Critic's Notebook: Brooke Smith's firing is bad for 'Grey's Anatomy,' and the world

The recent firing of Brooke Smith from "Grey's Anatomy" is a grim reminder that certain prejudices are still ascendant in television, that time-honored rules continue to apply, often to the detriment of actual drama. In fact, when Smith got those first fateful pages sending her character, Dr. Erica Hahn, into the arms of Dr. Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez), she should have made darn sure it was just a single drunken interlude, or an ongoing but unconsummated girl crush. Because most gay characters are allowed to have sex on network television only if they are part of a single-episode story line, and all actively sexual lesbian characters must be sylphlike, gorgeous and preferably under 30. For obvious and irritating reasons.

Yes, complaints that the Erica-Callie romance took a graphic and ghastly turn midmonth, with far too much discussion about the mysteries of the female genitalia, were excruiatingly valid, but how is that Smith's fault? She didn't write all that "south of the border" nonsense. And that was a single-episode problem, easily resolved and much more quickly forgotten than Meredith's drowning or the George and Izzie debacle.

No, I suspect what irked whoever made the call (and Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello said that it was the network's decision, not the show's creator, Shonda Rhimes) is precisely what made the Erica/Callie relationship worth talking about. Not that they were both women -- good heavens, how dull -- but that they were, how shall we say, average size. With hips, you know, and actual breasts. Not two girly waifs exchanging a stolen kiss or a grope in the women's room stall over a line of coke, not an androgynous club kid putting her best moves on some sitcom heroine. But two women of substance, physically and psychologically, falling in love and talking about it way too much, the way women tend to do.

As Dr. Mark Sloan (Eric Dane) might say: "Girl on girl is hot. Woman on woman? Just a downer."

Smith probably got the boot not because her character wasn't interesting enough or sympathetic enough but because she, especially when paired with Ramirez, just didn't fit the visual template of "Grey's" or indeed, of most of network television. She is a character actress, not a tabloid star.

In other words, and they are words I deeply regret, Ramirez, with all her lipglossed lusciousness, may be beautiful enough to be bi, but Smith is not beautiful enough to be gay. At least not on network TV.

Some ground, it would appear, is too calcified to be broken.

-- Mary McNamara

Comments

[Amanda]

I can't believe this.

But I also can't believe that the author of this article failed to mention Willow and Tara from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They defied any typical TV lesbian relationship and proved that a touching, romantic lesbian relationship is okay for TV...at least it WAS okay when Joss Whedon did it. I hope that hasn't changed.

[Ashley828]

This is crap!!!! Brooke is an amazing actor!!! She so didn't deserve this. It is not her fault they didnt write her any good material. I hope the show gets cancelled. Really, Callica was the only good thing they had going.

[entwashian]

I was so disappointed by this news.

Thank you for posting about it.

[Rick]

My disappointment in GREY'S ANATOMY goes deeper that just the dismissal of Brooke Smith. I had thought the writers were actually listening to Katherine Hiegl when she complained last season about the writing, and storylines were beginning to improve. GREY'S ANATOMY has female showrunners and writers on staff, (not so many directors), but they allowed Hahn to become increasing strident without a strong character foundation. Instead, she was just becoming another stereotypical moody, glum lesbian. I realize how fast these episodes are written, but Brooke is a fine actor and deserves better. I suspect that the showrunners are being bullied by network suits, if not I guess they can't make any excuses.

[Lacey]

The firing of veteran actress Brooke Smith is not only an insult to Ms. Smith but an insult to her fans. Yes, I was I loved the way that the Callie and Erica storyline should have been. It should have been about two professional women who have both been with men previously discovering that they were attracted to each other. It wasn't. The fault wasn't Ms. Smith's or Ms. Ramirez's. The fault was with the direction that the storyline took. After the Season Four finale, Callie should have cut off her sexual relationship with Mark Sloan. If she was truly interested in a relationship with Erica, she would have. Callie was angry with George when he slept with Izzie and that caused the end of their marriage, so why couldn't Callie show Erica the same courtesy she expected from George? If Callie is going around having sex with Mark Sloan why would Shonda Rhimes call Callie "a lesbian character"? As far as I am concerned, Brooke Smith could have chemistry with a tree stump, she is just that good. The charcter of Erica Hahn had potential, as a straight or lesbian character. I will hold on to the possibility that Erica might return in another episode or another season. I will also hold on to the hope that another network gives Ms. Smith a lucrative offer for a character that she can sink her teeth into. We haven't seen the last of Brooke Smith, for sure, but as her fan I am saddened that she will only grace my screens on another show or movie or whenever I watch reruns of Grey's Anatomy. It was a joy to watch her magic every week and I hope that we will get to do it again.

[mosippy]

I was all set to write a response and then I read Lacey's response just above mine and all I can say is DITTO. Well said, Lacey! It's good to know there are other intelligent women out there who understand how nuanced Brooke Smith's acting is. Sadly it seems far too many just don't get it.

[Linda Brumfield]

Brooke Smith's firing is ridiculous. Shondra Rhimes has lost control of her show and her morals as far as I am concerned. Doesn't a network and show runner have some responsibility to the actors they hire? Brooke Smith is an incredible actress and has played whatever they gave her to play with a good spirit. Erica Hahn was cold and hard and she made us see she was human. She is the only "doctor" on that show who actually seems to be doing surgery. They wanted her to play "gay" and she did. Why should an actress lose her job for doing it so well? This is wrong and uncalled for and this show doesn't deserve its audiences' support. Kevin McKidd beware. You are so much better than Grey's Anatomy.

And for the record, Brooke Smith is a beautiful woman and most American women are a size ten or twelve. The fact that GA has real sized women on their show is WHY they have had success. ABC and Shondra Rhimes should be ashamed.

[kelly]

Shame on you ABC! Brooke Smith worked from scripts that she was given, meaning YOUR writers and producers came up with the lines and she gave them to life. And now she gets the boot? That is wrong, just wrong. So the relationship didn't work out, fine, then go back to the writing table and rework it. She didn't deserve to get fired, and without a proper send off? What an insult to the fans. After all the time we put into watching her character development this is what we get? ABC you are no longer welcomed in my home. Good bye Grey's. When ratings from the other networks soar, we can thank the empty suits at ABC.

[CJ]

At the moment i am a season behined as i live in the UK, and i was really enjoying season four unitil i heard about Brookes departure. Brooke Smith will be a great loss to the show, i didn't realize ABC was such a Mickey mouse channel, i am going back to watch ER when season four ends at least they have the sense to finish what they start. i hope Grey's Anatomy loses even more ratings now so that they can learn a lesson, and then Brooke can have the last laugh :0) because from what i ve watched so far Brooke and sara have great chemistry togaether and its sadens me how they have treated Brooke as the actress and the charters on the show its 2008, times has changed, so ABC needs to show this?

[tingkerbell]

i strongly agree,i am an avid fan but the axing of Smith from the show really leaves me wondering what exactly is ABC's hidden agenda on this?

[Cathy]

I feel the character was just extremely unlikable. I did not care for her characters brash rude attitude. I won't miss her.

[Georgie]

Hey for all of you who are no longer interested in Grey's, whether it's because of the latest development with Brooke Smith or just general disenchantment with the writing, I invite you to switch over to NBC with me. I've traded in GA for 30 Rock and couldn't be happier :)

[Fred]

It is TV. Television is not worthy of comment. Go outside! Get some exercise. Say "hi!" to someone. It's television. It's insane.

[Janet]

I am a straight woman and am deeply saddened to see Dr. Hahn go. I did think Callie and Hahn's relationship was hot but understand that other superficial people might not agree. I was more annoyed by the recent storyline that turned Hahn into a blubbering fool after Callie was "confused" Grey's could have done something to rectify the one horrible episode but found it would be easier to cast Hahn off. For shame...

[same]

Let us not forget that this the ABC Network owned by Disney - -- and I'm sure that a lot of conservative minded groups pressured this decision. Just like the Fred Savage/Jane Curtain Comedy was cancelled for it's gay storyline, despite descent ratings. The timing could not have been more perfect with propositon 8 passing -- Those who discriminate against gays must be thrilled!

I just hope enough people straight and gay stand up and fight for the reversal of proposition 8. I'm shocked that in this day and age that such discrimination is actually on a ballot.

[Diane]

This whole story line has been a disaster, and Brooke is being made to pay when none of it was her fault. The relationship between Callie and Hahn seemed very contrived from the outset, because Callie previously gave no indication of having any lesbian tendencies, nor did Hahn. Seemed like Callie was experimenting on a dare by Mark. I think Brooke is being typecast--she played a similar role on Crossing Jordan--a cold, bitchy character who was beginning a relationship with a sexually ambiguous male character in the show's final season. I liked that character more than Hahn. I did feel sympathy for Hahn when it seemed obvious that Callie wasn't sincerely into developing the relationship. Better to let the storyline die off and keep Hahn on the show--the character is a source of conflict and could be used to generate many interesting storylines. IMO, I would rather see George get dropped. His treatment of Callie made me dislike him, his "romance" with Izzie totally defied credibility, and he has become whiney and boring. And it is way overdue for Denny to stay dead!

[virgie]

I was overjoyed at the end of last season because all the "big girls" were getting the love. Bailey was fighting with her husband. Not because he didn't love her, but because she was never home. The Chief was hot for his wife, played by Loretta Divine. And Hahn and Torres were starting a romance. OK, there are beautiful women and hunky men on the show--it's TV after all. But it was so refreshing to think that GA was making a statement about size that might be meaningful.

It turned out not to be. Firing Brooke Smith is a big mistake. And the way she just walked off never to be heard from again really stinks.

[rockchick]

I blame Walt Disney...

[Melissa]

Brooke Smith was thrown under the bus from the start. Every scene she was in was either her being abrasive or totally lovesick over Callie whose reaction was mostly "Ew, ick". *Of course* there was no chemistry as it was never written for them since the start of season 5. The only true and honest moment of this this season between the two was the "you are glasses" scene from Erica and Brooke Smith rocked it. Erica Hahn deserved better than she was written. Callie and Erica deserved better than to be treated as a laugh. Brooke Smith sure the heck deserved to be treated better than the crap she was handed... start to finish.

And yes, I love Mer/Der most of all. They are what brought me to this show as a loyal and avid viewer. But I've also become a fan of the world they inhabit and it's extensions. I want this show to be well written. I don't want a character who is introduced with a ton of potential and whose strory-line I've become invested in to not be given a chance. Especially if the reason is that they weren't hot enough.

I just don't trust this show anymore. As much as I will miss the Mer/Der magic, I can't be any part of anything that just feels to me this sexist and homophobic.

Sucks.

[Disappointed Sadness]

Poor Shonda,

It seems there is such criticism of any lesbian, bi or gay storyline from the LGBT community, even for the L Word, that the fact that any show with lesbian, bi or gay content that lasts a few episodes can be be viewed as a success. How can one expect writers/creators like Chaiken and Rhimes and the creators of Ugly Betty and Brothers and Sisters to feel confident to tackle LGBT issues if practically everything they write is construed as disappointing, offensive or parsed and scrutinized for accuracy in the LGBT community? Is there room to fail or not quite hit the mark as there is with heterosexual story lines?

Would all this outrage over Isaiah and now Brooke be happening if the creator of Grey's Anatomy were white? Why are minorities so hard on and intolerant of each other? Why are women so hard on each other?

Where is the outrage that Heigl, known and praised for her outspokenness during the Washington incident and then for her criticism of Rhimes' writing staff, has said nothing about Smith's firing and neither has TR Knight who is gay? Where is the outrage for their silence?

Instead people attack, threaten to boycott and hope for the cancellation of the show of the woman who dared to create a lesbian story line on network TV where even Chaiken was unable or uninterested in doing so. (The fact that there is any dramatatic show with any kind of storyline created by an African American woman/writer/creator is an anomaly, lest people forget.) Instead people malign and try to destroy the creator who fired one of her most popular characters/ actors when he hurt the LGBT community.

When is it enough? When Rhimes is also hung in effigy in WeHo?

Isn't it better people try and solve problems together?
What happened to strength in numbers instead of falling prey to the horrific strategy of divide and conquer?