In the past decade and change, social media has been a hot-bed for controversial and critical opinions on film and television that have led to plenty of in-fighting among fans of certain franchises. Over the weekend, Grey’s Anatomy’s Ellen Pompeo (Daredevil, Old School) demonstrated what extending an olive branch to someone with a contrary opinion on television could look like.
“I get it…thanks for checking it out anyway” Pompeo quote-tweeted a fan who called season 17 of the medical drama “dumpster fire trash,” continuing: “and thanks for your feedback it matters …sending you love.”
According to Digital Spy, Pompeo often uses her Twitter platform to interact with Grey’s Anatomy fans directly and took chunk out of this past weekend to respond to viewers. The tweet that described the COVID-centered season 17 of Grey’s Anatomy as “dumpster fire trash” was taken from an interaction between two fans with contrary opinions on the season, with the displeased fan not realizing that Pompeo had been tagged in the original post. Pompeo had no hard feelings though, especially coming off a season with “hotly debated story lines and moments” (MSN).
As Pompeo’s Meredith Grey fell into a coma while fighting off COVID-19, it gave the long running series a chance to resurrect departed characters, notably Patrick Dempsey’s (Enchanted) Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd. Though the season had moments of fan service for long-time fans, it did not offer much of distraction from reality with its COVID-focused storytelling. Cinema Blend points out that 17 seasons is “a looooong time to try to keep viewers happy, and it’s not always going to work.”
Unfortunately, Pompeo’s tweet put a bit of a lighting-rod to the Grey’s Anatomy fan who was not fond of season 17, which led the actress to step-in and further clarify her remarks. Some fans interpreted Pompeo’s quote-tweet as sarcastic and a call-out, but she ensured users that was not her intent. “No honestly no shade at all” Pompeo quote-tweeted a separate fan who interpreted her initial post as factious “the only show I’ve ever stuck with until the end was The Sopranos.”
While Pompeo is “known for encouraging open discussion with her fans,” the TV doctor showed no tolerance for fans who attempted to harass the user who harbored the original season 17 criticism, via MSN. “Why is someone saying they didn’t like something bad?” Pompeo wrote in separate tweet. “It’s literally been on for two decades!! Let her live.” The actress later followed this up with “people are pretty much allowed to feel however they want after this really f—-d up couple of years we have had” (Twitter).
Grey’s Anatomy will return to ABC this fall for its 18th season, with Pompeo continuing in her role but with major players such as Jesse Williams (The Cabin in the Woods, Brooklyn’s Finest), Giacomo Gianniotti (Selfie, Luca) and Greg Germann (Ally McBeal, Clear and Present Danger) departing the series. The upcoming 18th season will also feature Robert I. Mesa (The Man Who Built America) as the show’s first Indigenous actor and character in the reoccurring cast. One thing’s for certain, Pompeo won’t be giving fans a hard time on social media, whether they continue to love the series into its 18th year or whether they believe it has become “dumpster fire trash”.