Sam_MC

I actually like Jo too, but Meredith and Alex are originals. The more scenes between originals the better.

Cristofle

I can't say I have anything against her, since I don't know if I've ever seen her in a scene (the last episode I watched in full was unfortunately the one where Derek accused Meredith of being a bad mother, and before that it was early S6), but Meredith/Alex >>> late season randoms. And everyone else, since Cristina and now Callie are gone.

Sam_MC

At least Jo was never designed as some poor man's replacement for Meredith.

Unlike whatever they were trying to pull with Taylor.

Cristofle

No, I think Shonda has been quite clear now that she doesn't feel Meredith can be replaced. I think Shonda is actually very connected to Meredith, and that doesn't ALWAYS work out for the best, lol, because Shonda seems to have some self-loathing issues, but it does make it harder for her to just wipe Meredith out.

Whereas Josh frankly didn't seem that connected to any of his female characters, including Summer, really.

Cristofle

DP, but I watched this scene from the finale at the encouragement of a poster on another board.



I don't even really know who this guy is, other than seemingly the first guy she's seriously dated since Derek died, but her general demeanor in this (it appears he was once involved with Owen's long-presumed dead sister? I remember hearing about her like 10 years ago, lol) reminded me why I stanned so hard for her when I watched GA . She has absolutely no inherent malice in her. This is the first guy she's opened herself up to since her husband died and she's probably losing him, and all she seems to feel is complete empathy given how she'd feel if the roles were reversed.

And the point of that for this thread is that I always felt Marissa was more or less the same way- she was never inherently mean or cruel, or selfish really. She tended to get into the most trouble by trusting the wrong people, or putting more of herself into a relationship than she should. And I wish Josh had written scenes that highlighted that as a strength, as Shonda does here, rather than always seem to see it as a weakness.

Sam_MC

Yeah - Meredith found out the sister was alive and there was literally not even a moment of "should I tell him." She left her house and went straight to the hospital.

Cristofle

I had many, many problems with how Shonda wrote Meredith in the MerDer relationship, namely that she kept taking him back after RingGate and YoureabadmotherGate, but I do appreciate that she gives her these good character moments, where her inherent sense of decency is a strength. Wish Josh could've done the same

Sam_MC

I do appreciate that Shonda doesn't always just pile on crap. Josh meanwhile would run Marissa through the gutter constantly.

Cristofle

I really feel that oddly Josh never forgave Marissa for the Oliver backlash, lol. Instead of, you know, blaming himself for writing it poorly.

Sam_MC

Yeah, exactly. He blamed her for people hating that storyline.

Although, I'll say it a million times, still the highest rated episodes of the show.

Cristofle

LOL, people will tune in to watch a stalker. Which, watch that be Meredith's next plot, but at least Shonda won't Marissa her if so.

Sam_MC

I'm a sucker for that. Whenever a favourite is in jeopardy, it's always more fun.

Cristofle

Yeah, I liked the Criminal Minds plot when Mark Hamill was stalking the whole team. And on the other end of the spectrum, I've never laughed so hard as when Peyton's stalker got initially confronted in her bedroom.

Sam_MC

LOLOL I almost forgot about Peyton's stalker. That was a hot mess.

Cristofle

"I'm her brother, bitch!!"

An all time classic.