Will Grey’s Anatomy Lose Credibility?
HeraldNet ran an article discussing the possibility of Grey’s Anatomy “jumping the shark” over the Meredith-dying storyline. Do outrageous storylines make you lose interest?
I must admit, I question the reasoning behind it being Meredith and not another character. I’m nearly 99.9999% sure that she’s going to survive this whole mess, and I worry that viewers will lose interest in the show for bluffing.
Shonda promises that things “really get interesting” in this week’s episode, so I’m hoping the Grey’s crew has more on their sleeve.
But what do you think? If Meredith survives, will you lose interest in the show? Or will you be too relieved to care?
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POSTED IN: Commentary
55 opinions for Will Grey’s Anatomy Lose Credibility?
Desiree
Feb 20, 2007 at 9:18 am
I will loose interest in the show if she does die, not if she doesn’t.
Lauren
Feb 20, 2007 at 9:32 am
I agree. I think Grey’s fans will be more happy she’s alive. The facts are there as well. It’s not completely a long shot if she were to live. The cold water makes it possible for her to actually be revived. I think that if there was absolutely no way she could live and was brought back (like, say, Denny being brought back to life after dying) then, yes, people would lose interest.
Stephanie
Feb 20, 2007 at 9:46 am
I am sick of people keep saying about how over the top this seasons superbowl episode has gone. People have to realise that this kind of situation CAN happen, and that Grey’s Anatomy only do storylines that are actual reality. As for the Denny/Dylan/Dead scene, these sort of scenario’s are not uncommon, people have been rescusitated and told of how they saw the ‘white light’, so my answer is NO. i will not lose interest in Grey’s Anatomy. Ever.
ashley
Feb 20, 2007 at 10:06 am
i dont care, this show is a drama so obviously things like this are going to happen, i mean i have to agree i dont get why it always has to be meredith, but look there not going to kill her they cant, the show would be DONE. and shonda is already working on season 4.
Jenn
Feb 20, 2007 at 10:13 am
I am going to be so relieved if Merideth survives. She has so much unfinished business…with her career and life. I won’t be surprised if maybe she loses her memory or something for awhile…but I think she’s going to come back because her mother dies and enters her dream and tells her she’s sorry and wants her to be happy. This show is so awesome that I don’t think any true fan will lose interest no matter what situation they come up with :)
Ingrid Diaz
Feb 20, 2007 at 10:20 am
It’s good to know there’s a lot of loyalty out there :D
emma
Feb 20, 2007 at 10:45 am
I think either way it’s pretty ridiculous.
If she lives - meh, everyone thought she would anyway. They did a Will She Die already with Meredith. It’s just not shocking or interesting anymore.
If she dies, then it’s also ridiculous - she’s so whiney, and really her problems aren’t that bad (distant mother, divorced and missing dad - that’s 60% of the population) so if she were to kill herself, it would just reinforce her shallowness as a character.
And if she’s stuck in some voice-over afterlife, it’s completely hokey.
I was recently watching seasons’ one and two and I MISS that writing. It was quick and intelligent and they didn’t hit you so hard with all the metaphors. They were there for those who chose to see them, but if you didn’t choose to look deeper it was still very entertaining. Now, though, the story lines are just tortured… I don’t know.
I mean I follow the show and will still watch it regardless, I just don’t enjoy it as much now.
I stuck with West Wing when it went through its labored-writing years and I’m glad, because it really came back strong in the last season. Maybe Grey’s will do the same.
Aubrey
Feb 20, 2007 at 11:04 am
Emma if you hate the show so much dont watch it. I dont care how unrealistic it is as long as it has McDreamy on it is still my favorite show.
Lori
Feb 20, 2007 at 11:11 am
Well, yeah I will lose interest if Meredith Grey dies. Hello the show is called “Greys” anatomy. I’ve heard that two people from the show is going to die. It’s really too bad that such a good show is getting all messed up for no good reason. Oh, and the whole gay thing is stupid I was more upset to find out that he’s gay then by what Washington said about it. I hope he’s not leaving the show. Greys is my favorite show right now I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds.
Tiffany
Feb 20, 2007 at 12:15 pm
well i know i would be really pissed if mer died probably to the point where i might not watch it but i do love the show
and for the people out there that think she is whiney give her a break she kinda has a reason i mean her mom is crazy and doesnt remember who she is - her dad isnt in the picture so that sucks - and she feel in love and got hurt and thats a total bummer (even though now mcdreamy and her are working things out) so yeah maybe she is a little whiney but i love her i love Mer. i think if she dies a lot of ppl would be really upset.
Theresa
Feb 20, 2007 at 1:39 pm
First off, let me say that I really enjoy Grey’s Anatomy and I didn’t discover it until a month or so ago when I bought every episode from iTunes and had a week-long Grey’s screening every moment I wasn’t working or tending to my family. There is something wonderful about watching the show from begining to current without commercials and a week in between episodes. Because of this, I have to agree with Emma in her assessment that the writing has changed. It HAS become a bit more over the top, a bit more soap-opera-ish and I miss when it wasn’t that way. I think that the 3-part “super episode” is a little over the top, but it hasn’t affected the show’s credibility….yet. How they handle the Meredith situation will affect that if it isn’t done correctly. And that doesn’t mean whether or not she dies. If she lives, I simply want it to be realistic. I don’t want her to live and then be rounding in a week. I want it to be realistic.
One of the things that makes this show unique is that it IS realistic. People die on this show. People we like. Not everyone is saved miraculously. And I don’t want the show to lose that. If it does, then that is when I will lose interest. But for now….Grey’s is the best thing on TV and I would sorely miss any main character who died…except Meredith’s mom. She hits too close to home with me! :)
Hannah
Feb 20, 2007 at 2:51 pm
I will not loose interest if she lives I watch it every week. It will suck if she dies! I refuse to watch it if she dies. It is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE SHOW and it will be devestating if she leaves. Which i doubt she will. Im thinking her mother is going to die. Im thinking the show will die. Its pretty much all about Merediths life and her obstacules she overcomes. So if they want to kill her off make it the VERY VERY LAST eppisiode like forever! -Hannah,NC
Evan
Feb 20, 2007 at 4:57 pm
i do not think she would die i mean it’s called “Grey’s Anatomy” not hypothermia’s Anatomy so she wouldn’t die = there already working on the next season and people if you don’t like the show don’t post damn comments…..
Kimberly
Feb 20, 2007 at 5:12 pm
I have to admit the storyline is a bit out there but it is a good one and I have been totally on the edge of my seat since the first of the 3 episode arc aired. I think if Meredith actually dies and stays dead that will be the show jumping the shark. I mean she can’t narrate from the grave like in Desperate Housewives, they have already donte that.
Pau
Feb 20, 2007 at 5:19 pm
I think that if Meredith dies the show will be like another very different, my interest will be lost if this happens, I’m hoping that the SGH team resucitates her and that some good can be taken from this situation. I personally think that McDreamy/Mer is a couple that gives a lot to the show, they can not be separated, not after everything they have lived!!!
Heather
Feb 20, 2007 at 7:42 pm
I think it would be stupid to kill off the main character. I will not watch the show any more if Meridith does not make it through.
Rachael
Feb 20, 2007 at 8:34 pm
I will concede the writing has changed. At the beginning of this season it was looking a little soap operaish, but it’s grey’s! Any way I will not watch if mer dies and this nonsense about mcdreamy and izzy if that happens I will NOT watch but not if mer lives!
Mariposa
Feb 20, 2007 at 8:54 pm
Either way the writers of Grey’s decide to go, it’s not going to be a very good episode.
As Emma said, they’ve already done a “Will She Survive?” plotline. They didn’t kill her then, they won’t kill her now.
Also, it would be impossible to continue the show without her. The show’s title is “Grey’s Anatomy”. Not “Stevens’s Anatomy”, or “Yang’s Anatomy” or “Karev’s Anatomy”. Therefore, she is kind of essential.
I think that if they had had maybe Cristina, or Bailey, or someone else fall in the water, the plotline would have been more entertaining because they are not the main character. So they could still die, and not drag the show down with them. What I mean is, seriously, would anyone watch the show after Merideth died?
Oh well. I’m still going to watch this week’s episode. See if the writer’s can weasel themselves out of this one. :)
Mariposa
michelle
Feb 20, 2007 at 9:20 pm
Just live!!!
The writers are brillant! Whatever they decide to do, who they decide to off- I’ll still watch! I was on the edge of my seat, regardless. If they do/could kill her off, or if she was an “untouchable”, they still did an amazing job with the past 2 shows. I can’t wait to see what happens next. Please have a show soon with some peace in it!
Andi
Feb 20, 2007 at 11:16 pm
With either outcome, I agree that the writers have backed themselves into a hole. They took the last episode to the extreme. Don’t get me wrong, I still like the show. My roommate at college got me hooked, which is big because I have never watched an entire season, let alone 3 seasons of a show.
Sure, I’ll continue to watch it regardless of what happens. It might make it more interesting if she dies. This would just mean that the meaning of the title would refer to the book used for Anatomy classes.
Aleks
Feb 20, 2007 at 11:40 pm
If she dies, I will stop watching the show.!
But I m really happy that the writers come back to Meredith. She was staying aside up till now. I think.
Bethany
Feb 21, 2007 at 1:35 am
Meredith has to live because the show is named after her.
Although Andi had a good idea bringing up the anatomy text book, except it is called GRAY’s Anatomy… spelt differently, so they really cannot do that.
I refuse to believe they will kill her off, so I have nothing more to say on the matter.
Greys
Feb 21, 2007 at 1:38 am
This episode kept me hanging and wondering if the writers will kill off Meredith or not.
It may seem that sometimes she does not do anything besides whining and not scrubing in like Izzie or Cristina. For me that is ok because she has these issues that affect her work and personal life. I know that’s annoying for some but it’s the way the writers came up with the character.
I’ve notice in the past two seasons that Mer is always the one who is left in these situations(don’t you think)and that makes her the focus of everyone in the hospital and more importantly the show. It makes her the main character and if they will kill her off, the show will be really different but I’m not sure if I’ll still watch.
emma
Feb 21, 2007 at 4:52 am
Hey, criticism is every bit as necessary as approval. I certainly loved some episodes and writing and voiced it, so my criticism should be equally valid.
I think there’s just so much pressure for this to be edgey and exciting that the writers misjudged this sweeps arc. Hopefully they’ll self-correct and try to find a happy medium where the characters grow and are exciting, but they don’t lose complete credibility.
I want to keep caring about the story lines. I don’t want to think Mer is a whiney, shallow character - it would be GREAT if they somehow gave her more depth without using the dramatic life threatening plot lines. I feel all eye-rolley about her latest escapade. I didn’t care enough about her when she went into the water to especially want to see her come out. That said, I did care back when she was holding the bomb. Back then, I didn’t want her to die. It was all a function of how much her character made me care when she was threatened.
I don’t mind what the name of the show is, it’s just a name. It can be called Grey’s anatomy without Meredith. The world won’t implode. And anyway, there’s still Ellis Grey. If they don’t kill her off (though I suspect they will) then she can be the Grey in GA if it makes people more comfortable.
Ashley
Feb 21, 2007 at 7:59 am
Oh, if Meredith dies i’ll surely lose interest. Anybody who says they’d lose interest in the show if Meredith lived is crazy. This show is Meredith. Without her it’s gonna have to be called something else. i’m hearing rumors about the fact that this might be the last episode of the season. is that true? I sure hope it isn’t. It can’t be though, because season 2 lasted until May, and started around the same time as season 3.
Can’t wait for tomorrow!
:]
Haasim
Feb 21, 2007 at 8:05 am
If nobody has anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all?
I take it nobody here is a fan of critical thinking.
But for what it’s worth, Grey’s Anatomy never had credibility. It was a silly prime soap opera and it was a lot of fun. But now it’s just silly. How many times can Meredith’s life be in jeopardy? (First the bomb and now a drowning?)
I mean, my God, Danny’s nearly killed by Izzie and then after the commercial break they have a ridiculous in-hospital prom.
The show is a mess that defies reason. It was fun for a while, but the show is becoming waaay too dramatic and waaay too contrived to justify the mindless fanaticism I have seen displayed on this website.
Krystal
Feb 21, 2007 at 10:03 am
I think we can start complaining when we discover that McDreamy is really a McVampy and Dr. Bailey is really Mer’s fairy godmother.. Cristina truly is satan’s right hand woman.
Come on. It is television. Who cares how realistic or unrealistic the show is. I mean, even reality tv, which has REAL written right there, is a bunch of hooey. Even the NEWS is over dramaticized to keep people watching.
Megan
Feb 21, 2007 at 10:34 am
I think this is a tricky question… Lotsa people are in love with meredith and do identify with her. She is the star of the show, like, the main character! What person in their right mind would kill off the star of the show!! I think that shonda knows how many veiwers she wil lose if she kils meredith… However….. The writers have written themselves wel into a corner… Anybody watchn greys, and saw the state that meredith was in, wil knw that ther is not a chance in hel that she wil survive.!! She was basicaly already dead at the en oe the show… And the fact that meredith has been in a similar situation in season 2, realy becomes a bit boring… I dont think people wil stop watchn though if she survives.. I think shonda has done sumthin 2 get everybody speculating, and maybe that was her plan, 2 see how we wud react to the situation…. I guess we’l just hat 2 wait 4 thursday night 2 find out wat wil realy hapen!!
Lauren
Feb 21, 2007 at 11:00 am
Megan, there is a chance in hell that she will survive. Most Grey’s storylines have a form of reality in them. In this case, the cold water puts Meredith’s body in a weird state, making it possible for her to actually be revived. The writers are just doing what they do best–keeping us on their toes.
I as well wonder why it always happens to Meredith. Why is she always the one that everyone in the hospital worries about? It’s probably because she’s just the main character, but sometimes I do wish it was someone else, just to give it a little change.
DM
Feb 21, 2007 at 11:10 am
I consider this last arc a “jumping of the shark” for several reasons and will be more put off the show if Meredith survives than if she dies (either way the damage have already been done in my case).
In the midst of a major scale catastrophe, 7 of the best surgeons in the hospital and 4 interns are either working on or (more annoyingly) hovering around a single patient.
This patient is suffering from being drowned and dead for at least 40 minutes and probably closer to an hour-twenty (undisclosed amount of time from fall into water and trauma-girl without voice pointing across the ocean - McDreamy, not Aquaman nor even trained water rescue personnel, must dive in and swim around for a bit to find her then haul her out - ambulance ride to SGH - 30+ minutes in the surgery room).
So, that having been said, why the hell is she surrounded by surgeons instead of in the ER where the actual trauma docs can do their jobs?
To get that far has taken us three whole episodes as well.
I’m all for drama in more ‘dramatic’ TV, but this is an arc that defines well what “jumping the shark” really means for many of the people I know that watch(ed) this show…
/shrug
emma
Feb 21, 2007 at 11:30 am
Well, we could make a mile long list of all of the really unbelievable parts.
What surgeons are doing in the field in the first place, why they seemed to find a patient and then stick with them having dialog or riding back to the hospital with them while holding their hand (when surely they should have been doing field triage and loading them in the ambulance before turning right to the next one)
- and why Alex, not an administrator but a surgical intern, was in charge of the lists of casualties and informing the family of developments and lost loved ones. Was he really allowed to take pictures of bloody patients and post them publicly? And there are other hospitals in Seattle, why did they assume anyone lost from the accident would be right there in the waiting room or the ER of THAT hospital.
Etc etc etc.
But Meredith’s predicament - it’s not that it’s medically improbable, it’s that the story line is hokey. I feel that putting her life in danger yet again is a shameless attempt to repeat the excitement and adrenaline from season 2. And adding Dylan the bomb guy in there to remind us of that time…? Don’t get me wrong, I liked seeing his cute face and hope they show it again next week. But it was way too overt.
It’s like a kid who does something funny and then when people laugh they repeat it in increasingly exaggerated ways hoping to get another laugh. And then they’re confused when no one thinks it’s funny the second time.
Tashena
Feb 21, 2007 at 11:34 am
I don’t think anyone should die. It’s a great show the way it is. Leave it alone.Love it! Love it! Love it!
Tashena
Feb 21, 2007 at 11:44 am
The truth of the matter is it’s show. None of it is real I sometime like to believe that it is but it isn’t. I don’t think if Meredith dies the show will recover from it but i also think the writers know this. We’ll all see soon.
Amber
Feb 21, 2007 at 12:15 pm
i mean come on i know for a matterr of faact i would lose interest if mer dies and i think T.R and Ishiah need to get over their problems i mean everyone injoys this show and i would hate if any one died(well if ellis dies it wouldnt be the end of the world she already practically dead)or if anyone left the show..one of the mian characers i mean. but yous are al right they cant kill mer cause it’s her show … they’d have to change it To “Shepards Anatomy” or something like that…its mer’s show she should live and its my altime fav show and i think if they get rid of someone or someone dies the show would be ruined..
christi
Feb 21, 2007 at 3:05 pm
i knowww meredith is giong to live. its impossible for her to not. never losing interest ever. :) i’m so in love with it.
Meredith
Feb 21, 2007 at 3:06 pm
I love Meredith for the same of the name we share and for who she is. So if she dies…I don’t know. I probably will stop watching it. If Ellen Pompeo wants to leave, then I’m mad at her because that would ruin the show. I honestly was really down and depressed after the Drowning on Dry Land episode. And, NO, I WILL NOT LOSE INTEREST IF MEREDITH LIVES. My interest will increase, and I will just be SO RELIEVED she is still on the show. I bet a lot of you know how I feel.
juliana
Feb 21, 2007 at 5:49 pm
puh-leease.
everyone is so attached to meredith’s surly, unhappy, weak character who often displays questionable morals and poor decision-making skills? she’s borderline boring, and so is her romance.
it’s the other characters that make the show interesting, and keep viewers involved. if it were up to just meredith, the show would have flatlined long ago.
so yes, i will be quite disappointed if they bring her back in a cliche, over-the-top, resucitation scene that ties up a pretty package. in reality, if a patient is brought back from a similar situation, she would most likely suffer brain dysfunction (akin to her mother’s?). that would be a much more satisfying storyline, worthy of the talent of the show’s writers.
Manda
Feb 21, 2007 at 7:52 pm
Seriously, though, Meredith is the main charater in the show. the other characters are also immensely engaging and without them, no, I don’t believe that the show would still exist. However, even if Meredith may seem un-likable to some people it may be what the writers intend (the good and the bad shows depth of character and a round personality)but if someone was to dislike her so much, why watch the show? If Meredith was to die, she would probably get moved to a voice-over postion or something. I personally would be very disappointed if that happens.
Manda
Feb 21, 2007 at 7:57 pm
As to credibility, who cares? It is show. they are not always accurate but who wants to watch a real-life surgical ward? That would not be so entertaining.
emma
Feb 21, 2007 at 8:20 pm
I think Meredith’s LACK of depth is the problem. She’s a shallow character and there’s either not much to do with her (so they repeat the same story lines because she’s not capable of much) or they know she’s so boring, they have to kill her and bring her back just to change her into someone likable. I hope they do that. Give her some depth through near death.
I personally love the episodes that focus more on other characters. Cristina and Addison are the best. Alex and Bailey. It would be nice if Mer was in a coma for a while to give the others more screen time.
D
Feb 21, 2007 at 11:33 pm
I’ve lost interest solely because it’s unrealistic. Let’s be honest, how long do you think she was in the water, not breathing, not getting oxygen to her brain and hypothermic?! And all the time they’re spending trying to revive her? I work in the medical field and I know real life stuff so I just think Grey’s is taking things a little too far.
Rebecca
Feb 22, 2007 at 9:52 am
Hey you guys!
I’M REBECCA FROM GERMANY!!
At the moment, in Germany there is the second season shown on TV, but i’m looking on some Grey’s Anatomy pages to find out more about the third season, and so, please send me an e-mail (Becca.K@web.de) what is happen to/with Meredith.. I can’t wait lasting for months, till the third season will be shown on german television.
I hope Meredith won’t die..
I will be really sad, if she dies..!
So, please write me an e-mail!!
Sorry for the mistakes i made, but my englisch is not sooo good!
Thank, greetings, Rebecca
Theresa
Feb 22, 2007 at 1:03 pm
Rebecca,
If you have an iPod, You can download all of the season three episodes from iTunes USA, but I don’t know how much they will cost…
Tabatha
Feb 22, 2007 at 1:04 pm
I watch Grey’s Anatomy religiously and have loved it to the point that I basically have all of the episodes memorized. But, honestly, this season’s conflicts/storylines have been sort of a turn off with their outrageousness. The show seems to be missing something this week. Each week, I wait for the new episode and hope that it won’t be disappointing, but (fairly often) I sit there and watch and think “oh, come ON.” Last season was still a bit melodramatic, but not nearly as much as this season. Though it had its moments. I don’t think they’re going to kill off Meredith–it’s a suspense thing, obviously. And I don’t like that they’re bluffing to such an obvious extent, but it is clearly working with all the talk about it.
Tim
Feb 22, 2007 at 1:07 pm
Too relieved to care =]
nicole
Feb 22, 2007 at 2:10 pm
i really would love the show even more if meredith died — i would only feel deep saddness for derek —– and they can kill Meredith because even though it is called GREYS ANATOMY doesnt mean anything because it is also the name of a medical textbook its a play on words (although it is spellef gray for the textbook) but stil
Holtwick08
Feb 22, 2007 at 3:13 pm
I love this show, and I am a true believer that Meredith CANNOT DIE. It will be awful watching the show without her. I just want her to survive and be fine and go back and be happy with her McDreamy. Since when is TV drama supposed to be totally realistic anyway??
lakey
Feb 22, 2007 at 5:19 pm
i have to agree with most people
i think that meredith is not going to
die including that she is the main character. I think that would be really stupid if she died.
Joyce
Feb 22, 2007 at 6:55 pm
I agree with Juliana, Meridith and McDreamy are so intense and sweet they make my teeth hurt! That romance could end today and I’d be happy.
The character I would like to see killed off is Izzie. She is definitely NOT the doctor I would want taking care of anyone I cared about. She’s too whiny and self obsessed.
We all know that Meredith will live and Ellis will die. It’s too bad that they decided to take the easy way out, but you know they will.
But I will still keep watching because overall, I LOVE this show. It’s the best. It really wouldn’t be any fun if we liked all the characters.
Raven
Feb 28, 2007 at 5:39 pm
Wow, I never realized how many people dislike Meredith. I mean, geese…
Personally, she’s my favorite character. I don’t see her as whiney or lacking depth or sterotypical, or any of the other complaints I’ve heard against her. She’s a girl with problems- they might not be that original, but they’re still problems.
I think I’m jsut one of the few people who likes all the characters. They’re all loveable in their own way.
tanya
Mar 1, 2007 at 1:10 pm
I’m starting to think maybe the writers have run out of ideas. What happened to the time when everyone was sleeping with everyone. I liked the triangle story line (Meredith, Derrick, Addison) I think they should fix it so that when Derrick left Addison she was pregnant with their child. When she decided to come to seattle to tell him about it he was with Meredith and things didn’t work out between them so she never told him about their child. (that would mix things up a little bit). I think they should put Izzie and Alex back together but throw in a new nurse of intern to spice up their story line. Maybe someone who is a female version of Alex (somewhat of an ass)to make Izzie a little jealous. I Love the show and I miss the old shows. The ones you watched and couldn’t wait until the next week to see what was going to happen. Not like now, we all new Meridith wasn’t going to die. We just didn’t know how they were going to make the episode work. I kinda like that fact that I didn’t know what was going to happen. I also hated waiting until the next week to find out what was going to happen, but thats what kept me coming back for more.
Elliette
May 30, 2007 at 10:48 pm
If meredith dies then what will the show be called anatomy? and Meredith is like the main charcter so she cant die…Can she?
Elliette
May 30, 2007 at 10:48 pm
If meredith dies then what will the show be called anatomy? and Meredith is like the main charcter so she cant die…Can she?And how can you hate mere? she may have her little random things but still i mean shes Meredith
patcat
May 31, 2007 at 9:58 am
I dont think meredith can die. Basically it is her show. I would like to see Meredith put McDreamy through the same hellish time he put her through the when he wouln’t divorce Addison. Karma is great.
I love them both and want to see them happy.
When does season 4 start?
leah
Sep 1, 2007 at 8:10 am
if she dies i will def stop watchin she is the heart of the show it wunt be ryt wi out her but if she servives it will av hooked me even more so yea they really no how to get veiwers attention kwl
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