Meredith Grey's life has been upended by a lot of tragic events, so many have wondered what ending would be satisfying - and it seems that Grey's Anatomy season 18 may not only be on the road towards a suitable conclusion. Many theories have arisen over the years as to how the show will finish - notably including a popular fan theory that predicts a particularly disheartening ending where Meredith is diagnosed and has to deal with Alzheimer's, just like her mother did. Others speculate on whom Meredith will end up with, especially as newly-released episodes have shown her not closing the door on love like she might have done in the past. Whatever the actual ending will bring, what can be seen from season 18 is that Meredith has become a character that, especially after having recovered from Covid-19, is much happier and present in what she does.
The first seasons of ABC's Grey's Anatomy have shown a kind of Meredith that wouldn't necessarily be left defeated by the many tragedies she experienced, but one that came close to that. She was referred to as dark and twisty, and when her sister Maggie (Kelly McCreary) was mourning her mother's death, Meredith admitted to having been as such sometimes, in the past. The Meredith of the latest seasons, though, seemed to have come to terms with grief and loss, dealing with it in a healthier way. While Grey's Anatomy is renowned for not shying away from killing off beloved characters - be they main, recurring, or even just guest stars - that does not seem to be where season 18 is headed.
Many thought that the reappearance of Ellis Grey (Kate Burton) would have meant a foreshadowing of illness for Meredith. However, the first episodes of season 18 have shown Meredith deciding to split her life between Seattle and Minnesota in order to find a cure for Parkinson's disease, at the request of Dr. David Hamilton (Peter Gallagher), who is affected by it. Her mother's reappearance in her nightmares fuelled her to take on what could be the next big thing of her career, as Meredith explained when speaking to Nick (Scott Speedman) about how recovering from illness made her reflect on what she was doing with her life.
It's unknown whether Grey's Anatomy season 18 will be the final season of the show. Nevertheless, an ending where Meredith Grey cures Parkinson's, or at least is successful in one of the steps that may bring a cure for the neurodegenerative disease, would be a fairly happy one. Considering how Alzheimer's affected the last years of the life of Ellis Grey, along with her relationship with Meredith that cared for her, finding a cure for another neurodegenerative disease would be an eventful kind of redemption.
Whether a discovery such as that would bring Meredith another Harper Avery award, bringing her to a total of two just like her mother, is not known but likely. Still, it would bring more than just appraisal and an advance for her career. A discovery like that would make her feel that she did something worthwhile, precisely what she said she felt the need to do after her recovery from Covid-19 in Grey's Anatomy season 18, episode 1. It would be the perfect ending for a character that suffered so much but, as Jackson Avery once said, transformed all her pain into a drive to make things better.