Forget whether or not Meredith Grey survives COVID-19, the real thing we all need to be worried about is whether or not she even makes it to next season. Or if any of them make it to next season. at this point, who knows if there even is a next season of Grey's Anatomy — including its stars.
On Sunday, Feb. 28, Grey's star Ellen Pompeo casually dropped a huge bomb on fans, telling CBS that the Grey's family is currently in the process of deciding if they want to keep the show going past this season. "We honestly have not decided. We're really trying to figure it out now," she said, hinting that this could be the end for Meredith and the entire Grey's Anatomy crew. This is news to me!
If you were hoping that Pompeo was talking about her character, Meredith, and not the show as a whole, bad news: CBS News correspondent Tracy Smith clarified, "You're in the middle of deciding whether it ends or it doesn't end?" and Pompeo confirmed she was, in fact, talking about the series. "What story do we tell? To end a show this iconic, you know, how do we do it?" Pompeo continued. "I just want to make sure we do this character and this show and the fans — I want to make sure we do it right."
This isn't the first time Pompeo has floated the idea of ending Grey's after Season 17. Speaking with Variety in October, Pompeo hinted at the possibility, saying, "I don't know that this is the last year? But it very well could be."
Meanwhile, other members of the cast have been equally vague. In December 2020, Chandra Wilson admitted to Entertainment Tonight that there had been many, "This is how the season would end" conversations. The actor, who, along with Pompeo, is one of the last remaining original cast members on the show, insisted that there were no concrete decision to "put an end on it," which sounds promising, but is also just a cryptic way to say that Wilson is just as in the dark as the rest of us.
Fans can take comfort in knowing that Wilson, at least, feels confident that if Grey's Anatomy is picked up for another season, she'll stick around. The same can't be said for Pompeo, whose contract is up at the end of Season 17. Should she decide to leave the show, there's no real reason why ABC couldn't continue the longest-running medical drama. Though it would make the title — Grey's Anatomy — a little strange.
For now, fans have nothing to worry about. Grey's Season 17 returns with new episodes on March 11, with 10 new episodes left in the season. Hopefully by then, they'll have figured out whether Season 18 is a go or dead on arrival.
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Image: ABC