Grey’s Anatomy Season 22 had a chance to do something it failed to do multiple times: give Amelia a real storyline.
Since her introduction to the series, we’ve watched her jump from relationship to relationship.
She married Owen, she had a relationship with Link, and there was even a running joke that all the Shepherd sisters had hooked up with Mark Sloan at one point.
(Disney/Anne Marie Fox)
Each storyline has reminded us of her need to be with someone.
It’s like she is too scared to be single for too long, but at the start of Grey’s Anatomy Season 22, she realized that something needed to change.
Amelia Still Needs a Medical-Focused Storyline
After losing Beltran, she took a sabbatical, acknowledging that she hadn’t taken her vacation days in years.
This offered hope that when she came back, she would focus on the job and get some sort of real storyline.
Yet, Grey’s Anatomy threw her straight into another relationship. It was something I wrote about, noting that Amelia deserves something more career-focused.
(Disney/Anne Marie Fox)
The last non-relationship storyline Amelia really got was her brain tumor.
Even that storyline hinted that there could be something more, as the tumor had affected some of her personality due to where it was pressing on her brain.
Instead, the writers quickly backtracked, focusing on Amelia chasing relationships to make her happy.
The Grey’s Anatomy Season 22 Finale gave us the final nail in the coffin of hope that Amelia could get any sort of career-related growth.
After believing that Toni was shutting her down and going back to her wife, Amelia decided to hook up with Cass.
(Disney/Anne Marie Fox)
Of course, Toni has found out, and it sets up a love triangle storyline throughout the next season.
Now, it can’t be a real triangle, since Cass is in an open marriage and, as far as we know, is still dedicated to her husband. However, this does set up yet more relationship drama for Derek’s baby sister.
It’s Too Late for Grey’s Anatomy to Turn Back
Does this really close the door for a career storyline? Not entirely, but it’s creating a problem that Grey’s Anatomy Season 23 cannot fix.
It’s too late to turn back from this drive for another relationship, and it’s far too late to turn away from the messiness that is Amelia’s heart.
(Disney/Anne Marie Fox)
One thing is clear: the series has committed to Amelia getting absolutely no growth and only thinking with her emotions.
It’s a shame, because there could be ways to move the needle back to her work.
Throughout Grey’s Anatomy Seasons 20 and 21, she had some strong moments with Meredith as they worked on Meredith’s Alzheimer’s research.
Meredith knew that her sister-in-law had the knowledge and ability to see what she was missing in the neuro side of the research, and it offered an opportunity to explore just how brilliant and smart Amelia is.
However, even that part of the overall Grey’s Anatomy story has taken a back seat.
The Cliffhanger Tease Doesn’t Bode Well
(Disney/Anne Marie Fox)
Sometimes I have to wonder if Meredith even remembers what she was working on, since her arcs have been more relationship-focused when she does appear in episodes.
Even if the research came back up as a topic, Grey’s Anatomy Season 23 will need to commit to the current cliffhanger, delivering on the drama between Amelia and Toni.
After all, it seems Toni is sticking around, given that she connects to Ben’s development as a plastics fellow.
There’s already been such a build-up to who Toni will choose that there needs to be an answer, and it’s disingenuous to the writing if there isn’t a multi-episode resolution to this story.
The only way to have saved Amelia’s development would have been for her to immediately realize she didn’t need another relationship already. That had to be done as soon as she returned during Season 22.
(Disney/Anne Marie Fox)
The annoying thing is that it should be possible for the series to focus on both sides of the coin.
The series has done so multiple times before, showing us Jo’s career growth as she navigates her relationship with Alex Karev and how Ben and Bailey have become the power couple at Grey Sloan Memorial.
The writers not offering more for Amelia for multiple seasons now shows that they’re just not interested in that. Without that interest, her career arc is dead.
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