There’s a fine line between assertiveness and blatant rudeness. If there’s one thing that’s remarkable about Grey’s Anatomy, aside from the number of deaths of the main characters, it’s the number of strong and independent female characters. All with different backstories and values, they share a passion for their work and compassion for others.
Almost all of them, with one very obvious exception. Catherine Fox, a character introduced in season 8 and portrayed by Debbie Allen, is a world-class urologist who ends up buying Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital and marrying its chief of surgery, Richard Webber. Although the character is set up to be tough and assertive, but fair and caring to those she loves, that’s not exactly the impression she gives.
Many viewers give credit to Debbie Allen’s performance for making Catherine as abusive, gaslighting, and manipulative as she was written, but despise the character herself. Some even go so far as to call her “one of the worst characters ever seen on a TV show glorified as a hero”.
From the very first introduction of Catherine Fox, people want her gone. If anything, her attitude comes off as rude, and she doesn’t seem to be genuine in her relationships.
Although Catherine rarely plays a major role in the storylines, she always ends up being there for something big, like buying the hospital just to stalk her ex-fling and stay on his back.
Of course, the biggest audience backlash came with Catherine’s treatment of pregnant April Kepner, who was dating her son and carrying her grandchild.
She eventually became supportive after the young parents learned of their child’s terminal diagnosis, but she insisted on her position of power until the very end of the birth, holding Harriett instead of giving her to her mother to hold.
This moment, in particular, was seen as not just annoying, but downright evil, knowing how little time they had to spend together.
With so many great female characters who would fill the girlboss niche much better, Catherine’s presence just doesn’t feel necessary. Now that she is suffering from a spinal tumor, the audience is hoping that the writers will make the right decision and write her off.
To see how Catherine’s storyline will play out, tune in to Grey’s Anatomy’s 20th anniversary season, which will premiere on ABC in midseason 2023/2024 due to the writers’ strike.