Grey’s Anatomy has a ‘long-term relationship problem’
By Meg Dowell
So far, every long-lasting Grey’s Anatomy romance has ended badly except for one. And that’s not okay.
Relationships fail. People get divorced. People grow apart. Tragedy takes people away too soon.
These are all realities most of us have faced or will encounter at least once throughout our lives. Shows like Grey’s Anatomy are wise to reflect that. There are small pockets of realism even in fictional stories.
But there’s a reason people have started calling Grey’s a nighttime “soap opera.” The longer it goes on, the more fans lose hope in ever getting to see their favorite couples endure a happily ever after that lasts — or at the very least, faces hardship and comes out of it intact.
For a long time, Meredith Grey and Derek Shepard were the “it” couple that was going to make it. Despite many bumps in the road, they were destined to prevail, to survive, to grow old together. Until they weren’t anymore. (Still not over it.)
Many of the relationships we’ve seen fall apart have done so because the actors playing those characters needed to be written out of the narrative. That’s understandable … to a point. Patrick Dempsey had to go. Justin Chambers walked. Pick one half of a couple you liked, chances are there’s a real-life reason the romance had to end.
These things happen, especially with a long-running show like Grey’s Anatomy.
But it’s been about 15 years since the first episode aired on ABC, and at this point, it looks like there’s only one couple who could very well set the record for “longest surviving mostly healthy partnership.” And one of them isn’t even a full-time cast member anymore.
Bailey and Warren are stable. The show has done a pretty decent job of showcasing a couple that can weather a variety of storms and remain in decent condition through it all. But that’s one couple. One. Out of, at this point, dozens.
Levi and Nico are probably soon to call it quits. Richard and Catherine’s relationship has been given enough screen time at this point. Meredith and DeLuca aren’t “together” but apparently they’re not over each other? It’s a mess. And we haven’t even mentioned Amelia and Link, who might go their separate ways even if he turns out to be the father of her baby after all.
The argument that healthy relationships are “boring” completely ignores the reality that, with good writing, even the strongest, most stable romances have a place in primetime drama. Not every couple breaks up. Not every rough patch leads to an ending.
You can have drama between couples without every single relationship crumbling. You can create marriages or even just romantic partnerships that last despite loss, heartbreak, and deep-rooted character flaws.
Maybe Teddy and Owen are the next couple to watch, but not if all this paternity test drama confirms Owen is the father of Amelia’s baby. (Discussing Owen’s problematic roles in past romantic storylines would require its own separate reflection.) And maybe Meredith will find love again, and Amelia and Link will work things out. Maybe, somehow, Jolex will survive.
But that’s a lot of “maybes.” And it’s getting to the point where fans are getting desperate for a couple to truly root for.
We all know deep down that even the best couples are always at risk for heartbreak. That’s a given even if you’ve only seen one season of Grey’s Anatomy.
But if the writers are going to pair up Mer and McWidow, they need to do it sooner rather than later. If they’re going to find Levi someone he deserves, they can’t wait. If Amelia is going to get her happily ever after (as she should), it needs to stop dragging its feet.
Admittedly, we’re all here for the drama. And the interesting medical cases. And whatever major disaster awaits Seattle at the tail end of Season 16.
But please. Give us another romance that lets us believe in love again.
That’s all we ask.
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