Grey’s Anatomy has been through its ups and downs. And there are maybe a dozen episodes that even super-fans wouldn’t watch again if they had a choice. But the series itself is an evolving, changing being – it breathes in new information and alters its DNA to meet the ever-transforming cultural context of American television and life.
Grey’s has been renewed for an astounding 19th season (per The Hollywood Reporter) and while many fans wish the doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital would hang up their scrubs, Redditors and long-time viewers disagree. Fans aired their opinions on a thread called “Does anyone still watch Grey’s because they enjoy it?” and the responses were spot on.
It’s Like Having An ‘Aggravating Sibling’
Many fans said they still love Grey’s Anatomy or at least enjoy tuning in. Others’ responses sound more like UltraCrankster’s. They wrote, “To me, being a long-time Grey’s watcher is like having a really aggravating sibling. You want to cut them off, but you have this long history with them and you still remember what it was like when they were young and fun. So you tolerate them in your house once a week.”
Grey’s worked especially hard to attain a familial feeling in a season 18 episode, as the doctors campaigned to keep their residency program running. Still, whatever happens in the teaching hospital’s future, at least Grey’s Anatomy has a loyal extended family of fans to keep the series chugging along.
It’s Become A Habit
Hobgoblin_deluxe hit the nail right on the head with their assessment, reminding other Redditors that a treasured ritual is sometimes worth the occasional disappointment. They said, like most fans, they keep watching Grey’s “Because it’s a habit and you’ve watched it for this damn long so you may as well stick with the cockamamie show for the rest of its absurd run.”
Another user agreed that the quality could be unpredictable; doodledandy1273 shared, “I still look forward to Thursday nights for the new episodes […], but sometimes I am let down.”
It’s Their Comfort Show
Some users had more sentimental reasons for keeping up to date with the series through its double-digit seasons. GreenStaples wrote, “I’ve always enjoyed it and I still do. I rewatch the whole series starting from the beginning once in a while. It’s my comfort show. Yeah, there are times I dislike what happens in the series but I’ve never hated it.”
It may seem like a no-brainer for a person not to watch a show that they hate. Still, another user gave helpful advice to anyone in this predicament. For those fans who still care about the characters’ fates and the series’ ultimate destination but don’t have the energy to wait it out, gobux10 gave some sound advice, “If you don’t like watching it, but still watch because you are invested and want to see how it ends, stop watching now, and pick it up in the final season.”
There’s 17 Years’ Worth Of Sunk Cost
Acrobatic_Tourist_80 pointed out what any good binge-watcher might think: they’ve already come this far and would feel like a quitter if they threw in the towel with a potential ending in sight. They wrote, “I already spent months binge-watching. I am not going to stop now.”
Others calculated the sheer chunk of time that Grey’s has taken up in their lives – including the inevitable rewatch or re-binge of the first few golden seasons. One person admitted that though they no longer enjoy the show, they are still caught up to season 18. “I watch it because I’ve invested 17 years of my life into it and I feel obligated,” sluski wrote.
It Reminds Them Of Their Childhood
Fans who started watching Grey’s when they were young may feel the show helped raise them. And wand3rrlustt shared on the thread, “I still love the show. I watched it with my grandma when I was a kid and she lives much farther from me now so it gives me lots of good feelings when I watch.”
Now that so many seasons of Grey’s are on Netflix, it’s also great to tap into specific episodes that invoke old memories – a favorite boating accident, love affair, or one-liner that got laughs from the whole family. Viewers can relive special moments anytime they want, plus catch up on Meredith Grey’s core storylines on TV every Thursday.
It’s Like Watching A Car Crash
This metaphor makes perfect sense, especially considering the events in season 18, including Owen Hunt in a totaled car telling dangerous secrets to a certain Irish surgeon. SurferRosa85 chimed in on the thread, saying, “I’m rubbernecking at this point,” describing the show as “an awful wreck that I can’t stop myself from looking at.” A user on a similar thread, -Lavander, wrote, “It’s like a train wreck.”
It’s certainly true that its many ruinous wrecks have kept Grey’s on the air, including a car crashing into Joe’s bar, a season 2 train crash, and of course, the unmentionable plane wreck of season 8. But, despite it all, viewers keep tuning in. So it may be safe to say that being a Grey’s fan inevitably requires some proclivity toward rubbernecking and even a penchant for disasters.
There Are Relationships Between Women
From Callie and Arizona to Carina and, well, anyone, Grey’s has had skin in the women-loving-women game since Torres’ season 4 spark with Erica Hahn. monkeylexie – whose username could even be inspired by one of the show’s most woman-crush-worthy characters of all time, Ms. Lexie Grey – wrote that they keep up since they’re “Enjoying the wlw flings/relationships,” and alliewoahh agreed.
Season 18 has even busted through network television barriers and featured a blooming romance between Amelia Shepherd and Dr. Kai Bartley, the show’s first recurring non-binary character (per Pink News).
Some Of The Best Acting And Storylines Have Come Late In The Series
On a similar Reddit thread posted 11 months earlier, users also came together to answer the question; what keeps Grey’s fans coming back all these years later? maricopa888 said one of the reasons is “hope,” explaining, “I do [fast-forward] through most of Season 17, because I’m bored witless. But…it’s also true that 2 of my all-time fave episodes took place in [Season 17] – Jackson and his dad, and then Japril. Some of the best acting of the whole series!” This fan would undoubtedly benefit from a potential Jackson and April spin-off of Grey’s.
A user on the same thread was encouraged by recent politically-informed narratives and respects Grey’s for tackling divisive real-world issues. incongruousmonster wrote, “One thing I still love is how they highlight injustices that happen in the real world – lack of insurance and access to healthcare for the poor; COVID – all the political BS surrounding it and how it has disproportionately affected POC; racial injustice, the George Floyd protests and how the police got unnecessarily violent with peaceful protestors; etc.”
They’re Too Invested In The Characters
Many fans interacting on these Reddit posts shared the same feelings of closeness to the characters and an emotional investment unlike they’ve experienced with other TV shows. User Breadcrumb-Forest didn’t seem bothered by the number of beloved Grey’s characters who have left the long-running show, sharing, “my favorite character is still on the show, so I’m happy to continue watching.” Of course, there are certainly a lot of loyal fans who know the show can’t go on without Meredith Grey.
Oncer93 pretty much summed things up, commenting, “The characters. Too invested.” Starryglare wrote that watching new seasons is “similar to following your friends on socials.”
They Want To See How It All Ends
Though plenty of fans feel that Grey’s could have already ended, many are sticking with it. FactorNo7477 said, “I’m just watching it to see how it ends,” and twosoon7 agreed. catspjs2388 wrote, “The only reason I still watch is because I want to know how they will end Meredith’s story. I started watching in 2007/2008 and feel like I have invested to much in it now, not to know how Mer’s story will end.”
Whatever keeps fans watching Grey’s Anatomy, there’s a range of attitudes toward the show’s anticipated final seasons. As ThemeResponsible723 put it, “I’m no quitter. I will see this through to the bitter end!”
