Grey’s Anatomy honors its fans by supplying them with a wealth of fond characters. Whether it’s the latest surgeon trying to make their mark on Grey Sloan or a fresh-faced intern trying to learn the ropes, this medical drama exposes the ups and downs of healthcare from a variety of perspectives. Thus, every season aims to up the stakes in an attempt to keep audiences engaged.
Heather Brooks joined the show in Season 9 and quickly caused a stir among fans. Though many found her aloof attitude quite endearing, others felt that her personality didn’t blend well with this high-intensity medical drama. Despite these conflicts, her exit from Grey’s Anatomy was undoubtedly very shocking. So, who is Heather Brooks, and what made her exit so dramatic?
Brooks’ Social Anxiety Placed Her in a Few Complicated Situations
Heather Brooks’ first appearance on Grey’s Anatomy was in Season 9, Episode 1, “Going, Going, Gone”, where she arrived at Grey Sloan as a new intern. Immediately, her peers took a dislike to her as they found her meek and aloof. Yet, Dr. Derek Shepard quickly saw her potential and took her under his wing. Despite her strong contacts, Brooks struggled to climb up the ranks and sometimes remained the weakest link of her cohort of interns. Thus, fans struggled with how to feel about her. While there was nothing overtly wrong with her, she wasn’t as striking or interesting as the rest of the show’s characters.
One of Heather’s most apparent traits was her lack of confidence when it came to socializing. For example, in Season 9, Episode 19, “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” Heather and Derek are treating a patient in the OR. Yet, Derek becomes increasingly frustrated because Heather is so nervous that her anxious chattering begins to flood his thoughts. Although many fans would probably feel the same if they were stood next to the legendary surgeon, this scene is a prime example of how Heather can sometimes come across as juvenile and immature. It also suggests that her anxiety limits her ability to be a good surgeon, as it’s apparent that she’s more concerned about how she’s perceived by her co-workers rather than the well-being of the patient.
Other members of Grey Sloan also notice Brooks’ shyness and find it difficult to sympathize with it. In Season 9, Episode 6, “Second Opinion,” Yang gives Heather the nickname “Mousy,” displaying her as a mockery of one of the seven dwarves. Yang is well-known for her cut-throat persona and no-nonsense attitude, so the fact that she labeled Heather with a rude nickname is not unique. However, it shows that Brooks’ docile personality is not appreciated by her peers, and they find it disrespectful rather than adorable or attractive. As such, many fans felt sorry for Brooks. She was obviously struggling with a prominent anxiety disorder, but her peers just thought that she was trying to hide away from the stressors of her job. Cheyenne Matthews-Hoffman, the owner of a Grey’s Anatomyfan blog, ranked Heather Brooks as one of the most heart-breaking character exits because:
While Heather was only on the show for a short time, I’m putting her death as one of the worst for following the evil and cruel pattern of tragically killing a promising and well-liked character.
Thus, it’s clear that many fans were disappointed that Brooks was not shown in a good light and wished that she had the opportunity to expand her arc a bit more. Compared to other sad deaths that have been shown in Grey’s Anatomy, it also adds just a bit more disappointment to the situation as she ultimately wasn’t seen to her full potential.
Her Relationship With Sex Was Also Pretty Sad
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Despite being set in one of Seattle’s most prestigious medical institutions, Grey’s Anatomy doesn’t hesitate to get steamy every once in a while. Alex Karev, the hospital’s signature playboy, is well-recognized for sleeping with every female intern who strolls through the hospital’s door. As such, Heather Brooks also had a few dalliances with the surgeon. But, her relationship with Karev was far from normal and was actually quite bittersweet. In Season 9, Episode 6, “Second Opinion,” Brooks admits that she only had sex with Alex because she believed that sleeping with him would be much easier than holding a conversation with him. Again, this is a clear example of how divisive Brooks’ character can be. Though a lot of fans will feel sorry for her at that moment, many other audience members will roll their eyes at her attitude. The fact that Brooks doesn’t feel comfortable enough to chat to her superior but is totally fine with sleeping with him shows that she’s not as cute and delightful as she makes out and could be viewed as a bit promiscuous.
Alongside her seedy relations with Alex, it appears that Heather isn’t comfortable with the act of sex at all, yet doesn’t want to confront these issues head-on. Take, for example, in Season 9, Episode 7, “I Was Made for Lovin’ You,” Brooks admits that she sometimes cries during sex. Admittedly, this admission is seen as a tongue-in-cheek joke, and it gives the audience more insight into Heather’s issues. But, as an intern at a powerful hospital, it seems that she would be able to process these issues through therapy or medication. Thus, the audience is forced to wonder why she doesn’t strive to get a handle on her mental issues and why she insists on suffering on a daily basis without any help. Overall, Brooks’ relationship with sex is complicated, but many fans see her nervousness as a way for her to hide behind Derek’s shadow like a child. As such, many fans, as well as her co-workers, see her anxieties as an obstacle that she can easily overcome with exposure to difficult situations, but instead, she chooses to dwell in them.
Heather Brooks’ Death Shocked Fans to Their Core
- Heather treated uninsured patients under the table during her time at the hospital.
- She used to sleepwalk during college.
- When she was a child, she got a marble stuck up her nose and only got it out when she used a LODOX to complete a full-body scan.
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After causing a stir throughout Season 9, fans finally said goodbye to Heather Brooks in Season 10, Episode 2, “I Want You With Me”. Avid fans of the show will remember that this episode focused on a harsh storm that brought Seattle to a grinding halt. As such, Heather was asked to go down to the generator room within Grey Sloan to look for Dr. Webber. Unfortunately, she found him passed out with a powerful electrical current passing through him. As she went over to help him, she accidentally stood in a puddle and sadly electrocuted herself. Shane found her unconscious and tried to help her alongside Derek, but the swelling on her brain was too much, and she died on the operating table.
Though Heather Brooks wasn’t liked, both on-screen and off-screen, there’s no denying that her death was remarkably sad and distressing. Yet, her exit still wasn’t enough to make some fans like her. A lot of audiences were upset about losing Heather and thought that her death was extremely cruel. However, many other fans were relieved to see her go, and she didn’t really add much to the Grey’s Anatomy lore. Her shyness meant that she wasn’t really involved in any major plotlines and essentially just went through the motions of any other interns. Therefore, for many fans of Grey’s Anatomy, Heather Brooks essentially faded into the background and was killed off just like any other minor character.
In reality, the actress who played Heather Brooks, Tina Majorino, allegedly departed Grey’s Anatomy so that she could secure a role in the popular TNT drama, Legends. Majorino went on to play Maggie Harris, an esteemed part of the FBI’s Deep Cover Operations sector. Thus, it’s assumed that the actress doesn’t feel any animosity toward her co-stars and just resigned from the hit medical drama so that she could pursue other projects. Admittedly, Heather Brooks received a fair bit of criticism during her short run on Grey’s Anatomy, and a lot of it was warranted. In fact, a Reddit user commented
Unpopular opinion: Mousey wasn’t interesting at all and her quirkiness would have gotten really old really quick had she lived.
But, these negatives aside, Brooks highlighted the duality of working at Grey Sloan. Though she was surrounded by some of the most level-headed doctors in the world, she offered a bit more realism to the show by showcasing her true anxieties. Thus, she effectively contrasted the idea that Grey Sloan is teeming with excessively attractive doctors who are able to save the day each and every time.
Grey’s Anatomy is a popular medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. Set in the fictional Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, the show follows the personal and professional lives of a group of surgical interns, residents, and attending physicians as they navigate the complexities of their careers, relationships, and ethical dilemma
