Grey’s Anatomy Characters: Who I Loved, Who I Tolerated, Who I Hated. Part 1:
Hey. I’m thinking about rewatching Grey’s Anatomy for my fifth time and I wanted to rate how I feel about the cast now and then again after I finish. I’m going to make this a three-part series because I have a lot of feelings about these characters.
1. George O’Malley (Seasons 1-5)
T. R. Knight As George O’Malley
I feel like George whined way too much. When he finally got surgeries, they weren’t good enough. When he got a girlfriend, she still wasn’t good enough compared to Meredith. Overall, he was just insecure and selfish.
He convinced Meredith to sleep with him even though he knew she was in love with Derek. Then when she cried afterward, instead of being a good friend or even a decent person, he got mad at her and turned their friends against her. That alone made me look at him differently.
He also knew Meredith’s dad was at the hospital with his new family that she didn’t even know about. Even if he was mad at her, he still could’ve told her. It honestly felt like he wanted her to feel pain because she didn’t love him back.
On top of that, he was a hypocrite when it came to Alex. When Alex made a mistake and accidentally killed someone, George laughed along with everyone else. Meanwhile, when George made countless mistakes and even cheated on Callie, Alex was still there for him. He gave Alex so much grief for cheating on Izzie, then turned around and did the exact same thing himself.
The only good thing I can say about him is how he helped Bailey when she was giving birth. If he wasn’t so insecure all the time, maybe he would’ve actually stood a chance with Meredith.
The first time I watched the show, George was one of my favorites and I cried during his death. But rewatching it with adult eyes made me realize he was not a good friend and barely a good doctor. His death was sad, but honestly, it felt necessary.
2. Callie Torres (Seasons 2-12)
Sara Ramirez As Callie Torres
Her relationship with Arizona was draining to watch. They never fully made sense to me. I understand that she was confused about her sexuality at first, especially with Mark involved, but after Arizona left for Africa, that should have been a moment for her to focus on herself and her career.
What really bothered me was her dating the woman who killed Derek. That was so insensitive. And bringing her to Meredith’s house? That was wild.
Then she tried to act like Arizona was not Sofia’s real mother just because she didn’t carry her. That completely backfired when the judge granted custody to Arizona. Callie was not trying to compromise at all. She was ready to take Sofia and move across the country for a woman who did not even treat Sofia like her own.
I also feel like Callie lost feelings for Arizona after the plane crash but tried to stay out of guilt. She resented how Arizona treated her after losing her leg, but I can understand why Arizona would have been angry. Losing a limb is traumatic. It’s complicated, but that whole storyline made Callie seem more impatient than understanding.
And honestly, she should not have married George. She knew he was grieving his dad when he proposed, but she still went through with it. Then when he died, she acted like she was the only one allowed to grieve because she was his “wife,” even though Meredith, Cristina, Izzie, and Alex knew him first.
Overall, Callie became selfish and codependent. She started off cool and assertive, but over time she lost that edge. By the time she left, I was not sad to see her go.
3. Jackson Avery (Seasons 6-22)
Jesse Williams as Jackson Avery
Jackson was way too spoiled for someone who complained so much about being spoiled. He was always talking about how hard it was having a powerful family name and how his mom fought his battles for him, but he still let her. He let Catherine control so much of his life, including parts of his relationship with April, and then acted frustrated about it.
And let’s talk about Stephanie. He was completely wrong for dating her and then leaving her for April at April’s wedding. That was embarrassing and selfish. He did not even break up with Stephanie properly. He just blew up her life and walked away like it was nothing.
When April left for the army after they lost their baby, he blamed her for leaving him. But he never clearly said that he needed her to stay. He never said he did not want her to go. He just expected her to know. That whole situation was painful, and instead of communicating, he shut down and turned cold.
He also gave April a hard time about her faith and acted like it was a problem in their marriage. Then later on, he went on his own spiritual journey and suddenly expected Maggie to be on that same wave with him. The hypocrisy was wild.
And speaking of Maggie, that relationship was just not it. There was no chemistry. The storyline felt forced. I genuinely wish that whole arc had been scrapped.
Jackson had moments where he was calm and mature, but most of the time he avoided hard conversations and then got upset when things fell apart. He had potential, but he rarely took full responsibility for his part in anything.
4. Richard Webber (Seasons 1-22)
James Pickens Jr. as Richard Webber
Richard was such a big baby. Every time he did not get his way, he would pout or try to manipulate people into doing things for him. Instead of communicating like an adult, he would guilt trip people or act disappointed until they gave in.
He also acted very high and mighty about being Chief. Realistically, the amount of times he lost that position, he should not have kept getting it back. At some point, you have to admit maybe you are not meant to keep that title. But he always found a way back into power.
What really bothered me was how he tried to parent Meredith. He would act like some moral authority in her life when he is literally one of the reasons her life was so complicated. He cheated on his wife with her mother and convinced Ellis to leave her husband. Then he changed his mind and stayed with Adele. What did he think was going to happen to Meredith after that? Of course her childhood was going to be messed up.
Then later he starts dating Catherine while Adele is in a home suffering from Alzheimer’s, and he barely visits her. That whole situation felt wrong. Yes, Adele was sick, but it still felt like he emotionally checked out long before that.
Richard has moments where he tries to give speeches and act wise, but when you really look at his history, a lot of his actions caused damage. He constantly positioned himself as a mentor and father figure, but he never fully took accountability for the mess he helped create.
5. Derek Shepard (Seasons 1-11)
Patrick Dempsey as Derek Shepard
Derek was jealous, egotistical, and constantly blamed his problems on Meredith. He never really took accountability for his own actions.
When he cheated on Addison, he acted like it was somehow Meredith’s fault because she was “the one” for him. That makes no sense. You chose to cheat. That is on you.
Then during the brain tumor trial, he blamed Meredith for pushing him too much. He was mad at her for wanting him to succeed. But the second it worked, he switched up completely. He kissed her and told her she was the best thing that ever happened to him. His love always felt tied to how successful he was at the moment.
When his career was struggling, their relationship was struggling. It got so bad that Meredith started finding surgeries for him just so he would feel accomplished and stop being miserable with her. That is not healthy.
He also was never truly understanding about Meredith’s daddy issues and fear of attachment. Instead of reassuring her, he would get frustrated and make it about himself.
And the Washington situation? He fought so hard with Meredith about going, then when he got there, he cheated on her. Again. I honestly think if he had lived, they would have ended up divorced.
At times, it felt like he was jealous of his own wife. Meredith was younger, incredibly talented, and had her whole career ahead of her. Instead of fully supporting that, he let his ego get in the way.
Derek was romantic on the surface, but when you really rewatch it, a lot of his behavior was selfish.
Rewatching this show as an adult really changes everything. Characters I used to love are now questionable at best, and some of them are just straight up exhausting. I know I’m going to feel even stronger about certain people after this rewatch, so Part 2 might be worse. Stay tuned.