Grey’s Anatomy has been a staple piece of network television for over 20 years now, and with any show that lasts that amount of time, there are bound to be lots of changes made throughout the seasons. As Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) herself says, “The carousel never stops turning.” The biggest and most noticeable of these changes are the cast shakeups. From major character deaths and exits, to new additions, Grey’s Anatomy has always kept things fresh — for better or for worse.
But throughout this revolving door of characters, there are some that fans remain unwavering in their love and loyalty to, that I just can’t agree with. Some of the more popular characters to dislike are Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl), and Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd), but for me, that character has always been Alex Karev (Justin Chambers), and I’m not sorry about it.
Alex Karev Is a Key Character From ‘Grey’s Anatomy’s Original Cast
When Grey’s Anatomy premiered 20 years ago, the story followed Meredith Grey and her fellow interns Alex Karev, George O’Malley (T.R. Knight), Izzie Stevens, and Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) through their intern year. Their names make up the acronym “MAGIC,” which became a nostalgic term for the early-day cast of characters among fans. While I understand the nostalgia for the original characters and miss them now that they’ve all departed the show (even Meredith Grey herself!), I can’t help it: I’ve never liked Karev.
In the early seasons, Karev was misogynistic and, frankly, a bully to his fellow interns. He was always belittling George and was so cruel to him for no reason. He demeaned Cristina’s talents just because she was a woman, and was unable to admit to himself that she was just more talented than him as a surgeon. Additionally, the way he treated Izzie and all of the other women in the hospital was just plain gross. He would sleep with them, then never talk to them again, or he’d act hostile and as if he was better than everyone else.
He also had zero bedside manner when it came to patients. He was short-tempered and often got impatient with them when he was supposed to be helping, and when they needed something, he would often delegate the task to someone he felt was below him. His treatment of the nurses is a specific example. He never saw them as someone who could help him and work with him, but rather someone who could pick up his slack and do his dirty work for him, which wasn’t fair. He was cocky and arrogant, and it was not a good look.
Alex Karev’s Bad Relationships Led to the Worst Exit in ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ History
Outside of his general work environment, Karev wasn’t any better. For a while, I believed he was just putting up a front to hide his true vulnerability, and while that was true in some ways, he was still pretty awful to people outside of work as well. This can be seen most in his relationships with his friends and, specifically, his romances. No one can forget the absolute nightmare of a relationship that was Izzie and Alex.
From the beginning, they had a “will-they-won’t-they?” dynamic going on, but it was extremely toxic. He was never ready to commit to her, or even treat her with an ounce of respect or dignity half the time, yet whenever she started to find interest in someone else, Alex’s interest piqued again, and he became blindingly jealous and possessive. They eventually got married when Izzie was going through cancer, but she left him soon after without any warning, leaving him distraught. He was never quite the same after that, and it left him extremely jaded — even more so than before.
Later in the show, he met and fell in love with Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington), and while this relationship began during Alex’s more redeemable years, there are still so many moments that are red flags. For starters, who can forget when he misunderstood a moment between DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti) and Jo, and beat him so badly that he nearly killed him? And in what is possibly the show’s worst exit, he just up and left all his friends and colleagues, and Jo, who at that point was his wife, to go back to Izzie. He didn’t even have the decency to tell her to her face; instead, he left her a letter. I’d say it erases character development, but really, that was always who Alex was at his core, so in a way, it wasn’t surprising. Disappointing? Yes. But surprising? No.
‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Tried To Redeem Alex Karev’s Character, but It Was Too Late
Despite my dislike for Alex’s character, I can admit that he had some good character development at times. Joining pediatrics was the best thing that ever happened to him, and it did genuinely make him a better person, but it wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t made Addison (Kate Walsh) so mad that she punished him by putting him on her service. I can also agree that a lot of his issues stem from childhood and having to be the “man of the house” at such a young age. I do genuinely like him in the episode when Meredith gets attacked by a patient, because he let his walls down and was just there for her. He stepped up for her and her kids, and I respect him for that. He and Meredith did have a sweet bond by the end of the series, and I can understand the affection fans have for that friendship, especially after Cristina left, and Derek (Patrick Dempsey) died. But I fear it was too little, too late for me to fully get on board.
It just feels like Alex didn’t start working on himself until he had done things that were irredeemable in my eyes. I want to be fully on board with him and Meredith’s friendship, but how can I when he constantly looked down on her in the early seasons just because she’s a woman? I want to root for him as a doctor, but it’s hard when he has spent so many seasons being the most miserable person you can imagine having as a caretaker. Perhaps most controversially of all? I want to be upset that he left the show, but I’m just… not. I’m jealous of those who love Alex Karev through and through, but unfortunately, that has just never been me. From the beginning, he solidified himself as a character incapable of long-term change, and while I love a character with flaws, Alex Karev is more like a walking red flag.
