The writers have missed opportunities to give her substance.
It kind of fits in with what her character is supposed to be, aka closed off and not talking about private stuff to most people, but that's a character that really harms a drama in the long run if it never changes.
I could like Jo. I want to like Jo. But we should have seen more about her past earlier, should have seen more of the stuff that she likes - and should have seen her take a real interest in surgery.
But the thing is, since season 9, not only the interns but also the attendings have not been shown to really take much of an interest in medicine. Not the way the interns/residents used to until season 8. Where Lexie wore diapers in surgery so she wouldn't have to take pee breaks. Where everyone bickered and raced over patients and procedures.
I get that the attendings would slow down, but the interns? They have not been shown to be as invested in their work as the first interns around Meredith were back then.
And I am afraid that substracts a lot from their characters, because it destroys so many opportunities to grow them.
She's supposed to be a former foster child/homeless teen that made her life better through education and hard work. Sounds good, but Jo is not believable with that background.
She is unbelievable with that background not because of how she acts (THAT could be learned to project a certain image to get what she wants) - she is unbelievable because it is impossible.
A healthy white baby that's just two weeks old and was abandoned at a fire station would NEVER linger in foster care. It would have been adopted before it's first birthday.
Unless Jo was sick as a child, physically or mentally, or given back by adopters for some odd reason (Happens. Friend of mine's sister was given up for adoption, few months later was diagnosed with a heart defect and the potential adopters (not finalised then) gave her back to her mother. Funny thing, turned out there was nothing wrong with her heart) when she was past the baby stage, she would NEVER have lingered in foster care. Ever.
Which is why I am hoping that Jo's story is actually made up and that her background is actually a little different than she first described it, and maybe she lied about some things to cover her tracks or something.
Why doesn't she keep in touch with Ms. Schmidt, even if it's a call at the holidays? I'd like to hear more about Ms. Schmidt.
But don't forget, the families of the other interns/residents also almost never make an appearance unless someone dies. Jo keeping in touch with Ms. Schmidt could be like Stephanie calling her parents - never mentioned, just assumed to happen behind the scenes.
And yes, they could drop lines about it every now and then, but if they do that all the time, it would get clunky.
Jo's abusive husband storyline could have been introduced when she beat up Dr. Jason Myers aka Chest Peckwell. It could have tied a child abuse and domestic abuse storyline together for her.
The thing I don't get about that storyline is how she ever fell for that douche in the first place. Shouldn't she have had the experience to tell how he really was?
Seems contrived in hindsight.
Jo supposedly loves Ortho, but she was never shown breathing, eating and sleeping Ortho like Callie.
None of those interns/residents have ever been shown to breath, eat and sleep a specialty. Even Leah Murphy's love of cardio was told, not shown.
At least it's consistent in it's bad writing.
Jo hasn't been given anything that would/could/should endear her to me, in my opinion.
Honestly, I think that applies to ANY character introduced for the first time after season eight (With the exception of Ancient Guy, Doctor Thomas).
Riggs? Not endearing.
Pierce? Not endearing.
Penny? Repulsive.
The only character I can say was endearing of all of those was Heather Brooks. She was funny, quirky, and kind of like George but not in a copy kind of way. In her own way.
The show basically revolves around the characters that were there at least during the time of the Seattle Grace/Mercy West merger. And while they managed to introduce interesting and endearing characters since then, it has gone downhill since season nine with that.
I do like the running joke of her not being anyone's favorite intern/resident. I get a chuckle out of that every time.
I find it annoying, but I hope Catherine Avery will finally serve some purpose besides being a total biatch and point that out as one of the flaws of the Grey Sloan as a teaching hospital. It is counterproductive behaviour when the goal is to raise good surgeons, it is demeaning when the goal is to make a good surgeon out of Jo, and it is disrespectful to anyone. Also, it is childish in a way even the attendings shouldn't behave.
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