The Hawk

Issue date: 1/31/07 Section: Entertainment

Washington has drawn heat for anti-gay remarks.

The writers of "Grey's Anatomy" have their work cut out for them.

Fresh off a win for Best Drama at the Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 15, "Grey's Anatomy" star Isaiah Washington ignited a firestorm of controversy when he used an anti-gay slur in reference to cast-mate T.R. Knight during a press conference at the awards show. The incident outraged gay and lesbian groups, such as the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Discrimination (GLAAD) and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). After a media backlash and public outcry calling for him to be fired, Washington apologized, met with leaders of both GLAAD and GLSEN, and began counseling in a desperate attempt at damage control.

The show's creator, Shonda Rhimes, released a statement saying that "the 'Grey's' family" has been working "to address the issue in a way that underscores the gravity of the situation while giving us all a foundation for healing." Well, she'd better hope the situation can be resolved without having to fire Washington. Despite the inevitable tension on the set, the show itself is better than ever.

After not speaking to each other for several episodes, Washington's impossibly stubborn character, Dr. Preston Burke, popped the question to his equally stubborn girlfriend, Dr. Cristina Yang, played by Sandra Oh. The writers probably thought this would be an excellent set-up for the show to dominate February sweeps, but a potential Burke-Cristina engagement now poses a huge problem. If Cristina says yes, it now makes it extremely difficult to write Washington's character out without the show as a whole suffering. So, while Washington's behavior in any other circumstances would constitute a pink slip, Burke seems safe. The writers have written themselves into a corner; there's no plausible way to dismiss him without doing a disservice to Cristina's wonderfully complex and popular character.

"Grey's Anatomy" promised several revelations by the end of the episode, all of which were supposed to shock the show's 20 million weekly viewers. However, Dr. George O'Malley's (T.R. Knight) proposal to Callie (Sara Ramirez) doesn't come as much of a surprise. Viewers have been waiting for George to return Callie's declaration of love, but after losing his father in a short battle with cancer, George took it one step further, and proposed. The credits rolled before we could get Callie's answer though, and we were left with an earnest George, still down on one knee, and Callie looking like a deer in headlights.

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools