The new TV Guide feature on Grey's Anatomy - with its dual covers of Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey - lacks much of anything on Dr. Alex Karev (Justin Chambers). He came into his own last year, and fans want to know what's next.

A reader wrote in to TV Guide about this and here is how Matt Roush replied ...

Q: I just read the Grey's Anatomy article in the new issue of TV Guide. I was extremely disappointed that there was no mention of Alex's character. Do you know if there will be any major storyline for the character in Season 5? Alex fans (well, me at least) have been waiting season after season for a major arc for him. He's the only original intern that has not had a major arc focused on him. It's about time, don't you think?

A: All I know is what we printed, and I consulted the editor of the piece, who says nothing about Alex was left on the cutting-room floor. So the answer is: I don't know (and if I was sitting on a Grey's Anatomy spoiler, I probably wouldn't share), but it's hard to imagine him not being involved in at least some of the major storylines, and I'm thinking whatever they have in store for Izzie would probably have some impact on Alex. I agree he's a terrific character, one of my favorites, and I enjoy the way Justin Chambers plays him, but that's possibly because he hasn't been overused. His most prominent storyline was the Jane Doe/Ava/Rebecca relationship, which seems to me a pretty major arc (although one that probably went on too long). The most common gripes I hear about Grey's Anatomy come from fans of any character who isn't Meredith or Derek. Face it. They're the stars, and the others are satellites who shine bright at key points of the season, but they're not the engine and they'll probably never be.

Steve Marsi is the Managing Editor of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Google+ or email him here.