Grey's Anatomy: The Series Explains Alex's Farewell in Such A Bizarre Way

Warning, massive spoilers for the 16th season of Grey's Anatomy follow: The medical series Grey's Anatomy recently shocked its fans with the sudden news of the exit of Alex Karev, who has been played by Justin Chambers since season 1. The actor now wanted to face new challenges.

It was immediately clear that the actor would tear a gap in Grey's Anatomy that was difficult to fill, especially since the character of Alex was to be written from the series without the actor again. This belated farewell, last announced in an emotional video, has now taken place in the episode Leave A Light On (episode 16 of season 16).

• Opinion: Grey's Anatomy's departure from Alex destroys 15 years of series history

Grey's Anatomy Makes Alex Karev Walk Slowly

The last Grey's Anatomy episode, in which Justin Chambers was still involved as Alex Karev, had already been the 8th episode of the 16th season in the USA in the fall of 2019. Titled My Shot, Alex had devotedly standing up for his longtime friend Meredith Gray (Ellen Pompeo) by raising advocates for her medical reinstatement. And then suddenly he was gone.

Indications that there was more to Alex's unexpected disappearance trickled through slowly and over and over again in the following Season 16 episodes of Grey's Anatomy:

• In episode 10 it was mentioned that Alex was visiting his mother.
  
  
• In episode 11, Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) reached his supervisor, Dr. Karev still with a telephone medical consultation.
  
  
• Episode 12 put Alex's absence in the context of some family problems in Iowa.
  
  
• But in episode 14 of Grey's Anatomy even Meredith couldn't reach her boyfriend anymore.
  
  
• In episode 15, lonely Jo (Camilla Luddington) finally convinced herself that Alex had left her. She called Alex's mother in Iowa and exposed Alex's lie: He had never been there.

This is The Explanation Grey's Anatomy Came Up With For Alex's Disappearance

Grey's Anatomy's 16th episode of the 16th season now brought the certainty: Alex is not dead and is therefore not one of the characters who have all died in Grey's Anatomy. he "only" went away. Forever.

With many flashbacks, the new episode digs deep into the nostalgia box to write Alex Karev out of the series: He bids farewell with letters to Meredith Gray (Ellen Pompeo), Jo Karev (Camilla Luddington), Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson ) and Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) writes.

So to the three people who have been with him the longest, as well as to his wife, whom he is leaving (including the application for divorce that has been sent along).

• Grey's Anatomy stops shooting season 16 due to Corona

But where is Alex disappearing to? Grey's Anatomy came up with the following explanation: When Alex Karev advocated Meredith's return as a doctor, he secretly contacted Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl) again.

The feelings between the two were revived, although the cancer-stricken doctor had already left the series after season 6, 10 years ago.

The ace up the sleeve for Alex to decide between the two women he now loved, not Jo but Izzie, is that he has two children with Izzie without knowing it. Without his knowledge, she had carried a few frozen fertilized egg cells / embryos because she could not produce any more offspring herself after her cancer.

Now Alex, the pediatrician, wants to be a father himself. (Jo hadn't wanted one recently.) He's now living on a Kansas farm "somewhere in nowhere" with his new family and applying for a job at the local hospital where Izzie also works as an oncologist.

He explains to Meredith that she no longer needs him or Cristina: she has long since become "her own person".

Before the last two big ensemble members left two years ago, Ellen Pompeo had stated that the series only murdered characters who misbehave. It fits that Alex can now find his happiness elsewhere. Even if it now leaves many of his friends and colleagues (as well as fans) broken.

Podcast For Series Fans: Anyone Who Breaks Off Series is Not A Bad Person

Photo by Juja Han on Unsplash

- Max, Esther and Melanie go deep into the substance of their fan DNA: When is it okay to break off a series? And if in doubt, can we even skip a season?

Supernatural, Grey's Anatomy and The Walking Dead have been running for 40 years. Do we perhaps have to draw a line under our beloved series much faster in times of persistent peak TV? Or should we stick with it until the bitter end?

How do you find the explanation for Alex's departure from Grey's Anatomy?

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