Alexander "Alex" Michael Karev, M.D. is a fictional character on the ABC television
series Grey's Anatomy, portrayed by actor Justin Chambers.
Introduced as a surgical intern at the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital, Karev eventually
obtained the position of resident, later becoming a pediatric surgical fellow.
His relationships with colleagues Meredith Grey, Cristina Yang, Izzie Stevens, and George
O'Malley formed a focal point of the series.
The character is initially disliked by his fellow interns, and is often accused of being
brusque and dismissive with his patients and co-workers.
Karev's negative attitude eventually leads to Seattle Grace Hospital's neonatal surgeon,
Addison Montgomery, requesting him on her service as punishment for his rudeness to
her.
He demonstrates profound skill for the specialty which prompts praise from Montgomery and contributes
to Karev's interest in pediatric surgery for the rest of the series.
Although Karev and Stevens had an on-off romantic history in previous seasons, it was not until
the fifth season that the two formed a lasting relationship.
Despite Stevens' advanced skin cancer, the two marry.
Justin Chambers commented on his character's inability to tell Stevens that he loves her
in the beginning of their relationship, saying that Karev has difficulty expressing himself.
Though Stevens leaves the hospital in season 6, series creator Shonda Rhimes has said that
she would like the chance to create closure for both Karev and Stevens.
Storylines His mother had a mental illness, and his father
was often absent, as well as often becoming violent towards Alex and his mother.
Alex began wrestling in high school, and eventually physically confronted his father - after this,
his father did not return.
Alex has a younger brother, Aaron, and a younger sister, Amber; they were all placed in foster
care for 5 years.
Though Aaron and Amber only had a few foster families, Alex went through 17 foster families
in 5 years before he reunited with his siblings.
It is revealed in later seasons that Aaron was diagnosed with schizophrenia and tried
to kill Amber.
Alex was present when Aaron had to be committed to a psychiatric ward.
Alex secured a position in the surgical residency program at Seattle Grace Hospital after graduating
from the University of Iowa.
He initially makes a poor impression on his fellow interns meeting fellow interns Meredith
Grey, Cristina Yang, George O'Malley, and Izzie Stevens whom he later taunts when he
discovers she used to be a lingerie model.
After initial disagreements, Alex reveals to Izzie that his father was a heroin addict
who used to beat his mother.
He became a wrestler so he could defend his mother, and attended university on a wrestling
scholarship.
He and Izzie begin a friendship.
At the end of the first season, George contracts syphilis from Alex through nurse Olivia Harper,
causing animosity between the two.
Alex asks Izzie out on a date, but he is thrown by the news that he has failed his medical
board exams.
Izzie is offended since he pays no attention to her during their date and so informs him
that she no longer wants to go out with him.
He later freezes during an emergency operation, needing George to take over from him.
Alex's relationship with Izzie is damaged when he experiences erectile dysfunction with
her.
He goes on to sleep with Olivia again, and is caught by Izzie and they break up.
After retaking his exams, Alex manages a pass, and reunites with Izzie after a bomb scare
in the hospital.
They break up again, however, when Izzie falls for cardiothoracic patient Denny Duquette.
Alex helps Izzie recover from Denny's death and advances Izzie but Izzie backs away since
she is still in the process of getting over her loss and they remain friends.
Alex spends a period of time working under neonatal surgeon Dr. Addison Montgomery, and
though he is later released to work for plastic surgeon Dr. Mark Sloan, he finds his interest
returning to Addison's firm.
Addison is attracted to Alex, and the two share a kiss and later sleep together.
In the aftermath of a ferry accident, Alex rescues a pregnant woman who awakes with amnesia,
and grows close to Alex as he helps her forging an identity for herself, picking out the name
Ava.
After she gives birth to her daughter, Ava's memory eventually returns, although she tries
to hide it from Alex as she had recently left a bad marriage.
He convinces her to tell him her true identity, and she reveals herself to be Rebecca Pope.
Alex turns her down after realizing she's married, feeling that he is not good enough
for her.
Rebecca returns and she and Alex sleep together before she goes back to her husband.
Alex has a brief relationship with intern Lexie Grey, but chooses to be with Rebecca
when she returns and tells him she is pregnant.
After Rebecca attempted suicide, Izzie convinces Alex to admit her for psychiatric help due
to Rebecca's hallucinations of her pregnancy.
Alex later breaks down in Izzie arms, and the two kiss.
Later in their relationship, Izzie begins hallucinating about Denny, and uncovers the
fact she has metastatic melanoma with an estimated chance of 5% survival.
It is revealed that Izzie's hallucinations of Denny are, in fact, caused by her tumor.
Alex is shocked by the news, but finds the strength to stay by her side.
Izzie plans a wedding for Meredith and Derek, but when Derek finds Izzie has another inoperable
tumor in her brain, they give the wedding to Izzie and Alex, who marry in front of all
their friends.
Izzie debates whether or not she should undergo a risky surgery to remove her tumor and Alex
supports her, but eventually insists that she should have the surgery.
Alex performs CPR on Izzie after she flatlines.
Izzie regains a heartbeat but is soon fired leaving Alex a Dear John letter and no clue
as to her whereabouts.
She later returns to the hospital and says to Alex, thinking he had a hand in getting
her fired, that she could not forgive him for talking to the Chief.
Alex says he could not forgive her either for not giving him the benefit of the doubt
and leaving without talking to him first.
Alex re-kindles an old flame with Lexie.
Alex seems to have recently found that his calling is actually Peds and not Plastics
as he had decided in the earlier seasons.
Seeing Alex's ability to handle child patients, Dr. Arizona Robbins shows an interest in mentoring
him for that specialization.
Alex's brother Aaron comes to Seattle Grace for surgery, and lots of painful memories
resurface because of this.
Meredith discovers Alex, along with Aaron and their sister Amber, had been in foster
care for five years when their mother could not take care of them.
Alex is also served with divorce papers from Izzie Alex is shot in the hospital by a deceased
patient's husband, but survives with the help of Lexie and Mark.
While undergoing treatment, he mistakes Lexie for Izzie.
Following the shooting, Lexie has a mental breakdown in front of Alex and he walks away.
Dr. Bailey bars Alex from surgery until he has the bullet removed, which he later allows
her to do.
Alex realizes that his passion lies in Pediatric Surgery.
He is further shown to be excellent with children, comforting with a young patient while growing
her a new trachea.
He immediately gets on the wrong side of new Pediatric attending Stark while Arizona is
on leave Alex then attempts to sleep with virgin April Kepner after visiting his mom
in Iowa when his brother was diagnosed schizophrenia.
Alex and Meredith perform an emergent surgery on a young boy by themselves during the night
shift, dealing with the angry fallout from Stark but gaining the wordless approval of
the Chief.
Alex is thrilled when Arizona returns from Africa and hopes she will come to work for
the hospital again.
In the meantime, Alex falls for the new OBGYN attending, Lucy Fields, and they start a relationship
after she kisses him.
Alex finds out about Meredith sabotaging her Alzheimer's clinical trial and rats her out
in attempt to get Chief Resident.
The adoption counselor takes away Zola, the child Meredith wanted to adopt.
Realizing his mistake, Alex apologizes to Meredith who forgives him shortly after.
As the end of the fifth year of residency is near, the surgical residents, including
Alex, prepare for their board exams for the different fellowships they plan on joining.
Though Alex is late for his exam because he had to treat a patient, he ends up passing.
Dr. Webber tells him that Johns Hopkins Hospital, which has the top program in the country,
has been very impressed with him and has decided to create a position in pediatrics surgery
for him and accepts the position.
After finding out his decision, his current boss, Dr. Arizona Robbins, yells at him and
takes his place on a plane that later crashes.
Following the rescue of his colleagues, Robbins' health deteriorates and amputates her leg.
He extends his stay at Seattle Grace until a replacement for Robbins is found, but when
he learns that the replacement will send the exchange program to UCLA, he decides not to
leave.
Karev forms a friendship with new intern, Jo Wilson that eventually develops into romantic
feelings towards each other.
Alex admits his love for Jo, and the two kiss and become a couple.
Alex's estranged father, Jimmy, who he hasn't seen in 18 years, is admitted to the ER as
a patient.
After being discharged, Jimmy plays with his band at a bar, and Alex spends several nights
watching his father perform onstage.
Unknowing that Alex is his son, Jimmy confides in Alex that he had another family that he
hasn't seen in years.
This made Alex upset and he punched Jimmy at the bar.
Once returning home, Alex unleashes his hurt and anger on Jo for having encouraged him
to reconnect with his father.
His father returns suffering from symptoms of withdrawal and hallucinations of the past
where more is revealed about Alex's childhood.
Jimmy tells Alex he knows that he is his son and Alex yells at his dad stating that "I
WAS THE DAD".
His dad later goes into cardiac arrest and is brought into surgery, fate unknown.
Alex kisses Jo at April's wedding wanting to start a family with her.
Upon the completion of his fellowship in Pediatric Surgery, Alex is given an offer to work at
Dr. Oliver Lebackes' private practice office, claiming that he will have more flexible hours
and "a big fat paycheck".
Alex takes this offer happily.
Robbins is initially angered by this decision and thinks that Alex is choosing money over
substance.
Eventually she realizes that he has become a wonderful surgeon and that she is happy
to see him go.
Development Casting and creation
Characterization The American Broadcasting Company characterized
Karev as "honest", "always tells it like it is", while also citing his mouth, his punctuality
and him being a "smart-ass" as his weaknesses.
Shonda Rhimes said of Karev: "I love that we have a character who can do something wonderful
but still be a selfish cranky ass about it.
Alex gets to be complex in ways most characters don't because even though he’s got a moral
code, his moral code is totally twisted and dark.
But he's essentially good – deep down inside."
Carolina Paiz, one of the writers of the series, wrote: "He has so much going on inside...
you think you've got him figured out but then he just reveals this whole other side to him."
"He is superficial sleazeball who turns out to be a nice guy and a talented doctor with
an amazing bedside manner, as well as the budding love interest of Katherine Heigl's
character Isobel."
DVD Verdict wrote of the character's development in the fourth season: "Love him, hate him,
or both, Karev speaks his mind, rough edges and all.
But ultimately his cold heart seems to be softened by his blossoming relationship with
Jane DoeRebecca."
Rhimes felt that the 100th episode during which Karev marries Stevens showed how he
had grown up: "Look at him.
Standing at the altar and saying those vows like a man.
He's become a man who can step up.
And I love him for it."
Reception Former television columnist for The Star-Ledger
Alan Sepinwall disapproved of Karev's flirt with Addison as "he should take interest in
a woman's speciality and respect his boss without getting in her pants."
Reviewing the fifth season, Chris Monfette of IGN wrote: "Alex, who'd become simply the
cast's angry outcast, was uplifted as his relationship with Izzie became more and more
substantial, and his bedside scenes with her toward the end were some of his character's
best material yet."
References Specific
General
External links
Grey's Anatomy at ABC.com Alex Karev at the Internet Movie Database