Grey’s Anatomy fans were caught off guard this week when ABC abruptly fired Brooke Smith, who plays Dr. Erica Hahn, from the show. No one was more surprised than Smith herself, who never got any indication that anyone was unhappy with her performance on Grey’s. ABC execs were unhappy with the lesbian relationship between Erica and Dr. Callie Torres (played by Sara Ramirez). Shonda Rhimes, the executive producer of the show, released a statement saying that Smith was not fired for playing a lesbian. She was fired because of her lack of chemistry with Ramirez and a storyline that didn’t seem to be going anywhere. If you think the people at ABC aren’t trying to make Grey’s a little less gay, think again. Wait until you hear what they’re doing about Melissa George’s character.
Former Alias star Melissa George is set to start on Grey’s this month as Sadie, a bisexual intern. According to E! Online, Sadie was originally meant to be a love interest for Callie – until ABC stepped in. They have reportedly toned down several gay-themed story lines, even completely eliminating some. Anyone hoping for a Sadie/Callie hookup will be sorely disappointed as an insider tells E!, “They changed the script, and now she starts off flirting with Callie but it never goes anywhere.”
Just what is ABC’s problem and why isn’t Shonda Rhimes defending her show a little bit harder? This is the same show with an openly gay actor on it, isn’t it? The same show where we had to hear about Isaiah-gate for a good year after he uttered his homophobic slur. So just to be clear, it’s not okay to treat someone who’s actually gay with any level of disrespect and intolerance, but it is okay to completely rid the series of any gay-themed story lines.
I have said from the beginning that the Erica/Callie storyline didn’t work for me, but that doesn’t mean that nobody should be gay on the show. Now, abruptly ending Callie’s love for women without any explanation just makes the whole thing seem pointless and a waste of time. If Grey’s continues to cut relationship storylines like Burke/Cristina, George/Izzie, and Erica/Callie without a proper resolution, how do they ever expect fans to stay invested?
SEE ALSO: ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Fires Brooke Smith
– Gina Scarpa, BuddyTV Staff Writer
Source: E! Online
(Image courtesy of ABC)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
