How Alex Karev will depart:

http://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/recaps/how-greys-anatomy-said-goodbye-to-alex-karev-%e2%80%93-and-why-well-miss-him/ar-BB10OkZ5?li=BBnbfcL

It's not a bad read. I just don't think his character was believable, that's all.

Alex Karev's jaw-dropping Grey's Anatomy exit left fans furious, but writers faced a daunting task (https://ew.com/tv/why-greys-anatomy-couldnt-kill-alex-karev/)

Grey's fans took to Twitter to express anger and grief (https://www.etonline.com/greys-anatomy-alex-karevs-jaw-dropping-ending-draws-passionate-fan-reactions-142670) over the shocking way Karev was written out, with some fans threatening to quit watching (https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2020-03-05/greys-anatomy-alex-karev-justin-chambers) the show. "But," says Samantha Highfill, "here's what we need to remember: The Grey's Anatomy writers were faced with a daunting task when Justin Chambers announced his exit and revealed he would not be returning to the series to film a final scene, much less a final episode. (In the end, he lent his voice to the hour, but that was it.) And that means that the writers had to craft a fitting ending for a character that'd been there since day one. A character fans loved. A character fans watched grow. Alex had come a long way from his days spent posting half-naked pictures of Izzie all over the locker room. He hadn't been 'Evil Spawn' in quite some time. So, the writers had a choice to make. Or rather, they had many choices to make, but the biggest one was: Do we kill Alex?" In the end, Highfill says the Grey's writers made the right call because "Chambers wasn't coming back to film anything." What ended up happening in Thursday's episode, Highfill says, was better than the alternative. Meanwhile, Grey's showrunner Krista Vernoff issued a statement (https://twitter.com/KristaVernoff/status/1235762096433811456) on Chambers and Karev following Thursday's episode. “It is nearly impossible to say goodbye to Alex Karev," Vernoff wrote. "That is as true for me and for all of the writers at Grey’s Anatomy as it is for the fans. We have loved writing Alex. And we have loved watching Justin Chambers’ nuanced portrayal of him. For 16 seasons, 16 years, we have grown up alongside Alex Karev. We have been frustrated by his limitations and we have been inspired by his growth and we have come to love him deeply and to think of him as one of our very best friends. We will miss him terribly. And we will always be grateful for his impact, on our show, on our hearts, on our fans, on the world."

Ellen Pompeo defends Grey's Anatomy's Alex Karev exit amid backlash (https://tvline.com/2020/03/06/greys-anatomy-alex-leaves-ellen-pompeo-response-exit/)

It seems like every Grey's fan (https://www.buzzfeed.com/noradominick/greys-anatomy-alex-karev-departure-tweets) is upset with the handling of Justin Chambers' character's exit last night. Yet Pompeo posted on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/p/B9ZgAS3J_fW/) this morning -- accompanied by a video of their time on the show together -- that Alex Karev had "the best possible storyline." "Thanks to our national treasure @therealdebbieallen and the writers for giving Alex Karev the best send off," she wrote. "Thanks to @shondarhimes for creating the most amazing character. For me personally for Karev to go back to the beginning.... was the best possible storyline. It pays homage to those incredible first years and the incredible cast ...that created a foundation so strong that the show is still standing. So let’s not be sad."

ALSO:


Give Grey's Anatomy credit for taking a big swing and avoiding a tidy ending for Alex Karev (https://tvline.com/2020/03/06/greys-anatomy-alex-karev-exit-commentary-defense/): "With (Justin) Chambers unavailable to be seen, only heard, EP Krista Vernoff & Co. could’ve written a neat and tidy resolution to Karev’s storyline that dropped him in a pine box with his halo still intact," says Charlie Mason. "Instead, the show took a bigger swing, giving the beloved character a happy ending that was as messy and complicated as life itself." Mason adds: "For me, Alex isn’t ruined at all. He remains what he’s always been: perfectly imperfect. In other words, human. And while I’m certainly sorry to see him go, I appreciate the daring way that Grey’s chose to have him leave."
After 15 years on the air, you would think that Grey’s Anatomy would be better at writing off long-term characters (http://news.avclub.com/wow-everyone-sure-hated-last-night-s-grey-s-anatomy-1842150347)
Grey's hits a six-week high with Alex Karev farewell (https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/tv-ratings-greys-anatomy-hits-5-week-high-with-alex-karev-farewell-1203526047/)


Chris Carmack says there was "emotional fallout" at Greys Anatomy after Justin Chambers' departure (https://people.com/tv/greys-anatomy-star-chris-carmack-describes-emotional-fall-out-after-justin-chambers-departure/)

Carmack tells People he was "drenched in tears" after watching Thursday's farewell to Alex Karev. He says Chambers' "contributions to the story over the years was one that was difficult to say goodbye to. The Grey’s community is definitely a family and supportive of one another. There was an emotional fallout amongst cast and crew when we found out.” ALSO: Ellen Pompeo goes hiking with former Grey's co-star T.R. Knight one day after Karev's farewell (https://www.instagram.com/p/B9aCl1MAKMn/).