I Hate “Grey’s Anatomy.”
Hold on — don’t leave the article yet. It wasn’t always this way.
There’s something special about shows that have gone on forever. The anticipation of a new episode each week, the slow burn of season after season — it’s nostalgic and comforting. For shows like “Law and Order: SVU,” I’ll gladly sit through hundreds of episodes. But “Grey’s Anatomy?” I had to call it quits after season 10.
This article does contain mild spoilers for all the shows mentioned, so view with caution.
I started “Grey’s Anatomy” and powered through the first five seasons like a kid in a candy store. That iconic jingle lived rent-free in my head. I was obsessed. But over time, my love for the show started to fade. The characters — once vibrant and layered — began to feel repetitive. The plot twists got more absurd. And by the time the plane crash happened and they killed off my favorite characters, I knew I was done.
And it’s not just “Grey’s Anatomy.” I can name so many shows that had me in a chokehold at the beginning, only to completely let me down by the end: “Gossip Girl,” “Once Upon a Time,” “The Vampire Diaries.” Each one started with so much promise — strong concepts, juicy drama, lovable (and hateable) characters. But somewhere along the way, they lost the plot — literally.
So what happened? How do these shows go from “I can’t stop watching” to “I can’t believe I wasted my time?” My theory: We need to stop dragging shows out. I don’t need 19 seasons. I don’t need 87 love triangles. I just need a show that knows when to call it quits — before I do.
The best shows start strong by establishing characters right away. “Grey’s Anatomy” nailed this early on — George O’Malley being nicknamed “007” (code for a patient dying under a doctor’s care) is a perfect example. It’s a smart storytelling shortcut that sets him up for growth and gives us someone to root for.
But as the seasons pile on, characters start making decisions that feel completely out of place. I’m all for character development, but let’s be real — Izzie Stevens would never leave Alex like that. She was fiercely loyal, whimsical and willing to go to insane lengths for the people she loved. That softness that she once had just… disappeared.
One long-running show that did manage to keep its magic was “Friends.” It pushed its characters forward without making them feel like strangers. Rachel started out as a ditzy girl trying to make it in the big city, but even as she grew, she never lost her warmth — or her killer fashion sense.
Too often, shows fall into this trap of trying to one-up themselves every season. Bigger plotlines, bigger twists and bigger villains — but none of it feels grounded. It becomes a desperate race to outdo the last season, rather than a natural evolution of the story.
And don’t even get me started on the character turnover. The memes don’t lie — at some point, there are only two or three original characters left. I get that actors move on and pursue other projects, but when the core cast is basically gone, it stops feeling like the same show.
So here’s my grand pitch to Hollywood:
Know the difference between building something meaningful and dragging it out for profit. We deserve thoughtful, well-crafted stories — not just endless seasons and recycled drama.