jokarev

Completely agreed. I'm so tired of the writing for Jo. She's one of the strongest women on the show, definitely one of those who have gone through and suffered the most, and the writers just don't pay any attention to her. Someone with her past should've been one of the MAGIC characters or at least someone who is important enough to the writers that they give her the focus she deserves. They've created a character with so much potential but apparently aren't interested in using any of that potential which just angers me so much. What are they waiting for? For most of the older characters to be gone so Jo will be relevant enough to give her a storyline? I don't know how much longer we have to wait. Usually when characters don't get anything individually they at least get a storyline with their significant other but s11 didn't even give us that.

I'm also so tired of Jo having to be the one to try so hard in their relationship. I really think she's proven long ago that she's a great girlfriend and that she deserves Alex. This season I didn't find him to be a good boyfriend in certain situations, more often than not he was very frustrating and if he keeps that up in s12 I truly hope that Jo breaks up with him. All season I've waited for some sort of wake up call for Alex and it only came in the finale when he realized that he was an ass to her. I just really need for Alex to be there for her now for a change. I need for him to put her first because she's the one person in his life who deserves that the most. His caring side only showed in interactions with other females this season and that made me so angry with the writers. Which also leads us back to the "was Alex a bad boyfriend" discussion. Because of course most of the times he wasn't an ass to Jo but just seeing him be there for everyone in such an exaggerated way except his girlfriend was enough to piss me off. Cause none of the other couples had to deal with something like that (except MerDer).
This show makes me want loner Alex back tbh. Mr. Popular is getting on my nerves.

I'msolost

Yeah looks like it always comes back to that. I still think we didn't see enough of Jolex this season to say that Alex was a bad boyfriend. And all those little things that bugged us so much about his behaviour were such a non-issue on the show that I'm more than willing to move on and not think about it anymore. It's not so easy, though.

I think we can't deny the fact that so far, it really was Jo who fought the hardest for their relationship. I loved how Alex was there for her in s9, but where did that go? We haven't really seen this side of him ever since and that sucks so much. It's gotten to the point where I thought that it maybe might have been better, had the writers focussed on Jo first before giving us the Jimmy story. Because ever since Jimmy we've only seen Jo support Alex. She was there for him then, and then supported him during the PP story. Was the only one to root for him when he competed for the board seat. Has been pretty understanding when it comes to his friendship with Meredith. And that's fine. It's great really. But all their stories always centered around Alex and now I desperately need to see some initiative from Alex again. I can't believe it's gotten to the point where I actually complain about Alex getting attention. For years that was the only thing I've ever wanted and now the writers managed to do even that wrong. I just wish everything would be more balanced. It's about time Jo got some focus too.

The last time Alex actively worked on their relationship was during the love contract story. It was kinda nice to see how worried he was that this could mess with their relationship and that he was also concerned about Jo's career. It may have been a silly storyline but it showed us how much Alex cared about doing everything right with Jo. In s11 that was completely missing. And I want that back.

Oh and I'm so for getting loner Alex back. It's something I've actually always liked about his character. Mr. Popular - that's just not Alex.

Chastidy

Happy Saturday everyone.

What do you guys think about the new series regular? Dear god Greys maybe try work with the cast you already have.

Sav@

Hi everyone! I missed be here, but I took a pause with the fandom for awhile

Let me only say that I absolutely love the title of the new thread!

I heard about the new character and well, we've been so patient last season, but if next season we have to see again new characters get more then Alex and Jo I will riot for sure.

Chastidy

I know right? They better get involved in some decent storylines pronto next season..

ryanforever

they need..or i'm done with the show,really. I'ts too frustrating

Chastidy

Yes it's a pain. If they continue to ignore them and then just randomly break them
Up then I'll be done..

WalaBridget

They won't just break up maybe the writer want to them married or something

ryanforever

but maybe they need drama for keep interest...

yarens

I agree so so much. I don't know how they managed to do that but for the first time in 11 seasons I realized that I have reached a point where I don't like Alex all that much anymore. And this includes his worst times like in s7. And apparently all it took to do that was constantly putting him in scenes with people I don't like as his friends and to write him like the other characters needed him to be and not how he himself was. I think people said it before but he was such a robot. What happened to that passionate man that would do anything for the woman he loves? Who praised himself for being brutally honest and telling it how it is? Not only didn't he show much initiative when it comes to his relationship, he also didn't defend his girlfriend at all. Apparently now it's totally ok for him to let people speak about Jo how they want to. Last season it would've bugged him. I don't know if it was just me who was tired of watching Alex act like this or if he was just tired having to play everyone's shrink this season but he came across as so lifeless and exhausted and dull. I feel like even his scenes in the finale with Jo could've been a bit more passionate. Or maybe I'm expecting too much since we've seen scenes like "Shut up why wouldn't I" or "We're the only family we need". Gah, I don't know how the writers could make a character like Alex so boring but they managed to do that this season.

And everyone else: I really think a break up out of nowhere can't be done with these two anymore. Something has to happen that will cause them to experience some serious setback in their relationship of 3 years. The only couples left who have been together longer than Jolex are Benley and Calzona now. They can't just expect us to believe that Jolex would throw everything away after one fight. They have to do something bigger like they did with Japril.

All I want is a damn storyline in s12! It's our turn now, we've been waiting for so long!

Chastidy

Yes that's true they can't just break up out of the blue. I hope they don't have any serious setbacks though. I'd rather they have angst not involving third parties especially though.

I'msolost

Yeah, a felt that too a little. On the one hand I loved that the loft scene and the one before wasn't some huge overdramatic scene. With Alex and Jo it all feels so natural and not so over the top like some other couples on the show. On the other hand... it has been an eternity since we got the last really emotional scene from Alex's POV at least. And I miss that. I miss that so much.

It really bugs me that the cast is so crowded. With Ben and the new guy we already have 2 new regulars. And the hot new intern from last season is gonna come back too. I bet he gets some significant screentime too. I really wish Shonda & Co knew how to handle such a big cast.

BTW, do you people think that Justin will leave after s12? I really don't what he will do. On the one hand he hasn't gotten any good material in a while, which might be a reason why he want's to leave. On the other hand he strikes me as a guy who doesn't really care that much about getting a lot of on-screen attention as long as he has a save job and a nice routine he is used to.

yarens

I'm right with you there. That's why I have such a huge problem with s11 Alex. I mean it wasn't just with Jo, there was just no emotional Alex at all. With nobody really. And his emotional, passionate side is what I love most about him. Without that side he was just- there. Propping other people and doing nothing significant on his own. What a terrible season to look back on. Alex and Jo had nothing going on for 2 years in their lives just because the focus was on other people. The one other couple that experienced the same was Calzona. I wish I could pretend that this season never happened and that Cristina were still here. It feels like her loss made the show suffer so much more than any other character leaving (before Derek maybe).

About Justin, I'm not sure. I'm always checking jchambersonline and reading/watching all his interviews. Now I know the last ones we got were from the ABC Studios Tour last summer but even those are inconsistent. In one of them he said he wanted to leave after s12 because has other things he wants to do. In others he said he'll stay till the end. And in most he said that he just signed on for two more years and that he'll see. I have no clue what to think of that. Probably means that he'll decide spontanously when his contract is ending.

I'm not sure I want him to stay tbh. They always either screw Alex over (he didn't even get the board seat) or ignore him or make him support others. And it's been like this from the beginning. I mean if he even stayed after season 8 where he had absolutely nothing going on it's more likely for him to stay now I guess but as much as he sees this more as a job than anything else I believe that at some point he'll be sick and tired of playing Alex who never gets anything on this show. He'd probably at least want for his character to settle down and not even that has happened yet.

I want some angst for Jolex already. Something they have to conquer together as a couple. Something where we can say that it brought them even closer together.

I'msolost

Yeah, but to be fair Calzona are separated and they really needed time away from each other. I'm not even sure Calzona fans still liked the eternal back-and-forth that was going on between them since the plane crash. Plus Arizona had a huge storyline this season. And Callie had a lot of focus in s9 and 10. Plus they got a centric this seson too. I get that they didn't have much going in individually or as a couple towards the end, but they had their turn.

I gotta admit I'm one of the rare people who don't really miss Cristina all that much. Least of all when it comes to Alex. IMO they were never shown to be particularly close before s9. And I don't really see how Cristina still being around would have changed anything for Alex this season. Sure, he would probably not have been involved in Meredith's issues that much, but that doesn't mean that him and Jo would have gotten a storyline instead. He probably would have just been in the background even more.

If anything I think it was Derek's death that messed with Alex's story most this season. It's clear they had to drop stories, because things went rough BTS and Alex and Jo's story suffered the most. When I think back Shonda did make plenty of hints about a Jolex story, not only on twitter but also in interviews. Do you guys remember that interview where she was asked about Jolex and then she said she couldn't give away anything, because it would be too spoilery? Either she was full of crap and just didn't want to admit that there was nothing coming for Jolex or it's one more clue that a lot of things did in fact change last minute this season.

yarens

Really? Actually this season proved me how essential Cristina was to the show. I realized that I never appreciated her presence enough. For one she would still be Meredith's person and we never would've gotten the horrible Mer/Alex/Jo scenes we had to watch this season. They would've made Cristina and Maggie bond probably like they did with Lexie/Cristina and we never would've gotten this awful foursome. And since they wouldn't have wasted Jolex for this stupid jealousy storyline I think we would've at least gotten a tiny other storyline. Even if it hadn't been anything big I think they would've come up with something different. Most importantly the Jolex storyline wouldn't have been all about Meredith (and we didn't even get a proper resolution to that one). And I would still love the Merlex friendship. Maybe we would've seen less Alex but honestly in hindsight I'd have been happier with less Alex if that meant that he had at least still been acting like Alex. Most of the Alex scenes we got were about him propping other characters or being this dull version of himself. It's actually funny how Cristina being gone made me realize how important she was for Jolex but then you have a completely different point of view on that. Proves how different people can watch the same show even when they have the same OTP.
I agree that Patrick's exit made things even worse for Jolex though but I saw that one coming. It's also the reason I'm still not so confident about Jolex getting a SL in s12 since Alex will have to keep supporting Meredith. I hope that at least Maggie and Amelia will step in some more so that Alex won't have to be the only one.

In the end I felt like Shonda was full of crap about the "too spoilery" comment but on the other hand they never did anything with the "I'm gonna marry that girl" comment so maybe Jolex were supposed to get married which would've been too spoilery. I agree when people say that their SL was also supposed to be about Jo and Mer bonding but I don't think anything about that would've been too spoilery to talk about.

We still have 3 months to go and I'm already so done with this hiatus.