Behind-The-Scenes Drama Cost Grey's Anatomy Two Best Characters At Once
This abrupt exit indicated the beginning of the end for the show for many fans.
During the 19 years that Grey's Anatomy has been on the air, many viewers have stopped watching and many have left the show altogether in later stages.
There have been many different reasons for this, but the most popular has been the departure of favorite characters from the show.
Many of these characters left the show on the initiative of the actors, and the writers had no choice but to find a way to end their stories one way or another.
However, the abrupt departure of the two specific characters at the end of season 14 was initiated by the show's producers, and most fans still can't get over it.
"Arizona and April. Not only did we lose two good actresses who consistently delivered scenes, the manner in which they were fired and the reason of no more story to be told was indicative of the showrunners' incompetence as shown S15 onward," Redditor Brina_22 said, answering the question about who's exit was the reason for them to stop watching the show altogether.
Dr. Arizona Robbins, portrayed by Jessica Capshaw, and Dr. April Kepner, portrayed by Sarah Drew, were both very important characters on the show.
Not only were they both longtime regulars and had some very intense storylines, but they were also part of two very underrepresented communities on television: the LGBTQ+ community and the devout Christian community.
You can imagine how painful their departure must have been for all the fans, but the reasoning behind it just made it 10 times worse.
Her departure was explained by Grey's Anatomy executive producer at the time, Krista Vernoff.
While she insisted that there was no other reason to end Capshaw and Drew's contract than creative decisions and a lack of potential storylines for their characters, fans still refuse to believe it.
Considering that there are enough characters who have been on the show much longer and still have a lot of growth and development left, the decision to get rid of two of their favorites at once felt very personal to the fandom.
Although many people left the fandom for good after season 14, along with April and Arizona, some stayed and continue to enjoy the show to this day.
If you want to catch up and join them, tune in on Thursdays on ABC to not miss any new episodes.