Grey’s Anatomy season 15: How many standalone episodes should we get?

As we start to move forward into the latter portion of Grey’s Anatomy season 15, why not discuss standalone episodes? These are, after all, a huge part of the core fabric of this show. So often, we get episodes that are based around a given number of medical cases that bounce around over the course of the hour. Yet, some of the most memorable episodes are the ones that set almost the entirety of the story on just a small group of characters.

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Want some examples? Take the prison episode that we saw with Arizona, Jo, and Bailey recently — it didn’t have a lot of characters, but it gave us a chance to see some fascinating, compelling drama that you won’t see anywhere else. This gives some cast members a break in the action, while for others it allows them a chance to really dive in to some meaty material.

Obviously, Grey’s Anatomy is not going to suddenly dive into having standalone character episodes on a regular basis; it’s a show that is still about the ensemble. Yet, we wouldn’t be opposed to having 2-3 of them in the second half of this season. As a matter of fact, there are hints about one of them already.

For example, we know that there is an episode coming up that may not take place in a hospital at all. To go along with that, we also know that Jennifer Grey has been cast in a mysterious role. One of the chief conspiracy theories that is out there for many is that these two headlines are related, and we could be getting a story around Jo and her biological parents. So, maybe we get a full episode just about this.

As for some other possibilities, we’d love to see an episode just about Jackson and where his head is at in between April’s exit from the hospital and the state of things with Maggie. Or, it’d be fascinating to see Richard deal with the ramifications of his recent arrest. The reason why we care about Grey’s Anatomy so much, after all, is the characters. With that in mind, why not create as many venues as possible for them to shine? There’s nothing to be afraid of in doing so.

The danger you run with these episodes is that it’s possible that not everyone may be into a specific episode if a character they don’t like is at the center of it. Yet, we like to think that 15 episodes in, Grey’s Anatomy can take a few risks.

What do you think: Should we get some more standalone episodes in Grey’s Anatomy season 15? Be sure to share right now in the comments. (Photo: ABC.)