Has it not occurred to anyone that the writers on this show simply CANNOT write strong female characters? Being strong doesn't mean being mean...don't they know the difference? The only strong female characters were Hahn (now eliminated), Addison (spun off) and Meredith's mom (dead).
I don't know how any woman in this day and age considers a single woman on this show to have any life of her own. Think about it: Izzy yelling at Alex about how she loves him...no matter what; Yang whining about wanting to bang an intern, thinking fondly about moving to derm, and constantly pandering to Burke; Meredith pretty much in everything she does; Callie needing to go to Sloan to find out how to please a woman?!
The fact that they're killing a homosexual story line isn't the giveaway that the writers are incompetent and have no clue about how the world works in 2008 -- rather, it's that they think the only way a woman is satisfied and happy is when she's sexually satisfying a man.
This show has totally jumped the shark.
Jess Says:
November 4th, 2008 6:30 PM
jackofhearts - I would include Bailey in your list of strong women on the show. She's really been coming into her own, and she's earned the respect of everyone in the hospital, especially the Chief.
I do agree with your assessment of the rest of the cast though. I don't know how we're supposed to believe that any of these women are dealing with stressful life-or-death medical situations when they're SO melodramatic and needy about everything else.
Belle Says:
November 4th, 2008 6:38 PM
ER has 9 millions after 15 years,. Grey has 14 after 5 years, you can't compare. ER is still pretty strong after 15 years. I doubt Grey will be around in that time.
Since I hate MG and hate Alex, they can oput them together. That way the god-awful AI can end.
I personally think Brooke is a good actress, maybe even great. However, I have never liked Erica Hahn from the minute she stepped into Grey's, while Burke was still there. She is just so, I don't know, bitchy somehow. I know Christina is a hard person too, but she cracks me up constantly. Hahn is either a witch or crying about glasses. I didn't like the Callie and Erica relationship, the chemistry was so off there. Sara Ramirez needs a different personality to play off, whether they take her onto another gay relationship or back to men (I personally would like to see her with Mark Sloan - manwhore though he may be, they have great chemistry together! Plus, he has evolved). As for strong women. Even the strongest have faults, and that is the beauty of Grey's. They show every aspect of the characters, their strengths and weaknesses. Show me the strongest of women in the real world, and even they have weaknesses.
Belle, I was just trying to make a point but true, I don't think that Grey's will be around that long. Crap, what am I gonna watch with both ER and Grey's out?
There is a point saying that the show can't write strong woman. Maybe not as much as writing as mainting them. Addie was starting to become very powerful and very chief-like but realized that it wasn't the life she wanted. That was a very strong thing to do, to build your life and be able to change it on your own, but this show is trying to show that. Meredith is growing up, slowly, but growing up. Cristina is humanizing (is that a word?) herself a little bit and slowly realizing that not everything in life is surgery, Izzie is also coming around. Bailey is like the hospital's god or something. I think that the show is focusing on the development of the strong woman more like showing them already in that strong place. Everyone has mishaps and mistakes but we all get there. By the show's end, we'll see a strong Meredith be the kind of surgeon that her mother was and have the family, with Derek, that she always wanted to be...or so I hope to see. :)
gloria Says:
November 4th, 2008 7:33 PM
I can't say how absurd this is! It's not only because BS is a GREAT actress, nor because she added something up to the show, but mainly because ABC treated her like dirt!
How could they just let her go like that? And they say they stand for the "good" family values... So, is it right to dismiss someone that works for/with you just like they did? Good lesson... THANKS ABC for teaching us how to buil such a trust-reliable relationship with our "employees"!
Okay... I know they can fire anyone that works for them any time they want... but it's really a good idea let them know this in advance!
I found it SO, SO disgusting! They could have done this without ruinning our show... giving her a proper goodbye or even preparing us for this! It's not like they had to keep her forever and if they really didn't want her anymore in the cast, they just had to do it right!
Again, thanks ABC!
moviestarrx3 Says:
November 4th, 2008 7:34 PM
First off, this is about Brooke Smith, not Gizzie. Let's try not to get into that arguement once more.
Someone said something about strong women:
I believe they're all strong. But, you have to realize, that not everyone can be strong all the time. Erica was a strong, smart, respectful woman, yes, but she also had serious issues with trust and was very, very patronizing to others. That's not my complete definition of a strong woman.
Meredith grew up through horrible things and she's been able to overcome a lot of that and work on changing herself. That's strong I would say, although there are a lot of things about her that she does depend on others for and sometimes she isn't strong, but nobody is 100% of the time. As a women, I am pretty proud of MOST of the ways Grey's portrays women, although I have to admit a lot are disrespectiful at times, but hey, it is pretty realistic. These characters are supposed to be like real people learning about life, not necessarily people that we should look up to 100% of the time.
I hope is was the ABC executives that made this decision and that it was out of Shonda's control... somehow I doubt. I didn't like Erica much or Callica, but this is bizarre, to jist drop everything. I know some people who could not watch the show because of the lesbian storyline, and even though I'm not one of those people, thats probably why ABC pulled the plug on it. They also did that to Rebecca's character on Ugly Betty. It's such a shame to let go of such a wonderfully talented actress. Although I want the show to do well, I hope that ABC will receive some negative criticism for this decision. Really, such a shame.
Tessa Says:
November 4th, 2008 7:37 PM
I feel for Brooke Smith, but I didn't like the relationship between her and Sara. Gizzie fans, please stop comparing this to the dropping of Gizzie. Whether you believe it or not, Gizzie was overwhelmingly unpopular with viewers and Grey's is receiving much better reviews now that its dead!
Meg Says:
November 4th, 2008 8:54 PM
I hate that Brooke is leaving...I was really looking forward to where that story was going.
What's this about the new chick coming in as "Meredith's best friend"? Meredith has a best friend...her name is Christina and she rocks!
pissedatABC Says:
November 4th, 2008 10:02 PM
Wow. I just don't know what to think anymore. I really thought that Grey's was gonna be a "progressive" show, but I guess ABC has NO BALLS! As a lesbian, myself, I'm very heartbroken at this decision.
Brooke Smith is one of the greatest actresses around. She was TOLD to play a bitch and hse did it...fabulously, I might add. She was TOLD to be awkwardly gay...and she did that as well. She really did nothing wrong. She only did her job and did what she was told to do. ABC needs to grow a pair...
I'm VERY SAD!!! I guess this Thursday will be the last espisode I'll watch. Good thing I kept the rest of the season in my TiVo. I can re-watch all those episodes. :(
Bren Says:
November 4th, 2008 10:05 PM
I'm shocked that Brooke Smith has been fired! If ABC didn't like the direction that her character was going, then change it, don't just get rid of her. Dr. Hahn as much rugged as she was, had a power about her. She was strength. I loved her character and after Thursday's episode, I honestly don't know if I'll continue to watch religiously.
Still totally shocked that Brooke Smith has gone but I have a feeling because she is such a great actress she'll be on our screens again shortly.
MerDer Says:
November 4th, 2008 10:38 PM
WOOOOO HOOOOOOOO!!!! This is the best news EVER! Now I can ENJOY my show!!! Cristina can learn cardio now and I can stop vomiting every other scene! This MADE MY DAY!!
KeepingtheFaith Says:
November 4th, 2008 11:33 PM
From Shonda's comments, it just seems that they didn't like her as an acress. Her character was not enjoyable, but that was the way she was written. Even though last season was cut short, it seemed that all she did was yell at Christina and that seemed pointless and went on for way too long.
I don't think it really had anything to do with the storyline, because they announced well in advance where that was going and had done a lot of research to determine how to approach it. If ABC had been uncomfortable, I would think they would have expressed that before the season started.
And if it was just a matter of chemistry, they could have broken them up, like they've done with everyone else.
When she and Mark were flirting last season, they didn't seem like a realistic couple either.
So, I guess I'm glad to see her go, but only because her character wasn't enjoyable, and I didn't like the storyline either. Maybe ABC just decided that they didn't want that to be the main focus of the show, but it definitely sounds like Shonda had a big part in the decision.
Jessica Says:
November 4th, 2008 11:57 PM
L
A
M
E
That's all I'm going to say.
Grey's messing up again Says:
November 5th, 2008 3:24 AM
I think it's really bad they fired Brooke Smith, even though there was no chemistry in the CalliCa couple, her character was interesting, Brooke Smith is a great Actress, it's not her fault if the production messed with her storylines.
BUT, I have to say this could be a good opportunity to get Burke back :-D
C-o-m-m-o-n! He's been fired since season 3, and they still refer to this character, I think it just proves there's something missing in the show since Burke left ... right?
Don't you think?
Does anybody know, if Brooke Smith has an official website? Thanks
helen Says:
November 5th, 2008 5:06 AM
SMITH IS A GREAT ACTRESS BUT HER ROLE WAS REALLY BAD.
fan of the show Says:
November 5th, 2008 6:44 AM
The lesbian is dead, long live the lesbian!
fan of the show Says:
November 5th, 2008 7:09 AM
All right,Ellen Pompeo has two gay uncles, gay colleague (TR) and
gay best friend on the screen. That should be enough.
Shelton Says:
November 5th, 2008 10:48 AM
I hear ABC ordered Shonda to fire Brooke after they received a massive number of angry calls after Callica's bed romp aired. Still think this is not homophobia?
Irish eyes Says:
November 5th, 2008 2:09 PM
I disagree. I don't think callie and mark have any chemistry at all. Neither did callie and hahn. In fact i don't think sara has much chemistry with any of the cast. I wouldn't really miss her. Will not miss hahn. Feel sorry for brooke smith. Peace
Irish eyes Says:
November 5th, 2008 2:09 PM
I disagree. I don't think callie and mark have any chemistry at all. Neither did callie and hahn. In fact i don't think sara has much chemistry with any of the cast. I wouldn't really miss her. Will not miss hahn. Feel sorry for brooke smith. Peace
Irish eyes Says:
November 5th, 2008 2:10 PM
I disagree. I don't think callie and mark have any chemistry at all. Neither did callie and hahn. In fact i don't think sara has much chemistry with any of the cast. I wouldn't really miss her. Will not miss hahn. Feel sorry for brooke smith. Peace
November 4th, 2008 6:16 PM
Lame, lame, lame.
I will miss the storyline and Brooke Smith.
November 4th, 2008 6:16 PM
Has it not occurred to anyone that the writers on this show simply CANNOT write strong female characters? Being strong doesn't mean being mean...don't they know the difference? The only strong female characters were Hahn (now eliminated), Addison (spun off) and Meredith's mom (dead).
I don't know how any woman in this day and age considers a single woman on this show to have any life of her own. Think about it: Izzy yelling at Alex about how she loves him...no matter what; Yang whining about wanting to bang an intern, thinking fondly about moving to derm, and constantly pandering to Burke; Meredith pretty much in everything she does; Callie needing to go to Sloan to find out how to please a woman?!
The fact that they're killing a homosexual story line isn't the giveaway that the writers are incompetent and have no clue about how the world works in 2008 -- rather, it's that they think the only way a woman is satisfied and happy is when she's sexually satisfying a man.
This show has totally jumped the shark.
November 4th, 2008 6:30 PM
jackofhearts - I would include Bailey in your list of strong women on the show. She's really been coming into her own, and she's earned the respect of everyone in the hospital, especially the Chief.
I do agree with your assessment of the rest of the cast though. I don't know how we're supposed to believe that any of these women are dealing with stressful life-or-death medical situations when they're SO melodramatic and needy about everything else.
November 4th, 2008 6:38 PM
ER has 9 millions after 15 years,. Grey has 14 after 5 years, you can't compare. ER is still pretty strong after 15 years. I doubt Grey will be around in that time.
Since I hate MG and hate Alex, they can oput them together. That way the god-awful AI can end.
November 4th, 2008 6:50 PM
I personally think Brooke is a good actress, maybe even great. However, I have never liked Erica Hahn from the minute she stepped into Grey's, while Burke was still there. She is just so, I don't know, bitchy somehow. I know Christina is a hard person too, but she cracks me up constantly. Hahn is either a witch or crying about glasses. I didn't like the Callie and Erica relationship, the chemistry was so off there. Sara Ramirez needs a different personality to play off, whether they take her onto another gay relationship or back to men (I personally would like to see her with Mark Sloan - manwhore though he may be, they have great chemistry together! Plus, he has evolved). As for strong women. Even the strongest have faults, and that is the beauty of Grey's. They show every aspect of the characters, their strengths and weaknesses. Show me the strongest of women in the real world, and even they have weaknesses.
November 4th, 2008 7:24 PM
Belle, I was just trying to make a point but true, I don't think that Grey's will be around that long. Crap, what am I gonna watch with both ER and Grey's out?
There is a point saying that the show can't write strong woman. Maybe not as much as writing as mainting them. Addie was starting to become very powerful and very chief-like but realized that it wasn't the life she wanted. That was a very strong thing to do, to build your life and be able to change it on your own, but this show is trying to show that. Meredith is growing up, slowly, but growing up. Cristina is humanizing (is that a word?) herself a little bit and slowly realizing that not everything in life is surgery, Izzie is also coming around. Bailey is like the hospital's god or something. I think that the show is focusing on the development of the strong woman more like showing them already in that strong place. Everyone has mishaps and mistakes but we all get there. By the show's end, we'll see a strong Meredith be the kind of surgeon that her mother was and have the family, with Derek, that she always wanted to be...or so I hope to see. :)
November 4th, 2008 7:33 PM
I can't say how absurd this is! It's not only because BS is a GREAT actress, nor because she added something up to the show, but mainly because ABC treated her like dirt!
How could they just let her go like that? And they say they stand for the "good" family values... So, is it right to dismiss someone that works for/with you just like they did? Good lesson... THANKS ABC for teaching us how to buil such a trust-reliable relationship with our "employees"!
Okay... I know they can fire anyone that works for them any time they want... but it's really a good idea let them know this in advance!
I found it SO, SO disgusting! They could have done this without ruinning our show... giving her a proper goodbye or even preparing us for this! It's not like they had to keep her forever and if they really didn't want her anymore in the cast, they just had to do it right!
Again, thanks ABC!
November 4th, 2008 7:34 PM
First off, this is about Brooke Smith, not Gizzie. Let's try not to get into that arguement once more.
Someone said something about strong women:
I believe they're all strong. But, you have to realize, that not everyone can be strong all the time. Erica was a strong, smart, respectful woman, yes, but she also had serious issues with trust and was very, very patronizing to others. That's not my complete definition of a strong woman.
Meredith grew up through horrible things and she's been able to overcome a lot of that and work on changing herself. That's strong I would say, although there are a lot of things about her that she does depend on others for and sometimes she isn't strong, but nobody is 100% of the time. As a women, I am pretty proud of MOST of the ways Grey's portrays women, although I have to admit a lot are disrespectiful at times, but hey, it is pretty realistic. These characters are supposed to be like real people learning about life, not necessarily people that we should look up to 100% of the time.
I hope is was the ABC executives that made this decision and that it was out of Shonda's control... somehow I doubt. I didn't like Erica much or Callica, but this is bizarre, to jist drop everything. I know some people who could not watch the show because of the lesbian storyline, and even though I'm not one of those people, thats probably why ABC pulled the plug on it. They also did that to Rebecca's character on Ugly Betty. It's such a shame to let go of such a wonderfully talented actress. Although I want the show to do well, I hope that ABC will receive some negative criticism for this decision. Really, such a shame.
November 4th, 2008 7:37 PM
I feel for Brooke Smith, but I didn't like the relationship between her and Sara. Gizzie fans, please stop comparing this to the dropping of Gizzie. Whether you believe it or not, Gizzie was overwhelmingly unpopular with viewers and Grey's is receiving much better reviews now that its dead!
November 4th, 2008 8:54 PM
I hate that Brooke is leaving...I was really looking forward to where that story was going.
What's this about the new chick coming in as "Meredith's best friend"? Meredith has a best friend...her name is Christina and she rocks!
November 4th, 2008 10:02 PM
Wow. I just don't know what to think anymore. I really thought that Grey's was gonna be a "progressive" show, but I guess ABC has NO BALLS! As a lesbian, myself, I'm very heartbroken at this decision.
Brooke Smith is one of the greatest actresses around. She was TOLD to play a bitch and hse did it...fabulously, I might add. She was TOLD to be awkwardly gay...and she did that as well. She really did nothing wrong. She only did her job and did what she was told to do. ABC needs to grow a pair...
I'm VERY SAD!!! I guess this Thursday will be the last espisode I'll watch. Good thing I kept the rest of the season in my TiVo. I can re-watch all those episodes. :(
November 4th, 2008 10:05 PM
I'm shocked that Brooke Smith has been fired! If ABC didn't like the direction that her character was going, then change it, don't just get rid of her. Dr. Hahn as much rugged as she was, had a power about her. She was strength. I loved her character and after Thursday's episode, I honestly don't know if I'll continue to watch religiously.
November 4th, 2008 10:31 PM
Still totally shocked that Brooke Smith has gone but I have a feeling because she is such a great actress she'll be on our screens again shortly.
November 4th, 2008 10:38 PM
WOOOOO HOOOOOOOO!!!! This is the best news EVER! Now I can ENJOY my show!!! Cristina can learn cardio now and I can stop vomiting every other scene! This MADE MY DAY!!
November 4th, 2008 11:33 PM
From Shonda's comments, it just seems that they didn't like her as an acress. Her character was not enjoyable, but that was the way she was written. Even though last season was cut short, it seemed that all she did was yell at Christina and that seemed pointless and went on for way too long.
I don't think it really had anything to do with the storyline, because they announced well in advance where that was going and had done a lot of research to determine how to approach it. If ABC had been uncomfortable, I would think they would have expressed that before the season started.
And if it was just a matter of chemistry, they could have broken them up, like they've done with everyone else.
When she and Mark were flirting last season, they didn't seem like a realistic couple either.
So, I guess I'm glad to see her go, but only because her character wasn't enjoyable, and I didn't like the storyline either. Maybe ABC just decided that they didn't want that to be the main focus of the show, but it definitely sounds like Shonda had a big part in the decision.
November 4th, 2008 11:57 PM
L
A
M
E
That's all I'm going to say.
November 5th, 2008 3:24 AM
I think it's really bad they fired Brooke Smith, even though there was no chemistry in the CalliCa couple, her character was interesting, Brooke Smith is a great Actress, it's not her fault if the production messed with her storylines.
BUT, I have to say this could be a good opportunity to get Burke back :-D
C-o-m-m-o-n! He's been fired since season 3, and they still refer to this character, I think it just proves there's something missing in the show since Burke left ... right?
Don't you think?
November 5th, 2008 4:05 AM
Does anybody know, if Brooke Smith has an official website? Thanks
November 5th, 2008 5:06 AM
SMITH IS A GREAT ACTRESS BUT HER ROLE WAS REALLY BAD.
November 5th, 2008 6:44 AM
The lesbian is dead, long live the lesbian!
November 5th, 2008 7:09 AM
All right,Ellen Pompeo has two gay uncles, gay colleague (TR) and
gay best friend on the screen. That should be enough.
November 5th, 2008 10:48 AM
I hear ABC ordered Shonda to fire Brooke after they received a massive number of angry calls after Callica's bed romp aired. Still think this is not homophobia?
November 5th, 2008 2:09 PM
I disagree. I don't think callie and mark have any chemistry at all. Neither did callie and hahn. In fact i don't think sara has much chemistry with any of the cast. I wouldn't really miss her. Will not miss hahn. Feel sorry for brooke smith. Peace
November 5th, 2008 2:09 PM
I disagree. I don't think callie and mark have any chemistry at all. Neither did callie and hahn. In fact i don't think sara has much chemistry with any of the cast. I wouldn't really miss her. Will not miss hahn. Feel sorry for brooke smith. Peace
November 5th, 2008 2:10 PM
I disagree. I don't think callie and mark have any chemistry at all. Neither did callie and hahn. In fact i don't think sara has much chemistry with any of the cast. I wouldn't really miss her. Will not miss hahn. Feel sorry for brooke smith. Peace