Katherine Heigl as Dr. Izzy Stevens
Reports from US Weekly have surfaced, corroborating the not unexpected statement that two of the original characters from ABC’s cash-cow hit series, Grey’s Anatomy – Isobel “Izzy” Stevens played by Katherine Heigl, and George O’Malley, played by T.R. Knight – are set to leave the show this season. When asked whether or not Heigl and and Knight are poised to leave the show, James Pickens, Jr. (Chief of Surgery Dr. Richard Webber), told US Weekly that both are ready to move on to the next chapter. At the current moment it seems that Grey’s storyline is prepped for the departure of Izzy Stevens, but US Weekly comments that a “source” says that Executive Producer & writer Shonda Rhimes and her team are working to find a plausible wrap for George O’Malley’s character that will “leave the door open for him to come back someday.” Heigl has already made a fairly successful jump to the silver screen, and is set to star in the upcoming flick “The Ugly Truth” alongside Gerard Butler, with a relase date of July 2009.
T.R. Knight as Dr. George O'Malley
Heigl and Knight have been with Grey’s Anatomy since its launch in 2005; the series is now in its fifth season. These actors mark the second and third depature of first season characters on the show; many will remember Isaiah Washington’s (Dr. Preston Burke) end of tenure. Brought on at the end of season one, Kate Walsh’s major character, Dr. Addison Forbes Montgomery-Shepherd left to star in a spin-off helmed by Rhimes: Private Practice.
Grey’s has become a revolving door for lifeline characters: think Meredith’s mother and father, Izzy’s love Denny Duquette (Jeffrey Dean Morgan of impending Watchmen fame, who actually returned in the 5th season as a ghost), Alex Karev’s (Justin Chambers) infatuitious love Rebecca, and Dr. Erica Hahn (Brooke Smith), who writer’s used to flare up the sexual orientation of Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez). Grey’s has started the trend of sliding down a slippery slope of introducing new main characters in an effort to keep the show afloat, yet in the process seems to be destroying any vestigate of creditability that they once had. We all pined away at the original Denny-Izzy-Alex love triangle, and sobbed alongside Izzy at Denny’s death, but having him return as a litterally tangible ghost that she find annoying? Way to ruin a brilliant piece of screen play. And the Erica Hahn / Callie Torres relationship – what a great way to break down some cultural barriers and bring the real world to TV – too bad ABC studio execs axed that storyline before it really had time to develop (so the word on the street goes). They let George’s storyline as a repeat intern die, never fully gained closure on the Izzy-George or Cristina-Burke flings, and have now taken away Cheif Resident & hard ass Miranda Bailey’s (Chandra Wilson) greatest asset – her quick wit, smart comments, and shut the front door before I make you stares, instead opting for her weepiness over children that seems to degrade her entire character (dying children is sad, of course! but it’s not something I would imagine would completely strip her of her former self – she’s now someone completely different.
Off-screen friends Heigl & O'Malley play on-screen pals Izzy & George
The revolving door started early on with now main-staples such as Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez) and Mark Sloan (Eric Dane), then started introducing even fresher blood in order to mix it up, such as Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh as main character Meredith Grey’s younger sibling), and Dr. Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd), a new love interest for original cast member Dr. Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh).
The depature of Heigl and Knight marks a dark day for Grey’s – with the show’s focal point of Meredith and Derek stuck in the same old song and dance, and the emotional unavailability of Yang, Karev, and Bailey (Chandra Wilson) only making a tiny bit of progress, how much more can the show squeeze out of its original characters? Arguably they are the driving force – we’ve stuck with this show since it started, following the story arc with the hope of a graceful finalé, but the same old rotation keeps getting drawn out. While the new characters may be the future lifeblood of the show, start shaking things up with the original characters, just a tad more – they started with Izzy – (potential SPOILER ALERT) – it seems she has a brain tumor, but oh, wait, she’s leaving the show. Guess it takes an exit cue to bring the good TV.
Grey's Anatomy Original Cast
CLY INK 
