Alex Karev was introduced on the 16 seasons that he was on the show, Alex developed into a full-fledged character filled with warmth and care.
His egotistical behavior changed drastically, and Alex learned to play nice soon. Karev has had many highs and lows on the show, and through every difficult situation and painful moment, Alex has emerged a better man. If there was one character who had a well-developed arc, it was this pediatric surgeon.
Learning To Respect His Colleagues
Alex and Meredith interact in the very first episode of the show in a manner that showed how arrogant and snarky he was. When nurses were questioning his plan of treatment, he snidely remarked that he had gone to med school and they hadn't.
When Meredith also raised the same concern, Alex dismissively called her a nurse as well. Alex has become a better person and an even better doctor since this incident, treating nurses with the respect and dignity they command.
Being On The Defence Constantly
Alex's attitude used to generally be very defensive whenever anyone asked him anything personal or intruded into his privacy. He was snappy and wasn't able to genuinely engage with everyone beyond a certain point.
But soon, all of his colleagues found out what a nice and genuine person he actually was, and why his experiences had led him to have this temperament. While Alex's characteristic snarky humor always remains, he becomes so much more considerate and willing to let people into his life, over time.
Relationship With Izzie
Izzie and Alex had a rocky start, especially after Alex got involved with Olivia. But Alex made deliberate efforts to make up with Izzie. In his own way, he made himself better for her.
While Izzie was unwilling to initially see him in that light again, Alex knew he had messed up, and kept trying to do better and be better. Eventually, this led to the duo building a strong friendship which later became a strong romance.
Marrying Izzie
Alex's wedding vows said, "All my life I've been just me, just a smart-mouthed kid. Today I become a man. Today I become a husband. Today I become able to someone other than myself."
Alex truly did take his responsibility and commitment to Izzie the minute he agreed to marry her. It proved that he was all in and was ready to go the distance. Alex did grow up a lot through Izzie's diagnosis, treatment, and their relationship.
Being Meredith's Person
From being a snarky friend to being someone who can be relied upon, Alex really did become better. Alex was Meredith's rock when Cristina left, and even after Derek's death. He was her system and her person. And the fact that Alex Karev turned into someone so reliable shows how much he grew up and cared about his friends.
Arizona's Protégé
Although he initially wanted to be a plastic surgeon, the best side of Alex was mostly seen when he was working in pediatrics. From working closely with Addison in the OB-GYN department to becoming Arizona Robbins' star student, Alex Karev was a very dedicated surgeon.
Alex knew that he probably wasn't as cut-throat as Meredith or Cristina, but he worked twice as hard and was incredibly invested in his patients. One wouldn't have thought that the chirpy Arizona and sardonic Karev would work well together, but Alex exceeded Arizona's expectations.
Becoming Head of Peds
The ultimate fact of becoming the Head of Peds showed Alex's career trajectory in the hospital. From being Arizona's star student, Karev proved himself to the best in peds in the hospital, taking over from her as well.
He was amazing with kids, and the growth from the irritating intern to the Head of a department, especially one like Peds, shows the level of maturity and responsibility he had attained.
Relationship With Jo
Alex and Jo were one of the most solid couples on the show. They were really good for each other, understood one another's childhood experiences, and helped each other grow.
Jo even became Alex's ultimate cheerleader, constantly ing him and pointing out how he deserved everything he had earned. And Alex was incredibly kind and patient with Jo, helping her through some of her toughest moments. In this relationship, he learned how important it was to communicate with his partner - which was something he stubbornly refused to do in the earlier seasons.
Being The Chief
Alex Karev was the interim Chief of surgery for six months at Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital. Although he struggled to adapt in the beginning, Alex became one of the best leaders in the hospital. Even Miranda Bailey grudgingly accepted that he had done good work and that she was proud of him.
He saw his six-month commitment through and was actually able to make useful changes to the hospital. He was also later hired as the Chief of Surgery at Pacific Northwestern General Hospital and was beginning to turn that into a respectable institute before Catherine bought it out.
Deciding To Be With His Family
In the end, Alex left the hospital, Jo, and his friends to be with Izzie and his kids. Alex had made it plenty evident over the course of the show that all he ever wanted was a stable family and home.
He wanted to give to his kids what he never got. So once he found out that Izzie had his kids, he dropped everything to be with them. He makes the ultimate decision to leave everything he knew behind simply for the sake of his family.
