Dr. Erica Hahn’s relationship too explicit?

Posted on November 5, 2008
Filed Under Actresses, News, TV show

Dark Horizons had a post with the word “Grey’s” in it and that automatically caught my attention.  I’m a huge fan of the show and it’s actually one of the few things on TV me and my wife can watch together. Anyway, it seems as if the ABC network has ordered that Brooke Smith (Dr. Erica Hahn) on  “Grey’s Anatomy“, leave the series.

Why? ABC executives reportedly “had issues” with both the explicit direction Hahn’s relationship with Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez) was taking and with the Hahn character in general.

The character will not get a proper goodbye but rather her final scenes will be her headed out to her car on this Thursday’s episode. At the same time, a new character played by Aussie actress Melissa George came on to the show as a bisexual and love interest for Callie – but now has been changed to be heterosexual.

This of course has many crying foul of homophobia amongst the network top brass, so much so that creator Shonda Rhimes had to issue a statement “Sara Ramirez is an incredible comedic and dramatic actress and we wanted to be able to play up her magic. Unfortunately, we did not find that the magic and chemistry with Brooke’s character would sustain in the long run. The impact of the Callie/Erica relationship will be felt and played out in a story for Callie. I believe it belittles the relationship to simply replace Erica.”

I don’t know what to say. As a viewer you wanted this to work out, for Callie. She deserved a good relationship after the whole fiasco with Dr. George O’Malley. I really, really hope this isn’t about homophobia amongst the network ’cause that would be just… disgusting.

Some final words from Brooke Smith herself: “…sometimes networks get cold feet with gay relationships. And I was so naive. I’m like, ‘It’s 2008.’ But I’m starting to realize that not everyone feels the way I do…”

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