still her responsibility as chief. Instead of explaining to Quadri why she was in the wrong, she yelled at her and fired her on the spot.
This isn’t “tough love” Bailey anymore. This is “I’m hormonal, so excuse my emotions” Bailey. She’s been pregnant before. She did not act like this last time. And it shouldn’t be the only reason she has become insufferable.
It’s gotten to the point where some fans wish she would have died after her heart attack. I vividly remember joking that I would stop watching the show if they killed her off back then. But the more time that passes, the less her character makes sense, and the more even I find myself wishing her story had ended on a “high note.”
Fifteen years is a long time to try keeping a character both interesting, consistent, and dynamic. But at this point, I can’t help but blame lazy writing, or at the very least, sloppy storytelling. It makes sense for Bailey to be upset about how things ended last season, but why take her character in this direction? Where is it leading to, if anywhere? What is the point?
Chondra Wilson has previously said she plans on staying with the show until it ends, which for a long time seemed completely reasonable. But if they can’t figure out what to do with her character — as much as it breaks my heart to say it — it would be better to write her off before her storyline becomes even more of a train wreck.
If they can redeem her character at this point, I’d be impressed. For now, I will hold out hope that this will all make sense by the time the season ends.
It’s not much to hold onto, but I’m in this for the long haul. I have to have something.
Next. Grey's Anatomy: Amelia's pregnancy could mean her story is coming to an end. dark