‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Fans Aren’t Surprised About Jesse Williams’ Unexpected Farewell
Grey’s Anatomy is currently in its 17th season, and some fans feel like it isn’t quite the same show it used to be. One reason for that may be the fact that so many strong characters have departed since the series began.
The most recent departure is that of Jesse Williams, who played fan favorite Jackson Avery. His final episode is airing on May 20th, and fans are hoping that his storyline wraps up with a new future with his one true love — April Kepner. Since April’s character left the show a few years ago, they feel like Jackson just hasn’t been that interesting…
‘Grey’s Anatomy’: Who is Jesse Williams?
Jesse Williams is best-known for his role as Jackson Avery in Grey’s Anatomy. Williams was the oldest of three kids, and his parents were both teachers. Although Williams always enjoyed entertainment, he actually started a career as a teacher in Philadelphia. While in college, he studied African-American Studies and Film and Media Art.
In 2005, he turned his attention toward acting. Once he was focused on becoming an actor, he was unstoppable. His incredible talent landed him in the New York Actors Showcase–he was one of 14 applicants chosen from over 800 hopefuls.
In addition to acting, Williams has focused a lot of his time on important social issues. He is on the board of directors for The Advancement Project, a civil rights advocacy group. He was an executive producer of Question Bridge: Black Males, which is an innovative media arts project created to represent and redefine black males.
He spent 12 years playing Jackson Avery on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
Williams joined the cast of Grey’s Anatomy during season six. Jackson Avery joined the Grey Sloan team after the merger with Mercy West. The incredibly talented young Avery was an instant fan among the women at the hospital–his stunning looks and witty charm made him pretty much irresistible.
In addition to his talent and good looks, Avery was well-known because of his family. His grandfather was one of the most famous surgeons in the United States, and also created the much sought-after Harper Avery award. Once he got comfortable at Grey Sloan, he proved that he had a knack for plastic surgery. He worked closely with Mark Sloan, and developed friendships with many of the doctors and nurses.
His closest relationship was with April Kepner. Fans adored the love story between Jackson and April, and many are hoping that his departure from the show will end with a reconciliation with April.
His storyline fell apart after April left
Fans absolutely loved “Japril,” and when April Kepner left Grey Sloan, it was a very sad day. It altered Jackson’s storyline so much, in fact, that fans think he’s never been the same. They feel like nothing interesting has happened to Jackson since, and they’re really not wrong…
“Japril” fans will always remember April’s first wedding to Matthew. They’ll never forget the moment that Jackson stood up and professed his love for her, in the middle of her wedding, in front of all of her friends and family. That moment was just like a fairy tale, and much of the audience assumed they would live happily ever after. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
When April was pregnant with their son, Samuel, he was diagnosed with a rare bone disease that caused him to die just moments after he was born. The heart wrenching episode centered on Jackson and April’s moments with their newborn, before he passed away. After that happened, their relationship couldn’t recover, and they eventually divorced.
Fans took to Reddit to vent about the way that Jackson’s character just didn’t work without April. One fan said, “Jackson should have left with April. Honestly, he never really had a lot of amazing storyline without April. April & Jackson together were amazing. Jackson alone, never really shines.”
The writers couldn’t seem to come up with an engaging new story for Jackson after April ended up marrying Matthew. He inherited a lot of money when his grandfather died, and used that to start a new contest that would result in funding projects around the hospital. This replaced the coveted Harper Avery Award.
He also developed a relationship with Maggie, but it felt dull and lacking in the same romance that he had with April. The two argued constantly and the relationship didn’t last long, To sum it up, fans don’t think anyone else would suit Jackson the way April did. Even though Jesse Williams is leaving the series, fans may get their last wish — to see him reunite with April…
