‘Grey’s Anatomy’: People Love Richard So Much They Forget All the Terrible Things He’s Done
There are some characters that seem to have a knack for getting away with almost anything, and on Grey’s Anatomy, Dr. Richard Webber is at the top of the list.
He has been forgiven for things other doctors would have been sued or arrested for, but fans on Reddit are rooting for Webber anyway. So what has he done that is worthy of being fired for, and why does everyone love him in spite of it?
Richard Webber is like a father figure to many residents
Dr Richard Webber, played by James Pickens, Jr., watches over everyone who works at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. The doctors under him often find themselves spilling their guts to him, even though he’s their boss. Few employers in real life are able to earn the love and trust of those working under him the way Richard Webber does.
He has a very close relationship with several of his employees, such as Derek Shepherd, Miranda Bailey, and Meredith Grey. He often makes decisions to protect them that could cost him his career. The most memorable incident was when he took the fall for Meredith’s choice to mess with Derek’s medical trial in order to save Adele. He was forced to step down as the chief of surgery as a result.
Perhaps it’s the charm James Pickens, Jr. brings to the character, but Richard Webber has a way of drawing in both other characters and fans in spite of his many flaws.
‘Grey’s Anatomy’: Webber has pulled a lot of stunts over the years
While Webber is like a father figure, he has committed several acts that would be considered medical malpractice in the real world. This could result in lawsuits or even jail time. Still, Webber always seems to get away with it.
While Webber is most remembered for cheating on his wife with Meredith’s mom and tearing up a bar, there are a number of times on the show when he has been less than ethical.
According to one fan on Reddit: “Operated on people drunk. Cheated on Adele. Went along with cheating the clinical trial for Adele. Covered for Izzie cutting LVAD wires. That’s just off the top of my head.”
To be fair, he’s not the only one. Christina Yang and Izzy Stevens were once caught taking money to show off a tumor removed from a patient. Later, several new interns decided to perform procedures on themselves when Yang refused to teach them, and that was just in the first few seasons.
Ben Warren performed an emergency C-Section on a patient in the hallway, which resulted in both mother and child dying. Callie Torres was one of the few doctors who found herself in court when she left a sponge inside of a patient, but she refused to admit she had done anything wrong and was found not guilty.
Time after time, doctors are fired and reinstated on Grey’s Anatomy even though they are guilty of committing some truly spectacular mistakes. In spite of this, they are portrayed as the best of the best, and fans tend to forgive them because it seems like their heart is in the right place.
Not everyone is happy with Webber
Webber has lost many of his cheerleaders. Some of the things he’s done over the years hasn’t sat right with some viewers, and his failure to even attempt to save his marriage with Catherine was the last straw for many fans.
In spite of all this, it’s entirely possible that Webber will win fans back over, especially given his current diagnosis. As one Reddit user put it, “Lmfao FACTS. Operating on patients DRUNK?! He’s a wild boy for that one! But all these problematic Richie tales make me adore him more.”
