‘Grey’s Anatomy’: Jackson Was So Terrible to Maggie That Even He Couldn’t Stand It

Grey’s Anatomy is filled with unhealthy relationships. From couples who break up only to make up, to couples that only seem to tear each other down, there are dozens of relationships that make viewers cringe. At the top of the list is Jackson and Maggie.

Fans on Reddit seem to believe that the relationship was doomed from the start, and as time would tell, they were right.

Who is Maggie Pierce?

Maggie is practically Grey’s Anatomy royalty since she is Richard Webber’s daughter. She didn’t know she was Webber’s daughter at first, but the fact that her father is the former chief of surgery definitely impacts her role on the show. 

Things get a little more complicated when fans learned she is the daughter of the late Ellis Grey, which makes her Meredith Grey’s younger sister. Ellis Grey gave Maggie up for adoption, and Maggie had to get the court records to find out who her birth mother was.

Pierce has a sweet personality, and tends to focus more on her career than on relationships. It makes it hurt all the more for fans when they see her in pain.

Who is Jackson Avery?

Jackson is the son of Catherine Fox, who marries Webber after his first wife died. He’s the grandson of Harper Avery, who is the namesake of the prestigious Harper Avery Award

Over the years, Jackson has had relationships with several of the leading ladies on Grey’s Anatomy. He’s dated Lexie Grey, April Kepner, Maggie, and Stephanie Edwards. 

Fans have complained that Jackson seems to have changed over the years. He went from a laid back chill guy to a whiny entitled brat. Several fans have even gone so far as to suggest Jackson needs therapy before he can grow as a character.

It was doomed from the start

Is chemistry enough? That’s the question that seemed to arise from Maggie and Jackson’s relationship. The couple seemed perfect enough on paper, if you could get past the fact that they’re step-siblings, but there were so many problems that the chemistry began to seem more like a curse.

Many fans criticized the couple for not being themselves. Maggie began to shut down and not speak up for herself, while Jackson became overbearing. 

Jackson couldn’t seem to accept Maggie for who she was, and was determined to change her into his image of the perfect woman. He also made it clear that he still had feelings for his ex, and seemed to expect Maggie to be OK with it.

Jackson also felt that he got no respect from Maggie. The fact that she couldn’t get into camping like he did felt more like an excuse to break up. Fans were also fed up with the way he just ghosted her, and then rubbed his new girlfriend in Maggie’s face.

A Reddit user stated, “They both had their share of faults. Both of them weren’t ready to be in that committed relationship, or any relationship at all. There’s a lot they need to work on their own.”

Another Reddit user seemed to believe that the writers pushed Jackson in a direction that wasn’t natural for his character. It seemed very out of character for Jackson to act the way he did towards Maggie. 

Very few Reddit users seem to hold Maggie to blame, although some did seem to think she wasn’t very invested in the relationship, and came across as reluctant. If she had been more vocal about what her needs were, it would have been easier for Jackson to meet them. Or walk away.

One Reddit user summed up the entire relationship well when he stated, “He was awful with her for a good portion of their short relationship and realized it and apologized for not having come to terms with it earlier. Even Jackson wasn’t on Jackson’s side.”