Gray & apos; s Anatomy: Why didn't Alex Karev die when Justin Chambers left?

The departure of Justin Chambers has upset all fans of Grey's Anatomy! But why did the writers choose not to kill the character of Alex Karev?

This is probably the most shocking twist of the season 16 of Grey's Anatomy! The departure of Justin Chambers after sixteen seasons spent playing Alex Karev in the medical drama has moved the fans. Alex had grown enormously as a character during his 13 years in Grey's Anatomy , which included what appeared to be a solid marriage to Jo . But, when Justin Chambers decided to quit the medical series, showrunner Krista Vernoff and her team decided to just let Alex ditch Jo (totally offscreen) for his former sweetheart, Izzie. Suffice to say that this outcome has pissed off many fans of Grey's Anatomy, but why is Alex not not dead like many other iconic characters in the series?

In a recent interview granted to Variety , Krista Vernoff explained the reason why Alex's character was not killed in the season 16 of Grey's Anatomy . The showrunner said: “ In addition to not wanting to subject the actors to sustained mourning, I did not want to do endure the characters another such intense grief. And that was probably the most important thing. I don't want Meredith Gray to lethally lose Alex Karev. I don't want to see it! I can't stand it! “ Truth be told, we couldn't have endured it either even if Alex's departure was just as tragic . In any case, that leaves the door open for Justin Chambers to make an appearance again if the heart tells him. While waiting to know if this day will arrive, find out if this season 17 of Grey's Anatomy will be shorter!