Bye Bye Lady Doctor Who Likes Ladies Bye Bye

Here’s some surprising news for you, Grey’s Anatomy fans: After this Thursday, Seattle Grace’s going to look a lot more different and lot less gay: Dr. Erica Hahn (Brooke Smith) will be leaving the show STAT.

As one half of Callica, the show’s first regular gay couple (with Dr. Callie Torres, played by Sara Ramirez), Smith’s departure is significant in a few ways.

Firstly, it leaves us fans of the budding relationship hanging. It has been reported that Smith is “not written out. My final scene is just me heading to my car.”

WTF?

Secondly, since the order to discharge Dr. Hahn “came down from above” (i.e., from the network that produces the show, ABC), it appears the calendar may say it is 2008, but obviously, certain factions of Hollywood seem to be stuck in the 1950s or something.

And lastly, with the imminent arrival of Melissa George (whom I adore) as a new Grey’s Anatomy cast member, I can’t help but think the decision to let Smith go has something to do with her looks.

Oh c’mon – you’re thinking it.

Smith is a lovely-looking lady, but she isn’t as young or thin as George, which is why I’m not buying what executive producer Shonda Rhimes is selling, that, “Unfortunately, we did not find that [Ramirez’s] magic and chemistry with [Smith]’s character would sustain in the long run.”

Ms. Rhimes, you’re a good writer, you’re the writer at Grey’s Anatomy, and certainly, you could’ve seen that the magic and chemistry remained.

Let’s not be disingenuous.

Photo: EW.com.

Update 1: Gasp! Another report says George’s character is being re-written, essentially being “de-gayed.”

Update 2: In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres set to air on Nov. 5, Patrick Dempsey told the talk show host that Brooke Smith’s sudden departure from Grey’s Anatomy surprised him quite a bit.

“ABC actually sends me over what I should [say],” he joked.

“ABC’s response…is that [I] should say: ‘We’ve had a great time working with her and that the conclusion of her [character] has been [an] orgasmic – I’m sorry, I’m dyslexic! – ‘organic’ ending to the story line.’”

On a serious note, Dempsey said, “I don’t know what happened with [Smith and Ramirez’s] story line. [The powers that be] decided not to continue it for some reason.”