The 400th episode of Grey's Anatomy is gearing up to be a big event. The ABC medical drama, which was created by television powerhouse Shonda Rhimes, began airing on March 27, 2005, and shows no signs of stopping. Although the cast around her has fluctuated over the course of the series, the show follows Ellen Pompeo's character Meredith Grey as she rises from being an intern to becoming chief of general surgery at Seattle Grace Hospital. The show is well known for its blend of medical procedural, soap opera drama, and steamy romance. Other than Pompeo, the only other Grey's Anatomy cast members to appear on every episode are Chandra Wilson as Dr. Miranda Bailey and James Pickens Jr. as Dr. Richard Webber.
Grey's Anatomy season 18 has recently been on a holiday hiatus, but it will be returning to the air with its 389th episode on February 24, 2022. As this season approaches the big episode, fans are hotly anticipating how the show will pull out all the stops to celebrate. The show has set a precedent of breaking from the typical routine of the overarching storylines to create a big event on episodes 200 and 300, which featured a circus fundraiser and a "where are they now" type episode about past characters respectively.
While speaking with TVLine, Grey's showrunner Krista Vernoff discussed the ballyhoo around the upcoming 400th episode. She joked that they will not be doing "a black-and-white movie musical," but it's destined to be a "big event." To compound the episode's importance, it's also most likely going to be the finale of season 18. However, the series has had to drop episodes in the past due to COVID-19 related production delays, so that may not be the case depending on how things shake out. Read the full quote below:
I actually think that the last episode of our season will be 400, if there are no further COVID delays and we don’t end up dropping an episode. That’s a big if.
We’re NOT doing a black-and-white movie musical, but it’s going to be a pretty big event, I think.
It's difficult to imagine what ground episode 400 could cover that hasn't already been a part of the series' long history. The show has already covered ghosts, plane crashes, the COVID-19 pandemic, endless breakups and reunions, and even a notorious musical episode featuring Sara Ramirez belting "The Story" by Brandi Carlisle. However, the writers of Grey's Anatomy have long proven the show's elasticity and their ability to constantly up the ante.
As Grey's Anatomy continues its storied run, there are constant rumors concerning the show's ending. However, there is every chance that the show will continue on to have a 500th episode celebration or even a 600th. For now, however, the 400th episode will prove whether or not they have what it takes to really shake the show out of its routine yet another time.
Source: TVLine