‘Grey’s Anatomy’: Could Jo Replace Meredith Grey?
Grey’s Anatomy is one of the most popular dramas in television history. The series has brought fans 16 seasons of incredible medical cases, action-packed catastrophes, natural disasters, and touching love stories.
The show may be nearing the end of its run, and fans are speculating on possible spin-offs in the future.
Meredith Grey has been the center of the entire series, but fans have a theory that Jo Karev could be a fitting replacement for the beloved surgeon.
Is it possible for ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ expand on Jo’s storyline?
Grey’s Anatomy definitely has room for expansion with Jo Karev’s (or is it back to Wilson, now?) storyline. The sweet, lovable, quirky Jo was put through the wringer over the last couple seasons, and fans are ready for something better.
Jo grew up in foster homes after being left at a fire station as an infant. In season 15, she found her birth mother and confronted her in an effort to learn about her father. Unfortunately, the answer about her father came as a severe shock. Jo learned that her father had raped her mother, and that’s why her mother abandoned her.
The truth about her father sent her spiraling into depression, and she ended up shutting herself away in her apartment and drinking on the job.
Season 16 opened with Jo finishing treatment for her depression and returning to work. Things were finally looking up for her, and she and Alex renewed their marriage vows. Apparently the writers decided that things just couldn’t go smoothly for this poor woman, and they shook her life up again when Alex suddenly disappeared without a trace.
For months, the series led viewers to assume that Alex was visiting his mother. In the 16th episode of the season, writers finally addressed his departure. Fans were outraged when it was revealed that Alex had left his wife for his old flame, Izzy Stevens.
Izzy had secretly given birth to Alex’s twins, using frozen embryos from when the couple had been married. Fans were reeling at the fact that Alex just walked out on his wife without much thought, insisting that this was not at all in tune with his character.
It’s impossible to guess at what the writers have in store for Jo now, but she bounced back remarkably quickly after learning the truth about Alex’s departure. Perhaps they’ll give her a more positive storyline in the next season…
Fans say Jo could replace Meredith Grey
Recently, fans shared their love of Jo on a Reddit thread. Several Redditors agreed that Jo is capable of replacing Meredith Grey on the medical series. One fan stated that Jo is the best and is the only person who could replace Meredith Grey. Another Redditor agreed, saying “It easily could work. Jo started in S9. Even her entrance walking in as an intern reminds me of Mer. Jo also has the most story left to tell. I actually would love a Jo spinoff in a diff city.”
At this point, a spinoff seems more likely than Jo completely replacing Meredith. The show is entering its 17th season, and that’s one more season than most people anticipated a few years ago when Ellen Pompeo’s contract was extended.
So this may be the last season of the iconic drama, but even if it isn’t–Meredith Grey has been the heart and soul of the show and it’s unlikely anyone will replace her.
Would the show even go on if Meredith left?
Regardless of whether Jo would be a good replacement, it’s highly unlikely that the show would go on without Meredith Grey. First of all, Meredith is like a cat with nine lives. The woman has been through hell and back, surviving several near-death experiences.
She came back from the brink of death after nearly drowning in a ferry boat accident. She made it through a plane crash with barely a scratch. She had a c-section in the dark during a city-wide power outage, then instructed the rookie doctor how to fix her internal bleeding. She was also beaten so badly by a patient that she lost her hearing for a while.
In addition to all the times she’s nearly died, Meredith has faced horrible tragedies. She lost her good friend George, and her half-sister Lexi, then faced the most traumatic experience of all–the horrifying death of her husband, Derek.
Meredith Grey has been the center of the series for its entire run, and it would be really strange for it to go on without her. Clearly, there is nothing that can take this woman down, so it’s a safe bet that she’ll be around to see it through to the end.
