Photo: Courtesy ABC.Yeah, we're a little confused by this one, too. For those who aren't aware of all the drama, Isaiah Washington was a star on the very long-running, doctors-in-love, ABC show Grey's Anatomy from its beginnings in 2005. However, he pretty much kicked himself off the highly successful show with his epically bad interpersonal skills. Crucially, during an on-set scuffle in 2007, he choked co-star Patrick Dempsey and called well-liked cast member T.R. Knight a "faggot." As the incident played out in the media (Knight came out because of it), Washington tried to give various explanations for his behavior, all of them questionable and none of them accepted by his coworkers. After his public comments became even more odd — "I love gay. I wanted to be gay. Please let me be gay" — ABC let him go.
Now, after seven years, producer (and Scandal creator) Shonda Rhimes is inviting him back for an appearance. Apparently, actor Sandra Oh is leaving the show, and since Washington's character and hers were an item, Rhimes felt it was appropriate. “It’s important to me that Cristina’s journey unfolds exactly as it should,” she said of Oh's character. “Burke is vital to that journey,” she added referring to Washington's role.
Fans of the show know that T.R. Knight's character was killed off years ago, so there's no possibility of any tension there. Dempsey, however, remains. If Rhimes feels that Washington has learned his lesson — and his recent career suggests he might have — we're willing to give him a shot. Here's hoping it all works out better than last time. (Variety)