Spoilers for previously aired episodes of Grey’s Anatomy
Grey’s Anatomy is attempting a reboot in its 19th season with a new crop of interns. Most of the original, second, and third, and fourth wave main cast members have left at this point, and Ellen Pompeo’s titular character is the next to go. They announced months ago Ellen would be appearing in a limited capacity this season. They’ve been teasing her exit for the past two seasons, but now it’s real. Meredith Grey will leave Seattle Grace Mercy Death Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital when the show returns from the winter hiatus. Fans are not happy about the future of Grey’s Anatomy without the Grey.
Grey’s Anatomy fans, it’s time to say goodbye. After 19 seasons of leading the medical drama, Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) has clocked in her final day as an attending in Seattle.
Throughout the latest ABC installment, viewers have seen the titular character question her choices in the medical field. In all came to a head when her house burned down leading Meredith to take the plunge and email her resignation. This gave way for her move to Boston for a job in Alzheimer’s research. While the actual timeframe has been teased the entire season, a promo for the winter premiere indicated when Meredith — and subsequently, Ellen — will take off her scrubs.
As the emotional 30-second spot showed Meredith on her final day at Grey Sloan Memorial, everyone attending at the hospital will gather together to give her a proper sendoff. “On February 23, one chapter ends and a new one begins. 💙,” the show’s official Instagram captioned the clip on November 10.
Understandably, folks were distressed over her impending exit and many didn’t hesitate to share their feelings on social media.
“No Meredith means no Grey’s, I’m done,” one person passionately wrote on Instagram. “You can’t have Grey’s Anatomy without Meredith Grey,” another follower remarked. “It’s not Grey’s Anatomy with Meredith Grey. She made this show what it is,” a different TV-goer added.
While Meredith may be leaving Seattle soon, this doesn’t mean Ellen herself is stepping away from Grey’s Anatomy. Back in August, Deadline reported that she’ll still be an executive producer and will narrate future episodes. This decreased role will also give the actress the chance to executive produce and star in a limited series for Hulu.
As for how Ellen feels the show will fare after she leaves, she has no worries. “[Grey’s Anatomy] will be just fine without me,” she told Deadline in September. “I’m going to always be a part of that show. I’m an executive producer on that show. I spent two decades of my career on that show — it’s my heart and soul. I’ll never truly be gone as long as that show is on the air.”
I mean, potentially burning down Meredith’s house is also a huge blow. Grey’s really won’t let anything end nicely, huh? Derek, Alex, and now Meredith’s house are just a few of the things they’ve burned to the ground over the years. And with Lexie long dead too, I guess the only Grey in Grey’s Anatomy will be Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, which is pretty indestructible (not to give them any ideas). As a fan, this isn’t the last straw for me because I was already checked out. It’s not just Meredith, but her relationships with the other characters that made the show and most of those characters are long gone. Ellen will continue to executive produce the show, narrate the episodes, and may appear in the season finale. But her character is leaving town for personal and professional reasons — not for her new boyfriend played by Scott Speedman, but for a school that better suits her daughter’s needs and to work on a cure for Alzheimer’s. This all makes sense, I just half wish they hadn’t taken the long way getting there.
I always wondered how Soap actors can stay playing the same role for 20 years, and I figured well it must be for the steady paycheck at least. Actors who are not concerened with challenging themselves in different roles and set ups.
I think Ellen Pompeo spoke about this in THR a couple of years ago? She wanted (and got) more money because being tied to the soap made her miss other acting opportunities. She seemed to be okay with that tradeoff well enough.
It is crazy how long that show has been on. I watched thr first couple of seasons but stopped when I was going through fertility struggles. I now have 16 and 12 year old sons! Ellen is wealthy and must be bored of the same character, fans should let her go.
I had no idea Grey’s Anatomy was still ongoing 😀
The house burning was unnecessary. I appreciate that she didn’t move for a man but for her daughter.
I’m SO curious about her new role. It will be incredibly hard for people to see her through a different lens (and this is from someone who only watched the first 3-4 seasons!). It must be a strong project.
The thing that irritates me most about the later seasons is the dropped storylines. I really liked Meridith with the Irish widower. Now Scott. And dont even get me started on Alex and Jo. I just record Greys and and hate watch when I have time
Yessss! So many dropped story lines. What was the point of the moving to MN Alzheimer’s stuff if they were just going to bring her back to “save the future” and then to send her to Boston?
I stopped watching once they started really doing badly with Christina’s storyline. She was my favorite and once they screwed her up and Sandra Oh left. I was done. I always got the feeling there was jealousy over Christina’s popularity.
Well, she has stayed till the end I guess. I’ve never watched GA.
19 years same role, same show = Sounds like the Y&R. lol
Hey, financial security. Nothing wrong with that.
I watched the first two seasons and thought they were brilliant. Then the story lines starting to become extreme soap opera-ish so after spotty viewing of seasons 3 and 4 I just lost interest.
This season has been better for me than previous ones. They’ve done a better job with the new crop of interns. I really don’t care about Meredith leaving at this point. Her character hasn’t done much for years now. This really should be last season though.
I think that’s the only time I’ve ever seen the term “tv-goer.” Is that a real term? It doesn’t make sense.
My god, I haven’t watched in years. Not since they killed off Derek. I wasn’t into him or a fan girl but I had noticed by that time that Rimes had a nasty habit of killing off characters when the actors decided they weren’t going to stay on board. I noticed this in other series of hers as well. Watching Bridgerton was my first return to her work and I frankly find it contrived, overdone, and saturated with admittedly great sex scenes to make up for the lack in good writing. Simply put I don’t think she’s particularly talented and she has a mean, petty streak.
Greys jumped the shark long ago and I can’t believe people still watch. It’s embarrassing at this point.
I really got into ER, but ended up bailing a few years in when characters just kept regularly having enormous life crises and then just going on basically unchanged. A friend was raving about Grey’s. Caught an episode and realized I needed to set boundaries and not fall for that again.
I’m really over these fandoms that don’t understand that actual real people with lives and their own strengths and weaknesses make these shows (and movies). If you are so wrapped up in these parasocial relationships, get a therapist.