Richard Webber has been a mainstay of the long-running medical drama Grey’s Anatomy since its very first season. In fact, currently, Richard is one of only three original cast members that have stayed on the show.
Webber is fun, a great teacher and mentor, and a good man. But if there is one thing that Grey’s fans know for sure, it is that human beings are complex and layered, and full of flaws. And Richard is no exception.
Worst: Stubborn
Richard Webber is a stubborn fellow and sometimes his stubbornness can have very dire consequences. Richard got electrocuted during the massive storm of the season 9 finale that also killed one other person, Heather.
He then had to stay in the hospital for a long time. This was mainly because he was too stubborn to listen to his doctors who were only advising him in the best way they could. But he refused to pay attention to them and as a result of his stubbornness and obstinacy, he didn’t regain his health as fast as he should have.
Best: Spirited
One of the most lovable things about Richard is his never-say-never attitude. He might be advanced of age but he has the will and spirit that even younger people cannot always match.
Richard is still eager to perform world-class research and undertakes experiments to make great contributions to the field of medical research. He even tricked April Kepner into taking charge of the surgical innovation contest so that he could participate in it as a contestant, which showed that he was very enthusiastic to compete and do research.
Worst: Not The Best Father
Richard won’t be winning any prizes as the father of the year. Sure, he hadn't been aware that Ellis Grey was pregnant when he broke up with her but even when he did realize that Maggie was his daughter, he didn't tell her immediately.
Although he is on good terms with her now, his initial meeting with her was a tad rocky. Maggie was justifiably upset that Richard had let her rant on while knowing the truth about her parentage all along.
Best: Belief In Second Chances
Richard's kindness has led him to make some dubious decisions at times. For example, he gave Izzie Stevens a second chance even after her gross misconduct; fans know she had cut a patient’s L-Vad wire to get him a heart that wasn’t his to get.
He also let off the other interns easy even though they had all conspired to protect Izzie. This might be seen as a lapse in discipline by some, but it also showed his kind-heartedness. Perhaps his belief in second chances came from the fact that he had made plenty of errors in his own life and could sympathize when someone else made a mistake.
Worst: Has A Temper
Richard has temper tantrums and that has got him into trouble on more than one occasion. He vandalized a bar that was offering drinks to former addicts who had sobered up. Of course, this was despicable, but Richard’s temper got the better of him and he was arrested.
He also has numerous fights with his wife, Catherine. Sure Catherine isn't the easiest person to live with but Richard too lets his ego get in the way of his relationship.
Best: Great Mentoring & Leadership Skills
Richard is a great teacher and mentor. He has mentored hundreds of doctors, generations of whom have gone on to become great surgeons in their respective fields.
Richard has mentored the likes of Miranda Bailey and Meredith Grey, with both of whom he shares a unique, almost father-daughter relationship. He has also been the Chief of Surgery at one of the best hospitals in Seattle for several decades now and has led the hospital through some pretty tough times.
Worst: Jealous
Unfortunately, Richard Webber isn’t above getting jealous. He himself admitted to Meredith that one of the reasons he had finally broken up with her mother with whom he had had a torrid affair, was his own insecurities.
Ellis Grey had been awarded her first Harper Avery at the time, possibly the most coveted award for surgeons for best research in the surgical field. Richard wasn’t able to come to terms with the fact that she would probably have a better career than him, which eventually caused him to break it off with her.
Best: Sense Of Humor
Richard has a great sense of humor and doesn’t mind doing a few moves every now and then when he is happy and wants to celebrate.
Remember when someone started making fun of Jo Wilson’s then-boyfriend Jason and giving him a hard time? Well, fans might recall that Richard Webber had offered his expert advice to Alex Karev and his young patient who wanted a bit of fun harassing the man Jo seemed to like. Sneaky though it might be, this proves that Richard is good fun.
Worst: Disloyal
One of Richard’s worst traits is his disloyalty. He cheated on his lovely wife, Adele, for a long time when they were both young. He even had a daughter with Ellis Grey at the time.
Richard then cheated on he a second time when she had been admitted into a care facility for her Alzheimer’s. This time, he got romantically involved with Catherine Avery, who he is currently married to. True, Adele’s loss of memory had progressed a lot by that time and she didn’t feel comfortable having him around. But that didn’t give Richard the license to be with other women.
Best: Strength Of Character
Finally, Richard has great strength of character. He has come back more than once from severe trauma, be it when he was electrocuted or when he got copper poisoning due to a knee replacement he had had.
Even more importantly, he got sober after being an alcoholic. Yes, he did fall off the wagon once but he managed to get over that as well. He recognized that he had an addiction problem and worked hard to get past it, which takes strength of mind and character.