‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Broke This Controversial Rule Too Soon

The big picture

• Grey's Anatomy
  introduced a no-fraternization policy that created conflict, but felt like a plot device.
• The politics affected the relationships by forcing unnecessary drama and unequal treatment between the characters.
• The no-fraternization policy was unrealistic, quickly resolved, and failed to address the underlying labor relations problems at Grey-Sloan.

Grey's Anatomy it is based on the relationships between its many characters. From the first seasons, many of the conflicts stemmed from personal issues. However, towards the middle of season 10, the show introduced a policy that completely juxtaposed this aspect of the show and seemed completely out of place. Following Leah Murphy's (Tessa Ferrer) complains to HR because his teaching was stagnant because of Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) and Callie's (Sarah Ramirez) troubled relationship, Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital introduced a no-fraternization policy, stating that relationships between co-workers would be frowned upon and relationships between superiors and subordinates would be strictly prohibited. However, married couples were exempt from the policy. While intended to focus on an important dialogue about the potential for malpractice if physicians let their personal lives affect their work, in practice, the policy was mishandled and almost immediately broken. Politics seemed like a plot device for conflict between certain couples in Grey-Sloan rather than providing a meaningful conversation about workplace harassment.

Why was the no-fraternization policy introduced in 'Grey's Anatomy'?

Introducing the new set of interns in season 9 of Grey's Anatomy presented opportunities to develop new relationships at Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital. In the following months, Stephanie (Jerrika Hinton) begins a relationship with Jackson (Jesse Williams), which ends abruptly when Jackson confesses his love to April (Sarah Drew) at their wedding. I (Camilla Luddington) starts dating Alex (Justin Chambers), Shane (Gaius Charles) has a brief casual relationship with Christina (Sandra Oh), and Leah (Tessa Ferrer) has a casual relationship with Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) after his brief split with Callie (Sarah Ramirez). All interns, bar Heather Brooks (Tina Majorino), who tragically dies in the storm at the end of season 9, enter into a relationship with someone in a higher position than them. This meant that when a resident made an anonymous complaint about sexual harassment that had limited their ability to learn, it was assumed that any of them could have done it. However, it's pretty obvious that Leah made the complaint after a frosty interaction with Callie during surgery. Compared to the other relationships, Leah was abused, often used when Arizona felt down and ignored whenever she tried to talk about her feelings. Leah's interactions with Arizona never felt the same, and her dismissal by Callie when the truth came out was unprofessional. The intended shock that Leah was the one to file the complaint was unnecessary, but her reason for filing the complaint was completely valid.

Following the complaint, the discussion of board policy prior to its introduction in “Take It Back” acknowledges that board members are not blameless and most of them have had personal relationships while on the job. Jackson tries to subtly agree to settle the dispute himself, implying that he believes Stephanie made the claim. However, it is Stephanie who is ignoring Jackson, so while her heartbreak is acknowledged, her education is never shown to be in jeopardy. Also, it shows how ignored Leah is that it doesn't even cross the minds of the board members. The complaint is important because, as an audience, we can see Leah being pushed aside, but in the context of the hospital, her colleagues don't see it at all. Following HR's suggestion, the board voted for a zero-tolerance policy prohibiting relationships between superiors and subordinates, which Owen (Kevin McKidd) announces at the beginning of “You Must Hide Your Love.”

The impact of the non-fraternization policy on 'Grey's Anatomy'

The policy immediately faces the expected backlash. The show spent time building the slow-burn romance between Jo Wilson and Alex Karev. Throughout season 9, the two develop a connection despite not expressing any desire for romance; I even start dating another resident. However, all the while you're rooting for them, Jo has a troubled past but seems to calm Alex down and bring out the best in him. When they are finally reunited, it is deeply satisfying. Throughout Season 10, they're not without their little issues, but for the most part, they're one of the show's most untroubled couples and seem to be in love with each other. The non-fraternization policy affects them the most since Jo is a resident and Alex is an assistant. The two have to fake a breakup in front of the entire hospital. It's frustrating to see such a healthy couple face an unnecessary and completely artificial obstacle. The policy also creates friction between Jo and the other residents as she does not know who made the complaint.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ . In light of the complaint, they should support each other, but the nature of politics creates problems between them. It means that the policy is not used to discuss the root cause of the complaint, but to create a redundant conflict.

The policy also forces April and Jackson to tell people they got married in secret after running away together during April's wedding to Matthew (Justin Bruening), a paramedic at Grey-Sloan. The couple are already equal at work, so their relationship would not have led to any disciplinary action, but being married means they are exempt from the policy. It allows the show to advance the couple's relationship and introduce Avery's legacy. Catherine Avery (Debbie Allen), Jackson's mother, appears and explains the stakes of their marriage, including the responsibility that comes with being an Avery. This adds a dimension to their relationship that Grey's Anatomy hasn't explored before, creating a natural conflict between April and Jackson in terms of beliefs and values. However, she didn't need politics to move this story forward, and it's incredible that the two wouldn't have continued seeing each other if they hadn't gotten married. Obviously, it was written into the policy that married couples were exempt, but it seemed like one rule for some and another for others, frustrating as a viewer.

The no-fraternization policy was resolved too quickly

Alex is suspended from continuing his relationship with Jo, but not before complaining to the board that the Grey-Sloan walls are based on personal relationships, and he couldn't be more accurate. Intimate relationships between doctors have been a mainstay since the show's pilot, when Meredith discovers that the man she brought home from the bar is one of her assistants. Meredith and Derek's relationship is one of the longest and most beloved in the show's history, and the politics were hypocritical. Pointing out that relationships between subordinates and superiors are always harmful and limiting them to spectacle was an impossibility, which made politics feel redundant. It's rewarding when Meredith agrees to help Alex find a solution with Jo and eases the audience's dissatisfaction with politics a bit. However, when the couple is forced to sign a “love contract” to legalize their relationship in the eyes of the hospital, it seems insane. Once they sign it, all conflict over policy dissipates. In the penultimate episode of season 10, Leah is fired for her lack of surgical skills, and politics goes with her.

In retrospect, the policy can only be seen as illogical. The conflict only lasted a few episodes and was quickly forgotten. In the upcoming seasons, Callie is dating a resident and Maggie begins a relationship with an intern. The repercussions of their actions are never structural or implemented by the council. Instead, the policy becomes inactive after Leah's departure. It almost implies that she was the problem, but her growth wasn't stunted by the bullying, but her skills were never there in the first place. It means that Grey-Sloan never had a chance to look inward at its structural problems. Leah's complaint could have allowed for a much-needed discussion about how personal relationships can affect the hospital and the danger of unhealthy power dynamics. Instead, the politics created fleeting conflict for a handful of characters and were quickly forgotten.

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