The Greys Anatomy fandom has never lacked for controversial characters. In fact, Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital seems to hire specifically for that quality. That said, I must ask: Have we ever seen a character redemption arc as pronounced as Amelia Shepherds (Caterina Scorsone)? Once perhaps the worst character wandering this hospitals hallowed, absolutely uninsurable halls, shes spent 13 seasons and counting becoming one of its most compelling.

ABCs chief medical drama is all about stirring up our emotions and, sometimes, our angry keyboards. From the ever-complicated Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), to the lovable but rarely logical Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl), to the well-meaning but absolutely toxic lover Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd), Amelias peers have all had their less-than-stellar moments. For a while, however, everyone in the fandom seemed to hate her with a burning passion.

Maybe it was her ongoing competition with Derek that put people off, or maybe it was her short temper, but the hatred has been intense. Those whove been hanging out with Amelia since her time on the Greys spin-off Private Practice might have a deeper appreciation for her absurdly traumatic backstory. (For those who need a refresher: She watched her dad get murdered when she was just 5 years old; as an adult, she woke up one morning to find her fianc dead from an overdose beside her; and she carried her son to term knowing he would not survive, just so that his death could become meaningful through organ donation.)

That said, some viewers simply could not stomach Amelias impulsivity, her horrific behavior in pretty much all of her romantic relationships, and her admittedly kinda corny superhero pose. To each their own!

But what changed? During the shows most recent episode earlier this month, I saw multiple posts about Amelias princessing. This was where my curiosity began. Then, I dove down a deep social media rabbit hole and started watching the fan videos on YouTube. A theory began to take shape.

It should come as no surprise that a big part of Amelias appeal seems to come down to Scorsones performance. Amelia is bold and expressive, if often self-centered, and while plenty of Greys actors have seemingly started phoning it in over the years, Scorsone always comes ready to Act with a capital A, adding small flourishes to her delivery that make all of Amelias lines feel like Amelia-isms. It also doesnt hurt that a lot of people simply think that Scorsone herself is pretty adorable and also cool as hell. (If only all of us could hang with Hayley Kiyoko!)

Then, theres Amelias actual arc, which, when you take a step back and look at it, has also been a pretty redemptive one. Shes overcome multiple potentially devastating experiences and uses her experience managing her addiction to support colleagues like Dr. Webber when theyre struggling. Also, not for nothing, she saved Geena Davis life (OK, Dr. Hermans life) through an impossible brain surgery that pretty much no one thought she could pull off. Later, she herself survived a brain tumorfurther solidifying her resilience for any remaining haters and losers who mightve doubted her.

Sure, Amelias relationship with Owen was kind of a mess, as are most of her romantic relationships. And yes, she handled that whole paternity test situation with Link (Chris Carmack) all wrong. And yes, OK, she can often struggle to take accountability during interpersonal disputes. But none of us are perfect, right? On a show like Greys Anatomy, especially, where everyone has their disastrous moments of disgrace, being a fuck-up is always kinda relative.

Come to think of it, maybe one of the biggest reasons for Amelias rise from the deepest depths of most-hated territory is that shes actually stuck around long enough to grow on people. On a storytelling level, the massive turnover weve seen on Greys likely also plays a role here. At this point, 20 seasons inGod, does that make me feel old to typeAmelia is one of the longest-running characters we see on screen each week. Apart from Meredith, who only pops in periodically, our only remaining original characters are Chandra Wilsons Miranda Bailey and James Pickens Jr.s Richard Webber.

When people come and go so often, theres some inherent comfort to seeing someone youve spent a lot of time with alreadyeven if she used to annoy the hell out of you. Lets just hope that if she really does get with Natalie Morales Monica Beltran, she gets out of her own way and lets us all have the ship we deserve.

Read more from the original source:
'Grey's Anatomy': When Did Fans Stop Hating and Start Loving Amelia Shepherd? - The Daily Beast