Grey’s Anatomy could finally be coming to an end with season 20, as, perhaps, it really should be. The decision to end a long-running series can be a difficult one, especially for one as popular as the medical drama, and needs to be a carefully-weighed choice that considers the characters and the show’s narrative potential. But in the case of Grey’s Anatomy, given how much change the show has experienced since its inception, in a way it has already become a fully new story that needs to conclude.
Grey’s Anatomy has been running for 19 seasons since it first premiered in 2005, with its main focal character as the titular Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo). Throughout her seasons on the show, Meredith has experienced career highs and lows, awards and promotions, as well as personal challenges including love, familial reckonings, and grief. Pompeo even directed two episodes of Grey's Anatomy. But recently, Pompeo announced that she will leave midway through season 19 and will only return for this season’s finale. Grey’s Anatomy season 20 has not been announced, but it is likely that it will, giving the show a chance to end satisfyingly.
Grey’s Anatomy Was Supposed To End When Ellen Pompeo Was Done
In the past, both Grey’s Anatomy creator, Shonda Rhimes, and Pompeo herself had stated that they expected the show to end when the actress departed. Narratively, this makes sense given that the show is both named after Meredith and that she has largely been the main point-of-view character throughout the long-running drama. As such, Grey’s Anatomy continuing in a long-form way without Grey could create a narrative dissonance for the show.
Not only would continuing Grey’s Anatomy without its titular heroine be confusing, but it could destabilize long-time viewers to lose one of their remaining original season 1 characters. Without Meredith, only Dr. Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) and Dr. Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) would remain as links to Grey’s Anatomy’s pilot season. This further emphasizes how Pompeo’s departure signals that season 20 would be a fitting place to end the series.
Grey’s Anatomy Won’t Be The Same Without The Heart Of The Show
Even beyond losing an element of character consistency with Meredith’s departure from Grey’s Anatomy, Grey has been the centerpiece of the series for so long, it’s impossible for the show to continue in the way it has without her. This fact has been acknowledged by one of the show’s primary actors, Jesse Williams, who stated as much in an interview with Access Hollywood. “I don't know, it would be a different show, she's the heart of that show, she's Grey, so unlikely,” (via Digital Spy) Williams said regarding if Grey’s Anatomy could continue without Pompeo in it.
This is especially true considering that Grey has been such a focal character for so many seasons. A generation of audiences has grown up watching Grey’s Anatomy, experiencing life along with her through every imaginable narrative permutation. After so much lived experience with one character, viewership numbers will likely fall without her, as any story Grey’s Anatomy could cover runs the risk of being a repeat of something Meredith has already experienced.
Grey’s Anatomy Should End On A High Note
But Pompeo’s departure does not mean that a final season would not be good for Grey’s Anatomy at large. Developing another season after Meredith’s exit gives the show a chance to end as the best version of itself, avoiding a pitfall that many long-running dramas have encountered before. There are several examples of shows that have stretched beyond their natural conclusion, eking out episodes until they end with low ratings, like season 18 of Grey's Anatomy. Stories might end this way due to the writers and producers not knowing when the series is due to end, forcing them to leave season finales open-ended to facilitate future episodes.
Instead, given ample time to plan a strong send-off season, Grey’s Anatomy could end with the full knowledge of what it is working toward, crafting a finale in a fashion befitting of the show’s tenure. Particularly after the many fraught years at Grey+Sloan Memorial Hospital, a well-done season 20 could feature the official passing of the torch to the next generation. This would allow time for the show to grant closure to viewers and the characters, and fully celebrate everything that the drama and its heroes have accomplished.
Grey’s Anatomy Should Give All Its Characters Fitting Endings
With a final season, Grey’s Anatomy could, and should, give its remaining characters a fitting ending. The show could use its last season to establish the trajectories of season 19's new class of interns, while also wrapping up the legacy of the old guard. In particular, this would give Grey’s Anatomy a chance to neatly establish Dr. Bailey and Dr. Webber’s long-term satisfaction at the hospital as they continue to foster the interns’ progress. Additionally, it could continue to draw parallels between the old class of interns and the new one, creating a comforting continuity that depicts how even if once the show ends, the struggles, successes, and lessons the audience and the cast found there will endure.
Additionally, a unique opportunity season 20 could present for Grey’s Anatomy is something of a reunion episode for the remaining living but departed characters. For example, the show could bring back Meredith and her ‘people’, Grey's Anatomy's Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) and Alex Karev (Justin Chambers), for a retrospective on how far they have come. This would reaffirm how each of them is moving into the future, and what they have taken away from their time at Grey+Sloan Memorial Hospital. Not only would this be a fitting character finale, but it would also allow Grey’s Anatomy to finish with its most important messages of loyalty, compassion, and dedication. This would cap the meaning that Grey’s Anatomy wants viewers to absorb after almost 20 years of television.
Grey's Anatomy returns on Thursday, February 23, at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.