Entertainment

‘Grey’s Anatomy’: Fans Want to See More of Tom’s ‘Softer’ Side

A show that's been on the air for 17 seasons is bound to have characters that people don't like. Grey's Anatomy has had a slew of unlikeable characters.

by Monique Douty

Published on January 7, 2021

3 min read

Tom Koracick: Is he an arrogant prick or does he have a softer side?

JONATHAN CAKE, GREG GERMANN | Christopher Willard via Getty Images

Tom Koracick is a phenomenal neurosurgeon at Grey Sloan Memorial. Before coming to Grey Sloan, he was the Head of Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins, where he met Amelia Shepherd. He was her mentor and taught her a great deal.

When she learned that she had a brain tumor, Koracick was the first person she turned to for help.

Koracick comes across as incredibly arrogant, and spends a lot of time praising his skill as a surgeon. He purposely puts up a wall so people can’t get too close, and this makes it difficult for anyone to like him. He’s actually a very caring person underneath the tough guy show he puts on.

Fans have seen the softer side of Tom numerous times throughout the series. He once helped April during a rough patch, when she was doubting her faith. He consoled Bailey after a miscarriage, and he is always thoughtful and friendly toward the pediatric patients.

When Bailey had the miscarriage, Koracick shared a story about his son. His son, David, died at 10 years old from a tragic accident with a baseball bat. It had been two weeks before Halloween, which was his son’s favorite holiday. Fans saw the intense pain that Tom felt as he talked about his son’s Luke Skywalker costume that he couldn’t bear to put away.

It’s clear that Grey’s fans would like to see more of that side of the prickly neurosurgeon. One fan on Reddit said, “There was a time when Tom opened up to Bailey about losing a child. I think that ‘softer’ side of him should be shown more. I really love how he actually cares about people around him but try to act cool. I think that’s adorable.”

‘Grey’s Anatomy’: Is it really over between Tom and Teddy?

Along with seeing more of Koracick’s softer side, fans want to see more of him and Teddy. The two began getting to know each other when Koracick found her in the hospital lounge, massaging her feet after a long day. Teddy was pregnant with Owen’s baby, but after chatting, Tom learned that they weren’t a couple any longer.

Koracick fell for Teddy, but worried about her relationship with Owen. He became very involved with her pregnancy, and at one point, he found a house for her and the baby to live in. After Teddy had her baby, he went to the hospital to visit her, only to find out that she and Owen had reconciled. He told her he would be there waiting when things fell apart with Owen, because he loved her.

Although Koracick had promised to always wait for her, the latest encounter contradicted that. When Teddy tried to buy him a coffee and explain why she hadn’t spoken to him much over the past few months, Tom asked her to leave him alone. He said he had been hurt so much and just needed to get over her.

So it doesn’t seem too promising for Tom and Teddy, no matter how much fans are hoping for them to end up together… One Reddit post summed up a lot of what the fans are feeling, “him and Teddy had more chemistry in one episode than her and Owen ever had. But I feel like the show has been treating him like he’s garbage, especially this season. I’m not sure I want him to be with Teddy because she hurt him a lot, but I really hope he finally gets a happy storyline soon.”

What lies ahead for Tom in ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 17?

Things weren’t looking great for Koracick this season. He’d apparently given up on the woman he was madly in love with, and has COVID. However, in the last episode, he seemed to be looking in better spirits when he wheeled himself into Meredith’s room (who also has COVID) to chat.

The two joked around about who was a better surgeon, and it looked as if both were recovering well.

Most fans thought that one of these two surgeons hit with COVID would die this season. Killing off Meredith Grey would almost certainly mean the end of the series, while having Koracick die wouldn’t change the show that much.